Method and apparatus for dynamic abbreviated dialing assignments

Claim 1

A method for use with a telecommunications switch for operating an abbreviated dialing system to dial a telephone number, comprising the steps of: a. transmitting an off-hook indication if customer premises equipment initiates a telephone call; b. detecting the going off-hook indication by the abbreviated dialing system of said telecommunication switch; c. after detecting the off-hook indication, reading an abbreviated dialing list from a memory located at said telecommunication switch; d. transmitting a topmost set of entries of the abbreviated dialing list which have a highest usage to said customer premises equipment having a display; e. displaying said topmost set of entries of the abbreviated dialing list on said display; f. selecting an entry of the set of said topmost set of highest usage entries for abbreviated dialing; g. initiating the dialing of a telephone number associated with said selected entry; and h. said abbreviated dialing system at said telecommunications switch dialing said telephone number associated with said selected entry.

Claim 2

A method for dynamically determining a list of abbreviated dialing numbers for making a telephone call, comprising the steps of: a. detecting a handset going off-hook; b. after the handset is off-hook, reading a list of abbreviated dialing numbers from a memory; c. displaying the topmost entries of the list of abbreviated dialing numbers; d. determining if an abbreviated dialing selection is used to initiate the telephone call and if an abbreviated dialing selection was used, skipping ahead to step k, otherwise continuing to step e; e. collecting a manually dialed number; f. determining if the manually dialed number to the numbers is on the list of abbreviated dialing numbers and if it is on the list skipping to step l, otherwise continuing to step g; g. adding the manually dialed number to the list; h. determining if a number of entries of the list with the added manual dialed number exceeds a maximum number therefor and if the maximum number is not exceeded the method is completed, otherwise continuing to step i; i. deleting an entry having the lowest usage other than the most recent manually dialed call and if there is a tie between entries for the lowest usage to the lowest usage entry that is the least recent to be used from the list; j. skipping ahead to step p; k. updating a usage count value and a last used date for the dialed number, and skipping to step p.; l. updating usage count value and last used date for the dialed number; m. determining if the usage count has exceeded a threshold as a possible displayed entry, and if the usage count has not exceeded the threshold then skipping to step p, otherwise continuing to step n; n. requesting a label for this entry; o. sorting the list from the entry having the most usage of its dialed number to the entry having the least usage; and p. storing the sorted list in said memory for use upon a next telephone call.

Claim 4

An apparatus, comprising: a telephone station having means for dialing a number; a plurality of display areas located on a surface of said telephone station; a plurality of selector switches, each of said selector switch is associated with a respective display area of said plurality of display areas; means for dynamically determining a list of most frequently dialed numbers of said telephone station; means for deleting from said list an entry that has the fewest total uses and the oldest last use if there is a tie for the fewest total uses, if a new entry is added to a full list; means for sorting said list of most frequently dialed numbers in order from a most frequently dialed number to a least frequently dialed number; means for displaying a group of most frequently dialed numbers in said plurality of display areas with each number of said group displayed in a respective display area; and means for abbreviated dialing of a number of said group upon actuation of the selector switch associated with the display area that the number is displayed within.