Ubiquitous transfer of a phone number to another phone

• US 8,675,849 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2005
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaffer, Shmuel, Patel, Labhesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai N
• Application Number:
  US11/054,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20060176874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,324 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93, 379/88, 379/85, 379/88.01, 379/88.03, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/88.21, 379/93.01, 379/93.03, 379/93.18, 379/201.01, 379/204.14, 379/207.15, 379/372, 455/575, 455/414.1, 455/415
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/206 composed of PSTN and wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained

Abstract

A method of receiving a phone number is provided, including receiving, at a receiver of a first phone during a first voice communication session between the first phone and a second phone, a phone number transmitted by a user of the second phone after the first voice communication session is established. The phone number is detected with a signal detector coupled for communication with the receiver, and stored in a memory coupled to the signal detector.

Claims

1. A method of receiving a phone number, comprising:

establishing at a first phone a first voice communication session between the first phone and a second phone;

receiving voice signals from the second phone during the first voice communication session;

transmitting voice signals to the second phone during the first voice communication session;

receiving, at a receiver of the first phone during the first voice communication session between the first phone and the second phone, a phone number transmitted from the second phone by a user of the second phone after the first voice communication session is established;

detecting the phone number with a signal detector of the first phone coupled for communication with the receiver of the first phone, the detecting the phone number with the signal detector comprising;

receiving a first user input activating the signal detector after the first voice communication session is established and prior to the transmission of the phone number from the second phone; and

receiving a second user input deactivating the signal detector subsequent to detecting the phone number and prior to termination of the first voice communication session; and

storing the phone number in a memory of the first phone coupled to the signal detector.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the phone number includes receiving DTMF signals corresponding to the phone number; and

the signal detector includes DTMF signal recognition capability.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving the phone number from the memory;

dialing the phone number; and

establishing a second voice communication session between the first phone and a third phone.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein pressing a button on the first phone causes the first phone to retrieve the phone number from the memory and dial the phone number.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein speaking a command into the first phone causes the first phone to retrieve the phone number from the memory and dial the phone number.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the phone number in an electronic phonebook of the first phone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the phone number in a memory coupled to the signal detector comprises:

storing the phone number in a temporary memory coupled to the signal detector;

receiving a request to transfer the phone number to permanent memory; and

storing the phone number in permanent memory.

8. A method of receiving a phone number, comprising:

establishing at a first phone a first voice communication session between the first phone and a second phone;

receiving voice signals from the second phone during the first voice communication session;

transmitting voice signals to the second phone during the first voice communication session;

receiving, at a receiver of the first phone during the first voice communication session between the first phone and the second phone, a phone number transmitted from the second phone by a user of the second phone after the first voice communication session is established;

detecting the phone number with a signal detector of the first phone coupled for communication with the receiver of the first phone, the detecting the phone number with the signal detector comprising;

receiving a first user input activating the signal detector after the first voice communication session is established and prior to the transmission of the phone number from the second phone; and

receiving a second user input deactivating the signal detector subsequent to detecting the phone number;

storing the phone number in a memory of the first phone coupled to the signal detector; and

the signal detector includes voice recognition capability.

9. A system for receiving a phone number, comprising:

a keypad of a first phone configured to establish at the first phone a first voice communication session between the first phone and a second phone;

a receiver of the first phone being operable to;

receive voice signals from the second phone during the first voice communication session; and

receive a phone number during the first voice communication session between the first phone and the second phone;

a transmitter of the first phone configured to transmit voice signals to the second phone during the first voice communication session;

a signal detector coupled for communication with the receiver of the first phone, the signal detector being operable to detect the phone number, the signal detector being operable to detect the phone number comprising the signal detector being operable to;

receive a first user input activating the signal detector after the first voice communication session is established and prior to the transmission of the phone number from the second phone; and

receive a second user input deactivating the signal detector subsequent to detecting the phone number; and

memory of the first phone coupled to the signal detector, the memory being operable to store the phone number.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

receiving the phone number includes receiving DTMF signals corresponding to the phone number; and

the signal detector includes DTMF signal recognition capability.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a controller of the first phone coupled to the memory and operable to:

retrieve the phone number from the memory;

dial the phone number; and

establish a second voice communication session between the first phone and a third phone.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is further operable to retrieve the phone number from the memory and dial the phone number upon the pressing of a keypad button on the first phone.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is further operable to retrieve the phone number from the memory and dial the phone number upon receiving a spoken command from a user of the first phone.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the memory is further operable to store the phone number in an electronic phonebook of the first phone.

15. A system for receiving a phone number, comprising:

a keypad of a first phone configured to establish at a first phone a first voice communication session between the first phone and a second phone;

a receiver of the first phone being operable to;

receive voice signals from the second phone during the first voice communication session; and

receive a phone number during the first voice communication session between the first phone and the second phone;

a transmitter configured to transmit voice signals to the second phone during the first voice communication session;

a signal detector of the first phone coupled for communication with the receiver of the first phone, the signal detector being operable to detect the phone number, the signal detector being operable to detect the phone number comprising the signal detector being operable to;

receive a first user input activating the signal detector after the first voice communication session is established and prior to the transmission of the phone number from the second phone; and

receive a second user input deactivating the signal detector subsequent to detecting the phone number;

memory of the first phone coupled to the signal detector, the memory being operable to store the phone number; and

the signal detector includes voice recognition capability.

16. A system for receiving a phone number, comprising:

means for establishing at a first phone a first voice communication session between the first phone and a second phone;

means for receiving voice signals from the second phone during the first voice communication session;

means for transmitting voice signals to the second phone during the first voice communication session;

means for receiving, at a receiver of the first phone during the first voice communication session between the first phone and the second phone, a phone number transmitted from the second phone by a user of the second phone after the first voice communication session is established;

means for detecting the phone number with a signal detector of the first phone coupled for communication with the receiver of the first phone, the means for detecting the phone number with the signal detector comprising means for;

receiving a first user input activating the signal detector after the first voice communication session is established and prior to the transmission of the phone number from the second phone; and

receiving a second user input deactivating the signal detector subsequent to detecting the phone number; and

means for storing the phone number in a memory of the first phone coupled to the signal detector.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein:

means for receiving the phone number includes means for receiving DTMF signals corresponding to the phone number; and

the signal detector includes DTMF signal recognition capability.

18. A system for receiving a phone number, comprising:

means for establishing at a first phone a first voice communication session between the first phone and a second phone;

means for receiving voice signals from the second phone during the first voice communication session;

means for transmitting voice signals to the second phone during the first voice communication session;

means for receiving, at a receiver of the first phone during the first voice communication session between the first phone and the second phone, a phone number transmitted from the second phone by a user of the second phone after the first voice communication session is established;

means for detecting the phone number with a signal detector of the first phone coupled for communication with the receiver of the first phone, the means for detecting the phone number with the signal detector comprising means for;

receiving a first user input activating the signal detector after the first voice communication session is established and prior to the transmission of the phone number from the second phone; and

receiving a second user input deactivating the signal detector subsequent to detecting the phone number;

means for storing the phone number in a memory of the first phone coupled to the signal detector; and

the signal detector includes voice recognition capability.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with code that when executed by a computer is configured to:

establish at a first phone a first voice communication session between the first phone and a second phone;

receive voice signals from the second phone during the first voice communication session;

transmit voice signals to the second phone during the first voice communication session;

receive, at a receiver of the first phone during the first voice communication session between the first phone and the second phone, a phone number transmitted by a user of the second phone after the first voice communication session is established;

detect the phone number with a signal detector of the first phone coupled for communication with the receiver of the first phone, the computer readable medium operable to detect the phone number with the signal detector comprising computer readable medium operable to;

receive a first user input activating the signal detector after the first voice communication session is established and prior to the transmission of the phone number from the second phone; and

receive a second user input deactivating the signal detector subsequent to detecting the phone number; and

store the phone number in a memory of the first phone coupled to the signal detector.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein:

the code being operable to receive the phone number includes the code being operable to receive DTMF signals corresponding to the phone number; and

the signal detector includes DTMF signal recognition capability.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with code that when executed by a computer is configured to:

establish at a first phone a first voice communication session between the first phone and a second phone;

receive voice signals from the second phone during the first voice communication session;

transmit voice signals to the second phone during the first voice communication session;

receive, at a receiver of the first phone during the first voice communication session between the first phone and the second phone, a phone number transmitted by a user of the second phone after the first voice communication session is established;

detect the phone number with a signal detector of the first phone coupled for communication with the receiver of the first phone, the computer readable medium operable to detect the phone number with the signal detector comprising computer readable medium operable to;

receive a first user input activating the signal detector after the first voice communication session is established and prior to the transmission of the phone number from the second phone; and

receive a second user input deactivating the signal detector subsequent to detecting the phone number;

store the phone number in a memory of the first phone coupled to the signal detector; and

the signal detector includes voice recognition capability.