Title of Invention

A METHOD OF IDENTIFYING AN INCOMING CALL BY USING WILDCARD ENTRIES IN A PHONEBOOK

Abstract

This invention relates, in general, to the field of telecommunication devices and particularly phone handsets. Modern telephones provide facility of identifying incoming call by creating a mapping of incoming call number to some name. This invention explains a method to identify the incoming call by using the wildcard entries in the phonebook comprising the steps of: providing the called party number to the telephone instrument by service provider when a telephone receives a call; matching the number in phone book entries having one-to-one number to name mapping; displaying the name corresponding to the entry if an entry matching to incoming call number; matching the number against wildcard entries in phonebook if the number does not match any of the one-to-one entries; and displaying the name corresponding to the wildcard entry if a prefix of incoming call number matches to the prefix specified in phonebook wildcard entry.

Full Text

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates in general to the field of telecommunication devices and particularly phone handsets. Modern telephones provide facility of identifying incoming call by creating a mapping of incoming call number to some name. This invention aims at, using wildcard entries in phonebook of telephone to identify a group or a place with common prefix. Every group or a place has a common prefix in telephone number and that can be identified using a wildcard entry in the phonebook. The word identification in this document means "to find/display suitable name for incoming calls" which will provide more information about the incoming call to the user. More particularly, this invention relates to a method to identify the name of the group or name of the place for the incoming call - by using the wildcard entries in the phonebook. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART Currently telephones do not support wildcard entries. Therefore phonebook has one to one mapping of an incoming telephone number to the name recorded in the phonebook. If a person receives calls from different telephones in a city or area, then either she cannot identify the number or she has to create number to name mapping for each incoming number. This approach does not scale well. To identify the different incoming calls (even having same prefix); there must be an entry for each number. This consumes memory in phonebook (which could be limited); otherwise identification is not possible. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of invention is to identify and communicate more (as much as possible) information about the incoming call. If a person receives calls from a city from different numbers (which are not fixed), then she can create a wildcard entry for that city, so that she can identify that incoming call is from the city, she has created wildcard entry for. Accordingly, the present invention proposes a method for identifying an incoming call number (which is not having the exact match in phonebook) by wildcard entry (created in phonebook), comprising steps of: User creates an entry in the phone using wildcard, the entries are searched for longest match in the Phonebook and displaying the corresponding name for incoming calls and the said method is one wherein said Phonebook entry is created with Wildcard. Further, the said method is one wherein the search in the phone book is performed for longest match. The present invention also proposes a Phone with a Phonebook or directory consisting of the method given above. Accordingly, this invention explains a method to identify the incoming call by using the wildcard entries in the phonebook comprising the steps of: (a) providing the called party number to the telephone instrument by service provider when a telephone receives a call; (b) matching the number in phonebook entries having one-to-one number to name mapping; (c) displaying the name corresponding to the entry if an entry matching to incoming call number; (d) matching the number against wildcard entries in phonebook if the number does not match any of the one-to-one entries; and (e) displaying the name corresponding to the wildcard entry if a prefix of incoming call number matches to the prefix specified in phonebook wildcard entry. The said match is done on longest prefix match and displaying the name corresponding to the wildcard entry is done when some initial part of the incoming call number matches to the prefix specified in phonebook wildcard entry. If there are two phonebook wildcard entries matching to incoming call number prefix, then phonebook wildcard entry having longest prefix is displayed. If the matching against phonebook wildcard entries fails, then the incoming call number is displayed as it is. If a user receives a call from a number not specified in phonebook, and an initial part of the incoming call number matches to some wildcard entry, the name corresponding to wildcard entry is displayed. These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the ensuing detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The phonebook of the telephone shall contain wildcard entries apart from normal user entries. The phonebook entries must be ordered i.e. wildcard entries must be searched after specific entries only (specific entries are entries having one to one; number to name mapping). For this "Longest Prefix Match" algorithm can be used (the algorithm is not part of invention). If a user receives a call from a number not specified in phonebook, but an initial part of the incoming call number matches to some wildcard entry, the name corresponding to wildcard entry shall be displayed. A telephone number is divided in four parts; country code, city code, local code/prefix (for example, an institute can have all telephone number starting with a common prefix) and telephone number. Therefore a phonebook can have following entries (the order is important More specific entries must be searched before wildcard entry). Here "*" means wildcard. 1. 2. * 3. * 4. Here is the identification of incoming call depending upon the entry (above mentioned) that matches the incoming number i.e. what portion of the prefix of incoming call number is matched (remaining could be wildcard). OPERATION OF THE INVENTION When a telephone receives a call, the called party number is provided to the telephone instrument by service provider. The number is matched in phonebook entries having one-to-one number to name mapping. If an entry matching to incoming call number is found, the name corresponding to the entry is displayed. If the number doesn't match to any of the one-to-one entries; the number is matched against wildcard entries in phonebook. The search is done on longest prefix match method and if a prefix of incoming call number matches to the prefix specified in phonebook wildcard entry (i.e. some initial part of the incoming call number matches to the prefix specified in phonebook wildcard entry) then the name corresponding to the wildcard entry is displayed. If there are two phonebook wildcard entries matching to incoming call number prefix, then phonebook wildcard entry having longest prefix must be displayed. If the matching against phonebook wildcard entries also fails, then the incoming call number must be displayed as it is. It will also be obvious to those skilled in the art that other control methods and apparatuses can be derived from the combinations of the various methods and apparatuses of the present invention as taught by the description and the accompanying drawings and these shall also be considered within the scope of the present invention. Further, description of such combinations and variations is therefore omitted above. It should also be noted that the host for storing the applications include but not limited to a microchip, microprocessor, handheld communication device, computer, rendering device or a multi function device. Although the present invention has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted that various changes and modifications are possible and are apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims unless they depart therefrom. WE CLAIM 1. A method to identify the incoming call by using the wildcard entries in the phonebook comprising the steps of: (a) providing the called party number to the telephone instrument by service provider when a telephone receives a call; (b) matching the number in phonebook entries having one-to-one number to name mapping; (c) displaying the name corresponding to the entry if an entry matching to incoming call number; (d) matching the number against wildcard entries in phonebook if the number does not match any of the one-to-one entries; and (e) displaying the name corresponding to the wildcard entry if a prefix of incoming call number matches to the prefix specified in phonebook wildcard entry. 2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said match is done on longest prefix match and displaying the name corresponding to the wildcard entry is done when some initial part of the incoming call number matches to the prefix specified in phonebook wildcard entry. 3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein if there are two phonebook wildcard entries matching to incoming call number prefix, then phonebook wildcard entry having longest prefix is displayed. . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein if the matching against phonebook wildcard entries fails, then the incoming call number is displayed as it is. . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein if a user receives a call from a number not specified in phonebook, and an Initial part of the incoming call number matches to some wildcard entry, the name corresponding to wildcard entry is displayed. A method to identify the incoming call by using the wildcard entries in the phonebook substantially as herein described.

Documents:

1466-CHE-2004 AMENDED PAGES OF SPECIFICATION 04-06-2012.pdf

1466-CHE-2004 AMENDED CLAIMS 04-06-2012.pdf

1466-CHE-2004 AMENDED CLAIMS 24-07-2012.pdf

1466-CHE-2004 CORRESPONDENCE OTHERS 24-07-2012.pdf

1466-CHE-2004 FORM-13 19-06-2006.pdf

1466-CHE-2004 OTHER PATENT DOCUMENT 04-06-2012.pdf

1466-CHE-2004 POWER OF ATTORNEY 04-06-2012.pdf

1466-CHE-2004 POWER OF ATTORNEY 24-07-2012.pdf

1466-CHE-2004 AMENDED CLAIMS 20-06-2012.pdf

1466-CHE-2004 AMENDED PAGES OF SPECIFICATION 20-06-2012.pdf

1466-CHE-2004 CORRESPONDENCE OTHERS 20-06-2012.pdf

1466-CHE-2004 EXAMINATION REPORT REPLY RECEIVED 04-06-2012.pdf

1466-CHE-2004 FORM-1 04-06-2012.pdf

1466-CHE-2004 FORM-13 04-06-2012.pdf

1466-CHE-2004 POWER OF ATTORNEY 20-06-2012.pdf

1466-che-2004-abstract.pdf

1466-che-2004-claims.pdf

1466-che-2004-correspondnece-others.pdf

1466-che-2004-description(complete).pdf

1466-che-2004-form 1.pdf

1466-che-2004-form 26.pdf

1466-che-2004-form 5.pdf