| United States Patent |
5,483,586
|
|
Sussman
|
January 9, 1996
|
Electronic on-line subscriber telephone directory
Abstract
A compact telephone directory system that integrates a subscriber's
telephone with a local on-line telephone directory database system and
with a central directory service provider that maintains the local on-line
telephone directory database. The telephone directory database system
comprises an electronically stored equivalent of a telephone book. The
telephone directory database can, for example, store local residential
directories, local business directories, local and federal government
directories, and a user specific directory. The user specific directory
contains telephone numbers and other information that is particular to a
subscriber, or a group of subscribers as in the case of a business. This
information can be grouped into various lists as determined by the
subscriber. All of the directories, excluding the user specific directory,
are maintained by a Central Telephone Directory Service Provider (CTDSP),
that down-loads the directories to the subscriber's telephone directory
system. The subscriber can select the frequency at which updates to his
directories are received from the CTDSP via the public telephone network.
The compact telephone directory system is secured from non-authorized
users, i.e. hackers. This system provides advantages over current
telephone directory systems, including books and CD-ROMS for example, by
automating the maintenance of the various directories by a central service
provider and eliminating the mailing of updated directories to the
subscriber.
| Inventors:
|
Sussman; Lester (9213 Bulls Run Pkwy., Bethesda, MD 20817)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
276701 |
| Filed:
|
July 18, 1994 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
379/218.01; 379/201.04; 379/201.05; 379/355.04 |
| Intern'l Class: |
H04M 003/42 |
| Field of Search: |
379/94,96,97,98,201,207,213,216,354,355,95
|
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
|
4800582 | Jan., 1989 | D'Agosto, III et al. | 379/216.
|
|
4839919 | Jun., 1989 | Borges et al. | 379/354.
|
|
4942616 | Jul., 1990 | Linstroth et al. | 379/97.
|
|
5239573 | Aug., 1993 | Rangan | 379/97.
|
Primary Examiner: Hofsass; Jeffery A.
Assistant Examiner: Wolinsky; Scott
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of providing a subscriber with a local electronic telephone
directory that is integrated with the subscriber's telephone, comprising
the steps of:
(a) providing a first centralized telephone directory database having a
plurality of data;
(b) providing a second centralized subscriber information database in
communication with said first centralized database, said second
centralized database including frequency and time of data transfer
indicators preselected by said subscriber;
(c) providing the subscriber with an electronic device having memory, input
means and display means, said device being linked with said first
centralized database and providing bidirectional data transfer
therebetween;
(d) selecting a first portion of data from said first centralized database
using said electronic device;
(e) transferring said first portion of data selected in said selecting step
from said first centralized database to said memory of said electronic
device;
(f) updating said data in said first centralized database at periodic
intervals;
(g) comparing said first portion of data transferred to said electronic
device in said transferring step to the updated data in said first
centralized database to identify any changes that have occurred in said
first portion of data previously transferred in said transferring step;
(h) transferring automatically to said memory any changes in said first
portion of data identified in said comparing step via an on-line transfer
between said first centralized database and said electronic device in
accordance with said frequency and time of data transfer indicators
preselected by said subscriber; and
(i) providing notification to the subscriber through said display means of
said electronic device of any changes made to said first portion of data
contained in said memory.
2. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the data in said first
portion comprises telephone directory listings including telephone
subscriber names, telephone numbers and addresses.
3. The method in accordance with claim 2 wherein the data in said telephone
directory listings further include business telephone subscriber names and
an indication of the type of business that they are involved in.
4. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising compressing
said first portion of data in said data transferring step prior to data
transfer from said first centralized database to said electronic device.
5. The method in accordance with claim 4 further comprising uncompressing
said first portion of data transferred in said data transferring step by
said electronic device after data transfer from said first centralized
database to said electronic device.
6. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of
maintaining said first centralized database and said second centralized
subscriber information database by a central service provider.
7. The method in accordance with claim 6 further comprising providing
secure access to said electronic device whereby said on-line transfer of
data between said first centralized database and said electronic device
can only be provided by said central service provider.
8. The method in accordance with claim 7 further comprising the step of
on-line monitoring of said electronic device by said central service
provider.
9. The method in accordance with claim 2 further comprising the step of
searching said first portion of data transferred in said electronic
device's memory using at least one of the following telephone subscriber
criteria:
(a) name,
(b) telephone number, and
(c) address.
10. The method in accordance with claim 9 further comprising the step of
searching said first portion of data transferred in said electronic
device's memory using the following telephone subscriber criteria:
(d) the type of business.
11. The method in accordance with claim 9 further comprising the step of
using all of said criteria (a)-(c) together in executing said search.
12. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of
tagging the transferred first portion of data in said device's memory with
data entered into said electronic device by said subscriber.
13. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising managing said
transferred first portion of data in said electronic device's memory,
comprising the steps of:
(a) creating separate subscriber personal directories in said memory,
(b) selecting telephone directory entries from said transferred first
portion of data in said memory by said input means and storing said
selected entries in said separate subscriber personal directories,
(c) providing security means whereby the subscriber can protect the privacy
of said subscriber personal directories, and
(d) providing the storage means for the subscriber to add telephone
directory data not already contained in said electronic device's memory.
14. The method in accordance with claim 10 further comprising the step of
the subscriber selecting a telephone number and requesting said device to
automatically dial said selected telephone number on the subscriber's
telephone.
15. The method in accordance with claim 14 further comprising the step of
notifying the subscriber when said selected telephone number has been
connected.
Drawings
Select the following links to
view the associated figures:
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a compact telephone directory system that
integrates a subscriber's telephone with an on-line telephone directory
database system that is connected to the subscriber's telephone. The
firmware for the telephone directory database system is incorporated into
the telephone system, whether as part of the telephone, or as an add-on
device that integrates with the telephone. The subscriber's on-line
telephone directory is maintained by a central telephone directory service
provider.
The telephone directory database system is effectively an electronically
stored equivalent of a telephone book. The telephone directory database
can, for example, store local residential directories, local business
directories, local and federal government directories, and a user specific
directory. The directory database can be configured to store other areas'
residential, and/or business directories, and/or local government
directories. The only limitation to the number of various directories that
can be stored, is the limitation of hardware memory that current art
supports. Storage technology supports increasingly larger volumes of data.
For example IBM announced a new method, that exploits giant
magneto-resistance technology, to store and retrieve data from magnetic
disks at a rate of 30 times more than today's disks allow ("An Advanced
Technology To Read Data", New York Times August 1992). The trend to move
towards on-line telephone directories can be seen in the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,377 to Baner et al. teaches a communications terminal
that enables the user to create and to manage a personal telephone
directory.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,582 to D'Agosto III et al. teaches another method and
apparatus to create and store telephone directory listings.
Both of these patents require the user to manually update the directory
listings if they change. In any given community the number of changes in
both residential and business telephone directory listings can change
quite considerably during the year. These changes are reflected in the
frequency of the re-issuing of telephone books to all telephone
subscribers. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,899,377 and 4,800,582 do not provide an easy
method for updating a large directory listing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,206 to Padden et al. teaches a system that uses
automatic speech recognition to provide telephone directory assistance,
without the aid of an operator.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,894 to Darden teaches a central telephone directory
system that provides a subscriber with a personal electronic directory.
This system is similar in principal to a number of hand-held personal
digital organizers (PDOs) that are currently available. For example the
"Wizard" from Sharp Corporation and the "Organizer PS660" from Texas
Instruments. The primary difference between these devices and the '894 is
the method of interaction, i.e. the '894 is a central on-line transaction
database system that is accessed via the Common Carrier Telecommunications
Switching Network (CCTSN) and a DTMF ("touch-tone") telephone, whereas the
PDOs do not require a DTMF telephone to access the subscriber's personal
directory listing.
Bell Atlantic is currently offering a system that stores telephone
directories on CD-ROM and requires a CD-I player from Philips ("Phone
company calls time on paper directories", New Scientist, Jun. 26, 1993).
The Bell Atlantic CD-ROM stores 1.2 million residential, 0.4 million
business numbers and 1000 color video advertisements. Updating of the
CD-ROM requires a new CD-ROM to be shipped to the subscriber, i.e. similar
to the way today's telephone books are updated.
The current invention recognizes that such prior telephone directory
inventions have certain limitations that the current invention proposes to
overcome.
OBJECTIVES OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
Therefore it is an objective of the present invention to provide an
improved method and apparatus to provide a telephone subscriber (user)
with a personal on-line (down-loaded, read-only) telephone directory
database; that is easy to use and maintain.
A further objective is to provide an apparatus that interfaces with a
user's current telephone whereby the directory database is updated
periodically from a central telephone directory service provider.
A further objective is to provide the means whereby the user can obtain
telephone numbers by searching subscriber names, subscriber business
services and subscriber locations.
A further objective is to provide the means whereby the user can create and
maintain lists of commonly used subscriber telephone numbers, names and
addresses, as well as assigning a unique label to each list.
A further objective is to provide the means whereby the apparatus will dial
the selected telephone number, or numbers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the connectivity between various
subscribers of the on-line (down-loaded, read-only) telephone directory
system, the central telephone directory service provider and the Common
Carrier Telecommunications Switching Network.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the subscriber's on-line (down-loaded,
read-only) telephone directory system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the connectivity between a Central
Telephone Directory Service Provider 1, a residential subscriber 5 and a
business subscriber 8 via the Common Carrier Telecommunications Switching
Network (CCTSN) 4. The Central Telephone Directory Service Provider 1
maintains both residential and business telephone directories in a Central
On-line Database System 3.
Because of the constant changes in subscribers in the Central On-line
Database System 3, the current invention's preferred embodiment has
implemented various levels of frequency at which the subscriber could
elect to receive updated on-line (down-loaded, read-only) directories. For
example, a basic service residential subscriber could select to receive
updated telephone directories semi-annually, whereas a business subscriber
could apply for a monthly update subscription service, or a quarterly
update subscription service. The preferred embodiment of the invention
also supports other subscriber update rates, e.g. weekly, fortnightly, or
at any user specified interval of time. This data, the subscription rate
data, is kept in the Subscriber Information Database 2 at the Central
Telephone Directory Service Provider 1. The Subscriber Information
Database 2 determines when to transmit the modified directories to the
subscribers 5 and 8. Prior to transmittal, by the Central Telephone
Directory Service Provider 1, the modified directories are compressed.
This is done to optimize the available bandwidth in the CCTSN, as well as
to reduce the amount of time that the subscriber's telephone line would be
occupied during this download operation. Many data
compression/decompression techniques are currently available, e.g. Huffman
coding by D. A. Huffman and NUPAK for numeric data and ANPAK for
alphanumeric data by B. A. Marron and P. A. D. de Maine. Data
decompression software resides in the subscriber's Integrated Electronic
Telephone Directory 7. Other subscriber information stored in the
Subscriber Information Database 2 includes billing data, i.e. subscriber
name, address, phone number, etc.
As mentioned previously, the preferred embodiment of the invention allows
the user to select the date and time at which the directory updates are
received. For example, a business subscriber 8 could determine to receive
directory updates on the last day of each month at 2:00 AM. On the other
hand, a residential subscriber 5 could select to receive updates on June
30 and December 30 at 11:00 PM each year. This information is stored in
the Subscriber Information Database 2. This feature minimizes the
inconvenience of the directory update procedure tying up the subscriber's
telephone line, as well as to capitalize on any off-peak-hour discount
that the CCTSN 4 may offer subscribers in using the network 4. When the
Integrated Electronic Telephone Directory 7 receives updated directories,
an indication of this activity is given on the Display Unit 16 (see FIG.
2). On the other hand, if the subscriber does not select a directory
update date and time, then a program in the Central Telephone Directory
Service Provider will determine when the optimum time is to transmit the
update telephone directories to the subscriber. The program takes
advantage of off-peak discounts in the CCTSN 4.
The preferred embodiment of the invention provides computer based security
to prevent unauthorized access to the subscribers' 5 and 8 systems. The
present invention uses a system of subscriber identification numbers and
encrypted password codes that need to be authenticated before any changes
can be made to the subscribers' 5 and 8 systems via the CCTSN 4. Only the
Central Telephone Directory Service Provider 1 determines and knows the
subscriber's identification number and encrypted password codes. This
information is stored in the Subscriber Information Database 2. The
present embodiment of the invention records any incident whereby
unauthorized access was attempted. This information is available to the
Central Telephone Directory Service Provider 1, who can retrieve this data
from the subscriber's system via the CCTSN 4.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a principal circuit for implementing the
present invention. The circuit comprises of a CPU 12, Program Memory 11,
Directory Memory 9, User Directory Memory 10, a modem 13, telephone
circuitry 6, a Display Interface 14, a Display Unit 16, a Keypad Interface
15, a Keypad Unit 17, a Voice Interface 18, a microphone 19 and a speaker
20.
Program Memory 11 contains all the programs that the CPU 12 uses to
interface with all of the present invention's circuit modules 6, 9 through
11, and 13 through 20. Program Memory 11 also contains all of the programs
required to enter, store, retrieve, edit and delete all of the user
definable data in User Directory Memory 10. Program Memory 11 also
contains programs to receive and decompress directory data between the
present invention and the Central On-line Database System 3, via the modem
13, the telephone circuitry 6 and the CCTSN 4. Furthermore, Program Memory
11 also contains all of the non-volatile system messages, (for example,
functional user interface menus, which are the preferred means of user
interaction in the current embodiment, and error messages), that are to be
displayed via the Display Interface circuit 14 and the Display Unit 16, or
are to be heard on the speaker 20 via the Voice Interface circuit 18.
Implementation of the Program Memory 11 in the preferred embodiment of the
invention is by means of Flash memory, e.g. from Intel and SGS-Thompson.
This form of programmable memory was selected because it enables the
programs that control the invention to be updated from the Central On-line
Database System 3 via the CCTSN 4.
Directory Memory 9 contains all of the subscriber's (5 and 8) on-line
telephone directories, that are down-loaded from the Central On-line
Database System 3. These directories can be residential, and/or business,
and/or local government, and/or federal government. This memory can be
implemented using small hard disk devices such as a 3.5 inch drive
available from Teac America, or the 1.8 inch PCMIA-compatible devices
available from companies such as SyQuest Technology, and Hewlett-Packard.
This memory can also be implemented using Flash memory, for example the
FlashFile 28F032SA chip from intel. Any other form of economical
read/write mass storage media that is available in the current art could
be used to implement this memory. The preferred embodiment of the current
invention uses a hard disk storage memory device. It is also feasible to
compress the directory information in order to optimize the available
Directory Memory 9. The directories can be installed at the time of
purchase. For example, if the user buys the invention from a store, then
the manufacturer of the invention can provide a system, e.g. CD-ROM based
as offered by Bell Atlantic, so that the user's selection of telephone
directories can be directly down loaded into the invention without having
to be connected to the CCTSN 4. This option alleviates a potentially time
consuming step in setting up the subscriber's initial Directory Memory 9.
This method is part of the preferred embodiment of the invention.
User Directory Memory 10 contains all of the subscriber's (5 and 8) on-line
personal telephone directories. These directories can be any telephone
number, e.g. residential, business, and/or government. User directories
are a list of phone numbers that are pertinent to an individual, or a
group of subscribers, as may be the case in a business environment. This
list is implemented in the current invention as a linked list index into
the Directory Memory 9. The use of an index into the Directory Memory 9
optimizes memory usage in the invention by not duplicating telephone
directory information already stored in the Directory Memory 9. On the
other hand, if the phone number stored in the User Directory Memory 10
does not exist in the Directory Memory 9, then the pertinent information
is stored in the User Directory Memory 10. The added telephone number
information is stored in the same format as information stored in the
Directory Memory 9. When the user enters a new number directly into the
User Directory Memory 10, as opposed to browsing and selecting a number
from Directory Memory 9, the invention initially searches Directory Memory
9 and User Directory Memory 10 to determine whether or not the user
entered number is currently defined within the system. If the new number
does not exist within the system, then the user is notified and prompted
to enter other pertinent information, e.g. subscriber name, address, etc.
This facilitates the use of the various programs available in Program
Memory 11 to manage this information. This memory can be implemented using
small hard disk devices such as a 3.5 inch drive available from Teac
America, or the 1.8 inch PCMIA-compatible devices available from companies
such as SyQuest Technology and Hewlett-Packard. This memory can also be
implemented using Flash memory, for example the FlashFile 28F032SA chip
from Intel. The preferred embodiment of the current invention uses a hard
disk storage memory device.
The Keypad Interface circuit 15 receives an output from a user selected key
on the Keypad Unit 17, delivers its corresponding coded key output, senses
the meaning of the key output and develops an output representative of its
results, that is interpreted by the CPU 12.
The Display Interface 14 controls the Display Unit 16 by means of data
received from the CPU 12. The Display Unit 16 could be any form of display
that present technology avails, for example LCD or LED displays. Because
of the relatively low power consumption of the present day LCD technology,
this said form of Display Unit is used by way of preference in the
embodiment of the present invention.
The Voice Interface 18 interfaces with the microphone unit 19 and speaker
unit 20 to provide speech-recognition and speech-output for the current
invention. The microphone unit 19 and speaker unit 20 in the subscriber's
telephone 6 can be used, in place of additional specialized hardware.
These circuits provide an alternative method for the subscriber to
interact with the invention, i.e. by means of translating speech into
digital signals that are recognized by the CPU 12 that can be acted upon
by programs stored in Program Memory 11, rather than using the Keypad Unit
17. Northern Telecom ("Flexible Vocabulary Recognition" system, Electronic
Engineering Times, Jan. 31, 1994) and U.S. Sprint ("Voice Activated
Foncard" service) currently have speech recognition telephone products and
services. The U.S. Sprint service provides the subscriber with the
capability to "dial" frequently used numbers by means of speech input,
rather than keying in the telephone number. The Sprint subscribers'
numbers are stored in a central on-line database system.
The modem 13, together with the telephone circuitry 6, provides the
interface between the current invention and the CCTSN 4 in transmitting
directory information. The data rate speed (bps) of the modem 13 is
important in the implementation of the invention. The higher the data
rate, the more efficient and productive the invention will be. AT&T
Microelectronics has developed a modem chip set that complies with an
early draft standard of the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU)
28.8 kbit/second V0.34 standard. A similar chip set is also available from
Rockwell International.
The telephone circuitry 6 is the subscriber's DTMF telephone that provides
access to the CCTSN 4. This circuit provides the means for the user to
access all telephone subscribers listed in the on-line directories 9 and
10, as well as the Central On-line Database System 3. The subscriber can
direct the current invention to dial any number listed in the on-line
directories 9 and 10 and to notify the user when the dialed party answers
the phone. The user can also specify that the invention continue dialing
the selected number until carrier is detected. The user can also specify
the number of attempts that should be tried before discontinuing the
dialing of the selected number. Failure to connect to the selected number
is reported to the user via the Display Unit 16, or the Voice Interface
18.
The on-line directories 9 and 10 are implemented as a B-tree file index
structure in the preferred embodiment of the invention. This technique
optimizes the search time to find a particular entry, or a list of
entries, in the on-line directories 9 and 10. Other indexing techniques
could also be employed, such as hashing as described by W. D. Maurer and
T. G. Lewis in "Hash Table Methods" ACM Comp. Surv. 7, No. 1 (March 1975).
A number of default indices are built that allow the subscriber to search
and retrieve data from the on-line directories 9 and 10 by various
criteria. These criteria include, but are not limited to those described
in TABLE 1. The program needed to create and maintain these indices are
stored in the Program Memory 11.
TABLE 1
______________________________________
i) Telephone area code, e.g. 301 for Maryland and
703 for Virginia.
ii) Telephone exchange, e.g. 469 for Bethesda Maryland,
or 814 for Falls Church/McLean Virginia.
iii) Telephone number, e.g. 1-301-555-1313.
iv) Subscriber last name and initials/first name.
v) Area name, e.g. example Bethesda MD, Paris, etc.
vi) Street name, e.g. Old Georgetown Rd, Wisconsin Avenue,
etc.
vii) Business type, e.g. restaurants, electricians, etc.
______________________________________
How would the user use these default indices? Say, for example, the user is
trying to locate a person with the last name of Smith, who lives somewhere
in the area of "Chevy Chase, MD". Using the present invention's search
capabilities, the user selects the "By Last Name" option and enters
"Smith". This is boolean ANDed to the search option "Area Name" of "Chevy
Chase". When the user has finished setting up the boolean search
conditions, then the request is executed. A list of entries is then
displayed on the Display Unit 16 for the user to browse through. Once the
list is displayed, the user can then further narrow the search by
searching on the displayed list. The required entry in the list can then
be selected and the invention can be directed to dial the phone number, or
the entry can be added to a list in User Directory Memory 10 (see next
section). The search algorithm program, stored in Program Memory 11,
allows the user to use phonetic searches, as well as other boolean search
criteria. For example the user can search for "Smith" OR "Smythe" in
"Chevy Chase. Other boolean search operators include NOT, NOR and XOR
(exclusive OR).
The user uses the user directory 10 to create lists of frequently used
telephone numbers. The use of this directory is similar in principal to
hand-held PDOs, such as the "Wizard" from Sharp Corporation. The primary
difference is that the user browses the down-loaded, read-only directory
9, which is maintained by the Central Telephone Directory Service Provider
1, and Selects entries to add to a personal list in the user's directory
10. The user assigns a name to the list which is being created. For
example, the user may want to group all family members' telephone numbers
in one list, say FAMILY, in another list friends, say FRIENDS, and in yet
another list frequently called numbers, say GENERAL. Once these various
lists have been created, the user can then select a specific list, say
FAMILY, and then search, Or browse, the list for a specific entry:
instruct the invention to dial the selected number and to notify the user
when the dialed number is answered (i.e. carrier detected). These user
lists, and the relevant subscriber information, can be down (or up loaded)
loaded into a PDO (or a Computer) via the modem 13 interface, If during an
update from the Central Telephone Directory Service Provider 1 deletes, or
modifies a telephone number from the user's Directory Memory 9, then the
current invention will notify the user of this state, if the deleted, or
modified telephone number was present in the user's User Directory Memory
10. This is accomplished visually on the Display Unit 16, or by means of
the Voice Interface 18. The user can then delete the entry from the user's
Directory Memory 9, or modify the telephone number, other pertinent
information.
The user can also tag any entry in the directory memories 9 and 10 with a
description of specific relevance. For example a business person may tag
the message "gives a great lunch" onto an entry in the User Directory
Memory 10.
Because the subscriber's phone can be used by potentially multiple people,
e.g. in a household or in a business, the preferred embodiment of the
invention provides the means to create multiple personal user directories
in User Directory Memory 10. Furthermore, the preferred embodiment
provides the means to maintain secure access to each personal user
directory. This is achieved by means of a user identification code and
password. If this option is implemented on the present invention, then a
menu is provided on the Display Unit 16 illustrating the various personal
directories available in User Directory Memory 10. The individual user can
then select his directory to work with. Prior to the entries being
displayed in the user's personal directory, the user must enter his
identification code and password.
The Central Telephone Directory Service Provider 1 can trouble-shoot the
current invention via the CCTSN 4. The preferred embodiment of the
invention uses the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) standard to
implement this feature. The SNMP agent resides in Program Memory 11, and
the SNMP manager resides at the Central Telephone Directory Service
Provider 1. Other network device management protocols could be used, for
example the OSI's CMIP standard. SNMP is used in the preferred embodiment
of the invention, because it has become ubiquitous in the LAN and WAN
environments.
* * * * *
