Directory features in a distributed telephony system
View Patent ↗A telephony system is presented that enables a phone to access a directory and use the directory in conjunction with other phone functions. The system includes a server with a telephony management software (TMS) unit, a telephony application programming interface (TAPI) unit, and an application unit. The application unit includes a control module, a function module, a filter module, a presentation module, a phone interface module, and a storage interface module. A server sends a signal to a phone regarding the contents of a directory. A server also enables a user to navigate through the directory, filter the directory, and perform call functions on phone numbers associated with directory entries.
1. A method for enabling a phone to display a directory, the method comprising:
receiving, from the phone, at a directory server comprising a processor and a memory, an initial request for the directory;
generating and storing, at the directory server, a directory context, the directory context (1) associated with the phone, (2) comprising a part of the directory and (3) comprising a first set of information about which of one or more entries of the directory are being displayed by the phone, the first set of information indicating that no entries are displayed by the phone at a time of the initial request;
transmitting, from the directory server to the phone, a first display signal to display a second set of information on the phone, the first display signal based on the first set of information about which of the one or more entries of the directory are being displayed by the phone at the time of the initial request;
modifying, by the directory server, the directory context, the modification including modifying the first set of information based on the first display signal so that the first set of information includes information about which of the one or more entries are being displayed by the phone subsequent to the transmission of the first display signal;
receiving, at the directory server, a subsequent request from the phone, wherein the subsequent request includes a request to filter the directory, the request to filter the directory comprising:
a first filter signal comprising a user filter input, wherein the first filter signal comprises a first filter number or filter character in an entry field of an entry in the directory context, wherein the directory context is modified based on the user filter input such that each remaining entry in the context includes a remaining field having a first number or character that matches the first filter number or filter character; and
a second filter signal wherein the second filter signal comprises a second filter number or filter character in the entry field, wherein the directory context is modified such that the remaining field of each remaining entry has the first number or character that matches the first filter number or filter character and a second number or character that matches the second filter number or character;
wherein a third set of information is based on the modified directory context; transmitting, from the directory server to the phone, a second display signal to display the third set of information on the phone, the second display signal based on the first set of information about which of one or more entries of the directory are being displayed by the phone at a time of the subsequent request; and
modifying, by the directory server, the directory context, the modification including modifying the first set of information based on the transmitted display signal so that the first set of information includes information about which of the one or more entries are being displayed by the phone subsequent to the transmission of the second display signal.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the directory context comprises a filter for determining the part of the directory associated with the phone.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the directory context comprises a currently selected entry of the directory that is currently displayed on the phone.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the directory context comprises a call function if the call function was performed by the phone prior to requesting the directory.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subsequent request includes a navigation request, the navigation request comprising:
receiving a navigation direction comprising a desired direction of navigating the directory; and
modifying the directory context based on the navigation direction.
6. The method of claim 1 comprising:
receiving a select signal including a selected entry from the part of the directory associated with the phone, the selected entry including a selected phone number; and
inputting the selected phone number into a call function.
7. The method of claim 6 comprising:
receiving a call function signal including the call function; and
transmitting, to a switch that performs the call function, the selected phone number and the call function.
8. The method of claim 6 wherein the call function comprises one from a group consisting of Dial, Transfer, Conference, PickUP, Park and Unpark.
9. A directory server system for enabling a phone to display a directory, the system comprising:
a processor for executing programmed instructions;
a program memory, coupled to the processor, for storing modules and program instruction steps for execution by the processor;
a phone interface module, executable by the processor in accordance with program instructions in the program memory, for receiving from the phone an initial request for the directory and a subsequent request from the phone, transmitting to the phone a first display signal to display a second set of information, and after receiving the subsequent request, transmitting to the phone a second display signal to display a third set of information, wherein the subsequent request includes a request to filter the directory, the request to filter comprising a first filter signal and a second filter signal each comprising a user filter input, wherein the first filter signal comprises a first filter number or filter character in an entry field of an entry in a directory context and the directory control module is configured to modify the directory context such that each remaining entry in the directory context includes a remaining field whose first number or character matches the first filter number or filter character, and wherein the second filter signal comprises a second filter number or filter character in the entry field and the directory control module is configured to further modify the directory context such that the remaining field has the first number or character as the first filter number or filter character and a second number or character as the second filter number or character, and wherein the third set of information is based on the modified directory context and the directory control module is configured to modify the directory context based on the user filter input;
a presentation module, executable by the processor in accordance with program instructions in the program memory, coupled to the phone interface module, for generating the first display signal to display the second set of information, the first display signal based on the first set of information about which of one or more entries of the directory are being displayed by the phone at a time of the initial request, and for generating the second display signal to display the third set of information, the second display signal based on a modified first set of information about which of the one or more entries of the directory are being displayed at a time of the subsequent request;
a directory control module, executable by the processor in accordance with program instructions in the program memory, coupled to the phone interface module, for generating the directory context, the directory context (1) associated with the phone, (2) comprising a part of the directory and (3) comprising the first set of information about which of one or more entries of the directory are being displayed by the phone at the time of the request, the first set of information indicating that no entries are displayed by the phone at a time of the initial request, for modifying, responsive to transmitting the first display signal, the directory context including modifying the first set of information based on the first display signal so that the modified first set of information includes information about which of the one or more entries are being displayed by the phone subsequent to the transmission of the first display signal, and for modifying, responsive to transmitting the second display signal, the directory context including modifying the first set of information based on the second display signal so that the modified first set of information includes information about which of the one or more entries are being displayed by the phone subsequent to the transmission of the second display signal; and
a storage interface module, executable by the processor in accordance with program instructions in the program memory, coupled to the directory control module, configured to store the directory context on a storage.
10. The system of claim 9 wherein the directory control module is configured to generate the directory context using a filter for determining the part of the directory associated with the phone.
11. The system of claim 9 wherein the directory control module is configured to generate the directory context comprising a currently selected entry of the directory that is currently selected on the phone.
12. The system of claim 9 wherein the directory control module is configured to generate the directory context comprising a call function preceding the request for the directory.
13. The system of claim 9 wherein the phone interface module is configured to receive the subsequent request including a navigation request including a navigation direction comprising a desired direction of navigating the directory and the directory control module is configured to modify the directory context based on the navigation direction.
14. The system of claim 9 wherein the phone interface module is configured to receive a select signal including a selected entry from the part of the directory associated with the phone, the selected entry including a selected phone number, and the directory control module is configured to input the selected phone number into a call function.
15. The system of claim 14 wherein the phone interface module is configured to receive a call function signal including the call function and transmit, to a switch that performs the call function, the selected phone number and the call function.
16. The system of claim 14 wherein the call function comprises one from a group consisting of Dial, Transfer, Conference, PickUP, Park and Unpark.