Automatic updating of cell phone address book based on service provider error codes

• US 7,189,132 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2003
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wilson, Jeffrey Kenneth, Nacik, Indran
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Lester G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Casca; Fred A.
• Application Number:
  US10/733,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20050130596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.11, 455/67.7, 379/218.01, 379/356.01, 445/415, 445/418
• US Class Current: 455/415
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading

Abstract

Telephone information stored in the wireless communication device is automatically updated when a dialed telephone number has changed. Upon receiving an error code in response to making a call, the cell phone automatically determines if the error code indicates that the dialed telephone number has changed to a new telephone number. If so, the cell phone automatically determines the new telephone number from the error code and automatically updates a phone book contained within the cell phone with the new telephone number.

Claims

1. A method in a wireless communication device for updating telephone information stored in the wireless communication device, said method comprising:

receiving an error code from a wireless communication system, wherein the error code is received in response to the wireless communication device initiating a call to a designated telephone number utilizing the wireless communication system;

automatically determining if the error code indicates that the designated telephone number has changed to a new telephone number, wherein the error code contains information indicating the new telephone number;

automatically determining the new telephone number from the information; and

automatically updating each instance of the designated telephone number within a database contained within the wireless communication device with the new telephone number.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein automatically determining if the error code indicates that the designated telephone number has changed includes detecting tonal signals within the error code transmitted by the wireless communication system.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein automatically determining if the error code indicates that the designated telephone number has changed includes detecting a software object within the error code transmitted by the wireless communication system.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein automatically determining the new telephone number from the information includes extracting the new telephone number from a software object within the error code.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein automatically determining the new telephone number from the information includes performing voice recognition processing on an audio signal accompanying the error code.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein automatically updating each instance of the designated telephone number within the database includes updating a phone book contained in the wireless communication device.

7. A wireless communication device having automatic update of telephone information stored in the wireless communication device comprising:

means for receiving an error code from a wireless communication system, wherein the error code is received in response to the wireless communication device initiating a call to a designated telephone number utilizing the wireless communication system;

means for automatically determining if the error code indicates that the designated telephone number has changed to a new telephone number, wherein the error code contains information indicating the new telephone number;

means for automatically determining the new telephone number from the information; and

means far automatically updating each instance of the designated telephone number within a database contained within the wireless communication device with the new telephone number.

8. The wireless communication device according to claim 7, wherein the means for automatically determining if the error code indicates that the designated telephone number has changed includes detecting tonal signals within the error code transmitted by the wireless communication system.

9. The wireless communication device according to claim 7, wherein the means for automatically determining if the error code indicates that the designated telephone number has changed includes detecting a software object within the error code transmitted by the wireless communication system.

10. The wireless communication device according to claim 7, wherein the means for automatically determining the new telephone number from the information includes extracting the new telephone number from a software object within the error code.

11. The wireless communication device according to claim 7, wherein the means for automatically determining the new telephone number from the information includes performing voice recognition processing on an audio signal accompanying the error code.

12. The wireless communication device according to claim 7, wherein the means for automatically updating each instance of the designated telephone number within the database includes updating a phone book contained in the wireless communication device.

13. The wireless communication device according to claim 7, wherein the wireless communication device is a cellular telephone.

14. The wireless communication device according to claim 7, wherein the wireless communication device is a wireless personal digital assistant.

15. An article of manufacture comprising machine-readable medium including program logic embedded therein that causes control circuitry in a wireless communication device for updating telephone information stored in the wireless communication device to perform a method comprising:

receiving an error code from a wireless communication system, wherein the error code is received in response to the wireless communication device initiating a call to a designated telephone number utilizing the wireless communication system;

automatically determining if the error code indicates that the designated telephone number has changed to a new telephone number, wherein the error code contains information indicating the new telephone number;

automatically determining the new telephone number from the information; and

automatically updating each instance of the designated telephone number within a database contained within the wireless communication device with the new telephone number.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein automatically determining if the error code indicates that the designated telephone number has changed to a nor telephone number includes detecting tonal signals within the error code transmitted by the wireless communication system.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein automatically determining if the error code indicates that the designated telephone number has changed includes detecting a software object within the error code transmitted by the wireless communication system.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein automatically determining the new telephone number from the information includes extracting the new telephone number from a software object within the error code.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein automatically determining the new telephone number from the information includes performing voice recognition processing on an audio signal accompanying the error code.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein automatically updating each instance of the designated telephone number within the database includes updating a phone book contained in the wireless communication device.