Automated telephone directory

• US 5,903,632 A
• Filed: 03/19/1997
• Issued: 05/11/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: T&N Technology Limited (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: T&N Technology Limited (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brandon, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Application Number:
  US08/820,830
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 379/90.01, 379/91.01, 379/93.05-93.07, 379/93.17-93.19, 379/93.21, 379/93.23, 379/110.01, 379/142, 379/201, 379/396, 379/354-357 , 379/111-113, 379/120, 379/133, 379/140
• US Class Current: 379/93.23
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs

Abstract

The automated telephone directory of the present invention combines a telephone, a telephone directory and a telephone log into a single computerized unit. The primary directory database contains the directory information for an entire geographical region (i.e. city, state, province or country) and is accessed by a central processing unit to facilitate the placing of telephone calls and to create incoming and outgoing logs. Several other databases are created automatically or can be created manually to enhance the telephoning process. The system also includes the means to send and receive alphanumeric page messages. A display screen is provided to display, upon command of the CPU, the directory information of incoming and outgoing telephone calls and for displaying the various databases provided.

Claims

1. An automated telephone directory for use in combination with a telephone and an incoming call number identification signal decoder including first database means containing the telephone directory information for a given geographical region sorted into a plurality of records, each record including a name field and a telephone number field;

second database means for storing the telephone directory information of the source of incoming telephone calls sorted into records each record including name, telephone number, date, start time and duration fields;

outgoing calls have distinct color patterns indicative of the said database means from which the telephone calls were placed.

2. An automated telephone directory system according to claim 1 including page check means for sending a copy of each of the page messages sent by said paging means to said page receiver means.

3. An automated telephone directory system according to claim 1 including call indicator means for producing a distinct color pattern on the background of said display means when an incoming call is received and when an outgoing call is placed for indicating whether the phone is in use and whether the call is an incoming or outgoing call.

4. An automated telephone directory system according to claim 1, wherein said second input means includes page browsing means for selecting a page from one of said database means to be displayed on said display means;

and pointer means for indicating on said display means a specific record from the selected page.

5. An automated telephone directory system according to claim 1, wherein said page browsing means changes the page displayed on said display means from a first page from one of said database means to a second page of said same database means and including third input means for selecting the number of pages between the first page and the second page and fourth input means for selecting whether the second page is prior or subsequent to the first page and for initiating the change.

6. An automated telephone directory system according to claim 5, wherein, if said fourth input means is actuated without activating said third input means, said page browser means displays the next page or the previous page.

7. An automated telephone directory system according to claim 6 including sound simulator means for simulating the sound of a book page turning whenever said page browser means is actuated.

8. An automated telephone directory system according to claim 1, wherein said first database means includes the telephone directory information of a metropolitan area, the records stored alphabetically by name and by business type, and in numerical order by telephone number.

9. An automated telephone directory system according to claim 1 including call redial means for automatically redialling a selected telephone number whereby, if the selected telephone line is busy said call redial means will disconnect the call and redial the selected telephone number until the call is completed or the caller disengages said call redial means.

10. An automated telephone directory system according to claim 1 including text coding means for automatically converting text messages into representative dual tone multi-frequency signals for transmission to a decoder at a remote paging system.

11. An automated telephone directory system according to claim 1, wherein the records of said first, second, third and fourth database means include a business field for indicating a caller'"'"'s type of business.