Method of programming telephone numbers and identifiers in a telephone

• US 6,697,484 B1
• Filed: 12/21/1998
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Fleming, Hoyt A. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Mei, Xu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Con P.
• Application Number:
  US09/217,254
• Time in Patent Office: 1,891 Days
• Field of Search: 379/354, 379/70, 379/88.19, 379/88.15, 379/142.04, 379/142.06, 379/207.15, 379/142.15, 379/93.25, 379/93.24, 455/415, 455/418, 455/564
• US Class Current: 379/354
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems

Abstract

A method and telephone apparatus that detects an incoming telephone call and determines if the telephone number of the call'"'"'s originator has previously been stored in the memory of the telephone is provided. If the originator'"'"'s telephone number has not been previously stored, it is stored into the memory of the telephone. In addition, if an alphanumeric identifier associated with the originator'"'"'s telephone number was received with the originator'"'"'s telephone number, it is also stored into memory. If the alphanumeric identifier was not received, the telephone automatically initiates a call to a remote computer and transmits the telephone number of the originator to the remote computer. The computer assigns an alphanumeric identifier to the telephone number and transmits the alphanumeric identifier back to the telephone which stores the alphanumeric identifier in the telephone memory in association with the telephone number. Accordingly, the telephone number can later be recalled and dialed through the use of the alphanumeric identifiers.

Claims

1. A method of programming a telephone number and information associated with the telephone number into a telephone comprising:

detecting an incoming telephone call at the telephone;

determining the telephone number of the originator of the call;

determining if the originating telephone number is already stored into a memory of the telephone;

determining if information associated with the originating telephone number was received with the detected originating telephone number;

if the originating telephone number is not in the memory of the telephone, storing the originating telephone number into the memory of the telephone; and

if the information associated with the originating telephone number was not received, initiating a telephone call from the telephone to a computer, transferring the originating telephone number from the telephone to the computer, receiving information associated with the originating telephone number from the computer, and storing the information into the memory of the telephone.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the act of prompting a user to confirm whether the originating telephone number should be stored into the memory of the telephone and storing the originating telephone number into the memory only if the user confirms that the originating telephone number should be stored.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the information into the memory of the telephone if the information associated with the originating telephone number was received.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is displayed on the telephone after it is received.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the act of initiating a telephone call to the computer is performed after a user has completed the incoming telephone call.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the act of initiating a telephone call to the computer is performed only during off peak time intervals after a user has completed the incoming telephone call.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the act of initiating a telephone call to the computer is performed after an originating telephone number has been detected a predetermined number times after a user has completed the incoming telephone call.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer transfers the information associated with the originating telephone number to the telephone by an electronic mail message and the act of receiving the information is performed by receiving the electronic mail message.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer transfers the information associated with the originating telephone number to the telephone by paging the telephone and the act of receiving the information is performed by receiving the page.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the information associated with the originating telephone number comprises an alphanumeric identifier which can be used by a user to retrieve and dial the associated telephone number.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the information associated with the originating telephone number comprises an alphanumeric identifier and an address associated with the originating telephone number.

6. The method of 1 wherein the act of initiating a telephone call to the computer is performed after a predetermined number of originating telephone numbers has been stored into the memory of the telephone and after a user has completed the incoming telephone call.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the act of initiating a telephone call to the computer is performed after a predetermined time period has elapsed from the time the predetermined number of originating telephone numbers was stored into the memory of the telephone.

14. A telephone comprising:

a memory circuit; and

a programmed processor, said programmed processor is programmed to;

detect an incoming telephone call at said telephone;

determine the telephone number of the originator of the call;

determine if the originating telephone number is already stored into said memory;

determine if information associated with the originating telephone number was received with the detected originating telephone number;

if the originating telephone number is not in said memory, store the originating telephone number into said memory; and

if information associated with the originating telephone number was not received, initiate a telephone call from the telephone to a computer, transfer the originating telephone number from the telephone to the computer, receive information associated with the originating telephone number from the computer, and store the information into said memory.

15. The telephone of claim 14 wherein said processor is programmed to prompt a user to confirm whether the originating telephone number should be stored into said memory and to store the originating telephone number only if the user confirms that the telephone number should be stored.

16. The telephone of claim 14 wherein said processor is further programmed to store the information identifier into said memory if the information associated with the originating telephone number was received.

17. The telephone of claim 14 further comprising a display and wherein the information associated with the originating telephone number is displayed on said display after it is received.

18. The telephone of claim 14 wherein said processor is programmed to initiate a telephone call to the computer after a user has completed the incoming telephone call.

19. The telephone of claim 14 wherein said processor is programmed to initiate a telephone call to the computer after a predetermined number of originating telephone numbers has been stored into said memory and after a user has completed the incoming telephone call.

20. The telephone of claim 19 wherein said processor is programmed to initiate a telephone call to the computer after a predetermined time period has elapsed from the time the predetermined number of originating telephone numbers was stored into said memory.

21. The telephone of claim 14 wherein said processor is programmed to initiate a telephone call to the computer only during off peak time intervals and after a user has completed the incoming telephone call.

22. The telephone of claim 14 wherein said processor is programmed to initiate a telephone call to the computer after an originating telephone number has been detected a predetermined number times and after a user has completed the incoming telephone call.

23. The telephone of claim 14 wherein the computer transfers the information associated with the originating telephone number to said telephone by an electronic mail message and said processor is programmed to receive said information from the electronic mail message.

24. The telephone of claim 14 wherein the computer transfers the information associated with the originating telephone number to said telephone by paging said telephone and said processor is programmed to receive the information from the page.

25. The telephone of claim 14 wherein the information associated with the originating telephone number comprises an alphanumeric identifier which can be used by a user to retrieve and dial the associated telephone number.

26. The telephone of claim 14 wherein the information associated with the originating telephone number comprises an alphanumeric identifier and an address associated with the originating telephone number.

27. A telephone system comprising:

a computer having a database comprising telephone numbers and information respectively associated with the telephone numbers; and

a telephone comprising;

a memory circuit; and

a programmed processor, said programmed processor is programmed to;

detect an incoming telephone call at said telephone;

determine the telephone number of the originator of the call;

determine if the originating telephone number is already stored into said memory;

determine if information associated with the originating telephone number was received with the detected originating telephone number;

if the originating telephone number is not in said memory, store the originating telephone number into said memory; and

if the information associated with the originating telephone number was not received, initiate a telephone call from the telephone to said computer, transfer the originating telephone number from the telephone to said computer, receive the information associated with the originating telephone number from said computer, and store the information into said memory.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein said processor is programmed to prompt a user to confirm whether the originating telephone number should be stored into said memory and stores the originating telephone number only if the user confirms that the number should be stored.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein said processor is further programmed to store the information into said memory if the information associated with the originating telephone number was received.

30. The system of claim 27 wherein the telephone further comprises a display and wherein the information associated with the originating telephone number is displayed on said display after it is received.

31. The system of claim 27 wherein said processor is programmed to initiate a telephone call to said computer after a user has completed the incoming telephone call.

32. The system of claim 27 wherein said processor is programmed to initiate a telephone call to said computer after a predetermined number of originating telephone numbers has been stored into said memory and a user completes the incoming telephone call.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein said processor is programmed to initiate a telephone call to said computer after a predetermined time period has elapsed from the time the predetermined number of originating telephone numbers was stored into said memory.

34. The system of claim 27 wherein said processor is programmed to initiate a telephone call to said computer only during off peak time intervals and after a user has completed the incoming telephone call.

35. The system of claim 27 wherein said processor is programmed to initiate a telephone call to said computer after an originating telephone number has been detected a predetermined number times and after a user completes the incoming telephone call.

36. The system of claim 27 wherein said computer transfers the information associated with the originating telephone number to said telephone by an electronic mail message and said processor is programmed to receive the information from the electronic mail message.

37. The system of claim 27 wherein said computer transfers the information associated with the originating telephone number to said telephone by paging said telephone and said processor is programmed to receive the information from the page.

38. The system of claim 27 wherein the information associated with the originating telephone number comprises an alphanumeric identifier which can be used by a user to retrieve and dial the associated telephone number.

39. The system of claim 27 wherein the information associated with the originating telephone number comprises an alphanumeric identifier and an address associated with the originating telephone number.

40. A telephone system comprising:

a computer having a database comprising telephone numbers and information respectively associated with the telephone numbers; and

a telephone comprising;

a memory circuit; and

a controller coupled to said memory circuit, said controller;

detecting an incoming telephone call at said telephone;

determining the telephone number of the originator of the call;

determining if the originating telephone number is already stored into said memory;

determining if information associated with the originating telephone number was received with the detected originating telephone number;

if the originating telephone number is not in said memory, storing the originating telephone number into said memory; and

if the information associated with the originating telephone number was not received, initiates a telephone call from the telephone to said computer, transfers the originating telephone number from the telephone to said computer, receives the information associated with the originating telephone number from said computer, and stores the information into said memory.

41. The system of claim 40 wherein said controller prompts a user to confirm whether the originating telephone number should be stored into said memory and stores the originating telephone number only if the user confirms that the number should be stored.

42. The system of claim 40 wherein said controller further stores the information into said memory if the information associated with the originating telephone number was received.

43. The system of claim 40 wherein the telephone further comprises a display and wherein the information associated with the originating telephone number is displayed on said display after it is received.

44. The system of claim 40 wherein said controller initiates a telephone call to said computer after a user has completed the incoming telephone call.

45. The system of claim 40 wherein said controller initiates a telephone call to said computer after a predetermined number of originating telephone numbers has been stored into said memory and a user completes the incoming telephone call.

46. The system of claim 45 wherein said controller initiates a telephone call to said computer after a predetermined time period has elapsed from the time the predetermined number of originating telephone numbers was stored into said memory.

47. The system of claim 40 wherein said controller initiates a telephone call to said computer only during off peak time intervals and after a user has completed the incoming telephone call.

48. The system of claim 40 wherein said controller initiates a telephone call to said computer after an originating telephone number has been detected a predetermined number times and after a user completes the incoming telephone call.

49. The system of claim 40 wherein said computer transfers the information associated with the originating telephone number to said telephone by an electronic mail message and said controller receives the information from the electronic mail message.

50. The system of claim 40 wherein said computer transfers the information associated with the originating telephone number to said telephone by paging said telephone and said controller receives the information from the page.

51. The system of claim 40 wherein the information associated with the originating telephone number comprises an alphanumeric identifier which can be used by a user to retrieve and dial the associated telephone number.

52. The system of claim 40 wherein the information associated with the originating telephone number comprises an alphanumeric identifier and an address associated with the originating telephone number.