Caller identification and data retrieval system

Claim 1

A system for identifying incoming and outgoing calls and providing information pertaining thereto, comprising: a conversion device adapted for being coupled to a telephone line, said conversion device including a detector for detecting caller identification information transmitted with an incoming basic signal and for detecting dual tone multiple frequency data signals from an outgoing basic signal, and a convertor for converting said detecting signals into a formatted signal; said formatted signal including the number of the incoming or outgoing call, the line on which the call was placed or received, the name of the calling or called party, the date and timing of the call, and whether the call is incoming or outgoing; a computer system in communication with said conversion device, said computer system including a signal receiver for receiving said formatted signal from said conversion device, a database for storing information about said formatted signal, and a database access system for retrieving information from said database, said computer system being external from said conversion device, said computer system being capable of being engaged in a network computer; said database including a record for each of said incoming and outgoing calls, said record including when available a call number, whether the call is incoming or outgoing, a call name associated with the call, date and time of call, telephone line on which the call was placed or received, and being capable of storing a note input by a user; said computer system having a reporting facility for creating reports from said database while said incoming or outgoing calls are in progress, said reporting facility allowing for the database to be searched by any item of information within said database, said database being fully relational; said computer system having a database search facility for reconstructing caller identification information when said caller identification information is not completely detected on said incoming or outgoing basic signal, said search facility being capable of comparing a signal number against all numbers in the database and attaching a name to the signal number corresponding to a database matching number, said search facility being capable of comparing a signal name against all names in the database and attaching a number to the name corresponding to a database matching name; a display unit in communication with said computer system, said display unit capable of displaying an interactive interface which includes information about said incoming calls and said outgoing calls; said computer system having an editor for changing information displayed on said display unit while said information is displayed, and a calender facility so that call information can be displayed in a calender format; said conversion device including a plurality of individual circuits, each of said plurality of circuits being capable of communicating with a separate phone line, at least some of said circuits also being capable of communicating with a substantially identical conversion device as claimed herein, whereby the system is capable of supporting a user specified number of phone lines; said conversion device including: an internal clock for attaching a time stamp to said database record; a status checker for detecting whether said computer system is powered on and capable of receiving a formatted signal, and memory for storing a plurality of formatted signals when said computer system is not powered on and capable of receiving said formatted signal, said memory being capable of storing 2000 formatted signals; a printer in communication with said conversion device for printing said call information; and a search facility to search an external database while an incoming or outgoing call is in progress.