Method and system for sharing speed dial lists amongst multiple telecommunications services

• US 7,444,171 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Gruchala, Carol Shifrin, Heinmiller, Wayne Robert, Tiliks, Dianna Inara, Moss, John Wesley
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper, Vincent P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Casca, Fred A
• Application Number:
  US11/261,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20070099671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 455/421, 455/411, 455/564, 455/419, 455/426.1
• US Class Current: 455/564
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42272 whereby the subscriber registers to the terminals for personalised service provision
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/44 Additional connecting arrangements for providing access to frequently-wanted subscribers, e.g. abbreviated dialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27; automatic redialling H04M3/424

Abstract

A master database stores a speed dial list associated with a user of multiple telecommunications services. The database shares the speed dial list with the telecommunication services such that a single speed dial list serves all of the user'"'"'s telecommunications services. The database receives speed dial list changes made through one of the telecommunications services and shares the speed dial list changes with the other telecommunications services that the speed dial list is maintained in synchronicity amongst the telecommunications services. As a result, the user does not have to manually keep separate speed dial lists synchronized nor does the user have to memorize or access separate speed dial lists. The speed dial list is locally accessible to the user by being stored on a user phone. The speed dial list is also remotely accessible to the user as the database receives user queries from the user via a user phone.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system comprising:

a master source in communication with a wireline network which enables a user to place a call from a wireline user phone to another phone via a wireline switch of the wireline network, a wireless network which enables the user to place a call from a wireless user phone to another phone via a wireless switch of the wireless network, and the user phones;

wherein the master source stores a user profile associated with the user, the user profile including information identifying the user phones, the wireline switch, and the wireless switch, the user profile further including a speed dial list associated with the user, the speed dial list having speed dialing sequences which respectively correspond to phone numbers of other phones, wherein the master source uses the user profile to determine which phones are the user phones, which switch is the wireline switch, and which switch is the wireless switch in order for the master source to selectively provide a copy of the speed dial list to the user phones, the wireline switch, and the wireless switch;

wherein in response to the user using the wireline user phone to place a call to another phone by dialing on the wireline user phone the speed dialing sequence corresponding to the other phone, at least one of the wireline switch and the wireline user phone uses the copy of the speed dial list in order to convert the dialed speed dialing sequence to the phone number corresponding to the other phone for the user to place the call from the wireline user phone to the other phone via the wireline network;

wherein in response to the user using the wireless user phone to place a call to another phone by dialing on the wireless user phone the speed dialing sequence corresponding to the other phone, at least one of the wireless switch and the wireless user phone uses the copy of the speed dial list in order to convert the dialed speed dialing sequence to the phone number corresponding to the other phone for the user to place the call from the wireless user phone to the other phone via the wireless network;

wherein at least one of the user phones communicates with the master source to propagate speed dial list changes to the master source, wherein the master source updates the speed dial list stored by the master source in accordance with the changes and then uses the user profile to determine which phones are the user phones, which switch is the wireline switch, and which switch is the wireless switch in order for the master source to provide the speed dial list changes to the user phones, the wireline switch, and the wireless switch for the user phones, the wireline switch, and the wireless switch to update their copy of the speed dial list in accordance with the changes.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an online system in communication with the master source, wherein the master source receives the speed dial list from the user via the online system and then stores the speed dial list as part of the user profile.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the master source receives the speed dial list from the user via at least one of the user phones and then stores the speed dial list as part of the user profile.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein:

at least one of the user phones displays the copy of the speed dial list for the user to see.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the wireline user phone is one of a telephone, a cordless phone, and a pay phone.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the wireless user phone is a cellular phone.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the wireline network includes a wireline network-platform, wherein the master source provides the copy of the speed dial list to the wireline network-platform;

wherein in response to the user using the wireline user phone to place a call to another phone by dialing on the wireline user phone the speed dialing sequence corresponding to the other phone, the wireline network-platform uses the copy of the speed dial list to convert the dialed speed dialing sequence to the phone number corresponding to the other phone for the user to place the call from the wireline user phone to the other phone via the wireline network.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the wireless network includes a wireless network-platform, wherein the master source provides the copy of the speed dial list to the wireless network-platform;

wherein in response to the user using the wireless user phone to place a call to another phone by dialing on the wireless user phone the speed dialing sequence corresponding to the other phone, the wireless network-platform uses the copy of the speed dial list to convert the dialed speed dialing sequence to the phone number corresponding to the other phone for the user to place the call from the wireless user phone to the other phone via the wireless network.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein:

either network enables the user to place a call from a third phone lacking user profile information associated with the user to another phone via the network;

wherein in response to the user using the third phone to place a call to another phone by dialing on the third phone the speed dialing sequence corresponding to the other phone, the network uses the copy of the speed dial list to convert the dialed speed dialing sequence to the phone number corresponding to the other phone for the user to place the call from the third phone to the other phone via the network.

10. A telecommunications method for use with a wireline network and a wireless network, the wireline network enabling a user to place a call from a wireline user phone to another phone via a wireline switch of the wireline network, the wireless network enabling the user to place a call from a wireless user phone to another phone via a wireless switch of the wireless network, the method comprising:

storing a user profile associated with the user in a master source which is in communication with the networks and the user phones, the user profile including information identifying the user phones, the wireline switch, and the wireless switch, the user profile further including a speed dial list associated with the user, the speed dial list having speed dialing sequences which respectively correspond to phone numbers of other phones;

using the user profile by the master source to determine which phones are the user phones, which switch is the wireline switch, and which switch is the wireless switch in order for the master source to selectively download a copy of the speed dial list from the master source to the user phones, the wireline switch, and the wireless switch;

in response to the user using the wireline user phone to place a call to another phone by dialing on the wireline user phone the speed dialing sequence corresponding to the other phone, using by at least one of the wireline switch and the wireline user phone the copy of the speed dial list in order to convert the dialed speed dialing sequence to the phone number corresponding to the other phone for the user to place the call from the wireline user phone to the other phone via the wireline network;

in response to the user using the wireless user phone to place a call to another phone by dialing on the wireless user phone the speed dialing sequence corresponding to the other phone, using by at least one of the wireless switch and the wireless user phone the copy of the speed dial list in order to convert the dialed speed dialing sequence to the phone number corresponding to the other phone for the user to place the call from the wireless user phone to the other phone via the wireless network;

communicating from at least one of the user phones with the master source to propagate speed dial list changes to the master source;

updating in the master source the speed dial list stored by the master source in accordance with the changes; and

using by the master source the user profile to determine which phones are the user phones, which switch is the wireline switch, and which switch is the wireless switch in order for the master source to provide the speed dial list changes to the user phones, the wireline switch, and the wireless switch for the user phones, the wireline switch, and the wireless switch to update their copy of the speed dial list in accordance with the changes.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

providing the speed dial list from a user online system to the master source for the master source to store as part of the user profile.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

providing the speed dial list from at least one of the user phones to the master source for the master source to store as part of the user profile.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

displaying on at least one of the user phones the copy of the speed dial list for the user to see.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein:

the wireline user phone is one of a telephone, a cordless phone, and a pay phone;

wherein the wireless user phone is a cellular phone.