Automatic speed dial updating

• US 6,298,131 B1
• Filed: 03/30/1998
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Veschi, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Application Number:
  US09/050,346
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 379/354-357, 379/100.14, 379/93.18, 379/93.23, 379/216, 379/355-1-3
• US Class Current: 379/355.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27485 Appending a prefix to or inserting a pause into a dialling sequence

Abstract

A telephone according to the invention provides a memory adapted to hold a speed dial number, a calling mechanism adapted to place an outgoing call to the speed dial number based on user input, an input unit adapted to receive updating information, and a speed dial updating unit adapted to change the speed dial number in the memory according to the updating information. In an alternative embodiment, a method of updating a telephone number associated with a speed dial button includes the steps of receiving a signal relating to a change in the telephone number, and updating a memory location to reflect the change in the telephone number.

Claims

1. A telephone, comprising:

means for storing an area code and a local number of a speed dial number;

means for placing an outgoing call to the speed dial number based on user input;

means for receiving updating information;

means for identifying that the updating information relates to a change in the area code of the speed dial number without a change in the local number of the speed dial number; and

means for changing the area code of the speed dial number according to the updating information,

wherein the means for receiving updating information includes means for receiving a voice signal indicating the change in the area code without the change in the local number, and means for providing an updating signal to the means for changing the speed dial number.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the voice signal is received during a period of time proximate to placing an outgoing call to the telephone number associated with the speed dial button.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

alerting a user to the new telephone number; and

waiting for an authorization indicator before completing the updating step.

2. A method for updating a telephone number associated with a speed dial button, comprising the steps of:

receiving a signal relating to a change in the telephone number wherein the signal is a voice signal stating a new area code for the telephone number;

interpreting the voice signal to create a digital representation of the new area code of the telephone number;

identifying that the voice signal relates to a change in the area code of the telephone number without a change in a local number of the telephone number; and

updating a memory location to reflect the change in the area code of the telephone number.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the updating step further comprises leaving intact the local number of the telephone number.

6. In a telephone, including a memory having a plurality of memory locations, each memory location being adapted to hold an area code of a unique speed dial number in an area code portion sub-cell and to hold a local number of the unique speed dial number in a local number portion sub-cell, and the telephone also including a speed dial mechanism adapted to initiate outgoing calls to the speed dial numbers based on user input, a method of updating the memory locations, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a voice signal relating to a change in one of the speed dial numbers;

identifying that the voice signal relates to a change in an area code of the speed dial number without a change in a local number of the speed dial number;

interpreting the voice signal to create a digital representation of a new area code for the speed dial number; and

updating the area code portion sub-cell of the memory location holding the speed dial number without updating the local number portion sub-cell of this memory location.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

alerting a user to the new speed dial number; and

waiting for an authorization indicator before completing the updating step.

8. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the voice signal is received during a period of time proximate to placing an outgoing call to the speed dial number.

9. A telephone, comprising:

a memory adapted to hold an area code and a local number of a speed dial number;

a calling mechanism adapted to place an outgoing call to the speed dial number based on user input;

an input unit adapted to received updating information and to identify that the updating information relates to a change in the area code of the speed dial number without a change in the local number of the speed dial number; and

a speed dial updating unit adapted to change the area code of the speed dial number in the memory according to the updating information;

wherein the input unit comprises a voice recognition module adapted to receive, as the updating information, a voice signal indicating the change in the area code without the change in the local number, and to provide an updating signal to the speed dial updating unit.

10. The telephone as recited in claim 9, wherein:

the memory has a plurality of memory locations, each memory location being adapted to hold the area code of the speed dial number in an area code portion sub-cell and to hold the local number of the speed dial number in a local number portion sub-cell; and

the speed dial updating unit is adapted to change the area code portion sub-cell of the memory location holding the speed dial number without updating the local number portion sub-cell of this memory location.