Integrated calling directory

Claim 2

In a business communication system which serves a plurality of terminal devices, each of which is connected to the business communication system by an associated port circuit, said business communication system including at least one centralized calling directory file for storing a list of called parties and their telephone numbers, calling directory apparatus associated with one of said terminal devices for automatically originating a call through said business communication system to a called party designated by a user at said one terminal device comprising: processing means; means interposed between said one terminal device, its corresponding port circuit and also connected to said processing means for connecting said processing means to both said port circuit and said one terminal device; calling directory file means in said processing means for storing a list of called parties and their associated telephone numbers; means in said processing means responsive to said user entering the name of said called party into said one terminal device for sequentially scanning said calling directory file means and said centralized calling directory using said name of the called party to obtain the telephone number of said called party; means in said processing emans for originating a communication connection to said called party via said connecting means in response to said scanning means locating the name of said called party; adjunct processing means conntect to said business communication system via one of said port circuits for storing a centralized list of called parties and their associated telephone numbers; means in said originating means responsive to said scanning means failing to locate an entry in said calling directory file means corresponding to said name of the called party for establishing a communication connection to said adjunct processing means via said connecting means; and means in said originating means responsive to said communication connection for querying said adjunct processing means to obtain the telephone number associated with said name of the called party from said centralized list.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 wherein said originating means includes: means responsive to said querying means for placing a telephone call to said called party using the telephone number obtained by said querying means from said centralized list.

Claim 4

The system of claim 1 wherein said business communication system includes a system processor connected to said port circuits, said calling directory system further comprising: means in said system processor for storing a centralized list of called parties and their associated telephone numbers; and means in said originating means, responsive to said scanning means failing to locate an entry in said calling directory file means corresponding to said name of the called party, for querying said system processor via said connecting means and said port circuit to obtain the telephone number associated with said name of the called party from said centralized list.

Claim 5

The system of claim 1 wherein said business communication system includes a system processor connected to said port circuits which stores a centralized list of called parties and their associated telephone numbers, said calling directory system further comprising: means in said originating means, responsive to said scanning means failing to locate an entry in said calling directory file means corresponding to said name of the called party, for querying said system processor via said connecting means and said port circuit to obtain the telephone number associated with said name of the called party from said centralized list.

Claim 6

The system of claim 3 or 4 wherein said originating means includes: means responsive to said querying means for placing a telephone call to said called party using the telephone number obtained by said querying means from said centralized list.

Claim 7

The system of claim 1 further comprising: means in said originating means responsive to said scanning means for placing a telephone call to said called party using the telephone number obtained by said scanning means from said calling directory file means.

Claim 8

In a business communication system which serves a plurality of terminal devices, each of which is connected to the business communication system by an associated port circuit, said business communication system including at least one centralized calling directory file for storing a list of called parties and their telephone numbers, calling directory apparatus associated with one of said terminal devices for automatically originating a call through said business communication system to a called party through said business communication system to a called party designated by a user at said one terminal device comprising: processing means; means interposed between said one terminal device, its corresponding port circuit and also connected to said processing means for connecting said processing means to both said port circuit and said terminal device; calling directory file means in said processing means for storing a list of called parties and their associated telephone numbers; means in said processing means responsive to said use entering a mnemonic identifier associated with said called party into said one terminal device for sequentially scanning said calling directory file means and said centralized calling directory using said mnemonic identifier to obtain the telephone number of said called party; means in said processing means for originating a communication connection to said called party via said connecting means in response to said scanning means locating the name of said called party; adjunct processing means connected to said business communication system via one of said port circuits for storing a centralized list of mnemonic identifiers associated with called parties and their associated telephone numbers; means in said originating means responsive to said scanning means failing to locate an entry in siad calling directory file means corresponding to said mnemonic identifier associated with said called party for establishing a communication connection to said adjunct processing means via said connecting means; and means in said originating means responsive to said communication connection for querying said adjunct processing means to obtain the telephone number associated with said mnemonic identifier associated with said called party from said centralized list.

Claim 9

In a business communication system which serves a plurality of terminal devices, each of which is connected to the business communication system by an associated port circuit, said business communication system including at least one centralized calling directory file for storing a list of called parties and their telephone numbers, calling directory apparatus associated with one of said terminal devices for automatically originating a call through said business communication system to a called party through said business communication system to a called party designated by a user at said one terminal device comprising: processing means; means interposed between said one terminal device, its corresponding port circuit and also connected to said processing means for connecting said processing means to both said port circuit and said terminal device; calling directory file means in said processing means for storing a list of called parties and their associated telephone numbers; means in said processing means responsive to said use entering a mnemonic identifier associated with said called party into said one terminal device for sequentially scanning said calling directory file means and said centralized calling directory using said mnemonic identifier to obtain the telephone number of said called party; means in said processing means for originating a communication connection to said called party via said connecting means in response to said scanning means locating the name of said called party; adjunct processing means connected to said business communication system via one of said port circuits for storing a centralized list of mnemonic identifiers associated with called parties and their associated telephone numbers; means in said originating means responsive to said scanning means failing to locate an entry in siad calling directory file means corresponding to said mnemonic identifier associated with said called party for establishing a communication connection to said adjunct processing means via said connecting means; and means in said originating means responsive to said communication connection for querying said adjunct processing means to obtain the telephone number associated with said mnemonic identifier associated with said called party from said centralized list.

Claim 10

The system of claim 1 wherein said originating means includes: means responsive to said querying means for placing a telephone call to said called party using the telephone number obtained by said querying means from said centralized list.

Claim 11

The system of claim 7 wherein said business communication system includes a system processor connected to said port circuits, said calling directory system further comprising: means in said system processor storing a centralized list of mnemonic identifiers associated with called parties and their associated telephone numbers; and means in said originating means, responsive to said scanning means failing to locate an entry in said calling directory file means corresponding to said mnemonic identifier associated with said called party, for querying said system processor via said connecting means and said port circuit to obtain the telephone number associated with said mnemonic identifier associated with said called party from said centralized list.

Claim 12

The system of claim 7 wherein said business communication system includes a system processor connected to said port circuits which stores a centralized list of called parties and their associated telephone numbers, said calling directory system further comprising: means in said originating means, responsive to said scanning means failing to locate an entry in said calling directory file means corresponding to said mnemonic identifier associated with said called party, for querying said system processor via said connecting means and said port circuit to obtain the telephone number associated with said mnemonic identifier associated with said called party from said centralized list.

Claim 14

The system of claim 7 further comprising: means in said originating means responsive to said scanning means for placing a telephone call to said called party using the telephone number obtained by said scanning means from said calling directory file means.

Claim 15

In a business communication system which serves a plurality of terminal devices, each of which is connected to the business communication system by an associated port circuit, said business communication system including at least one centralized calling directory file for storing a list of called parties and their associated telephone numbers, at least one of said terminal devices having calling directory apparatus interposed between said one terminal device and said business communication system a calling directory method for automatically originating a call through said business communication system to a called party designated by a user at said one terminal device comprising the steps of: sequentially scanning, in response to the entry of the name of said called party into said one terminal device, the calling directory file of said calling directory apparatus and said centralized calling directory to obtain the telephone number associated with said name of said called party; and originating a communication connection from said one terminal device to said called party using said telephone number obtained from said calling directory file.

Claim 16

In a business communication system which serves a plurality of terminal devices, each of which is connected to the business communication system by an associated port circuit, said business communication system including at least one centralized calling directory file for storing a list of called parties and their associated telephone numbers, at least one of said terminal devices having calling directory apparatus interposed between said one terminal device and said business communication system a calling directory method for automatically originating a call through said business communication system to a called party designated by a user at said one terminal device comprising the steps of: sequentially scanning, in response to the entry of the name of said called party into said one terminal device, the calling directory file of said calling directory apparatus and said centralized calling directory to obtain the telephone number associated with said name of said called party; and originating a communication connection from said one terminal device to said called party using said telephone number obtained from said calling directory file.