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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a memory dialing control system used in a
communication terminal such as a telephone set, in which system the
telephone numbers of remote terminals have been previously registered and
the thus registered telephone numbers are desired to be read out to be
used for calling.
In such a system, a memory dialing procedure may be used in which the
remote terminals' names and telephone numbers have been previously
registered in a memory. The system provides a service in which the thus
registered remote-terminal names may be searched for in an order according
to the first letters in the name spellings such as the alphabetical order
or the like. Inputting of the first letter in a desired remote-terminal
name causes the relevant remote-terminal telephone numbers to be displayed
together with the names successively. If the desired name has been
displayed as the result of the thus successive displaying, the relevant
telephone number may be used for the calling. A certain system such as
that enables efficient use of memory dialing procedure to be effectively
used.
2. Related Art
With reference to FIG. 1, a memory dialing control system in the related
art is described. The system comprises a control section 31; a
transmission/reception controller 32; a display/operation unit 33; and a
memory 34. The memory 34 includes a memory dialing area 35 and a sort
table 36. The control section includes a processor (CPU) 40; a read only
memory (ROM) 41 for storing programs; a random access memory (RAM) 42 for
temporarily storing various data; and interface units 43 and 44.
The control section 31 controls writing data into and reading data out from
the memory dialing area 35 and produces the sort table 36 by using the
contents registered in the memory dialing area 35. The control section 31
also controls the transmission/reception controller 32 via the interface
unit 43 so as to send a remote-terminal telephone number when calling and
respond to a call from a remote terminal either automatically or in
response to an off-hook action through either the display/operation unit
or a handset not shown.
The display/operation unit 33 is connected with the processor 40 via the
interface unit 44. The display/operation unit 33 includes a display device
such as a liquid crystal display device and an operation specification
device including a ten-key keypad. The transmission/reception controller
32 is connected with a switched network via a communication line and
connected with remote communication terminals via the switched network.
Thus, telephone speaking and data communication are achieved.
The memory dialing area 35 registering operation is described. In one
example, a remote-terminal name and telephone number pair may be input by
the operator through the display/operation unit 33, the thus input name
and number pair is then displayed on the display device. Then, the
operator may specify the registering thereof after acknowledging them so
that via the control section 31 the relevant name and number pair is
written into the memory dialing area 35. Such a process may be repeated
for desired remote terminals so that the plurality of relevant name and
telephone number pairs are registered in the memory dialing area 35. Each
name and telephone number pair has an identification number which has been
given in the order in which the name and telephone number pairs have been
registered. Then, the control section 31 searches the memory dialing area
35 for the thus registered names by using the first letters in the name
spellings so as to produced the sort table 36.
In a case, for example where the alphabetical sort table is produced, the
name having the first letter `A` is searched for. The identification
number relevant to the thus retrieved name is written into the `A` area in
the sort table 36. Next, the name having the first letter `B` is searched
for. The identification number relevant to the thus retrieved name is
written into the `B` area in the sort table 36. Such a process is executed
for other letters of the alphabets so as to retrieve all the names stored
in the memory dialing area 35. As a result, the identification numbers
relevant to the names are stored in the sort table 36 in the alphabetical
order.
After the sort table 36 has been thus produced by the processing by the
control section 31, a memory dialing operation is performed as described
below. The letter `A` for example is input through the display/operation
unit 33 so that the system must search accordingly. The control section 1
as a result accesses the `A` area in the memory dialing area 35 so as to
read the relevant identification number therefrom. The thus read
identification number is used for accessing the relevant address in the
memory dialing area 35 so that the relevant name and telephone number can
be read and displayed on the display device of the display operation unit
33. If the operator finds that the thus displayed name does not comprise
the desired one, the operator may input an instruction indicating a next
candidate retrieval operation to be performed on the `A` area. As a
result, the next candidate identification number is read out and the
relevant name and telephone number are accordingly read out from the
memory dialing area 35. The thus read name and telephone number are then
displayed on the display device of the display/operation unit 33. Thus,
the operator may search for the names and telephone numbers registered in
the memory dialing area 35 with simple operations. Another searching
manner may be applied to the search in which the registered names and
telephone numbers will be displayed in the order in which they have been
registered. Another searching manner may be applied to the search in which
the desired name itself is input and the telephone number relevant to the
thus input name is displayed as a result of determination whether the
input name corresponds to a name registered in the memory dialing area 35.
After the desired name is displayed as a result of the above described
processing, the operator may specify through the display/operation unit 33
an instruction for the calling operation to be performed. The control
section 31 as a result transfers the telephone number currently read from
the memory dialing area 35 to the transmission/reception controller 32 so
as to cause the controller 32 to control the switched network so as to
achieve the calling properly.
The above system eliminates an operator's manual dialing input operation of
a telephone number for each communication operation by using the
name-and-telephone-number search function through the previously
registered relevant information concerning the remote terminals. However,
problems may occur as a result of the search method. In a case where a
desired name and telephone number pair is one of many entries under the
same alphabetical index and the desired pair is located at a position
among the entries at which the pair may be retrieved only after many other
entries are searched. Thus, a considerable time may be required for the
search even if the relevant desired information is frequently used.
Further, if the same remote terminal is again needed for other
communication, the same memory dialing process including the information
search must be performed again, the relevant operation thus being
cumbersome.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to improve the memory dialing
operation efficiency.
The principle of a memory dialing control system according to the present
invention is described with reference to FIG. 2. The memory dialing
control system comprises control section 1 for controlling system
constituents described below; transmission/reception controller 2 for
performing transmission/reception control operation as a result of
connecting the system to communication lines; display/operation unit 3 for
display and input operations; and memory 4. The memory 4 includes a memory
dialing area 5 for registering therein remote-terminal name and telephone
number pairs, in the order of the time the respective pairs have been
registered, together with respective identification numbers relevant to
the respective pairs (the identification numbers are assigned to the
respective information pairs according to the historical sequence in which
the pairs are registered therein); sort a table 6 for storing therein the
above identification numbers in the alphabetical order with respect to the
respective registered names; a transmission/reception history area 7 for
storing therein information including the remote-terminal telephone
numbers used for the transmission/reception operations using the memory
dialing method; transmission/reception order table 8 for storing therein
information concerning the order in time in which respective pairs have
been used for the transmission/reception operations using the memory
dialing method; and an usage frequency order table 9 for storing therein
information concerning the frequencies with which the respective pairs
have been used in the transmission/reception operations using the memory
dialing method. (The alphabetical order applied to the above sort table 6
may be replaced by or added to with another order such as the Japanese
alphabetical order, I, RO, H4, NI, HO, HE, TO, . . . or A, I, U, E, O, . .
. both being represented using Roman letters, the Japanese word for the
Roman alphabet or the like.). The control section 1 receives a search
request input through the display/operation unit 3 from the operator. The
operator may instruct as to the method applied to the input search
request, which method may be to use the transmission/reception history
information, transmission/reception order information or frequency
information. As a result, the control section 1 searches the
transmission/reception history area 7, transmission/reception order table
8 or usage frequency order table 9 in the memory 4 accordingly. Thus, the
control section 1 obtains an appropriate identification number as a result
of the above searching operation and reads out the relevant
remote-terminal name and telephone number pair from the memory dialing
area 5 using the thus obtained identification number. The control section
1 displays the thus obtained name and telephone number pair through the
display/operation unit 3.
The control section 1 controls the system so that at least a
remote-terminal telephone number used in a transmission/reception
operation performed in the system may be stored in the
transmission/reception history area 7 on each transmission/reception
occasion.
The control section 1 controls the system so that the identification number
associated with a telephone number used for calling may be stored in the
transmission/reception order table 8. This storing operation is performed
in a case where the relevant calling is made using the telephone number
previously registered in the memory dialing area 5 and the relevant
identification number to be stored comprises one previously stored in the
memory dialing area 5.
The control section 1 controls the system so that identification
information such as the identification number associated with a telephone
number used for the calling may be stored in the usage frequency order
table 9. This storing operation is performed in a case where the relevant
calling is made using the telephone number previously registered in the
memory dialing area 5 and the relevant identification number to be stored
comprises one previously stored in the memory dialing area 5. Further, the
usage frequencies associated with the thus stored identification
information relevant to the information pairs may be stored in the usage
frequency table 9, the usage frequencies being obtained as a result of
counting the calls associated with the respective telephone numbers.
Further, the identification information may be arranged in the order of
the thus stored usage frequencies in the table 9.
The registration of the remote-terminal name and telephone number pairs in
the memory dialing area 5 is performed through the display/operation unit
3 or the like under the control of the control section 1. The control
section 1 then produces the sort table 6 by appropriately searching the
memory dialing area 5. The control section 1 also writes relevant
transmission/reception remote-terminal name and telephone number in the
transmission/reception history area 7 on every transmission/reception
occasion. The control section 1 also writes, in the transmission/reception
order table 8, a relevant telephone number or identification number every
time a telephone number read from the memory dialing area 5 is used for
calling. The control section 1 also writes the above-mentioned usage
frequencies in the usage frequency order table 9.
A remote terminal name to be used may be retrieved as follows: In a first
method, the sort table 6 is used so that the identification numbers
arranged in the sort table 8 may be sequentially read and the thus read
numbers may be used so that the name and telephone number pairs registered
in the memory dialing area 5 may be sequentially displayed on a display
device of the display/operation unit 3. It is also possible to search for
name and telephone number using history information concerning the
preceding transmission/reception and/or the further preceding
transmission/reception. For this retrieval, the contents stored in the
transmission/reception history area 7 are sequentially read starting from
the latest one and displayed on the display device of the
display/operation unit 3 accordingly as a result of the operator's
instruction input indicating to display the next candidate. It is also
possible to search for name and telephone number using the
memory-dialing-used-transmission/reception-time order (the order of the
frequencies with which transmission/receptions have been performed with
the memory dialing operations, where the memory dialing operation/function
means an operation/function in which the telephone number stored in a
memory is used for calling so that the operator does not need to dial the
relevant telephone number by himself or herself but needs to input simply
the relevant identification number or the like.). For this retrieval, the
contents stored in the transmission/reception order table 8 are
sequentially read out starting from the latest one and displayed on the
display device of the display/operation unit 3 accordingly. It is also
possible to search for name and telephone number using the
memory-dialing-usage-frequency order. For this retrieval, the contents
stored in the usage frequency order table 9 are sequentially read starting
from the highest-frequency one and displayed on the display device of the
display/operation unit 3 accordingly.
The control section 1 stores either the relevant remote-terminal telephone
number or telephone number and name pair in the transmission/reception
history area 7 on each transmission occasion. The name to be stored may be
obtained either as a result of input by means of the operator or as a
result of retrieving the name from the memory dialing area 5. Also, the
control section 1 stores either the relevant remote-terminal telephone
number or telephone number and name pair in the transmission/reception
history area 7 on each reception occasion, if the relevant remote-terminal
telephone number is known. The name and telephone number to be stored may
be obtained as a result of input by means of the operator through the
display/operation unit 3.
The control section 1 also stores in sequence, in the
transmission/reception order table 8 of the memory 4, the relevant
identification number of each memory-dialing-function usage occasion,
which identification numbers have been stored in the memory dialing area
5. As a result, in the starting-address storage location in the
transmission/reception order table 8, the identification number relevant
to the most recently used telephone number is stored.
The control section 1 also stores, in the usage frequency order table 9 of
the memory 4, the relevant usage frequency corresponding to each
memory-dialing-function usage occasion. The relevant storage location in
the usage frequency order table 9 is one provided for the relevant
identification number. The control section 1 then arranges the thus stored
usage frequency information in the order of the usage frequency amount in
the usage frequency order table 9. As a result, in the starting-address
storage location in the usage frequency order table 9, the identification
number relevant to the most frequently used remote terminal is stored. The
thus stored identification numbers may be used to retrieve the relevant
name and telephone number from the memory dialing area 5 and the thus
retrieved name and telephone number may be then displayed on the display
device of the display/operation unit 3.
Other objects and further features of the present invention will become
more apparent from the following detailed description when read in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a memory dialing control system in the
related art;
FIG. 2 shows a principle block diagram of a memory dialing control system
according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of a memory dialing control system embodiment
according to the present invention; and
FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E show contents for example stored in a memory
shown in FIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference to FIG. 3, a communication terminal in an embodiment of a
memory dialing control system according to the present invention is
described. FIG. 3 shows only essential parts of the terminal. The
communication terminal comprises a control section 11 including a
processor (CPU) 20; a read only memory (ROM) 21 for storing programs and
so forth; a random access memory (RAM) 22 for temporarily storing data and
so forth; interface units (IF) 23 and 24; a transmission/reception
controller 12; a display/operation unit 13 including a display device 13a;
and a memory 14 including a memory dialing area 15, a sort table 16, a
transmission/reception history area 17, a transmission/reception order
table 18 and a usage frequency table 19.
The transmission/reception controller 12 and display/operation unit 13 are
respectively connected to the control section 11 via the interface units
23 and 24. The transmission/reception controller 12 is connected to a
switched network via a communication line, both not being shown in the
figure. The display/operation unit 13 includes an operation input device
comprising a ten-key keypad and so forth as well as the display device 13a
comprising a liquid crystal display device or the like.
The memory 14 may be made of a dynamic memory provided with a back-up power
source, non-volatile memory such as a write-and-erase-possible (data can
be written in and also the written data can be erased) read only memory,
or the like. Data writing to and reading from the memory 14 is performed
by the control section 11. The information registration process to the
memory dialing area 15 of the memory 14 and the process to produce the
sort table 16 using the registered contents in the memory dialing area 15
are similar to those in the related-art system shown in FIG. 1.
The relevant remote-terminal name and telephone number are stored into the
transmission/reception history area 17 of the memory 14, on each
transmission/reception performance occasion. If the area 17 is full before
the current storage operation is performed thereon, the current storage
may be performed by either the following methods: The entire stored
contents in the area 17 and the earliest stored contents is erased. Then,
the current information (remote-terminal name and telephone number) is
stored in the starting address location of the area 17. Alternatively, the
current information is stored at the location at which the earliest stored
contents were stored. In this alternative method, an appropriate pointer
is used to indicate that the starting address is that at which the current
information has been stored.
With reference to FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E, examples of the memory
dialing area 15, sort table 16, transmission/reception history area 17,
transmission/reception order table 18 and usage frequency order table 19
used in the communication terminal shown in FIG. 3 are described.
In the memory dialing area 15, as shown in FIG. 4A, various names `AB`,
`BCD`, `ABC`, and so forth accompanied by the relevant telephone numbers
`1234`, `1233`, `4321` and so forth are stored in the sequence the name
and telephone number pairs were registered in the memory 14. The sort
table 16 is produced as a result of arranging these name and telephone
number pairs in alphabetical order as shown in FIG. 4B. (In the sort table
16 of FIG. 4B, Japanese names are also arranged in the Japanese
alphabetical order, A(P ) to Wa(7), in the bottom thereof.) In the
sort-table-16 production, the first letter of the name is used. As shown
in FIG. 4B, the actual contents in the sort table 16 are not the name and
telephone number pairs themselves but the relevant identification numbers,
No.1, No.3, No.2, . . . (which numbers refer to entries in the memory
dialing area 15) at the lines `A`, `A`, `B`, . . . , corresponding to the
registration time order 1, 3, 2, . . . in the memory dialing area 15,
instead of the name and telephone number pairs, `AB, 1234`, `ABC, 4321`,
`BCD, 1233`, . . .
If the operator intends to search for a name and telephone number pair
using the first letters of the names, the operator should input the letter
`A` (for example). Then, the control section 11 controls the system so
that the identification number No.1 at the starting address in the `A`
lines of the sort table 16 is read. The thus read identification number
No.1 is then used to read the relevant name and telephone number pair, `AB
and 1234` from the memory dialing area 15. The thus read name and
telephone number pair is then displayed on the display device 13a of the
display/operation unit 13. Then, if the operator inputs a next candidate
retrieval instruction or the like through the display/operation unit 13,
the control section controls so as to cause the identification number No.
3 in the subsequent address in the `A` lines of the sorting table 16 to be
read. The thus read identification number No.3 is then used to read the
relevant name and telephone number pair, `ABC and 4321` from the memory
dialing area 15. The thus read name and telephone number pair is then
displayed on the display device 13a of the display/operation unit 13.
Similarly, other searching operations may be performed until the desired
name is displayed on the display device.
Thus, if the desired name is displayed, in a manner similar to that of the
related art system described with reference to FIG. 1, in response to the
operator's instruction to perform a calling operation, the control section
11 transfers the relevant telephone number read from the memory dialing
area 15 to the transmission/reception controller 12, the calling being
thus performed to the switched network not shown in the figure.
The transmission/reception history area 17 is used for storing
transmission/reception history comprising data as described above for a
predetermined number of transmission/reception operation times. In a case
where transmission operations are performed using the memory dialing
function, then for example then the registered telephone number `1233` of
the relevant remote-terminal name `BCD` and then `4321` of `ABC` may be
used. As a result, the information `BCD, 1233` as the preceding
information and `ABC, 4321` as the current information are stored in the
transmission/reception history area 17 as shown in FIG. 4C.
It is also possible to perform a transmission operation without using the
memory dialing function. In this case, the operator could input a
remote-terminal telephone number through the display/operation unit 13.
The thus input telephone number is then used to be stored in the
transmission/reception history area 17. The operator's inputting of the
relevant remote-terminal name as well as the thus input telephone number
causes the remote name and telephone number pairs to be stored in the
transmission/reception history area 17. In a case of a reception
operation, the relevant remote-terminal name and telephone number cannot
be automatically known in the normal analog switched network. The
operator's inputting of the relevant information at the time of the
relevant communication termination causes it to be stored in the area 17.
Alternatively, the relevant remote-terminal name and telephone number can
be automatically received via the ISDN(integrated service digital network)
or through the facsimile communication. The thus received information is
used to be stored in the area 17.
The transmission/reception order table 18 is used for storing experienced
through-memory-dialing-function transmission/reception operation time
order information (information concerning the history sequence in which
transmission/reception operations have been performed through the memory
dialing function) in a predetermined number of the transmission/reception
operation times, using the relevant identification numbers in the memory
dialing area 15. That is, the relevant identification numbers are arranged
there in the experienced through-memory-dialing-function
transmission/reception operation time order as shown in FIG. 4D. In the
search operation using the transmission/reception order table 18, the
control section 11 controls so that the identification numbers stored in
the table 18 may be read in sequence starting from identification number
at the starting address. The thus read identification numbers may be used
to retrieve the relevant name and telephone number pairs from the memory
dialing area 15. The thus retrieved pairs may be displayed on the display
device 13a of the display/operation unit 13. Thus, the remote-terminal
name and telephone number pairs which have been used in the memory dialing
operation may be searched.
The usage frequency order table 19 is used for storing experienced
through-memory-dialing-function usage frequency order information. Each
usage frequency stored in the table 19 is calculated as a result of
counting the number of times the memory dialing function has been used for
the relevant remote-terminal telephone number. The thus obtained usage
frequencies are stored in the table 19 accompanied by the relevant
identification numbers in the frequency amount order. The above telephone
number `1233` is assumed to have been used in the memory dialing operation
35 times, the greatest usage frequency. Thus, the relevant identification
number `No.2` and usage frequency `35` are stored at the starting address
location in the table 19 as shown in FIG. 4E. In the search operation
using the table 19, the control section 11 controls so that the
identification numbers stored in the table 19 may be read in sequence
starting from the identification number `No.2` at the starting address.
The thus read identification numbers may be used to retrieve the relevant
name and telephone number pairs from the memory dialing area 15. The thus
retrieved pairs may be displayed on the display device 13a of the
display/operation unit 13. Thus, the remote-terminal name and telephone
number pairs which have been used in the memory dialing operation may be
searched.
Similarly to the automatic calling operation performed through the memory
dialing function, an automatic calling operation may be performed as
follows: A remote-terminal telephone number retrieved by using the
transmission/reception history area 17 is used so that the control section
controls the transmission/reception controller 12 to perform the automatic
calling operation. Alternatively, an automatic calling operation can be
performed by using a remote-terminal telephone number retrieved by using
either the transmission/reception order table 18 or the usage frequency
order table 19. Thus, calling operation may be easily performed in the
various telephone number search manners.
It is possible that the control section 15 controls the system so that a
remote-terminal name and telephone number pair, which has been multiply
stored in the transmission/reception history area 17 and has not been
registered in the memory dialing area 15, is made to be automatically
registered in the memory dialing area 15.
Thus, in the present invention, a memory dialing calling operation may be
easily performed by using memory dialing area 4, 14 and sort table 6, 16.
Also, a memory dialing telephone number search operation may be
efficiently performed using the transmission/reception order information
or usage frequency order information. Thus, the memory dialing function
may be efficiently used. The transmission/reception order table 8, 18 and
usage frequency order table 9, 19 may be automatically generated under the
control of the control section 1, 11. Thus, any substantial inconvenient
occurring for the operator for producing these tables may be omitted.
Further, the present invention is not limited to the above described
embodiments, and variations and modifications may be made without
departing from the scope of the present invention.
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