System and method for configuring a telephone

• US 5,402,477 A
• Filed: 07/31/1992
• Issued: 03/28/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Gammel, Michele B., McMahan, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel S.
• Application Number:
  US07/923,061
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 379/354, 379/201, 379/96, 379/157, 379/164, 379/165, 379/1, 379/27, 379/10
• US Class Current: 379/201.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/247 Telephone sets including user guidance or feature selection means facilitating their use user interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2471 Configurable and interactive telephone terminals with subscriber controlled features modifications, e.g. with ADSI capability [Analog Display Services Interface] systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers H04M3/42; administration or customization of services H04M3/42136; by downloading data to substation equipment H04M3/42178
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2765 implemented by means of portable magnetic cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/14 including a card reading device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment

Abstract

A method and system are provided for configuring a telephone (10). A connection (20) is formed between the telephone (10) and a telephone environment (60). A list of services offerable through the telephone environment is generated (100). A list of candidate procedures for establishing each listed service through the telephone environment is generated (102). At least one of the listed procedures is executed (104) for each listed service to determine whether the listed service is supported by the connection (20).

Claims

1. A method of configuring a programmable telephone, comprising the steps of:

forming a connection between the programmable telephone and a telephone environment;

generating a list of a plurality of services offerable through said telephone environment;

generating a list of a plurality of candidate procedures for establishing each of said plurality of services through said telephone environment;

executing at least one of said plurality of candidate procedures for establishing each of said plurality of services to determine whether each of said plurality of services is supported by said connection to generate a supported service; and

displaying a representation of said supported service on a screen of said programmable telephone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of forming comprises the step of forming said connection between the programmable telephone and said telephone environment comprising a switch and a network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of forming comprises the step of forming said connection between the programmable telephone and said telephone environment of a commercial telephone service company system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of forming comprises the step of forming said connection between the programmable telephone and said telephone environment of a private branch exchange system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of executing comprises the step of monitoring a response of said telephone environment in response to executing at least one of said plurality of candidate procedures to determine whether at least one of said plurality of services is supported by said connection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of executing comprises the step of testing a functionality of at least one of said plurality of services to determine whether said one of said plurality of services is supported by said connection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of selecting said supported service by touching said representation of said supported service on said screen of the programmable telephone.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of repeating said step of executing in response to repeating said step of forming said connection.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of notifying said programmable telephone in response to a change in said telephone environment.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises the step of repeating said step of executing in response to said change.