Telephone directory information modifying apparatus

• US 7,305,077 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2001
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Takae, Naohito, Sakai, Junji, Mitsuhashi, Mamoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier; Gerald
• Application Number:
  US09/769,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20020018547A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,503 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.23, 379/355.02, 379/218.01, 379/355.06, 379/201.02, 379/201.12, 379/207.02, 455/414.1, 455/414, 455/418, 709/245
• US Class Current: 379/201.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems

Abstract

A telephone directory information modifying apparatus which makes use of backup data, which is a backup of telephone directory information of portable telephones and held at a data center, to permit mutual operation accompanying telephone number change. On receiving a telephone number change notification instruction, changer telephone directory information retrieving means retrieves telephone directory information of a changer from the backup data, registrant information extracting means extracts information about registrants registered in the telephone directory, registrant telephone directory information retrieving means acquires registrants'"'"' telephone directory information from the backup data, telephone number change recipient extracting means extracts registrants who have registered the changer in their telephone directory information, telephone number changing means rewrites the changer'"'"'s telephone number in the extracted registrants'"'"' telephone directory information, and change notifying means transmits telephone number change notification mail to the registrants.

Claims

1. An apparatus disposed in a data center managing a telephone network, the apparatus comprising:

a storage unit storing a first backup copy of telephone directory information received from a first subscriber identified by a first telephone number, as well as a second backup copy of telephone directory information received from a second subscriber identified by a second telephone number;

a first searching unit, responsive to a telephone number change notification instruction requesting a change of the first telephone number to a third telephone number, searching the first backup copy to find that the second telephone number is registered therein;

a second searching unit, responsive to detection of the second telephone number in the first backup copy, searching the second backup copy to determine whether the first telephone number is registered therein; and

a telephone number changing unit, responsive to detection of the first telephone number in the second backup copy, changing the first telephone number in the second backup copy to the third telephone number.

2. The telephone directory information modifying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a change notifying unit notifying the second subscriber of the change of the first telephone number.

3. The telephone directory information modifying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a change confirming unit that asks the first subscriber whether or not the second backup copy needs to be modified, before the telephone number changing unit changes the first telephone number in the second backup copy.

4. The telephone directory information modifying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said telephone number change notification instruction is an instruction from the first subscriber.

5. The telephone directory information modifying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said telephone number change notification instruction is an instruction

from a portable telephone service provider.

6. The telephone directory information modifying apparatus according to claim 5, the telephone number changing unit further changes the first telephone number in the first backup copy to the third telephone number in response to the telephone number change notification instruction from the portable telephone service provider.

7. The telephone directory information modifying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a telephone number difference reflecting unit sending telephone number difference information to the second subscriber so as to cause the change of the first telephone number, to be reflected in a telephone directory of the second subscriber'"'"'s portable telephone.

8. A method implemented in a data center managing a telephone network, comprising:

storing a first backup copy of telephone directory information received from a first subscriber identified by a first telephone number, as well as a second backup copy of telephone directory information received from a second subscriber identified by a second telephone number;

responsive to a telephone number change notification instruction requesting a change of the first telephone number to a third telephone number, searching the first backup copy to find that the second telephone number is registered therein;

responsive to detection of the second telephone number in the first backup copy, searching the second backup copy to determine whether the first telephone number is registered therein; and

responsive to detection of the first telephone number in the second backup copy, changing the first telephone number in the second backup copy to the third telephone number.

9. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for execution on a computer disposed in a data center managing a telephone network, the program causing the computer to function as:

a storage unit storing a first backup copy of telephone directory information received from a first subscriber identified by a first telephone number, as well as a second backup copy of telephone directory information received from a second subscriber identified by a second telephone number;

a first searching unit, responsive to a telephone number change notification instruction requesting a change of the first telephone number to a third telephone number, searching the first backup copy to find that the second telephone number is registered therein;

a second searching unit, responsive to detection of the second telephone number in the first backup copy, searching the second backup copy to determine whether the first telephone number is registered therein; and

a telephone number changing unit, responsive to detection of the first telephone number in the second backup copy, changing the first telephone number in the second backup copy to the third telephone number.