Personal electronic directory

• US 5,204,894 A
• Filed: 11/09/1990
• Issued: 04/20/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Darden, Pamela
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US07/610,881
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88, 379/89, 379/67, 379/354, 379/355, 379/216, 379/213
• US Class Current: 379/88.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4935 Connection initiated by DAS system

Abstract

A central office based service and apparatus whereby personal electronic directory (PED) subscribers may call a special number from any DTMF telephone to access their personal directory. Such users dial a special telephone number, enter their personally selected code for their directory and follow the system prompts which explain all available options and the methodology of use. The personal code is changeable by the subscriber at any time. The PED provides subscribers the ability to store names and numbers through audio signals which are preferably the subscriber'"'"'s voice. The subscriber then may access his PED remotely from any DTMF telephone and have a requested name and number repeated back in the subscriber'"'"'s own voice. Each entry is addressed by a portion of the name chosen by the subscriber. In case of multiple entries under the same name portion the system provides for seriatim search and announcement of the entries under that address until an affirmative response is entered by the calling subscriber. As an option the subscriber may have the number automatically dialed. The system provides subscriber access to the PED for changing, erasing or addition of entries at any time from any DTMF telephone, or of changing their personally selected code.

Claims

1. In a telecommunications system having a plurality of switching means interconnected by trunks, a plurality of subscriber stations arranged in groups with each group being served by one of said switching means, a plurality of subscriber lines connecting each switching means with the group of subscriber stations served thereby, a switching network in each switching means for establishing communication paths between calling subscriber stations and called subscriber stations addressed by the calling stations, the improvement comprising:

adjunct means associated with at least one of said switching means;

multiline hunt group means associated with a personal directory service access number;

said adjunct means including;

voice response means connected to said multiline hunt group means, and

processor means responsive to subscriber identification for performing the following functions (a) recognizing that a subscriber selected name and telephone number is to be stored in a selected memory provided to that subscriber from among a plurality of memories dedicated to other subscribers and for storing multiple names and telephone numbers inputted by audio signals originated by that subscriber to said multiline hunt group means and including an alphabetic address of predetermined length for each telephone number, and (b) recognizing in response to audio signals that said subscriber is seeking access to one of said telephone numbers stored for that subscriber,

said voice response means generating an audio signal repeating the telephone number requested by that subscriber by the alphabetic address, and providing to said subscriber audio instructions for storing and retrieving said personal directory numbers.

2. A telecommunications system improvement according to claim 1 wherein said processor means further performs the changing of the subscriber identification responsive to subscriber request.

3. A telecommunications system improvement according to claim 1 wherein said processor means further performs the changing or erasing of names or telephone numbers previously stored for said subscriber responsive to subscriber request.

4. A telecommunications system improvement according to claim 1 wherein said adjunct means includes means responsive to subscriber request for automatically dialing telephone numbers retrieved for said subscriber.

5. A telecommunications system improvement according to claim 1 wherein an audio signal representing said alphabetic address is generated by a DTMF keypad actuated by said subscriber.

6. A telecommunications system improvement according to claim 1 wherein an audio signal representing said alphabetic address is generated by said subscriber articulating letters of the alphabet for the predetermined length of said alphabetic address.

7. A telecommunications system improvement according to claim 1 wherein said names and telephone numbers are stored in a digitized form representing the voice of the subscriber and are repeated to the subscriber in an audio reproduction of the subscriber'"'"'s voice.

8. A telecommunications system improvement according to claim 1 wherein said subscriber may store names and numbers in a personal directory and retrieve numbers from said personal directory from any DTMF telephone.

9. A telecommunications system improvement according to claim 6 wherein said subscriber may store names and numbers in a personal directory and retrieve numbers from said personal directory from any DTMF telephone.

10. A telecommunications system having a plurality of switching means interconnected by trunks, a plurality of subscriber stations arranged in groups with each group being served by one of said switching means, a plurality of subscriber lines connecting each switching means with the group of subscriber stations served thereby, a switching network in each switching means for establishing communication paths between calling subscriber stations and called subscriber stations addressed by the calling stations, the improvement comprising:

an adjunct means associated with at least one of said switching means;

multiline hunt group means associated with a personal directory service access number;

said adjunct means including;

voice response and recognition means connected to said multiline hunt group means, and

processor means responsive to subscriber identification for performing the following functions (a) recognizing that a subscriber selected name and telephone number is to be stored in a selected memory provided to that subscriber from among a plurality of memories dedicated to other subscribers and for storing multiple names and telephone numbers inputted by audio signals originated by that subscriber to said multiline hunt group means and including an alphabetic address of predetermined length articulated by said subscriber for each telephone number, and (b) recognizing in response to spoken audio signals that said subscriber is seeking access to one of said telephone numbers stored for that subscriber,

said voice response and recognition means generating an audio signal repeating the telephone number requested by that subscriber by the alphabetic address, and providing to said subscriber audio instructions for storing and retrieving said inputted telephone numbers.

11. A telecommunications system improvement according to claim 10 wherein said processor means further performs the changing of the subscriber identification responsive to subscriber request.

12. A telecommunications system improvement according to claim 10 wherein said processor means further performs the changing or erasing of names or telephone numbers previously stored for said subscriber responsive to spoken subscriber request.

13. A telecommunications system improvement according to claim 10 wherein said adjunct means includes means responsive to spoken subscriber request for automatically dialing telephone numbers retrieved for said subscriber.

14. A telecommunications system improvement according to claim 10 wherein said names and telephone numbers are stored in a digitized form representing the voice of the subscriber and are repeated to the subscriber in an audio reproduction of the subscriber'"'"'s voice.

15. A telecommunications system improvement according to claim 10 wherein said subscriber may store names and numbers in a personal directory and retrieve numbers from said personal directory from any DTMF telephone.