Apparatus, method and system for personal telecommunication speed calling utilizing an affinity database

Claim 1

A method for personal telecommunication speed calling, the method comprising: (a) selecting an affinity name from an affinity database, the affinity database having a plurality of affinity names and corresponding affinity numbers, the plurality of corresponding affinity numbers having been determined by including telephone numbers corresponding to outgoing telecommunication calls, and by including telephone numbers from received incoming calls having a selected, predetermined non-zero minimum off-hook duration; and (b) automatically dialing an affinity number corresponding to the selected affinity name.

Claim 2

A method for personal telecommunication speed calling, the method comprising: (a) selecting an affinity name from an affinity database, the affinity database having a plurality of affinity names and corresponding affinity numbers, the plurality of corresponding affinity numbers having been determined by including telephone numbers corresponding to outgoing telecommunication calls, and by including telephone numbers from received incoming calls having a selected, predetermined non-zero minimum off-hook duration; and (b) automatically dialing an affinity number corresponding to the selected affinity name.

Claim 9

An apparatus for personal telecommunication speed calling, the apparatus comprising: a network interface for transmitting an outgoing telecommunication call and for receiving an incoming telecommunication call; a receiver coupled to the network interface, the receiver for decoding caller identification information from a received incoming telecommunication call; a memory, the memory storing an affinity database having a plurality of affinity names and corresponding affinity numbers; a user output interface for display of the affinity database; a user input interface for entering a telephone number corresponding to the outgoing telecommunication call, and for selection of an affinity name, of the plurality of affinity names, from the affinity database; and a processor coupled to the network interface, to the receiver, to the memory, to the user input interface and to the user output interface, wherein the processor includes instructions for obtaining from the memory an affinity number corresponding to the selected affinity name, and through the network interface, automatically dialing the affinity number corresponding to the selected affinity name; and wherein the processor includes further instructions for determining the plurality of affinity names and corresponding affinity numbers by including in the affinity database a plurality of telephone numbers corresponding to a plurality of outgoing telecommunication calls and by including in the affinity database a plurality of telephone numbers corresponding to a plurality of received incoming telecommunication calls having a selected, predetermined non-zero minimum off-hook duration.

Claim 10

An apparatus for personal telecommunication speed calling, the apparatus comprising: a network interface for transmitting an outgoing telecommunication call and for receiving an incoming telecommunication call; a receiver coupled to the network interface, the receiver for decoding caller identification information from a received incoming telecommunication call; a memory, the memory storing an affinity database having a plurality of affinity names and corresponding affinity numbers; a user output interface for display of the affinity database; a user input interface for entering a telephone number corresponding to the outgoing telecommunication call, and for selection of an affinity name, of the plurality of affinity names, from the affinity database; and a processor coupled to the network interface, to the receiver, to the memory, to the user input interface and to the user output interface, wherein the processor includes instructions for obtaining from the memory an affinity number corresponding to the selected affinity name, and through the network interface, automatically dialing the affinity number corresponding to the selected affinity name; and wherein the processor includes further instructions for determining the plurality of affinity names and corresponding affinity numbers by including in the affinity database a plurality of telephone numbers corresponding to a plurality of outgoing telecommunication calls and by including in the affinity database a plurality of telephone numbers corresponding to a plurality of received incoming telecommunication calls having a selected, predetermined non-zero minimum off-hook duration.

Claim 21

A system for personal telecommunication speed calling, the system comprising: a line unit couplable to customer premise equipment for transmission of an affinity database to the customer premise equipment, for reception of a selected affinity name, and for reception of a telephone number corresponding to an outgoing telecommunication call; a network signaling interface for receiving network signaling information; a network trunk interface for receiving corresponding network communications; a memory storing the affinity database, the affinity database having a plurality of affinity names and corresponding affinity numbers; and a processor coupled to the memory, to the line unit, to the network signaling interface, and to the network trunk interface, wherein the processor includes instructions for obtaining from the memory an affinity number corresponding to the selected affinity name, and through the network signaling interface, automatically dialing the affinity number corresponding to the selected affinity name; wherein the processor includes further instructions for including in the affinity database the telephone number corresponding to the outgoing telecommunication call; and wherein the processor includes further instructions for including in the affinity database a name and corresponding telephone number from a user received incoming telecommunication call having a selected, predetermined non-zero minimum off-hook duration.

Claim 22

A system for personal telecommunication speed calling, the system comprising: a line unit couplable to customer premise equipment for transmission of an affinity database to the customer premise equipment, for reception of a selected affinity name, and for reception of a telephone number corresponding to an outgoing telecommunication call; a network signaling interface for receiving network signaling information; a network trunk interface for receiving corresponding network communications; a memory storing the affinity database, the affinity database having a plurality of affinity names and corresponding affinity numbers; and a processor coupled to the memory, to the line unit, to the network signaling interface, and to the network trunk interface, wherein the processor includes instructions for obtaining from the memory an affinity number corresponding to the selected affinity name, and through the network signaling interface, automatically dialing the affinity number corresponding to the selected affinity name; wherein the processor includes further instructions for including in the affinity database the telephone number corresponding to the outgoing telecommunication call; and wherein the processor includes further instructions for including in the affinity database a name and corresponding telephone number from a user received incoming telecommunication call having a selected, predetermined non-zero minimum off-hook duration.

Claim 29

A system for personal telecommunication speed calling, the system comprising: a line unit couplable to customer premise equipment for transmission of an affinity database to the customer premise equipment, for reception of a selected affinity name, and for reception of a telephone number corresponding to an outgoing telecommunication call; a memory storing the affinity database, the affinity database having a plurality of affinity names and corresponding affinity numbers; and processor coupled to the memory and to the line unit, wherein the processor includes instructions for obtaining from the memory an affinity number corresponding to the selected affinity name, and through the line unit, for automatically dialing the affinity number corresponding to the selected affinity name; wherein the processor includes further instructions for including in the affinity database the telephone number corresponding to the outgoing telecommunication call and a telephone number from a user received incoming telecommunication call having a selected, predetermined non-zero minimum off-hook duration.

Claim 30

A system for personal telecommunication speed calling, the system comprising: a line unit couplable to customer premise equipment for transmission of an affinity database to the customer premise equipment, for reception of a selected affinity name, and for reception of a telephone number corresponding to an outgoing telecommunication call; a memory storing the affinity database, the affinity database having a plurality of affinity names and corresponding affinity numbers; and processor coupled to the memory and to the line unit, wherein the processor includes instructions for obtaining from the memory an affinity number corresponding to the selected affinity name, and through the line unit, for automatically dialing the affinity number corresponding to the selected affinity name; wherein the processor includes further instructions for including in the affinity database the telephone number corresponding to the outgoing telecommunication call and a telephone number from a user received incoming telecommunication call having a selected, predetermined non-zero minimum off-hook duration.