An electronic directory and corresponding communication device is disclosed. The directory includes telecommunications numbers. The directory may further include priority information associated with each number which is used when accessing the directory to facilitate usability. The priority information may include an indication of usage of the communication device corresponding to the directory such that access to the directory is based on usage. The directory may be built up using caller identification information received with incoming calls and may searched to retrieve a desired number.

A subscriber interface operating as a Personal Agent is provided to simplify, enhance and integrate the currently fragmented telephone services. The Personal Agent enables the subscriber to access and activate telephone network services using voice recognition technology. The subscriber interface is seamlessly integrated with the telephone network to enable the subscriber to perform one or more activation and deactivation commands of telephone features, initiate a call, and take calls at their discretion. The subscriber interface also enables the subscriber to administer the options that tailor the system to the subscriber. Access and activation of telephone features are enabled by the subscriber using voice commands. In particular, the present invention integrates Calling Line ID (CLID) with the names identified in a voice dialing personal directory and/or Name Display database to enable the user to use spoken names to instruct the various telephone features to work specifically on particular lines, e.g. "Call Forward all calls to voice mail except for "Mom". The voice dialing directory (or Name Display database) can then be used to identify "mom"'s phone number(s) which would be matched against the incoming CLIDs to determine how to route incoming calls.

A Call Management System provides for management of calls directly by system users at their workstation computers via a digital data network such as a digital networks not controlled via the user's telephone instruments as in prior systems. A call management computer intercepts incoming calls and controls the handling of such calls according to instructions received from the users' workstations, which are accessed via the digital data network. Trunk circuits are monitored and controlled using digital signal processors to proactively identify the called party, the calling party and the call type (voice, Fax, data) and control and to monitor all calls. Each different type of call is managed differently and automatically through direct user workstation controls and/or user-generated rules to provide special treatment for designated callers. Multiple calls to user at the same time may be handled with no busy signals to callers. Only one number is needed for a user to receive voice Fax and data calls. Fax and data transmissions are automatically received.

A telecommunications system (10) is provided that provides for telephone functions to be accessed through client computer system (14). A server computer system (16) provides telephony services, database services and access to E-mail, voice mail, video conferencing and facsimile systems. A graphical user interface 116 is presented to a user to allow the user to perform a large number of functions and to access databases of information associated with calling and called parties.

A memory dialing system includes a first memory in which registered names and registered identification numbers respectively relevant to a plurality of telephone numbers are registered so that the plurality of telephone numbers may be respectively retrieved by specifying the corresponding respective names. A sort table is used for storing the identification numbers in a predetermined order with respect to the first letters in the spellings of the names. A history telephone-number table is provided for storing the used telephone numbers in a order in which the used telephone numbers have been used. A history identification-number table is also used for storing used identification numbers among the registered identification numbers respectively relevant to the used telephone numbers in an order in which the used telephone numbers have been used. A frequency table is used for storing the used identification numbers in an order with respect to the frequencies which the used telephone numbers have been used.

A significant problem with telephone communication is that callers do not have enough awareness about the Personal Presence of people they want to call. The result can be unwanted, interrupting calls. The live addressbook is an application that helps users make more informed telephone calls and teleconferences, from anywhere, via their wireless PDA or desktop browser. Unlike other network-based address books, which maintain static information, the live addressbook can display dynamic information about where the recipient currently is (i.e., reach number), and how available he/she currently is for calls. The system accomplishes this by applying to telephony the “Buddy List” concepts made popular in Instant Messaging applications. User trials assess the applicability of Personal Presence information in a telephone context.

Within a database of personal contact information that is accessed by a Personal Information Management (PIM) application, or contact management application, multiple information sets for a specified field or fields of personal information may be stored for a user of the PIM. For example, multiple addresses may be stored. For each set of personal information, an associated event occurrence may be defined upon which the relevant set of personal information is recognized by the PIM as being valid. For example, an event occurrence may comprise a time period during which specific address information is valid. Upon occurrence of the relevant event (e.g., the commencement of the time interval), the relevant information is automatically validated for access by the PIM. In this way, a user is able to, in advance, dictate that certain personal information for the user becomes valid upon certain event occurrences. The personal information concerning the user may then be published to multiple further PIMs to update records concerning the user maintained by such multiple further PIMs.

Contact information is rapidly accessed and stored through the use of a communications network interface device. A user searches an alphanumeric contact database where the contact database contains a plurality of contact entries. Retrieved contact entreies are sorted and displayed. Contact entries are received and entered into an alphanumeric contact database for temporary or permanent storage. These contact entries can be received from manual entry or from an automated data service.

A method and apparatus for identification through telephony signaling, including formatting an incoming or outgoing basic telephone signal, and storing or retrieving information pertaining thereto. A conversion device is connected on the tip and ring side of a telephonic device. The caller identification information provided by the telephone company on incoming calls or the dual tone multiple frequency signal on outgoing calls is formatted into ASCII character text which is used as an index to a relational database. Information relating to the formatting signal is read and/or written to the database, and displayed on a display unit or printed, while the call is in progress.

A communication terminal device which easily provides a call-history function with superior usability. a call history having the same telephone number as the telephone number call-originated has been stored. If it has been stored, the past call history is canceled and the telephone number call-originated is stored as a call history. Thereby, storing call histories from the same party can be prevented increasing the actual number of storable files as call histories.

A mobile telephone comprises a telephony unit to process wireless telephony signals and a browser to enable the user to navigate hypermedia information via a wireless network. The telephony unit receives a signal indicating an incoming telephone call with Caller-ID information. The telephony unit provides the Caller-ID information to the browser, which uses the Caller-ID information to identify an action or data previously associated with the Caller-ID information. In one embodiment, the browser looks up ring tone data associated with the Caller-ID information and provides the ring tone data to the telephony unit, which causes a ring tone to be generated based on the ring tone data. Distinctive ring tones may be associated with particular callers or groups of callers. The browser may request ring tone data from a remote server over the wireless network.

A system and method for providing complete customer contact management across a variety of customer contact channels so that businesses, or clients (i.e., those businesses using the services of the system and method of the present invention), can manage and develop relationships with their customers, to increase sales and enhance business productivity. In addition, clients can monitor customer's preferences for products or services, so that the client can develop new products and services or modify existing products and services to meet the demand of the customers. An improved system retrieves customer contact information from a plurality of contact channels, storing that information, and performing subsequent processes, such as making the data available to the clients in the form of, for example, reports.

Sophisticated computer-enhanced mobile telephones require intuitive user interfaces in order to allow a user to take advantage of all the available features. The present invention discloses an intuitive telephone system user interface that provides both simple familiar and new powerful user interfaces to the user. In one embodiment, the user is presented with four permanently available user interface views and a fifth user interface view that is available when there is an active telephone call. The first permanently available view is a dial pad view that is similar to a common touch tone dial pad. A second permanently available view is a speed dial view that allows users to easily create their own customized speed dial buttons that are easy to navigate between and can be edited at any time. The third view is the call history view that displays a list of previous incoming, outgoing, or missed calls and may be filtered as desired by the user. The final permanently available view is a contacts view that provides a filtering mechanism that allows the user to quickly search through a large personal contacts database. The fifth user interface view is the active call view that displays a set of command buttons for accessing advanced telephone features during a telephone call such as hold, three way calling, DTMF touch tones, hang-up, speakerphone, etc.

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 system accepts a Short Message System data packet transmitted from a cell site to a mobile station and updates the contents of an address book located in non-volatile RAM within the mobile station. Upon the occurrence of an event, such as a change in the area code, the system automatically updates the phone book so that a person does not have to perform the tedious task of determining which exchange prefixes within an area code have been affected and then manually updating large numbers of address book entries.