Method and system for sharing speed dial lists amongst multiple telecommunications services

• US 20070099671A1
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tiliks, Dianna, Heinmiller, Wayne, Gruchala, Carol, Moss, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,444,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/564
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42272 whereby the subscriber registers to the terminals for personalised service provision
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/44 Additional connecting arrangements for providing access to frequently-wanted subscribers, e.g. abbreviated dialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27; automatic redialling H04M3/424

Abstract

A master database stores a speed dial list associated with a user of multiple telecommunications services. The database shares the speed dial list with the telecommunication services such that a single speed dial list serves all of the user'"'"'s telecommunications services. The database receives speed dial list changes made through one of the telecommunications services and shares the speed dial list changes with the other telecommunications services that the speed dial list is maintained in synchronicity amongst the telecommunications services. As a result, the user does not have to manually keep separate speed dial lists synchronized nor does the user have to memorize or access separate speed dial lists. The speed dial list is locally accessible to the user by being stored on a user phone. The speed dial list is also remotely accessible to the user as the database receives user queries from the user via a user phone.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system comprising:

a master source in communication with a first network which enables a user to place a call from a first user phone to another phone via the first network, a second network which enables the user to place a call from a second user phone to another phone via the second network, and the user phones;

wherein the master source stores a user profile associated with the user, the user profile including information indicative of speed dialing capabilities of the networks and the user phones, the user profile further including a speed dial list associated with the user, the speed dial list having speed dialing sequences which respectively correspond to phone numbers of other phones, wherein the master source uses the user profile to selectively provide a copy of the speed dial list to the networks and the user phones based on their speed dialing capabilities;

wherein in response to the user using the first user phone to place a call to another phone by dialing on the first user phone the speed dialing sequence corresponding to the other phone, at least one of the first network and the first user phone uses the copy of the speed dial list in order to convert the dialed speed dialing sequence to the phone number corresponding to the other phone for the user to place the call from the first user phone to the other phone via the first network;

wherein in response to the user using the second user phone to place a call to another phone by dialing on the second user phone the speed dialing sequence corresponding to the other phone, at least one of the second network and the second user phone uses the copy of the speed dial list in order to convert the dialed speed dialing sequence to the phone number corresponding to the other phone for the user to place the call from the second user phone to the other phone via the second network.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an online system in communication with the master source, wherein the master source receives the speed dial list from the user via the online system and then stores the speed dial list as part of the user profile.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the master source receives the speed dial list from the user via at least one of the user phones and then stores the speed dial list as part of the user profile.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein:

at least one of the user phones displays the copy of the speed dial list for the user to see.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the first network is a wireline network and the first user phone is a wireline phone, the wireline phone is one of a telephone, a cordless phone, and a pay phone.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein:

the second network is a wireless network and the second user phone is a wireless phone such as a cellular phone.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein:

the wireline network includes a wireline network-platform, wherein the master source provides the copy of the speed dial list to the wireline network-platform;

wherein in response to the user using the first user phone to place a call to another phone by dialing on the first user phone the speed dialing sequence corresponding to the other phone, the wireline network-platform uses the copy of the speed dial list to convert the dialed speed dialing sequence to the phone number corresponding to the other phone for the user to place the call from the first user phone to the other phone via the wireline network.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein:

the wireline network includes a wireline switch-platform, wherein the master source provides the copy of the speed dial list to the wireline switch-platform;

wherein in response to the user using the first user phone to place a call to another phone by dialing on the first user phone the speed dialing sequence corresponding to the other phone, the wireline switch-platform uses the copy of the speed dial list to convert the dialed speed dialing sequence to the phone number corresponding to the other phone for the user to place the call from the first user phone to the other phone via the wireline network.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein:

the wireless network includes a wireless network-platform, wherein the master source provides the copy of the speed dial list to the wireless network-platform;

wherein in response to the user using the second user phone to place a call to another phone by dialing on the second user phone the speed dialing sequence corresponding to the other phone, the wireless network-platform uses the copy of the speed dial list to convert the dialed speed dialing sequence to the phone number corresponding to the other phone for the user to place the call from the second user phone to the other phone via the wireless network.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein:

the wireless network includes a wireless switch-platform, wherein the master source provides the copy of the speed dial list to the wireless switch-platform;

wherein in response to the user using the second user phone to place a call to another phone by dialing on the second user phone the speed dialing sequence corresponding to the other phone, the wireless switch-platform uses the copy of the speed dial list to convert the dialed speed dialing sequence to the phone number corresponding to the other phone for the user to place the call from the second user phone to the other phone via the wireless network.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein:

at least one the networks and the user phones provided with a copy of the speed dial list communicates with the master source to propagate speed dial list changes to the master source, wherein the master source updates the speed dial list stored by the master source in accordance with the changes and then provides the speed dial list changes to the other ones of the networks and the user phones having a copy of the speed dial list, wherein the other ones of the networks and the user phones having the copy of the speed dial list update the copy of the speed dial list in accordance with the changes.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the first network is one of a wireline network, a wireless network, and a private branch exchange (PBX) network;

wherein the second network is different from the first network and is one of a wireless network, a wireless network, and a PBX network.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the first network enables the user to place a call from a third phone lacking user profile information associated with the user to another phone via the first network;

wherein in response to the user using the third phone to place a call to another phone by dialing on the third phone the speed dialing sequence corresponding to the other phone, the first network uses the copy of the speed dial list to convert the dialed speed dialing sequence to the phone number corresponding to the other phone for the user to place the call from the third phone to the other phone via the first network.

14. A telecommunications method for use with a first network and a second network, the first network enabling a user to place a call from a first user phone to another phone via the first network, the second network enabling the user to place a call from a second user phone to another phone via the second network, the method comprising:

storing a user profile associated with the user in a master source which is in communication with the networks and the user phones, the user profile including information indicative of speed dialing capabilities of the networks and the user phones, the user profile further including a speed dial list associated with the user, the speed dial list having speed dialing sequences which respectively correspond to phone numbers of other phones;

using the user profile to selectively download a copy of the speed dial list from the master source to the networks and the user phones based on their speed dialing capabilities;

in response to the user using the first user phone to place a call to another phone by dialing on the first user phone the speed dialing sequence corresponding to the other phone, using by at least one of the first network and the first user phone the copy of the speed dial list in order to convert the dialed speed dialing sequence to the phone number corresponding to the other phone for the user to place the call from the first user phone to the other phone via the first network;

in response to the user using the second user phone to place a call to another phone by dialing on the second user phone the speed dialing sequence corresponding to the other phone, using by at least one of the second network and the second user phone the copy of the speed dial list in order to convert the dialed speed dialing sequence to the phone number corresponding to the other phone for the user to place the call from the second user phone to the other phone via the second network.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

providing the speed dial list from a user online system to the master source for the master source to store as part of the user profile.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

providing the speed dial list from at least one of the user phones to the master source for the master source to store as part of the user profile.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

displaying on at least one of the user phones the copy of the speed dial list for the user to see.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein:

the first network is a wireline network and the first user phone is a wireline phone, the wireline phone is one of a telephone, a cordless phone, and a pay phone;

wherein the second network is a wireless network and the second user phone is a wireless phone such as a cellular phone.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein:

the first network is one of a wireline network, a wireless network, and a private branch exchange (PBX) network;

wherein the second network is different from the first network and is one of a wireless network, a wireless network, and a PBX network.

20. A telecommunications system comprising:

a master source in communication with a wireline network for enabling a user to place a call from a wireline phone to another phone via the wireline network, a wireless network for enabling the user to place a call from a wireless phone to another phone via the wireless network, and the user phones;

wherein the master source stores a user profile associated with the user, the user profile including a speed dial list associated with the user, the speed dial list having speed dialing sequences which respectively correspond to phone numbers of other phones, wherein the master source provides a copy of the speed dial list to the wireline network and the wireless phones;

wherein in response to the user using the wireline phone to place a call to another phone by dialing on the wireline phone the speed dialing sequence corresponding to the other phone, the wireline network uses its copy of the speed dial list in order to convert the dialed speed dialing sequence to the phone number corresponding to the other phone for the user to place the call from the wireline phone to the other phone via the wireline network;

wherein in response to the user using the wireless phone to place a call to another phone by dialing on the wireless phone the speed dialing sequence corresponding to the other phone, the wireless phone uses its copy of the speed dial list in order to convert the dialed speed dialing sequence to the phone number corresponding to the other phone for the user to place the call from the wireless phone to the other phone via the wireless network;

wherein the wireline network and the wireless phone communicate with the master source to propagate speed dial list changes to the master source, wherein the master source updates the speed dial list in accordance with the changes and then provides the speed dial list changes to the wireline network and the wireless phone, wherein the wireline network and the wireless phone update their copies of the speed dial list in accordance with the changes.

21. A computer readable storage medium comprising:

instructions for communicating with a first network which enables a user to place a call from a first user phone to another phone via the first network, a second network which enables the user to place a call from a second user phone to another phone via the second network, and the user phones;

instructions for storing a user profile associated with the user, the user profile including information indicative of speed dialing capabilities of the networks and the user phones, the user profile further including a speed dial list associated with the user, the speed dial list having speed dialing sequences which respectively correspond to phone numbers of other phones;

instructions for using the user profile to selectively provide a copy of the speed dial list to the networks and the user phones based on their speed dialing capabilities;

wherein in response to the user using the first user phone to place a call to another phone by dialing on the first user phone the speed dialing sequence corresponding to the other phone, at least one of the first network and the first user phone uses the copy of the speed dial list in order to convert the dialed speed dialing sequence to the phone number corresponding to the other phone for the user to place the call from the first user phone to the other phone via the first network;

wherein in response to the user using the second user phone to place a call to another phone by dialing on the second user phone the speed dialing sequence corresponding to the other phone, at least one of the second network and the second user phone uses the copy of the speed dial list in order to convert the dialed speed dialing sequence to the phone number corresponding to the other phone for the user to place the call from the second user phone to the other phone via the second network.