CA1266931A - Method and apparatus for creating and storing telephone directory listings - Google Patents

Abstract

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CREATING AND STORING
TELEPHONE DIRECTORY LISTINGS
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

Telephone number information representing a name and a telephone number is entered into the memory of an automatic dialer, either by actuating a telephone dial-type keypad or by reading that information from a magnetic recording medium. When utilizing the keypad to generate telephone number information, actuation of the keys in one mode generates digital signals representing alphabetic characters constituting a name, and actuation of those same keys in a second mode generates digital signals representing numerical characters constituting the telephone number associated with that name. The telephone number information is stored as a telephone directory in record blocks which may be revised or deleted, in whole or in part, to carry out a telephone number edit operation. The stored record blocks may be read out from the memory and written onto the magnetic recording medium of a recorder, such as a dictating machine, from which the recorded telephone directory may be downloaded to another automatic dialer. Several telephone instruments incorporating automatic dialers may be connected in a network having a central store in which telephone number information generated at each instrument is stored and at which the telephone number information stored in any or all of the memories of the telephone instruments may be revised.

Description

~26~3~3~

;L jl BACKGROUND OF' THE INVENT:[ON ~,

2 Il This invention relates t.o telephone instruments,

3 ~I specifically instruments having telephone dialing devices ~¦ and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for ~ ¦ storing, editing and reading out telephone number 6 I information stored in the telephone dialing device.
7 ~ Automatic telephone dialing devices exhibit the ~ ¦ well-known advantage of permitting rapid dialing of 9 often-used telephone numbers. Such automatic dialing 0 devices have been manufactured and sold as free standing devices that may be electrically connected to a conventional telephone instrument. These devices also have been 1 1~ integrally formed with such telephone instruments, such as 14 so-called "memory t~lephones~O Typically, a digital memory 1 ~5 ¦ having a finite number of memory locations stores telephone 6 ¦ ~u~ber infoxmation therein. Such telephone number ~7 information usually consists only o~ a multi-digit telephone 18 number and, when retrieved from the memory initiates a 9 telephone dial-out operation of the retrieved number.
~0 In some automatic dialing devices a plurality of 21 keys are used to address corresponding memory locations.
~2 The simple actuation of a desired one of those keys results 23 in the retrieval of the stored telephone number from the ~4 location addressed by the actuated key. To assist the usex in identifying the telephone numbers that are stored in the 26 ~¦ respective memory locations, paper tabs, or inserts, are æ7 ~l juxtaposed the respective keys; and it is expected ~hat the 28 I user will write onto each paper tab the n~me of the 29 ¦ indivldual whose telephone number is stored in the j associated memory location.
In other automatic dialing devices, the usual ~2 I ke~pad that i5 used to manually generate telephone numbers .;

, ~ 331-23~

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3~

1 1 also is used to address the memory to xetrieve the telephone 2 I number stored therein. For example/ the telepho~e nurn~er ~ ll stored in memory location 1 may be retrieved by opera~ing

4 ¦I the l'l" key; the telephone number stored in memory l~cation ~ I 2 may be retrieved by operatlng the "2" key, and so on.
6 ~ Typically, other keys are provided and must be actuated to 7 enable the automatic dialing device to distinguish between a 8 memory retrieval operation and a manual tel~phone dialing 9 operation when the keypad is actuated. Unfortunately, means 0 are not provided -to display to the user the contents of the memory. ~lence, the user cannot utilize such devices as ~2 telephone directories.
13 To genexate telephone number information, the very ~4 same keypad which is used to manually dial a telephone number is actuated to load the memory with desired telephone 16 numbers. As such telephone n~ber inrormation is generated, it is helpful to display each digit to verify its accuracyO
18 In the event of an error, as noted by observation of the display, the erroneous digit or digits may be corrected. I~
~0 also has been proposed in U. S. Patent No. ~,3~1,929 to 21 display, in addition to a numerical telephone number ~2 alphabetic character~ representing the name of the 2~ individual associated with that telephone numberO Thus~
~4 ¦ both name and number information is stored and displayed.
~ I However, in this proposal, a separate alphabetic character æ6 ~ keyboard is provided for the purpose of entering signals 2q ¦ representing names.
28 Automatic dialing dPvices are particularly 2~ advantageous in a business office environment. A busy 80 ~ executive finds such devices most helpful when dialing often~used telephone numbers. ~owever, in view of the ~2 relatively limited capacity of most diallng devices, the -2~
., , 331-2380 2~39~

1 ~l executive still must maintain a manual teleph~ne directory 2 11 at least of those telephone numbers which are u~ed less 3 ¦1 often. Although dialing devices of significantly greater 4 ¦ capacity have been proposed heretofore and are available~ ¦
~ ¦ such devices often are auxiliary to the conventional 6 ¦ telephone instrument, are bulky and cons~sme a significant 7 I amount o limited desk-top space.
8 Another disadvantage of known automatic dialing 9 devices resides in the fact that if an executive removes his ~0 ¦ office fron one location to another) he often is supplied ~ with a new telephone instrument and, perhaps, a new dialing ,~ 12 device. Conse~uently, the information which had beers lB entered into the automatio dialing device which he used 14 previously must be re~ent~red into the new device.
Obviously, this constitutes a time-consuming and laborious 16 ministerial task. Heretofore, the rapid entry of telephone 1 17 number information ints automatic dialing devices has not ~8 been available~ As will be described below, this p~r~icular lg disadvantage is readily overcome in accordance with the present invention.
2~ Yet another disadvantage associated with dialing æ2 devices provided in a business off;ce enviro~ment is the 2~ inability to transfer all or portions of a telephone 24 directory listing from one dialing device to another.
Although individual telephone instruments normally are 26 included in a network in typical business office 27 I environments~ the ability to utilize that ne~work for the 1 2$ transfer of telephone information from one dialing device to ~ 29 another has not heretofore been exploited. Moreover, it is I $0 believed t~sat no practical system is commercially available1 81 I by which telephone directory lîstings derived from 32 ¦ individual dialing devices may be stored at a central ~6~33~
location, revised at that location and distributed, in whole or in part~ among selected ones o:E the dialing devices included in the aforementioned ne~work. This disadvantage also is overcome in accordance with the present invention.
There has been a desirability and need in the business office environment to integrate telephone instruments with recording equipment, such as dictating machines. In addition to recording messages dictated directly by a use.r thereof 7 such dictating machines also are used to record messages received over telephone lines. However, it is believed that an integrated system has not been made commercially available by which, in addition to recording voice messages, telephone-related data, such as telephone number directory listings, can be recorded on the recording medium of the dictating machine. Such an integrated system would permit the "copying" of directory listings from one telephone instrument to another simply ~y playing back the previously recorded directory listirlg into the automatic dialing device of the telephone instrumentO Such "downloading" of telephone number information permits chancJes, revisions and updates to be made easily and quickly by or for a busy executive.

OBJECTS OF ASPECTS OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of an aspect oE the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for utilizing and controlling automatic telephorle dialing devices which address and overcome the aforementiolled disadvantages.
Arl object of an a~pect of this invention is to provide for the creation and entry of telephone number information into the memory of a telephone dialing device.

3~L

An ob-ject of an aspect of this invention is to provide for the rap.id entry into the memory of a telephone dialing device of telephone number informatlon read from a magne.tic recording medium.
An object of an aspect of th.is invention is to permit the editing, revising and modifying of a telephone di.rectory listing stored in the memory of a telephone dialing device.
An object of an aspect of this invention is to provide a telephone instr~lment having a telephone dialing device incorporated therein wher~in alphabetic characters represenking a name and numerical characters representing a telephone number are generated hy operating the telephone instrument keypad, such name and number information being stored in the displayed by the telephone instrumerlt.
An object of an aspect of this invention is to provide for the recording on a magnetic medium of telephone number information stored in the memory of a telephone dialing device, and also for the downloading of previously recorded telephone number informati.on from the magnetic medium to the memory.
An ob~ect of a~ aspect of this invention is to provide, in a network of telephone instruments having telephone dialing devices, a central store of telephone number information which may be transferred, in whole or in part, to a selected one or more telephone instrumentO
It is an object of an aspect of thi.s invention to provide a network and a central store, as aforementioned, wherein telephone number information at the central store may be modified or deleted, resulting in a corresponding modificatiQn or deletion of that telephone number information .in selected telephone instruments.
An object o~ an aspect of this inve.n~ion is to provide a telephone/dictation terminal comprised of a ~26~93~
dictating devi~e and a telephone instrument, ~he lat-ter having an automatic dialing device, wherein telephone number information t:hat is stored in the memo~y of the telephone diali.ng device may be read ou.t and recorded on the dictating machine and, conversely, previously recorded telephone number information may he played back from the dictating machine to the memory, thereby loading that memory with a telephone directory listing.
Various other objects, advantayes and features of the present invention will be~ome readily apparent from the ensuiny detailed description, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claimsO

S~MARY OF THE INVENTION
Various aspects vf the invention are as follows:
A method of entering telephone number information into a memory of a telephone dialing device comprising the alternative steps of.
(a) actuating a telephone dial-type keypad to generate said telephone number information; or (b) reading from a magnetic recording med.ium said telephone number infoxmation;
and further comprising the step of storing in said memory the generated or read telephone number inormation.
A method of entering telephone number information into a memory of a telephone dialing device for subse~uent recall by manual operation of a predetermined key on that device, said method comprising the steps of:
entering a portion of said telephone number infoxmation by actuating a telephone dial-type keypad;
actuating a first desired key on said device for assign.ing said portion of said telephone number information to said Eirst desired key, whereby said portion of said telephone nu~ber information is ~.~

3~
recallable by subsequent actuation of said ~irst desired key;
entering the remainder of said telephone number information by actuating said telephone dial-type keypad and also entering a coded representation of said first desired key; and actuating a second desired key on said device for assigning said remainder of said telephone nu~ber information and said coded representation to said second desired key, whereby the entire telephone number information is recallable by subsequent actuation of only said second desired key.
A method of recording ~nto a magnetic recor~ing medium telephone number information that is stored in a memory of a telephone dialing device; comprising the steps of reading said telephone number information out of said memory;
modulating a tone signal with the read out telephone number information; and recording the moclulated tone signal on said magnetic recording medium.
Automatic telephone dialing apparatus for dialing telephone numbers represented by telephone number information stored therein, comprising:
memory means for storing said teleph'one number information;
read out means for reading out from saicl memory means selected telephone number information for effecting a dial-out operation;
manually operable input means for creating telephone number information;
playback means for playing back from a record madium telephone number information previously recorded thereon; and write means for writing into said memory means the telephone number information created by said manually 6a ~u ~

~r2 66 9~ ~
operable input means or the telephone number information played back by said playbacX means.
In a telephone system having a plurality o~
telephone tarminals and a central store o:E telephone number information, said central store being coupled to said telephon~ terminals, and each telephone terminal including automatic telephone dialing apparatus for dialing telephone numbers r~presented by telephone number information stored in said telephone dialing lo apparatus, the combination comprising:
memory means in said telephone terminal for storing said telephone number information;
read out means for reading out from said memoxy means selected telephone number information for effecting a dial-out operation;
manually operable input means in said telephone terminal for creating telephone number information;
playback means coupled to said telephone terminal for playing back from a record medium telephone number information previously recorded thereon;
write means for writing into said memory means the telephone number information creaked by said manually operable input means or the telephone number information played back by said playback means; and means operable at said central store for revising the telephone number information stored in said memory means.
A telephone/dictation terminal comprising:
record/playback means for recording and playing back audio signals on a record medium;
telephone means coupled to said record/playback means and having handset means for transmitting audio signals to and receiving audio signals from said record/playback means, sai.d handset means additionally being operative by a user to carry on a telephone conversation;
sa.id telephone means being coupled to a telephone line and including automatic dialing means for di.aling ~r ~1 ~.,",:~,. `
6b 6~33~
predetermined telephone numbers, and further including manually operable ]cey means to generate dialing signals for dialing a telephone number;
said automatic dialing means comprising:
memory means for storing telephone number information;
read out means for reading out from said memory means selected telephone number information for dialiny a telephone number represented by the read out telephone numbe.r information;
write means selectively operabl~ for writing into said memory means telephone number information generated in response to the operation of said key means; and means coupled to said record/playback means for supplying to said write means telephone number information played back from said xecord medium.
A modular dictation/telephone system comprising:
a record/playback module for recording and playing back audio signals on a record medium; and a physically inclependent telephone module ~onnectable to said record/playback module to form an : integral structure thPrewith and operable to transmit and receive audio signals to and from said record/playback module, said telephone module including manually operable key means to generate telephone dialing signals and automatic dialing means comprised of memory means for storing telephonQ number information, read out means for reading out from said memory means selected telephone number information for dialing a telephone number~ write means selectively operable for writing into said memory means telephone number information generated in response to the operation of said lcey means, and means for supplying to said write means telephone number information played back from said xecord medium by said record/playback module.
In accordance with an aspect o~ this inventioll, a method and apparatus are provided for entering telephone number information into the memory of a telephone , . u~ Ø.,~.
6c 33~
dialing device, either by actuating a telephone dial-type keypad or by reading telephone number information from a magnetic recorcling medium. As on aspact of this invention, -the telephone number information comprises alphabetic characters representing a name and numerical characters representing a telephone number associated with that name.
As a feature of this invention, the keys of the dial-type keypad are associated with numbers (e.g. "1", "2"; "3"..."0"), and some of these keys ~i.e. keys "2"-"9") a1SQ are associated with letters (e.g. Xey ~12~
is associated with letters ~'A", "B" and "C'l, key '1311 is associated with letters "D", '~E" and "F'l, and so on).
When operated in a first mode, the key representing both a number and letters firs~ is actuated to generate a signal 6d 266~3~L
ll l ¦' representing the first of the alphabetic characters ¦l associated therewith, and if that key is re-act~ated, a ~ ll signal representing the second alphabetic character is 4 1l generated, and if the key is re~actuated once again, a ~ ~ signal representing the third alphabetic character is 6 1 generated (e. gO when operating in this mode, if key "2" is 7 actuated a first time, a signal representing the letter ~'A"
8 is generated, when this key is actuated a second time~ a 9 signal representing the letter "B" is generated, and when 0 this key is actuated a third time, a signal representing the ~1 letter 1'C" is generated~. Further actuation of this key 12 generates signals that represent still further, successive 18 letters (eO g~ continued actuation of key "2" results in ~4 signals representing the let~exs "~ 'E" 7 I~F", and ~o on~.
When operated in a second mode~ actuation of the key results 16 in the generation of a signal representing the numeral ~7 ¦ associated with that key. Thus, name and telephone number ~B ¦ characters are generated.
1~ ¦ In accordance with yet anokher feature of this 20 invention, the aforementioned name and nL~ er are displayed 21 and, if the user verifies the accuracy of the displayed 22 information, the actuation of an ENTER key (or equivalent) 23 xesults in the storage of the displayed information. Should 24 I an error be noticed in the displayed informa~ion, ~hat error 2~ ¦ may be corrected before the displayed information .i5 stored.
26 I As yet another aspect of this in~ention/ the 27 ¦ stored name and numbex information may be read from the 2$ I memory and displayed, either together or individually. For ¦ example, in one mode, only a stored name may be displayed.
j The user may delete~ correct or revise the displayed name and number information merely by operating the keypad~ as ' ' .

~ 331-2380 ` ~.Z6693~ 1l 1 ll aforementioned, and the revised name and number information 2 1l then may be stored or deleted from the memory.
3 11 An additional feature of this invention is the 4 ~j recording of stored telephone number information onto a ~ magnetic recording medium. As one aspect of this feature, 6 the telephone number information is stored as digital 7 signals, and these digital signals are read out from the 8 ¦ memory and used to modulate a tone signal, the resultant 9 modulated tone signal then being recorded on the record 0 medium. As yet another aspect, the tèlephone number 11 information is stored in the memory as record blocks, each 12 record block representing a name and a telephone number, and 18 all of the record blocks (which comprise a directory 14 listing) are read out of the memory and recorded as two duplicate directory listings on the record medium. As yet 16 another aspect, as each record block is read from the memory lq and supplied to the tone modulator, it is checked for the 18 presence of errors. In the event an error is detected, that 19 record block is repeatedly supplied either a predetermined number of times or until it is error free, whichever occurs 21 first. Should an error remain, that record block simply is 22 1 not recorded.
23 ~ As a further feature of this invention, when 24 1 duplicate directory listings are recorded, as 25 1 aforementioned, such as on a magnetic tape (e. g. a magnetic 26 ¦ tape cassette), the magnetic tape may be played back at a 27 ¦¦ subsequent time for the purpose of downloading the directory 28 ¦' listing into the memory of another dialing device. In this 2g ¦I regard, the first of the duplicate directory listings is 30 ¦¦ played back from the record medium and checked for the presence of errors. If an error is detected in the played 32 ¦I back directory listing, the second, duplicate directory sting is played back. In the event of an error in both 2 1I the first and second duplicate directory listings, the j~ telephone number information included therein is not stored in the memory. However, if no error is detected in the ~ 1 played back directory listing, the record blocks included B jl ther~in are transferred, one block at a time, for writing 7 ¦ into the memory. Each record block is error checked; and if 8 an error is detected, repeated attempts are made to transfex 9 an error-free record ~lock into the memory. These repeated ~0 ¦ attempts are made a predetermined numbex of times or until 11 no error is detected, whichever occurs fi~st. In playing ¦ back one or both of the duplicate directory listings from 18 the record medium, a demodul~tor is provided to demodulate 14 the digital signal fro~ the recorded modulated tone signal.
~ Still another feature of this invention is to 16 provide the telephone dialing device in a network having a ~7 central store of telephone number information and, 18 pr~ferably, plural dialing devices. Selected telephone 19 number information is transferred from the centrzl store to a desired one of the telephone dialiny devices, whereupon 21 the transferred telephone number information is stored in 22 the memory of that dialing devi~e. As an aspect of this 2~ invention, the directory listing stored in each dialing 24 device also is stored in the central store; and ch~nges, 2S revisions or deletions made at the central store to 26 ¦ telephone nur~ber information results in a correspondiny 27 I change, revision or deletion in the telephone number 28 ~1 information stored in the dialing device. A~ another aspect ~9 ¦ of this invention, an entire dixectory listing may be I transferred from the central store to the mem~ry of a ~1 telephone dialing device connected in the network. Hence, a I!
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~;re~orv listing generated at one dialing device may be 'copied" into another.
~ ¦ As still another feature of thi.s invention, the 4 ~ telephone instr~ment in which the automatic dialing device 6 I is incorporated is coupled to a voice recorder, such as a 6 dictating device. The telephone instrument may be used for 7 noxmal telephone operation or for communicating audio 8 signals to and from the xecorder. A magnetic recording ~ medium, sllch as a magnetic tape le. g= a magnetic tape cassette) may be used by the recorder to recvrd voice 11 signals andt additionally, to record the directory listing stored in the memory of the automatic dialing device. The 13 recorder also may used to download a directory listing, as 14 aforementioned, from magnetic tape to the memory.
1~ BRIEF DF.SCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
16 The following detailed description, given by ~ay 17 of example, and not intended to limit the present invention 18 so]ely to the ~mbodiments shown herein r will be~t be 1~ understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
21 FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one ernbodiment of ~2 a telephone instrument in which the present invention finds 2~ ready application;
24 ! FIG. 2 is a top view of that telephone instrument;
2~ I~ FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the aforementioned 26 I telephone instrument electrically and physically connected 27 ~ to a desk-top dictating machine;
28 ¦ FIG. 4 is a hlock diagram of one embodiment of a novel feature of the present invention;
~ I FIG. 5 is a flow chart which is useful in 3~ ¦ understanding one aspect of the present invention; and ~1 Il -10- 1 i 331-23~0 1 ll FIG. 6 is a flow char~ which is useful in 2 1 understanding the operatioll of anothex aspect of this ~ ll invention.
4 I! DETAILED DESC~IPTION OF A CERTAIN PREFERRE~ ~M~ODIMENT
I _ _~
~ I The ~elepho~e instrument illustrated i~ FIG. 1 is 6 I described more particularly as a telephone/dic~ation terminal 7 in copending Canadian apylic~tio~ Se~i~l No. 543,~72 Ciled 8 ~gust 6, 1937 of Dic~aphone ~orporat1On. As 10 disclo~ed thereln, ~exmlnal 10 is operable as a t21ephone 11 instrument and, when ~?hysically an~ electrically cormec~ed 12 to a desk-top dictating ma~hine, as shown is~ FIG~ 3; the 18 . terminal also is operable to record voic~ messages on and ~4 reproduce voice messa~es fxom a x~cording medium, such as a 1 16 magnetic tape ca~sette. In the interest of ~revity, further 16 detailed description of those por ions of terminal 10 which are disclosed in the aforementioned applic~tlon are not repeat~d herei~. Suffice it to ~ay that terminal 10 is 1~ pro~ided, inter alia, with a dial~ype keypad 24 ormed of 20 pushbuttons, or keys, designated "1'l-"0", ~ogether with 21 additional keys designated l-*n a~ "#"~ Keypad 24 may be 22 operated i~ a manner sub~tantially iden~ical to the ~3 operation o~ a conventional dial type keypad normally found 2~ on co~m0rcially available telephone in~ruments~ As is ¦ conven~ional; keys "1l' and "0~ are no~ pro~i~ed wi~h indicia ~6 I representing let~ers, bu~ keys "2"-"9" are provided with the ~7 ¦1 following 3 conventional indicia:

2~ 11 2 ~9 ¦1 3 ~ DE~
G~
¦¦ S JRL
æl ~ .~0 ii93~ 1 1~ i 1 ~l 7 - PRS
~ TUV

4 !I Terminal 10 also is provided wi-th a handset 14 which ¦¦ operates as a conventional telephone handset and, 6 ~ additionally, is provided with a dictation control yoke 20 q and a dictation control button 22~ The manipulation of the 8 yoke and button provided on handset 14 effects a recording 9 and playing back of voice signals when terminal 10 is used 0 in conjunction with a desk-top dictating machine, as shown 11 in FIGo 3 and as described more particularly in the 12 aforementioned copending application.
13 Terminal 10 also is provided with preset function 14 keys 26 and 28, user programmable keys 30, 32 and 34 and "soft" keys 4Q. Also provided is a display 16 adapted to 18 provide alphanumeric indications to a user, the display ~7 preferably beiny formed as an LCD display capable of 18 displaying two lines of alphanumeric characters, each line 9 being capable of displaying sixteen characters. It will be appreciated from the aforementioned copendi~g application 2~ that other alphanumeric displays may be provided, such as æ LED, fluorescent, incandescent and plasma dlsplays.
~3 ~'he overall uses and operation of terminal 10 are ¦ 24 described in detail in the aforementioned copending `~J 25 ~1 application~ Additional description is set out herein to ¦ provide a ready understanding of the manner in which the ~7 ¦ present invention is incorporated into and utilized by the 2~ illustrated terminal.
29 Function keys 26 include a DIAL key which, when actuat2d, commands a dialNout operation. Terminal 10 ~1 ~ includes automa~ic dialing means in acoordance with the 32 present invention, and as described below, the operation of 1. 1 1 ~IL2~6~33~

~ 1~ ~h; ~ r~c~lt.c ; n th~ A j 5~12y of a particular telephone 2 1I number on display 16. Once a telephone number is displayed, ~ !I the actuation of the DIAL key causes diallng signals in the 4 ~¦ form of tones (e. g. "Touch Tones") or dialing pulses ¦l associated with the displayed telephone number to be ~ ¦I generated. Also, terminal 10 permits the automatic 7 1 re-dialing of a telephone number that had last been dialed.
~ I Actuation of the DIAL key causes that last-di~led number to 9 1 be displayed on display 160 Reactuation of the DIAL key results in the actual dialing of that displayed telephone 11 number. A user may scroll through preceding telephone ~2 numbers that had been dialed previously by actuating a BACK
13 key, as will be described below.
~4 Also inclu~ed in function keys 26 is an ACC key whlch, for example, may be actuated to initiate the 1 16 operation of a telephone accessory (not sho~n) that may be 17 ¦ connected to terminal 10. A SELECT key also i5 included in 18 function keys 26, this SEL CT key being operable during a 1 ~9 telephone number programming mode, as will be described.
For example, when entexing desired telephone numbers for use 21 by the automatic dialing means included in terminal 10, 22 operation of the SELECT key is indicat~ve of the end of a 1 23 desired number ~which may be, for example, a 2, 3, 4, 5 or 24 6-digit extension, a 7-digit " loc21 ~l telephone number~ a 1~ 2~ ~ 10~digit long~distance telephone number or a multi-digit 26 I computer-accessed telephone number)O Also, and as described 27 ll in detail below, a directory of names may be stored in a memory included in the automa~ic dialing means of terminal, 29 ¦¦ 10, these names being spelled in a letter-by-lettex basis, ~0 and each letter being selected by the actuation of a 81 I suitable key of keypad 24~ The operation of the SELECT key 32 l l i -13~ 1 331-23~0 ;6~33 1 l indicates the entry of a desired letter and the dual æ ~1 operation of this key indicates the end of an ent~red name.
3 ll ~unction keys 26 also include a DICTATE/PAUSE key which, when actuated, places te~minal lO in a dictatP or B I transcribe mode of operation by which audio messages may be 6 I dictated onto a desk-top dictating machine coupled to 7 ¦ terminal lO, as shown in FIG. 3. This key also may be 8 operated while a telephone number is being generated and 9 stored in the memory of the automatic dialing means included in terminal lO for the purpose of imparting a "pause" in the ¦ dial-out opexation, as may sometimes be necessary. For 12 ¦¦ example, in some PBX systems, a "pausel' to permit dial tone 13 detection may be necessary in order to complete a dial-out 14 op~rationO
1~ Function keys 26 also may operate to carry out 16 various a~ithmatical functions, such as addition, - subtraction, multiplication and division, as indicated, when 18 keypad 24 is operated as a calculator.
Function keys 28 are described in the 20 ¦ aforemen~ioned copending application. Of ~hese keys, Zl r~ference is made to the BACK and to the STOP key which may 22 be used in conjunction with ~he present invention. The BACK

28 key, when actuatedr effects a backwaxd scrolling of 24 telephone directory information that may be displayed on 2~ I display l~. Each directory entry, which is formed of 2~ ~ alphabetical characters repxesenting a name and numerical 27 ¦I characters xepresentiny a telephone number associated with ~8 ¦¦ that name 7 the combination of the name and telephone number ~9 1¦ being reEerred to herein as telephone number information, 30 1l may be displayecl, and a user of terminal lO may scroll through those entries ~y operating the BACK key. The BACX
~2 1I key effects other operations in different modes, such other ~.26~
, ¦! operations being d~cri.hed ~re p~r~; rlllr!rlV in the ~ ll af~rementio~ed copending application.
3 ~ As disclosed in the aforementioned copendlng application, terminal 10 includes a microprocessor which may ~ ! be, for example, of a type similar ~o Hitachi ~odel 6303.
6 ~ The STOP key, when actuated, terminates whatever routine 7 then is being executed by the microprocessor included in 8 terminal 10. Thus, and as will be described, if the STOP
9 key is actuated while telephone num~er in~ormation is being generated for storage in the memory of the automatic dialing ~ means, such telephone directory creation is terminated.
12 User programmable keys 30 and 32 are arranged in 1~ two columns, as illustrated. As a numerical example, each 14 column includes eight separate keys and, typically, each key may be programmed to initiate the dialing of a predetermined 16 telephone number, as will be descrlbed. Other functions may 17 be assigned to respective ones of these keys, as described 18 in the aforementioned copending application. Adjacent keys 19 30 is a col~umn of paper inserts 36 and adjacent keys 32 is a 20 column of paper inserts 38. (If desired, the two side-by~
21 side columns may be of unitary construction.) Typically, 22 the user will inscri~e the paper inserts with information 23 relating to the particular unction that has been assigned to an adjacent key. For example, the identity of a 2~ ¦ telephone number with which one of those keys is prograr~med 26 may be inscribed on its associated paper insert.
~7 ~ Alternatively, the identity of an individual whose telephone 28 number i5 assigned to that key may be inscribed.
29 Programmable keys 34 are similar to programmable keys 30 and 32 and, likewise, individual ~elephone numbers 81 1 may be assigned to respective ones of keys 34. The ~2 actuation of a key that has be n assigned with a telephone ~ 23~0 ~ ~L2~ 33~

1 number r~sults in the reading out of th~ memory included in 2 the automatic clialing means of terminal 10 of the assiyn~d 8 telephone number and the dialing of that nwnber.
4 Preferably, but not necessarily, the reacl out telephone ~ number may be displayed on display 16. It will be 6 appreciated that the directory entries are stored in digital 7 form, with each alphabetic chaxacter and each numerical 8 character being represented by a multi bit digital signal, 9 as is conventional.
Operation of the programmable keys may be "nested". For example, it may be desired to store and 12 automatically dial a telephone number whose composit~ digits 18 exceed the total number of digits that may be associated 14 with a single programmable key~ This might occur if the telephone system with which terminal 10 is used requires a 16 three-digit code to access a trunk line, followed by a 17 seven-digit code to access a discount telephone carrier 18 (such as MCI, 5print, etc.), followed by a six digit 19 identifying code, followed by a ten-digit ~elephone numb~r~
2~ ¦ In that event, a predetermined one of the programmable keys 21 may be assigned with the flrst sixteen digits mentioned 2~ above, and the other programmable keys may be assigned with Z3 desired telephone numbers preceded by a "prefix" code that 24 automatically dials all of the digits assignecl to the predetexmined programmable key before dlaling the digits 26 assigned to the programmahle key that is actuated. Such 27 nesting of the programmable keys is nok limited only to two ~$ keys. Any reasonable number of keys may be "linked" such that telephone number information khat has been assigned to ~0 ¦ each linked key is recalled and di~led merely upon ac~uating 81 the last of the linked keys~ Thus, and as another example~
¦ four keys may be linked with the first key being 331-~380 ll ~6~i~33~ 1 1 assigned with a multi digit (includin~ o~ ~.r ~ aus~
2 representations) txunk li.ne access code, the second key 3 being assigned with a "toll-free" telephone number, the 4 third key being assigned with a "pause" representation and a ~subscriber's ID number, and the fourth key being assigned 9 6 with a prefix code to recall the information ~ssigned to 7 keys one, two and three, plus a desired telephone number.
~"So~ti' keys 40 with which terminal 10 is provided 9 are designated keys A, B and C. As is understood by those 10 of ordinary skill in the art, a "softl' key cooperates with a 11 microprocessor to supply dif~erent commands and functions to 12 that microprocessor, depending upon the particular routine which is in the process of being executed. That is, a soft ~4 key i5 not dedicated to a particular, predetermilled function or command, for all routines and for all operating states of 16 the microprocessor. A given soft key, such as key A, may be lq operated a first time to repxesent a first command and then, 1~ as the miroprocessor continues its routine, it may be 19 operated a second time to represent a second~ diferent ~0 command. Preferably, soft keys 40 are aligned with display 21 16 and cooperate with that display and with the 2~ microprocessor included in termina; 10 such ~hat the ~$ operation of selected ones of these soft keys enables the 24 microprocessor to continue with a particular routine then 26 being executed. The manner in which soft keys 40 are 26 operated to carry out and control the creation and storage 27 of directory entries in the memory of the automatic dialing 2~ means included in terminal 1~ will be explained in greater ~9 detail hereinbelow in conjunction with the flow chart of FIG~ 5~
31Terminal 10 may ~e used as a so;called 'Istand 82 alone 1l telephone instrument having an automatic dialiny . 331-2380 ~L2~3 1 means and a telephone directorv storage ~a~c as ment~.one~
2 above and as described in greate.r detail below. To best 3 utilize the vaxious features included in thi~ terminal, it 4 is contemplated that the terminal be electrically and ~ physically connected to a desk-top dictating machine. A
B preferred embodiment of a telephone/dictation terminal 7 comprised of terminal 10 and a desk-top dictating machine, 8 referred to as a record/playback module, is illustrated in ~ FIG. 3. The illustrated telephone/dictation terminal thus is comprised of terminal 10, record/pl.ayback module 50 and a display module 60. The xecord/playback module is adapted ~o ~2 carry out typical dictating functions by which audio 13 messages may he recorded on and reproduced from a record 14 medium, such as a magnetic tape. In the pr~ferred embodiment, the magnetic tape is housed in a suitable 16 cassette, such as a standaxd cassette, a minicassette, a 17 microcassette or a picocassette of the type described in, 18 for example, U. S. Patent No. 4,443,827, assigned to the 19 assignee of the present invention. Other record media also may be used, such as magnet.ic disks or maynetic belts, and 21 solid-state storage devicesl such as magnetic bubble arrays, 22 semiconductor memory chips, and the like, also are 23 contemplated. As will be described, the magnetic tape on ~4 which audio messages are recorded also may be used to record 25 the telephone directory listing of the telephone number 26 information s-~ored in the memory of terminal 10. Thus, one 2~ user's directory listing, afte.r being recorded on a magnetic 28 tape cassette~ may be downloaded into the memory of any ~9 other terminal 10, thereby facilitating a change in offices 80 or locations hy a husy executive without requiring him to 81 "re-program" the automatic telephone dialing device includPd ~ in his telephone instrument, and also providing a "backup"

33l~23ao ~.z6~3~ !

1 L~ v~nl ~na~ tne, memory .in which an executive's 2 directory llsting is stored is inadvertently erased.
~ Furthermore, this desirable feature of recording and 4 downloadiny dir~ctory listing~ facilitate~ the re~dy ~ interchange of telephone numbex informa~io~ from one B co-worker to another in a bu~ines~ o~ice environment. For 7 example~ often-used telephone numbers that may be call~d by 8 sev2ral co-workers, as well as i~tra-office ~lephon~
9 ~xtensio~s of dif~erent co-worker~ may be prepaxad on a 10 masker oasset~ and updated p~r'odically; and that ca~set~
11 then may be played back in resp~ctive record/playback : ~2 modules to downlo~d such ~lepho~e ~um~er informa~ion in~o 18 the m mories of re~pectiv~ t~rminal~ 10~ Thus~ each 1~ co-work~r's telephone ~irectory may b~ updated and kep~
current with pertinent telephon0 number informa~ion wi~hout.
16 re~uiri~g ma~u~l re-programm~g o~ ~he dar~c~ory lis~ing in 17 each terminalO lt will b~ appr~ciated that thi5 directory 18 listing downloadi~g f~atur~ may di~pens~ wi~h ~he need to 9 produce and cir~ulate numexous "hard~ copie~ of in~ra-offi~e ~as well as inter-ofilce) ~el~phon* directories.
~1 Record/playback module 50 may be of the type 22 described in copending Canadian applica-tion Serial Mo,543,389, 23 filed July 30, 1987 of Dictaphone Corporation, Display modllle 24 60, which is electrically and physically connected to module 50, 1 2~ provides visual indicati.ons of the type of messages which are 2B recorded by module 50, and also provides informa-tion relating -to 2~ the activity of this module. Display module 60 is described 8 in copending Canadian application Serial No. 543~481, filed July 30, 1987 of Dictaphone CorporationO It will be appreciated ~0 that display module 60 and di.splay 16 are separa-te and distinct display devices.
~2 . ~

~Z~6~33~ 1 i r~S uescribed in application Serial No. 543~481 2 display module 60 has included therein a modula~or ancl a 8 demodulator for the purpose of recording and recovering 4 certain digital. signals on the same magnetio tape that ~ normally is used i~ record/play~ack module 50 for dictation.
6 These digital signals represent information relating to the 7 audio message~ which are dictated, sueh as the type of each 8 message (e. g. a letter, a "priority'1 let~er, an instxuc~ion 9 or a "special note;'), the location on the tape at which each 10 message is recorded, the time and date o recording and the identity of the author who recorded them~ Such digi~al ~2 signals are used to modulate a tone signal withln the audio 18 frequency band; and iSl the described embod~ment, FSR
14 modulation/demodulation is used. A~ will b~ described below, the same tone modulator and tone demodulator included 16 in display module 60 operates on the disi al signal.s which 17 are ~enerated ~o represent ~elephone inormation, and th~
18 resultant modulated tone signals are r~corded on and reproduced from magnetic tape by record/playback module 50.
~0 Thus ~ th~ ~elephone directory lis~ing stored as digi~al 21 signals in the memory of terminal 10 is recorded as a 22 modulated tone signal(~s), such as FSK ~ignals, on magnetic 2$ tape. During a downloading operation, as described below, ~4 the tone modulated signals r2presenting the recorded 26 directory listing are played back from the magnetic tape, 26 demodulated by the tone demodulator included in displ~y ~7 module 60, and then wri-t~en in~o ~he memory of terminal 10.
Z8 Although ~he aforementioned ~one modulator and æ~ tone demodulator are included in display module 60 ~for ~0 reasons whlch are no~ per~inent ~o ~he present inventioni 7 it will be rea~ily appreclated that; in an alternativ2 æ~ embodiment, a modulator and demodula~or may be pro~ided in ~_ '~Y~ ~

~66~3~ 11 1 terminal 1~ or ln recoraiplay~aCK mo~ule 50. While display 2 module 60 enhances the opera~ion of t.he record/playback 8 module during dictation and transcxiption, this display 4 module is not necessary for satisfactoxy operation o terminal 10 in combination with record/playback module 50.
6 Terminal 10, whethe:r disposed as a "stand alone"
7 device or connec-~ed to a record/playback module so as to 8 comprise a telephone/dictation terminal, may be connected in : a network with other sLmilar terminals, as described i~

co~ending application Serial No. 543,872 and also in copendlng Canadian application Serial No. 543,~22, filed August 5, 19~7 ~2 of Dictaphone Cor~oration A In such a network, and as lB described in aPplication Serial No. 543,~72, ter~Qinal lO
14 is connected bv a ~i~ital CO~nUniGa~iOn link to a central sta~ion, such as a 16 super~isory console. The digital communication link : 17 functions as a bus to which other similar terminals are 18 conneGted. Preferably, a microcomputer i5 located at the supervisory console for the purpo~e of monit3ring the ~0 activity at each telephone/dictation terminal ~nd also to Z~ communicate text messages be~ween ~he microcompu~er and a 22 terminal. The micropxocessor i.ncluded in kermiIIal 10 is ~8 progra~med to interac~ with the r.~icrocomputer a~ the supervisory console SuC}l tha~ telephone n~mber i.nforma~io~
6 stored ln the memory at terminal 10 also may be tran~mitted 2~ to and s-tored at the microcompu~er. Thus, the direckory lis~ing stored in each terminal also may be stored at the 28 microcomputer in what is referred to herein aa a central 2g store. A auitable iden~ifier~ which designat~ ~he ~ermiI~al . ~0 or termi~ls from which each directory lis~ing originated~
also is s~or~d a~ ~he c2~tral stor~. ~hu~ in ~ddition ~o s~oring ~he telephone number in~o~ma~ion ~compxised of an ~21 ~ ll ll ~66~
1 individual's name and ~elep~One n.lm~r ass~ciared with that name), the central store also stores the identi~ic~tion o ~ the terminal whose memory contains that telephone number 4 information. Any changes, revisions or delet.ions of ~ telephone number information effected at the central store 6 results in the same change, revision or deletion of that 7 telephone number information stored in the memory o' the 8 iden~ified terminal. Furthermore, addition~ that are made 9 at the ce~tral store to a directory listing that was created at a particular texminal results in the same addition to the 11 directory listing stored in the memory at that terminal.
12 Still further, a dir~ctory listing stoxed in the central 18 store a~d deri~ed from one terminal may be "c~pied" into the ~4 memory at anoth~r terminal in response to a simple keyboard : 1~ operation at the central store. Such manipulation of 16 telephone number inonmation at the central store ~hich : lq results in corresponding changes in the telephone number 18 inormation stor~d at a texminal 10 is described below and 19 is also described in aforementioned copending applisation ~0 Serial No~ 543,822.
Zl The manner in which a directory lis~ing i5 creat.ed 22 and stored in th~ memory of terminal lo w:ill be described ~ below in conjunction with ~he flow char~ shown in FIG. 5O
: 24 The manner in which a directory listing is read from that memoxy and recorded on a magnetic recording medium~ such as 2~ a magnetic ~ape, and the manner in which a previously ~7 recorded directory listing is downloaded from such ~ecording æ8 medium to the memory now will.be described in csnjunc~ion :~ 29 with the block diagram shown in FIG. 4. For convenience, ~0 the operatio~ o xeading a directory lis~ing frGm ~he memory and recording hat directory listing on magnetic tape is 3~ referred to herein as "uploading" the dire~tory listing~

I

~l~266~33~L
IG. -1 il'ustr~t~s an uploading channel and a downloading ~ channel, both being coupled to the memory included in 3 terminal 10, this memory bei~g identi:Eied as memory 11Ø It 4 is assume~ that memory 110 has a capacity suficient to ~ s~ore, for example, one hundred direc~ory entries. For the 6 purpose of the present description, a directory en~xy is 7 comprised of alphabetic characters representing a name and 8 numerical characters representing a telephone n~mber 9 associa'ced with that name. It is appreciated that the alphabetic and numerical characters are represented in 11 digital form, and conventional codes represent each letter 12 "A"-l'Z" and each numeral "1~-l'0". In addition, a comma that 13 is used to separate an individualls last name from his first 14 name may be represented, when in the name-entry mode, by actuating key "0". A space (e~ g. a space between last and ~6 first names or between the words of a corporate nc~me, such 17 as Patent Office) may be represented by dual actuation of 18 key "0". This provides a clear, user~acceptable display of 19 a directory entry name. In one embodlment, each directory entry is stored in an addressable location of memory 110 in 21 the form of a "record block". All of the record blocks 22 stored in memory 110 comprise a directory listing.
2~ The uploading channel coupled to memory 110, and 24 shown in FI~. 4, is comprised of read circuitry 112, buffer 26 circuits 114 and 118, a tone mGdulator 120 and record 26 circuitry 122. This uploading channel extends to a 27 record/playback head 124 in record/playback module S0 which, ~8 as will be descxibed, records the record blocks stored in ~9 memory 110 onto magnetic tape 125. I`he recorded xecord hlocks are illu6tra~ed in FIG. 4 as xecoxd blocks 121, 123~
127, etc. It will be appreciated that magnetic tape 12S may 32 comprise a con~entlonal audio magnetic tape which r in the 26~33'~

~ pre~?-:ccl e~D~i~Pnt, is housed ln a ca~sette, as 2 aforementioned.
3 Read circuitry 112 is coupled to memory llO and 4 comprises a conventional read-out circuit adapted to read 6 out one record block at a time from the memory. Although 6 not shown in FIG. 4, it will be appreciated that read and 7 write operations to read record blocks from and write record 8 blocks into memory 110 are controlled by a microprocessor, 9 such as Hitachi Model 6303. Read circuitry 112 is coupled 0 to a dial signal generator such that, when termlnal 10 is 11 used to effect a dial-out operatlon, the numerical 12 characters which comprise the telephone number portion of a lB read out record block are supplied to the dial signal 14 generator, whereupon the read out telephone number is dialed automatically. Such readins out from a memory of characters 16 representing a telephone number and the automatic dialing of lq ~hat telephone number is known to those of ordinary skill in 18 the art. The manner in which the microprocessor included in 19 terminal 10 controls the dial-out operation is described in aforementioned copending applicatioIl Serial No. ~DIC-537)o 21 The output of read circuitry 112 also is coupled 22 to buf-fer 11~ In the preferred embodiment, ~uffer 114 has 23 a capacity sufficient to store at least one complete record 24 block; and this buffer is disposed in terminal 10. Buffex 11~ i5 coupled by a bus to an erxor de~ector 116 which r in 26 the preferred embodiment, is provided in display module 6C.
27 The error detector may comprise, for example, an ECC error 28 detector which functions to detect erroxs, if any, in the record block transmitted thereto from buffer 114. A
~0 feedback connection between errcr detector 116 and buffer 81 114 is illustrated, this feedback connection serving to ~ supply a "repeat" sisnal to the buffer in the event that an ~6~ g3~L ~

1 error i~ det~ct~ in t~ r ~r~ bl~k transmitted therefro~.
2 The purpose of this "repeat" signal is to initiate a ~ re-transmission of the erroneous record blockl as described 4 below.
~ Error detector 116 is coupled to buffer 118. In 6 one embodiment, this buffer has a capacity sufficient to 7 store a complete direc-tory listing~ It will be appxeciated 8 that~ although one record block at a time is read out of 9 ~emory 110, buffer 118 stores all of the record blocks which D
10 comprise a directory listing. A feedback connection is illustrated from buffer 118 to read clrcuitry 112. The ~2 purpose of this feedback connection is to supply an acknowledgement signal ACK from buffer 118 to the read ~4 circuitry upon each successful receipt by the buffer of an error-free record block. Upon receipt of the ACK signal, 16 read circuitxy 112 then reads out the next record block from lq memory 110. It will be ~ppreciated that a subsequent record 18 block is not read from tha memory in the absence of an ACK
signal~
Buffer 118 is coupled to tone modulator 120 which, 21 in the preferred embodiment, comprises an FSK modulator.
'he direc~ory listing stored in buffer 118 is supplied, one 28 record block at a time, to the FSK modulator whereat a tone ~4 signal i~ modulated in accordance ~i.th the digital sign~ls 2~ supplied thereto from the buffer. I~ desired, the ACX
26 signal may be returned from buffer 118 to read circuitxy 112 27 each time a record block is ~ransferred from bufre~ 118 to ~8 tone modulator 120. In this alternative embodiment, the ~9 s-torage capacity of buffer 118 need be equal only ~o the storage capacity of buffer 114, that is, sufficient to store 81 only one record ~lockO In this alternati~e embodiment, one 32 record block is read from memoxy 110, temporarily stored in . I

~ i"33~L ~

1 buf~e~ surplie~ to hufEeY ~ ia er~ol detector 116 2 and then transferred from buffer llB to tone modulator 120.
3 Then, the ACK signal is returned to read circuitry 112, 4 whereafter the next record block is read fxom memory 110.
~ In the event that an error is de~ected in the record block 6 supplied from buffer 114, error detector 116 returns the 7 repeat signal to buffer 114 to inltiate a re-supply of the 8 record block stored in that buffer, as will be described.
Tone modulator 120 is coupled to record clrcuitry 122, whereupon the digitally modulated tone signal is 11 applied to record/playback head 124 for recording on 12 magnetic tape 125. As depicted in FIG. 4, record blocks 18 121, 123 and 27 are comprised of signals representing 14 ~lphabetic characters which constitute the name of an ~5 individual, followed by signals representing numerical 16 characters which constitute the telephone numbex associated lq with that indi~idual. ~ence, telephone number information 1~ is recorded on tape 125 as modulated tone signals 9 (prefera~ly, FSK modulated tone signals~.
~0 The downloading channel illustrated in FIG. 4 21 extends between record/playback head 124 and memory 110 22 The purpo~e of this downloading channel is ~o read ~3 previously recorded telephone number information from 24 magnetic tape 125 and ~o write that telephone number 2~ information into the memory. The downloading channel is 26 comprised of playback circuitry 126, a tone demodulator 12~, 27 buffers 132 and 134, an error detector 136 a~d write 2~ circuitr~ 138. Playback circuitry 126 is coupled to ~ record/playback head 124 and may comprise conventional circuits known to those o~ ordinary skill in the art for use in reproducing audio signals from a record medium. Playback 82 circuitry 126 is coupled to tone demodulator 12~. This tone ~L2~ 3 1 demodulator is compa~-ble with and com~ en~ ~ry ~o tone 2 m~dulator 120. Hence, in the embodiment described herein, 8 demodulator 128 comprises an FSK demodulator. It is 4 appreciated that digitally modulated tone signals which are B reproduced from tape 125 by head 124 are demodulated to 6 recover digital signals representing the recorded telephone 7 number information.
8 Demodulator 128 is coupled to buffer 132 by an 9 error detector 130. Erxor detector 130 may comprise a 0 conventional check sum arrangement by which the digits 11 included in a comple~e directory listing read from tape 125 12 are summed and compared to a predetexmined ~alue. Should 13 the s~unmation of these digits differ from that predetermined 14 value, an error is present in one or more of the digits ~5 included in the dixectory listiny. As shown, a feedback 16 connection is pro~ided between error detector 130 and ~q playback circuitry 126, whereby a "repeat" signal is 18 supplied to the playback circuitry in the event that the 19 check sum axrangement included in error detector 130 detects an error in the reproduced directory listing. As will be 21 described below, durlng an "uploading" operation, duplicate ?2 directory listings are recorded on tape 125~ Normally, 23 duriny a downloading operation, only ~he fixst of these 2k duplicate directory listings is xeproduced from the tape~
2~ However, in the event that error detector 130 senses an 26 error in the reproduced dixectory iisting, khe repeat siynal 27 supplied to playback circuitry 126 is used to effect the 28 reproduction o the second d~plicate directory listiny 29 recorded on the tape. In the absence of a detected error~
~0 he second duplicate directory listing is not xeproduced.
$1 Buffer 132 preferably has a capacity sufficient to ~2 store all of the record blocks included in one complete ¦ 331-2380 ~ i93~L

1 directory listing. If an er~r i~ ct~ he Fi~t ~-F
~ the duplicate directory :listings reprod~lced from tape 125, 8 that directory listing, which i.s stored in buffer 132, is 4 not further utilized (i. e. it is ignored). The conten-ts of ~ the buffer are r placed by the second of the duplicate 6 directory listings reproduced from the magnetic tape.
7 However, if error detector 130 detects an error in the 8 second of the duplicate directory li.stings, a suitable erro~
9 indication is prcvided and the erroneous dixectory listing is not wrltten into memory 110. 3 Buffer 132, which may be disposed in display module 60, is coupled to buffer 134 which, in turn, is disposed in termi~al 10. In the preferred embodiment~ the 14 capacity of buffer 134 is suf~icient to store simply one xecoxd block. It will be appreciated, therefore, that 16 buffer 132 supplies one record block at a time to huffer lq 134. Buffer 134 is coupled to write circuitry 138 by error 18 detector 136. This errox detectox may he similar to aforementioned error detector 116 and, for example, may ~0 include an ECC circuit. Thus, each successive record block 21 stored in buffer 134 is examined for errors~ A feedback 27, ¦ connection is provided between error detec-tor 136 and buffer 23 1 132 to supply a "repeat" signal to buffer 132 in the event 24 ¦ that an error is detected in a record block. If such an 2~ ¦ error is detected, th~t record block is resupplied fro~
26 ¦ buEfer 132 to bufer 134 in a manner described belowO In ~7 ¦ the absence of an error, the record block that i~ stored in $~ ¦ buffer 134 is supplied by wri~e circuitry 138 ~o memory 110.
2g Thus, each record block that is reproduced fxom ~ape 125 i5 ~0 demodulated, error detected and stored in a respective 81 addressable location in memory 110.
~2 ~28 ~
a. ~ 9 ~ JJ~d ~

1 FIG. 4 also illustrates that write ci~cuitry 138 2 is coupled to an input 140 and also to an i~put 142. I~put 8 140 supplies to write circuitry 138 the digital signals constit~ting telephone nu~ber information which are ~ generated in response to the operation o keypad 24, as will 6 be described. Input 142 supplies to the write circuitry 7 digital signals repre~enting telephone number information 8 derived from the aforemen~.ioned central s~ore. Thus~ write 9 circuitry 138 supplies to memory 110 telephone nu~ber 0 information that i5 reproduced from tape 125, that is 11 generated in respcnse to the operation of kPypad 24 or that 12 is produced at the central store (e. g. in response to 18 revising/ modifyins, erasing or ~Icopying~ telephone number 14 information/ as mentioned abo~ and as described in copending application Seri~l No- 543,822.
~ The manner in which the uploadin~ and downl~ading lq channels opera~e ~o transfex telephone number information 18 between memory 110 and magne~ic tape :L25 now will be described. Le~ i~ be assum~d that an uploading operation i~
to be carried out. I~ is assumed ~ha~ for exampl~, a magnetic tape casset~e is loaded in~o record/playback ~odule ~2, ~0, and a selec~ed one of soft keys 40 then ma~ be opera~ed, Z$ as described below in conjunction wi~h the flow chart o 24 FIG. 5. Each memory location in which a record block is stored is read out by read cixcuitry 112, on2 record block 2~ at a time~ The read out record block is stored te~porarily 2q in buffer 114 and ~hen suppliPd ~o buffer 118 via error detector 116. In the absence of an exror in ~he record 29 block txansferred from on~ buffer ko ~he o~her ~ the xecord ~0 block now s~ored in buffer 118 is applied ~o ~one mcdulator 81 120 ~or ~he recording of that record block on magnetic tape 32 125 as a d,gitally modulated (eO g. FSK~ tone sign~

~.26~33~ 1 1 Buffer 118 also returns the ACK signal to read circ~litxy 2 112, and the next record block is read from memory 110.
8 This opera~ion continues until all of the record blocks 4 included in the directory listing stored in memory 110 are ~ recorded on magnetic tape 125, as illustrated schematically 6 by record blocks 121, 123 and 127. In one embodiment, the 7 aforementioned operation is carried out once again, whereby 8 read circuitry 112 again reads vut the directory listing 9 stored in memory 110, one record block at a time, to record 0 the very same directory listing in duplicate form on ~1 magnetic tape 125, as represent~d by duplicate record blocks 12 121' and 123'. This duplicate recording of the directory ~B listing is used as a "backupl' in the event that, upon 14 downloading the directory listing from magnetic tape 125, an ~5 error in the recovered record blocks is detected. In most 16 instances, such an error is caused by defects associated 17 with the magnetic tape; and it is expected that such 18 defects, although present in one recorded directory listing ~9 might not be present in the other.
The foregoing has assumed that the record block 21 transferred from buffer 114 to buffer 118 is error free.
æ However, if an error in this record b1ock is detected by ~3 error detector 116, the repeat signal is returned to buffer 24 114 by the error detector. In response to this repeat signal, the next successive record block is not read from 26 memory 110 but, rather, the recoxd block which remains ~7 temporarily stored in buffer 114 is repeatedly supplied to 28 bu~fex 118. As repeated attempts are made to transfer an ~9 error-free record block ~o bufPr 118, error detec~or 116 ~0 senses the presence o an error in each repeatedly transferred record block. This xepeat operation is carriPd ~2 out a predetermlned number of times or until no error is 331--~380 ~6~33~

1 detected in th~ record bl.ock, whichever occurC cirC~

2 the event that an error signal is detected in the repeated ~ attempts to transfer the recoxd block, that record block is 4 ignored (it is not recorded) and read cixcuitry 112 reads ~ out the next successive record block from memory llOo 6 Hence, the record block whlch had bee~ stored temporarily in 7 buffer 114 now is replaced by the newly read out record 8 block.
As an alternative for the predetermined number of repeated attempts to transfer a record block from buffer 114 ~1 to buffer 118, a timer may be triggered on the first attempt 12 to transfer the record block, and lf an error is detected lB therein, repeated attempts are made until either the timer ~4 times out or an error-free record block is trans.ferred, whichever occurs firstO
16 In the embodiment described, the capacity of lq buffer 118 has be~n assumed ~o be equal to that of buffer ~8 114, that is, sufficient to store temporarily one record 19 block thereinn The ACX sigIlal i5 .re~urned to read circuitry 112 when the record block temporarily stored in buffer 11.8 21 is applied to tone modulator 120. As an alternative, the capacity of buffer 118 may be sufficient to store all of the record blocks included in a directory listing, and the ACK

24 signal may be returned to read circuitry 112 after each error-free record block i5 received by buffar 118. Then, when an entire directory listing is stored in buffer 118, 27 the record blocks may be read out therefrom, one record ¦ block at a ~ime, to modulator 120~
2~ ¦ As a further alternative to the operation 1 80 ¦ described above, if the capacity o buffer 118 is sufficient 31 ¦ to store an entire directory listing, the contents of this $~ ¦ buff~,r may be read out two successive times to eff~ct the ' 3~
;
~ ' duplicate recording of the directory listins. That is, the 2 !i contents of memory 110 need not be read out once again to 3 1¦ record the second of the duplicate directory listings.
Rather, the dixectory listing stored temporarily in buffer ~¦ 118 may be retained therein for a duration at least 6 ¦ sufficient to effect such duplicate directory listing ~ ¦ recordingsO
8 1 Let it now be assumed that the directory listing 9 1 recorded on magnetic tape 125 is to be downloaded into memory 110 of terminal lOo Assuming once again that the 3 11 magnetic tape is housed within a cassette, the tape cassette is loaded into record/playback module S0 and an appropriate one of soft keys 40 is a~tuated, as described below in ~4 conjunction with the flow chart shown in FIG. 5. As a result, tape 125 is transported past head 124, and the first 16 of the duplicate directory listings is reproduced therefrom.
17 1 Each modulated record block that is reproduced fro~ the 18 magnetic tape is demodulated by demodulator 128, and the 19 recovered dlgital signa~s are supplied, via error detector 130 to buffex 132. In the preferred embodiment, all of the 21 record blocks included in the first directory listing are 22 reproduced in succession~ demodulated and checked for 23 errors. The capacity of buf~er 132 i5 assumed herein to be 24 ¦ sufficient to store all of the record blocks included in a I dixectory listing, and such recoxd blocks are stored 2~ I temporarily therein. In the event that no errors are ~7 1l detected by error detector 130 in the directory listing 2~ 1! supplied to buffer 132, the record blocks stored in ~his ~9 11 buffer are in condition to be transferred, one record block at a time~ to buffer 134~ ~owever~ if an error is de~ected 81 i! in the recovered directory listing, usually due to one or ~2 i ' ~6 Eii~33~

1 ll more defects in magnetic tape 125, the repeat si.gnal is 2 ¦I supplied to playback circuitry 126 by error detector 130.
3 ¦1 In response ~o the repea-t signal supplied thereto, 4 li playback circuitry 126 operates to reproduce the second of ¦¦ the duplicate directory listings from magnetic tape 125. As ¦~ before, the successive record blocks which are reproduced ¦ are demodulated, exror detected an~ stored temporarily in ~ 1l buffex 132. It is appreciated that, in the event of an 9 1 error detected in the first of the duplicate directory listings reproduced from magnetic tape 125, the contents of 11 buffer 132, that is, the record blocks stored therein, are 1 12 replaced by the record ~locks reproduced from the second of 1~ the duplicate directory listings. Nowr however, if an error ; lg is detected in the second of the duplicate directory listings reproduced from tape 125, an error indication is 16 ¦ provided and the reproduced directory listing is not written ¦ into memory 110.
¦ Let it be assumed that no error is detected in the lg ¦ record blocks stored in buffer 132. That is, the first or second of the duplicate directory listings is considered to 21 be substantially error-free. Now, the first of these record 22 blocks is transferred to buffer 134; and error detector 136 23 senses the presence of an error in the record block now 24 stored temporarily in buffer 134. As menti.oned above~ error 2~ detector 136 may carry out an ECC detecting scheme. If no 26 11 error is det.ected in the xecord block stored temporarily in 27 ~ buffer 134, this record block is supplied to write circuit 2~ 1 138 and written into an addressed location of memory 110.
¦¦ Then, the next record block stored in buffer 132 is 30 ~¦ transferred to buffer 134~ and the foregoing error-detecting 31 ¦~ and record block write~in operation is carried outO As a result, all of the error-free record blocks which are il ~33 93~
, e~ r~ f.ro3n magnet.ic tape 125 are loaded into memory ~ 110. The memory thus is supplied with telephone directory 3 ~ informatlon which may have been recorded at some o-ther 4 ¦ location. It is appreciated that this telephone number 6 ~ information is loaded into the memory substantially without 6 11 operator intervention.
7 However, if the record block stored temporarily in 8 buffer 134 contains an error, as detected by error detector 9 13SI the repeat signal is returned from the error detector to buffer 132. In response to this repeat signal, repeated 11 attempts are made to transfer to buffer 134 an error-free 12 replacement for the record block stored therein. In one 13 1 embodiment a predetermined number of repeated attemp~s are 14 made until that record block is received error-free, whichever event occurs first. Alternatively, a timer is 16 triggered when the record block is transferred from buffer 17 132 to buffer 134, and the aforementioned repeated attempts 18 are made unti.l either the record block is received error ~g free or the timer times out, whichever occurs first. In 20 1 either embodiment, if an error still is present in the 21 record block stored in buffer 134, that record block is 2~ i.gnored and is not ~supplied to write circuit 138. Rather, 23 the next successive record block stored in buffex 132 is 24 read out therefrom, and this next record block replaces the ~ ¦ erroneous record block stored in buffer 134. ~ ¦
2~ 11 As yet a~other alternative r buffer 134 may exhibit 27 ¦~ a capacity sufficjent to store all of the xecord blocks 2~ 1¦ included in a complete directory listing. In that event~
~9 ¦, error detector 136 senses whether an exror is present in I each record block transferred from buffer 132 to buffex 134.
81 j Assuming that all of the recoxd blocks which had been ~2 ¦¦ supplied to buffer 132 are tr~nsferred to buffer 134, the , 33~
., 1 l~ directory listina temporarily stored in this b~ffer then is 2 1I written, one record block at a time, into respective g ll addressable locations of memory 110. However, if an erroneous record block is detected, the aforementioned ~ j repeat operation is carried out in an attempt to replace 6 1 that erroneous record block with an error--free version 7 1 thereof in buffer 134. Erroneous xecord blocks are not g ¦ written into memory 110~
9 ¦ In ~he preferred embodiment, it is assumed that memory 110 has a capacity sufficient to store 100 record blocks. Each record block i5 formed of 16 alphabetic 12 characters and 16 numerical characters. Accordingly; in ~ 13 this embodiment, 100 record blocks are uploaded or 1 ~4 downloaded, even if some or most of those record blocks contain no useful telephone number information (i. e. they ~6 are l'blank"). Also, all thirty-two characters included in a 17 record block are transferred, even if some of those 18 characters are "blank" ~i. e~ they do not contain alphabetic ~9 ¦¦ or digital charactexs). In an alternative embodiment, only those record blocks which contain telephone number 21 1 information are uploaded ox downloaded. It will be ~2 1 appreciated that the capacity of memory 110 may be incxeased ~8 ¦ or decreased to s~ore a greater or lesser number of recoxd ~4 1 blocks; and, likewise, the number of alphabetic charactexs ~ ¦ which may be used to represent an individual's name and/or 26 ¦¦ the number of numerical characters which may be used to 27 ¦~ represent the telephone number associated with that name may 28 11 be grea-ter or less than 16 characters apiece.
29 ~1 In the preferred embodime~t, read circuitry 112 80 I operates under microprocessor control to read from memory 31 ` 110 the telephone number information stored therein in ~2 I alphabetical order. Thus, in accordance with this preferred ll l , 331-2380 6~3~
' I .
1 1l embodiment, and a5 represente~ i.n FIG. 4, the record hlocks 2 1l are recorded on magnetic tape 125 in accordan~e with the ~ ¦l alphabetical oxder of the namas stored in the memory.
4 ¦ Tur~ing now to FIG. 5, there i~ illustrat~d a flow ¦ chart representin~ the manner in whlch telephone number ~ I information may be manually generated and supplied to ~rite 7 1 circuitry 138 for storage in memory 110, a~d als~ the manner 8 in which stored telephone number infonmation may be edi~ed.
The flow chaxt of FIG. 5 also represents the manner in wh.ich a dixectory listing uploading or downloading operation is 11 selected. It will be appreciat~d that the microproc~ssor ~2 included in terminal 10 may be programmed by one of ordlnary 18 skill in ~hQ art to implem~n~ the flow chart shown in FIG.
4 5.
Initially~ a ba~ic display 150 is displayed by display 16 of terminal 10. This basic display indicates the present time of day and date. In ~ddition~ the basic ~8 display provid~s, in alignmant wi~h ~of~ key~ A, B and C, 1~ respective function~ which may be selec~ed by ~he actuation o respective one~ o~ these soft keys. The basic display ~1 permit a user to select a program~ing mode of operation by 22 actuating so~t key A, a telephone ~essage set-up opara~ion æ~ by actuating ~oft key B~ and a telephone diractory 24 cre~ting/editingJdownloading/uploading opera~ion by 2~ actua~i.ng ~o~ ke~ C. The programming mod~ and message 26 I set up operations are describe~ in aforementioned copending 27 applicatiOn 543,872.
~8 It is assumed that,.in respons~ to basic display ~9 150, the user actuates soft key C~ A a result, prompt ~0 m~ssag~ 152 is display~d, informing th~ user that the 81 directory mode of opera~.ion has been established and æ~ ~ in~iting ~he user to proceed in a manner so as to add Il ~36~

3~ :
il 1 additional telephone number information to the existing directory listing stored in memory 110, to edit the ¦I telephone number information stored in the memory or -to effect an uploading or downloading operation by recording on ~ ¦l or reproducing from a magnetic tape casset}e. Any one of 6 ~I these operations may be selected by actuating a respective 7 11 one of soft keys A, B and C when prompt message 152 is ~ ¦¦ displayed. Let it be assumed that the user now actuates 9 ¦ soft key A for the purpose of adding telephone number 10 ¦ information to the existing directory listing.
~1 In response to the actuation of soft key A, the 12 routine carried out by the microprocessor advances from 13 prompt message 152 to prompt message 154. Thi~ message ~4 invites the user to enter the name of an individual whose telephone number is to be stored in memory 110. The name i~
~6 entexed by actuating selected ones of keys "2"-"9'l of keypad ~7 24, resulting in the entry of selected alphabetic characters 18 to spell out the desired name. As each alphabetic character 19 is entexed, it is displayed on display 15 as the bottom line of prompt message 154O As is conventional~ each of keys 21 "2"-"9" bears indicia not only of a respective numeral but 22 ¦ also of three separate letters, a~ noted above. However, 2$ ¦ keypad actuation is operabLe in two separable modes, or 24 ¦ states. The first mode, or state, is established initially I when te:Lephon~ number information is to be add~d to the 1 26 directory listing stored in memory 110 In this first mode 2~ 1l or state, the actuation of any one oE keys "~"-"9" results ~ in the generation oF a digital signal representing a 2g 1I selected one of the letters associated with the actuated key~ ~ore particularly, upon the first actuation of that key, a digital signal representing the fir.~t letter 3~ 1 indicated thereon is generated ~pon the second actuation ~ 73 1 OI ~llat Key, Cl dl-Ji~al signal representing the second letter 2 indicated thereon is generated. Upon the third actuation of 3 that key, a digital signal representing the third l~tter 4 indicated there~n is generated. Should this key -then be ~reactuated, successive letters (i.ndicated o.n the 3 6 next-following key) are represented. Thus, dependiny upon 7 the number of ti.mes a key is actuated in succession, the 8 resultant alphabetic character is digitally generated in 9 response thereto:
0Actuation 1st Time 2nd Time 3rd Time 4th Time ~2 2 A B C D
3 D E ~ G

1~ 5 J K L M

~7 7 P Q R S
lg 8 T U V W
lg 9 ~ X Y Z
20The actuation of a key results in the display of a 21 corresponding alphabetic letter, as aforementioned, and the 22 digital character representing this le~ter is stored 23 temporarily in, for example, a bufer. As the key is 24 reactuated, or in the event that another key is actuated, 26 the displayed letter changes accordingly, and the digi~al 26 signal stvred in the aforementioIled buffer is replaced by a 27 new, properly representative digital signal. If the user is 28 satisfied with the displaye~ alphabetic character, that is9 ~ if the user wishes to enter the displayed character as part 3~ of the name which he is spelling out, he need merely actuate 8~ the SELECT key included in function keys 26. The actua~ion 82 of this SEI,ECT key functions as an "enter" key to enter the 38~

~ 331-2380 6~33~L

1 correspon~Lng digital signal into, for example, a mernory 2 write-in buffer. As illustrated in the f~ow chart oE FIG.
~ 5, after displaying prompt message 154, the routine 4 inquires, at 156, if the SELECT key has been pushed. If the ~ answer to this inquiry is in in the negative, the routine 6 merely cycles through the loop formed of prompt message 154 7 and inquiry 156 7 thus permitting the user to select any 8 ¦ alphabetic character which he wlshes. However, if inquiry ~ ¦ 156 is answered in the affirmative9 the rou,ine advances to 10 inquire, at 158, if the SELECT key has been pushed once 11 again.
12 If inquiry 158 is answered in the negative, the 18 routine returns to prompt message 154, thus permitting the 14 user to enter additional letters and spell out an individual's name. Each time the SELECT key is actuated, 16 the letter displayed in prompt message 154 is entered into 17 the aforementioned memory write buffer. If an exroneous ~8 letter is entered, it can be erased simply by actuatirly the 1~ BACK key. F~r con~enience, the user may spell out a name in the format last name first~ first name last, and a comma or 21 space may be entered therebetweerl by actuating key "0", as 22 mentioned above, followed ~y actuation of ~he SELECT key.
28 }lowever, the particular format adopted by the user may vary 2~ as he desires~ It is recalled that~ in the preferred 2~ embodiment, up to 16 alphabetic characters may be entered to 26 spell out a name. Once the user is satisfied with the name 27 which he has entered, he need merely reactuate the SELECT
2$ key (that is ~ it is appreciated that the user will actuate 2~ the SELECT key a first time to enter the last letter of a 80 n~ne and then he need merely reactuate that SELECT key~
~1 whereupon the mode, or state of operation is chanyed over ~2 such that the subse~uent actuation of keypad 24 results in -3~-331-238~ j ~ 3~

1 the entry Ol num~aI~ Ih~s, if i.~UiLy 158 is -Inswered in 2 the affi~ative, the routine advances to display prompt ~ message 160.
4 Prompt message 160 is similar to aforedescribed ~ prompt message 1S4 and in~ites the user to actuate any one 8 of keys "1"- " O 1I to enter the numerical characters which constitute the desixed telephone number. It will be 8 appreciated r in the preferred embodiment, up to a maximum of D
9 16 numerical characters may be entered~ Of course, any 0 desired number of characters which does not exceed 16 may be 11 usedl for example, less than 7 characters may represent an 12 intra-offlce extension, 7 characters may represent a local telephone number, 10 characters may represent a ~4 long-distance telephone number, and greater ~han 10 characters may be used for various requirements of individual PBX systems, oomputerized call routing systems, 1~ and the like.
18 Each time a key of keypad 24 is actuated, the 19 numerical character indicated on that key is entered into, for example, the memory write buffex. It is appreciated, 21 therefore, that the entry of numerical characters differs Z2 from the entry of alphabetic characters in that the SELE~T
28 key need not be actuated after each digit has been selected.
24 However, since the number of digits which comprise the 2~ desired telephone nlImber may vary, the actua~ion of the 26 SELECT key i.s used to identify when all of the desixed 27 digits have been entered. Accordingly~ and as illustrated 28 in FIG. 5, after prompt message 160 is displayed~ the ~9 routine advances to inquiry 162 to ascertain when the S~I,ECT
%~ key has been pushed~ I~ inquiry 162 i5 answered in the $1 negative, the rou~ine merely cycles through the loop formed ~2 of prompt message 160 and inquiry 162 until this in~uiry is .~o_ ~

-.
~ 66~3~ I

~ answered in the affirmati~e. At that time, the routine 2 advances to inquire, at 164, if the telephone number storaye 8 capacity of memory 110 has been reached. It is recalled that, in the preferred em~odiment, up to 100 entri.es, or record block~, may be stored in memory 110. If this ~emory 6 is 'full", inquiry 164 is answered in the affirmati~e, 7 display 16 indicates "full" and the routine :returns to 8 prompt message 1S,2-. That i~v ur~her en~ries of telephone 9 number information may not be added until ~xisting entries are delet~d. However, if inquiry 164 is answered in the negati~e, the routine returns tv prompt mes~age 154 to 12 enable ~he user to create yet another t~lephone number 18 entry. In one embodiment, if no telephone numb~r entries 14 had been stored in memory 110 t display 16 ~iX5 indicates 1~ "empty~.
16 Al~hough not shown in ~lG. Sl i~ will be 17 apprecia~ed from copendlng application Serial No~ 543,872 18 that thc actu~tion of the STOP key causes the microproce-~sor 19 ~o re~urn to basi~ display 150, thereby ~xiting the telephon~ directory routi~e. It is anticipa~ed tha~ the 21 STOP key will be ac~uated when ~he us~r no long~r wishes to æ add additiorlal en~ries into memory 1;0.
2B Let i~ be assum~d that, in re~ponse to prompt ~4 message 152, the user actua~es sof~ key B to ent~r an edit mode of op~ration, In ~his mode, ~he usér ~ay review all or 26 selected ones of the ~elephon2 nu~b~r entries s~ored in 2q memory 110 and he may rsvise individual en~rie~, such ~5 æ~ when the telephone number o an in~ividual has been changed, æ~ or he may d~le~e individual ~n~rie~O In response ~o the actuation of soft key B, the xoutine advances to me~sage 166 which displays ~he name and associa~d telephone rlumber of ~2 ~he directory lis~ing s~oxed in memory 110 which had bee~

~ 3 1 last accessed in a previous oper~lon. If -there had been no 2 prior use of terminal 10, the first name (in alphabetical 8 order) is clisplayed. The routine then ad~ances to inquiry 4 168 to determine if the user has actuated a suitable key to ~ scroll through the directory entxies. The user may scroll 6 in the f~rward direction merely by actuating any c~e of keys 7 "2"-"9", resulting in the display at message 166 of the 8 first name ~in alphabetical order~ of the first letter 9 indicated on the selected key. Alternatively, if the key 0 inscribed with a letter corresponding to the first letter of 11 the name which is displayed by message 166 is actuated, the 12 next entry stored in memory 110 which follows, 13 alphabeticallyO the displayed entry is displayed. For 14 example, if key 1'2i' is actuated, display 166 changes over to ~5 display, for example, the telephone number information 16 associated with "Brown, James", assuming such an entry 17 exists. If key i'2" is actuated once again, the dlsplay may 18 change over to display telephvne nu~ber information 9 associated with "Bush, ~eorge". Further actuation of key "2" e~fects a similar scroll Eorward operation, and in the 21 preferred embodiment, once all oE the entries whish bQgin with the letter~ "Al', "B" and "C" ha~e been displayecl, further actuation of ~his key results in the display of 24 telephone number information associated with the next set of 2B lett~rs (D, E and F), and so on.
26 Let it be assumed that, while prompt message 166 27 is displayed, the user actuates key "5". Assuming telephone ~8 numbex entries beginniny with the letters 3, K or L are I ~ stored 7 the actuatlon o-E key 11 5 " results in the display of ~,0 t~lephone number inEormation associ.ated with "Jones, Tom".
81 If key "5" is ac~uated once again, the next directory entry ~2 beginning with the letter "J" i5 displayed, for example, 331-~380 '~6~
1 telephone nu~ber information associated with "Judson, Paul"O
2 This forward scrolling operation 15 repeated so as to .scroll 3 through the remaining telephone entries beginning with the 4 letter "J"l followed by the letter ~K~I~ followea by the ~ letter "L"/ and so on.
6 It also is appreciated that a backward scrolling 7 operation may be carried out merely by actuating the BACX
8 key included in function keys 280 Such backward scrolling 9 is carried out in reverse alphabetical order, sequentially 0 from one name to the next.
As illustra~ed in FIG. 5, when a directory entry ~2 is displayed, as represented by display 166, inquiry 168 i~
18 made to determine if the aforementioned forward or backward 14 scrolling operation has been selectedO If this inquiry is answered in the negative, display 166 is retained. However, ~6 if inquiry 168 is answered in the affirmative, the next 17 successive directory entry, either in the forward or lB backward direction, is retrieved from memory 110 and displayed on display 116~ This is represented by display ~0 170 in FIG. 5. If a scrolling operation is continued, the 21 next successive directory entry is displayed r and this 22 operation continues for so long as ~Il appropriate scrolling Z8 key (i. e. any one of keys 'l2"-"9" ox the BACK key) is 24 actuated.
2~ When a directory entry ic displayed a~ 170, 26 inquiry 172 is made to determiIle if the SELECT key has been 27 pushed. If not, display 170 is re~ained, and ~he ~% aforementioned forward or backward scrolling operation may 29 continue in response to the actuation of an appropriate one of the scrollin~ control keys~ However, if inquiry 172 is 81 answered in the affirmative, prompt message 17~ is ~ displayed. This prompt message displays the n~me of the ~ 3~ ~

1 individ~al whose directory entry was last retrieved from 2 memory 110 and, additionally, invites the user to dele-te 3 tha-t entry, by actuatlng soft key A, to revise that entry, 4 by ac~uating soft key B, or to retain that entry by 6 actuating soft key C. Let it be assumed that the directory 6 entry associated wi-th the name displayed by prompt message 7 174 is to be deleted. Soft key A is actua~ed, the directory ~ name and number are deleted, and the routine advances to 9 display 176. This display indicates the next sequential 10 directory entry stored in memory 110. In the present 11 example, it is assumed that the following directory entries are stored in sequential, alphabetic order.
13 Ames, Charles 14 Brown, James 1~ Carter/ Paul 16 If the user wishes to delete the telephone number 17 information (andr thus, the directory entry) of "Brown, 18 James", the next sequential directory entry, "Carter, Paul'~
19 is displayed, together with the telephone number associated 20 with this individual. This display, shown as 176 in FIG 5, 21 is similar to display 166. Hence, the routine then advanc~s ~2 to inquiry 17~ to determine if the user has actuated a 28 forward or backward scrolling key. If this inquiry is 24 answered in the negative, display 176 is retained. Howe~er 26 if inquiry 178 is answered in the affirmative~ the ne~t 26 sequential directory entxy is displayed; and the 27 aforementioned operation, represented by display 170 and 28 inquiry 172, is repeated.
2~ Let it be assumed that, in response to prompt message 174, the user wishes to revise the name in this ~1 directory entry. Accordingly, so~t key B is actuated, 32 resulting in the display of prompt message 180. It will be ~ 331-~23~0 1 appreciated that prompt message 180 is similar to 2 aforedescribed prompt message 154, and invites the user no~
3 to enter the appropxiate name of the individual. Normally, 4 it is expected that the same name will be entered, but ~ corrections in spelling or name changes (e. g~ a change in 6 the name of a company) will be effected. As was the case 7 when alphabetic characters were entered to spell out a name 8 when creating a directory entry, keys "2"-"9" are actuated 9 to spell out a new or corrected name which will be displayed 0 as the bottom line in promyt messase 180O Inquiry 182, similar to aforedescribed inquiry 156, is made to determine ~2 if the SEL~CT key is pushed and, if this inquiry is answered 13 in the affirmative, inquiry 183, similar to aforedescribed 14 inquiry 15~, is made to de-termine if the SELECT key is 1~ pushed once again. If so, the rou~ine advances to prompt 16 message 184.
~7 Prompt message 184 displays the telephone number 18 associated with the individual whose ~ne is displayed in 19 prompt message 174; and prompt message 184 additionally 20 invites the user to revise this displayed telephone number, 21 if desired. It is appreciated that, iE soft key C had been 22 actuated when the prompt message 174 was displayed, that is, ~3 if the user was satisfied with the na~e of the individual 24 then being displayed but wished to check on or revise the 2~ telephone number associated with that individual, prompt 26 message 184 ~in place of prompt messaye 18Q~ would have been 27 displayed. Assuming prompt me~sage 184 is displayed, if the 28 user wishes to revise the displayed telephone n~nber, soft 2~ key B is actuatedO As a result, prompt messaye 186~
inviting the user to enter the revised telephone number is 81 displayed. It is appxeciated that prompt message 186 is 32 similar to aforedescribed message 160 which was displayed -~5~

~L~ 66~3~ 1 1 during the creation of a directory entry. As before r 2 inqulry 188 is made periodically to del:ermine whether the 3 SELECT key is pushed. Once the user enters the desired, 4 revised telephone number, which is displayed at the bottom ~ line of prompt message 186, it is expected that he will 6 actuate the S~l.ECT button, and inquiry 188 is answered in 7 the affirmativeO The routine then advances to display 8 messase 190, that is, the newly entered name and telephone 9 number is displayed. It is appreciated that message 190 is a display of the xevised telephone number informa~ion.
As ~hown in FIG. 5, if, whil prompt message 184 is displayed, the user is satisfied that the display~d lB telephone number should not be revised, soft key C i5 14 actuated and, as a result, message 190 will display ~he newly entered name, or if the name has not been changed, the ~6 same n~me that was displayed in prompt message 174, and the 1~ newly entered telepllone number associated with that name ox~

18 if the telephone number has not been changed, message 190 19 merely displays the same t~lephone number that was displayed in prompt message 184.
21 Thus, it is seen that telephone number information 22 may be xeviewed by scrolling through the directory entrîes 28 stored in memory 110, a stored directory entry may be selected for deletion or revision, and then the name and/or telephone number of the ~elected directory entry may be 26 revised. The revised directory entry then is disp~ayed as ~ message 190 and i.5 stored in memory 110.

28 Let it now be assumed that, when the directory 29 mode has been entered, resulting in the display of prompt message 1~2j a directory listing uploading or downloading operation is desired. This operation is selected by ~2 actuating soft key Cl whereupon the routine aclvances from -~6-331-238~ 1 ~: 2~6~3~ 1 1 prompt message 152 t~ prompt message 192. It is assumed, 2 for the purpoce of the prese~t description, that the 8 uploadlng or downloading operation is carried out in 4 conjunction with a magnetic tape cassette. Prompt message ~ 192 directs the user to load a cassette i.nto record/playback 6 module 50. The user then is invited to select either a 7 downloading operation, by actuating soft key A (whereupon 8 the directory listing recorded on the magnetic tape is read g therefrom) or to select an uploading operation by actuating N soft key C twhereupon directory in~ormation is written onto 11 the magnetic tape). Let it be assumed t.hat a downloading 12 operation is desired, and soft key A is actuated~
1~ Prompt message 194 is displayed in response to the 14 actuation of soft key A. This message indicates that the 1~ information stored on magnetic tape 125 ~FIG. 4) is bei~g 16 read therefrom. The user is invited tc store in memory 110 17 the entire directory listing rom tape 125, that is, to 18 replace the existing directory listing stoxed in the memory 19 with the downloaded directory listing, or merely to add directory entries (or record blocks) into memory 110 which 21 are not presently stored therein. The replacement operati.on ~2 is selected by actuating soft key C and the entry-addition ~3 operation is selected by actuating soft key A. In response 24 to the actuation of eithex one of these soft keys, the 26 downloading operation is carried out. Since this operation ~6 has been discussed in detail hereinabove in conjunction with 2~ FIG. 4/ further description thereof is not providedO It Z8 will be recognized that when an entry-addition operation is ~9 selected, a comparison is made between each en~ry read from ~0 tape 125 and the entries stored in memory 110. Only those ¦ entries which are not ound in memory 113 are written ~2 ¦ thereinto~

_~7_ 331-23~0 ~26~ 3~

1 While record blocks are re~d from tape 125 and 2 written into memory 110, the routine advances to display ~ message 196. This message notifies the user th~t the 4 selected downloading opexation is being carried out and he 6 is requested to await its completion.
6 In the event that an uploading operation was 7 selected~ that ls, if soft key C had been actuated while 8 prompt message 192 was displayed, the uploading operation 9 described above is carried out. As record blocks are read from memory 110 and recorded on tape 125, the user is 11 apprised of the fact that this operation is being c~rried ~2 out by reason of the display of message 196.
13 After a downloading or uploading operation is ~4 completed, inquiry 198 is made to determine if an error was ~5 detected. The detection of an error has been described above in conjunction ~ith FIG~ 4~ It is recalled th~t~
1~ during an uploading operation, error detector 116 (FIG. 4~
18 detects if an error is present in a record block transferred from memory 110 to buffer 118 and thence to modulator 120.
~0 During a download.ing operation~ error detector 130 detects 21 an error in both of the duplicate directory listings repxoduced from magnetic tape 125, and error detector 136 2~ detects an error in a r~cord block intended to be written 24 into memory 110. In~uiry 198 is answered in the affirmative 2~ if an error is detected by error detector 116 or by error 26 detector 130 or by error detector 136. ~hen, the routine 27 advances to dlsplay an error indication, as represented by ~8 instruction 200. After an error indication is displayed~
~9 the routine returns to prompt message 152 to invite the user ~0 to repeat the uploading or downloading operation or~ if he $1 desires/ to carry out a directory addition or directory ~2 edi~ing mode of operationO

~ 3 1 If inquiry 198 is answered in the negative, tha~
2 is, if ar~ error is not detected in the uploadins or 8 downloading operation, the xoutine advances to inquiry 202 to determine if the capacity of memory 110 is filled with ~ directory entries. If inquiry 202 is answered in the 6 affirmative, ~he rsu~ine returns ~o prompt message 152.
7 Hence~ a directory entry editing mode of operation, or 8 anoth~r uploading or downloading operation may be carried outO Howe~er, if inquixy 202 i% answered in the negative/
the routine re~urn~ to basi~ displ~y 1500 The user ~hen may 11 enter the directory mode, as discus~ed above, or he may 12 select the programming mode or telephone mes age se~up mode lB of operation, as disclosed in applica~ion Serial No.
~4 5~3,872.
In the for~going description of crea~i~g and editing directory en ries, it has been assumed ~hat, lq initially, th~ name of an individual is created and entered 18 a~d the~, upon the dual ac~uation of th~ S~LECT key t the 19 entry mode i~ ch~ng~d over to permit the creation and entry ~0 of a telepho~ number asfiociated with that n~meO It is 2~ appreciated that, i~ desir~d, the order in which ~hi~
22 telephone number information i~ crea~ed and en~exed may be Z~ reversed. Tha~ i5, the telepho~ number first may be 24 crea~ed and entered and ~hen, upon ~he ac~uation of ~he 2~ SELECT key, ~he name o.~ an individual may be created and 26 entered. Also, if de~ired, a separate mode establishing key 2q may be provided on terminal 10 ~o change over ~he mode o~

Z8 operation from creating and enterlng a nam~ ~o creating and æg entering a telephone number. Still further, a ~ parate memory en~ry key may be provided which~ upon ctuation, 81 enter~ into memory 110 ~he ~el~pho~e n~mber infonm~ion ~2 ~9 I

~ 3 ~ i 1 (i. e. the n~me and telQphone numbe.r1 which wa~. crea~e~
2 this r~gard, digital signals repre~enting a name and digital 8 signals repre5enting a telephone number associated with that 4 name may be stored temporarily in a buffer until such a ~ memory entry ~ey is actuated.
6 As mentiQned above~ and as described more fully in .
7 application Serial No. 543~822~ terminal l0 may be 8 connected in a network having a centr~l store in which are 9 stored the directory listings of each texminal connected in 10 the network. One or more directory entries s~ored in memory ll 110 of any one of terminals l0 may be modifled or d~le~ed ~2 lerased~ hy operating a keyboard, for example, coupled to 18 the central store. Furthermore, by operation of tha~
l4 keyboard, a complete directory listing that had been deri~ed l~ from one of ~erminals l0 may be ~copied'l into any o~her l~ de~ired terminal.
l7 As mentioned i~ application Serial No~ 543,872, l8 each terminal l0 is connected by a digi~al link, 5uch as a l~ digital data bus, to the central s~re. In a pxeferr~d embodimen~ his digital link comprises a simple two-wire ~l twisted p~irO

22 FIG. 6 is a flow chaxk represen~ing the routine ~ ~arriPd out ak ~h~ microcompu~er of the ce~ral store to 24 ~ffect a mQdification, erasure or "copy" of direc~ory 2~ entrie~. A~ described in application Sexial NO.$43,822, the microcompu~er at the cen~ral s~ore is menu driven to ~7 facili~a~e easy opera~ion of the various microcomputer 2~ xoutines by supervisory personnel~ One of these routines is ~9 a telep~one directory manipulation routineO
As shown in FIGo 6, the telephone number entries 8l which ~re s~or~d a~ ~he central s~ore may be displayed, as ~2 repres2nt~d ~y in~ruo~ion 2l0. This display may be -50~

,i , 1 ,I selected by the supervisory operatox such that all of the 2 1¦ stored telephone number entries are displayed in ~ 1l alphabetical order or~ alternatively, all of the stored 4 ¦I telephone number entries that were derived from a selected ~ 1l one of the terminals connected in the network may be 6 I displayed in alphabetical ordexO It is, of course, q appreciated that each telephone n~ber entry is displayed as a name and a telephone num~er associated with -that name. It 9 I is further understood that all of the stored telephone 10 ¦ numher entries are not displayed at one time. Rather, it ~1 typically will be necessary for the supervisory operator to 12 scroll through the stored telephone n~mber entries until the ~3 desired one or ones are o~erved.
~4 In~uiry 212 first is made as to whether the supervisory operator has selected a directory listing for ~6 manipulation. This inquiry is answered in the affirmative 17 if the operator wishes to copy a complete directory listing 18 into one of terminals 10 or if the operator wishes to modify 19 or erase one or more entries from a particular directory 20 ¦ listing. If inquiry 212 is answered in the a~firmative, ~1 ¦ inquiry 214 is made to determine if this selected dlrectory æ~ l; listing is to be copied into a terminal. If inquiry 214 is 23 ¦ answered in the negative, the routine advances to inquiry 24 ¦ 218. However, if inquiry 214 is answered in the ~5 affirmative~ instruction 216 is carried out and the digita~
~ ~ signals which comprise the respective record blocks that 27 I constitute the selected directory listing are transmitted 2~ I over the digi-tal link to the particular terminal 10 which ~9 the supervisory operator has selected to recelve this 30 I directory listingO

If in~uiry 212 is answered in the negative~ the ~2 !¦ routine returns to instruction 210 to await the select:ion of I
1 ~51-~2~ 3~

1 li a dlrectory ll~tlng ma~llpulation comm~d ox other command to 2 ~l operate upon the displayed telephone number entries.
3 1¦ If inq~liry 21~ is answered in the neyative, the 4 1¦ routine advances to inquire, at 218, if a modificati4n is to ¦¦ be made to a telephone numbex entry included in the selected ~ ¦I directory listing. If this inquiry is answered in the 7 1 negative, the routine advances to inquiry 224. Howe~er, 8 assuming that inquiry 218 is answered in the a~irmative, 9 that is, a particular ~elephone number entry is to be 0 modified, the routine advances to inquiry 220.
~1 Inquiry 220 ascertains if the telephone number 12 entry which ls to be modified is stored in memory 110 in any of the terminals 10 connected in the network. If this 14 inquiry is answered in the affirmative, the telephone n~nber entry stored in memory 110 of those terminals is replaced 1~ with the modified telephone number entry~ Thus, changes in 17 names or telephone numbers may be effected at the central 18 store, and digital signals representing the modified 19 telephone number information then is transmitted over the digital link to the appropriate terminals so as to update 21 such telephone number information therein.
22 If inquiry 218 or inquiry 220 is answered in the 2~ neyative, the routine advances tv inquire, at 224, if a 2~ particular telephone number entry included in the selected 26 directory listing is to be erased. If this inquiry is 26 i answered in the affirmative, the routine advances to inquiry 27 1 226 which ascertains if the telephone number entxy to be 28 I erased also is stored in any one or moxe of the terminals 10 æg 1 connected in the ne~work. If inquiry 226 is answered in ~he 80 ¦ afiirmati~e, this telephone n~nber entry is deleted from ¦ each memory 110 wherein it is stored, as represen~d by 32 instruction 228O Thus r the supervisory operator ~t the Il -52-"

~ 331-2380 3~

, c~ntr~l sto~e m~y de1ete selected te1ephone number 2 information from desired ones of memories 110 in ~erminals 8 j 10, As shown in FIG. 6, .if inqlliry 224 ox inquiry 226 ¦ is a~swered in the negative, the routine returns ei~her to a ~ ¦¦ routine which had been carried out previous1y or to some 7 other routine established by the protocol irl the pxogra~ned microco~nputerO
9 The cosn~nunicatioll of diyital ig~lal5 representing 0 ~elephone number entrie~ may be transmitted betweerl the 11 central store and qelected one~ o~e te~ninals lû included in 12 ~he netw3rk in the manr~er descr:ibed ~n appllca. ion Serial No. 543, 822 a~ ~ell as in application 5erial No.
14 5~:~, 389 .
Whil~ the p:resent invention has be~sl parti~ularly 16 shown and described with refer2nce ~o a pre~rr~d 17 embodiment, it wi11 b~ re~di1y appreclat~d by thos~ of 18 ordinary skill in the ax that vario~s changes and 19 modifications may be mad~ without ~epar~i~g from ~he spiri~
and ~cope of th~ inventio~ is, thexefore/ intended ~ha~
~he append~d claLms be interpre~ed as including no~ only the 22 emhodLment described herein but al~o equi~alen~s thexeofO

~4 I
~ l ll ~7 I
~1 I
æ I
1, Il 53~

.

Claims (60)

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A method of entering telephone number information into a memory of a telephone dialing device comprising the alternative steps of:
(a) actuating a telephone dial-type keypad to generate said telephone number information; or (b) reading from a magnetic recording medium said telephone number information;
and further comprising the step of storing in said memory the generated or read telephone number information.

2. The method of Claim 1 wherein said telephone number information comprises alphabetic characters representing a name and numerical characters representing a telephone number associated with that name.

3. The method of Claim 2 wherein said step of generating said telephone number information comprises:
(a) actuating selected keys of said keypad to provide the respective alphabetic characters for representing a name;
and (b) actuating selected keys of said keypad to provide the respective numerical characters for representing a telephone number.

4. The method of Claim 3 wherein each of respective ones of at least some of the keys of said keypad is associated with at least three alphabetic characters; and wherein the step of actuating selected keys to provide alphabetic characters comprises actuating a selected one of said respective keys to generate the first of said alphabetic characters associated with that key, actuating that key a second time to generate the second of said alphabetic characters associated therewith, and actuating that key a third time to generate the third alphabetic character associated therewith.

5. The method of Claim 4 wherein said telephone dialing device further includes an enter key; and wherein the step of providing the respective alphabetic characters for representing a name further comprises actuating said enter key following the generation of a desired alphabetic character.

6. The method of Claim 3 wherein said telephone dialing device further includes means operable in a first state to cause the actuation of said keys to provide alphabetic characters and operable in a second state to cause the actuation of said keys to provide numerical characters; and further comprising the step of changing over said means from one state to another after alphabetic or numerical characters are provided.

7. The method of Claim 6 wherein said means initially is in said first state and is changed over to said second state after the alphabetic characters representing a name are provided.

8. The method of Claim 2 wherein said telephone number information is recorded in record blocks on said magnetic recording medium, each record block including a name and an associated telephone number, and all of the recorded record blocks comprising a directory listing, said telephone number information being recorded as duplicate directory listings; and wherein said step of reading said telephone number information includes the steps of detecting errors in the first of the duplicate directory listings read from said recording medium, and reading the second of the duplicate directory listings if an error is detected in the directory listing first read from said recording medium.

9. The method of Claim 8 further comprising the steps of detecting errors in the second of the duplicate directory listings read from said recording medium, and providing an error indication if an error is detected in said second of the duplicate directory listings.

10. The method of Claim 2 wherein said telephone number information is recorded in record blocks on said magnetic recording medium, each record block including a name and an associated telephone number; and wherein said step of storing read telephone number information in said memory comprises: (i) temporarily storing the record blocks read from said recording medium; (ii) transferring successive ones of the stored record blocks for loading into said memory; (iii) detecting errors in each transferred record block; and (iv) repeating steps (ii) and (iii) if an error is detected in a transferred record block.

11. The method of Claim 10 wherein steps (ii) and (iii) are repeatedly attempted a predetermined number of times or until no errors are detected in the transferred record block.

12. The method of Claim 11 further including the step of providing an error indication if an error still is detected in a record block after a predetermined number of attempts have been made.

13. The method of Claim 2 wherein said telephone number information is recorded in the form of a tone signal modulated to represent said alphabetic and numerical characters, and said step of reading further comprises demodulating the tone signal read from said recording medium.

14. The method of Claim 13 wherein the alphabetic and numerical characters are represented by digital signals modulated as FSK signals, said FSK signals being read from said recording medium and demodulated to recover the digital signals; and the recovered digital signals are stored in said memory.

15. The method of Claim 1 wherein said telephone dialing device is included in a network having a central store of telephone number information; and further comprising the step of transferring at least selected telephone number information from said central store to said telephone dialing device; and storing in said memory the transferred telephone number information.

16. The method of Claim 15 wherein said central store stores the telephone number information that also is stored in said memory of said telephone dialing device, and further comprising the steps of modifying telephone number information in said central store, determining if the unmodified telephone number information also is stored in said memory of said telephone dialing device, and replacing said unmodified telephone number information in said memory with the modified telephone number information.

17. The method of Claim 16, further comprising the steps of erasing telephone number information from said central store, determining if the erased telephone number information also is stored in said memory of said telephone dialing device, and erasing the last-mentioned telephone number information from said memory.

18. The method of Claim 15 wherein said network includes plural telephone dialing devices, said central store stores telephone number information that also is stored in the memory of each telephone dialing device, and the telephone number information that also is stored in the memory of a first telephone dialing device is transferred from said central store to the memory of a second telephone dialing device.

19. A method of entering telephone number information into a memory of a telephone dialing device for subsequent recall by manual operation of a predetermined key on that device, said method comprising the steps of:
entering a portion of said telephone number information by actuating a telephone dial-type keypad;
actuating a first desired key on said device for assigning said portion of said telephone number information to said first desired key, whereby said portion of said telephone number information is recallable by subsequent actuation of said first desired key;
entering the remainder of said telpehone number information by actuating said telephone dial-type keypad and also entering a coded representation of said first desired key; and actuating a second desired key on said device for assigning said remainder of said telephone number information and said coded representation to said second desired key, whereby the entire telephone number information is recallable by subsequent actuation of only said second desired key.

20. The method of Claim 19 wherein said remainder of said telephone number information comprises plural remaining portions, and wherein one of said remaining portions is assigned to said second desired key on said device, and further comprising the step of actuating at least a third desired key on said device for assigning thereto at least a second of side remaining portions of said telephone number information and coded representations of said first and second desired keys, whereby the entire telephone number information is recalled by subsequent actuation of the desired key having assigned thereto the coded representations of those keys to which are assigned portions of said entire telephone number information.

21. A method of recording onto a magnetic recording medium telephone number information that is stored in a memory of a telephone dialing device; comprising the steps of:
reading said telephone number information out of said memory;
modulating a tone signal with the read out telephone number information; and recording the modulated tone signal on said magnetic recording medium.

22. The method of Claim 21 wherein said telephone number information is stored as record blocks, each record block comprising a digital representation of a name and a digital representation of a telephone number associated with that name, wherein all of the record blocks stored in said memory comprises a directory listing, and wherein said step of recording comprises recording two duplicate directory listings represented by the modulated tone signal.

23. The method of Claim 22 wherein said step of reading comprises reading a record block from said memory;
supplying a record block to a tone modulating means;
detecting an error in the supplied record block; repeatedly supplying said record block to said tone modulating means no more than a predetermined number of times if an error is detected; and indicating the presence of an error if an error still is detected after said record block has been repeatedly supplied.

24. The method of Claim 23 wherein said step of recording includes recording a record block represented by said modulated tone signal if an error is not detected in that record block or in a repeat record block supplied to said tone modulating means.

25. The method of Claim 24 further comprising the steps of acknowledging receipt by said tone modulating means of a record block and inhibiting the supply of a further record block to said tone modulating means until receipt of a preceding record block is acknowledged.

26. Automatic telephone dialing apparatus for dialing telephone numbers represented by telephone number information stored therein, comprising:
memory means for storing said telephone number information;
read out means for reading out from said memory means selected telephone number information for effecting a dial-out operation;
manually operable input means for creating telephone number information;
playback means for playing back from a record medium telephone number information previously recorded thereon; and write means for writing into said memory means the telephone number information created by said manually operable input means or the telephone number information played back by said playback means.

27. The apparatus of Claim 26 wherein said telephone number information comprises alphanumeric character data representing at least one name and a telephone number associated with said at least one name.

28. The apparatus of Claim 27 wherein said manually operable input means comprises telephone keypad means having plural keys, each key being operable to generate alphanumeric character data.

29. The apparatus of Claim 28 wherein at least some of said keys are operable to generate digital signals representing a numerical character and at least a portion of said some keys also are operable to generate digital signals representing three different alphabetic characters.

30. The apparatus of Claim 29 further comprising mode determining means for establishing a first mode during which digital signals representing alphabetic characters are generated by the operation of said keys, and for establishing a second mode during which digital signals representing numerical characters are generated by the operation of the same said keys.

31. The apparatus of Claim 30 additionally comprising sensing means operable during said first mode to sense the operation of a key for producing a digital signal representing a first alphabetic character, to sense a first repeat operation of that key for producing a digital signal representing a second alphabetic character, and to sense subsequent repeat operations of that key for producing a digital signal representing a third and successive alphabetic characters.

32. The apparatus of Claim 31 further comprising manually operable enter means for writing into said memory means the digital signal generated by the key which was last operated prior to actuation of said enter means.

33. The apparatus of Claim 32 further comprising display means for displaying each alphabetic character and each numerical character represented by the digital signal generated in response to the operation of a key.

34. The apparatus of Claim 33 wherein said mode determining means initially establishes said first mode and is responsive to the dual actuation of said enter means to establish said second mode.

35. The apparatus of Claim 26 wherein said telephone number information is recorded as modulated tone signals on said record medium.

36. The apparatus of Claim 35 wherein said playback means includes demodulator means for receiving the modulated tone signals played back from said record medium and producing demodulated digital signals therefrom.

37. The apparatus of Claim 36 further comprising means fox supplying the demodulated digital signals from said demodulator means to said write means.

38. The apparatus of Claim 37 wherein said telephone number information comprises a directory listing and duplicate directory listings are recorded on said record medium; wherein said playback means plays back a first of the duplicate directory listings from said record medium;
and wherein said means for supplying includes error detecting means for detecting the presence of an error in the directory listing played back from said record medium and means for causing said playback means to play back a second of the duplicate directory listings from said record medium if an error is detected.

39. The apparatus of Claim 38 wherein said error detecting means detects the presence of an error in the second of the duplicate directory listings played back from said record medium; and further comprising means for indicating an error in the event that an error is detected in the first and second duplicate directory listings played back from said record medium.

40. The apparatus of Claim 39 wherein said telephone number information is further recorded as individual record blocks, each record block representing a respective telephone number; and wherein said means for supplying supplies individual record blocks, one record block at-a-time, to said write means, and further includes means for sensing an error in a record block, means for re-supplying that record block to said write means no more than a predetermined number of times until an error is not sensed therein, and means for providing an error indication if said record block has been re-supplied said predetermined number of times and an error still is sensed therein.

41. The apparatus of Claim 26 further comprising recording means for recording on said record medium the telephone number information stored in said memory means.

42. The apparatus of Claim 41 wherein said telephone number information is represented by digital signals stored in said memory means; wherein said read out means is additionally operable to read out said digital signals from said memory means for effecting a recording operation; and wherein said recording means includes tone modulating means for modulating a tone signal with the digital signals read out from said memory means, whereby said telephone number information is recorded as modulated tone signals.

43. The apparatus of Claim 42 wherein said recording means includes means for recording two duplicate directory listings on said record medium, each directory listing being comprised of substantially all of the telephone number information stored in said memory means, and each directory listing being recorded as modulated tone signals.

44. The apparatus of Claim 43 wherein said telephone number information is stored in said memory means as individual record blocks, each record block representing a respective telephone number; wherein said read out means reads out one record block at-a-time from said memory means;
and further comprising means for supplying each read out record block to said tone modulating means.

45. The apparatus of Claim 44 further comprising error detecting means for detecting an error in a record block supplied to said tone modulating means; means for causing said means for supplying to re-supply that record block to said tone modulating means no more than a predetermined number of times until an error is not detected therein; and means for providing an error indication if said record block has been re-supplied said predetermined number of times and an error still is detected therein.

46. The apparatus of Claim 26 further comprising edit means for editing selected telephone number information stored in said memory means.

47. The apparatus of Claim 46 wherein said edit means comprises display means for displaying telephone number information, means fox supplying selected telephone number information read out from said memory means to said display means; and manually operable keys for modifying the telephone number information displayed by said display means.

48. The apparatus of Claim 47 wherein said manually operable keys include delete key means for deleting from said memory means the telephone number information then being displayed; and wherein said read out means responds to the operation of said delete key means to read out from said memory means next succeeding telephone number information for display by said display means.

49. The apparatus of Claim 47 wherein said manually operable keys include revise key means for enabling the revision of telephone number information displayed by said display means in response to the actuation of said manually operable input means.

50. In a telephone system having a plurality of telephone terminals, and a central store of telephone number information, said central store being coupled to said telephone terminals, and each telephone terminal including automatic telephone dialing apparatus for dialing telephone numbers represented by telephone number information stored in said telephone dialing apparatus, the combination comprising:
memory means in said telephone terminal for storing said telephone number information;
read out means for reading out from said memory means selected telephone number information for effecting a dial-out operation;
manually operable input means in said telephone terminal for creating telephone number information;
playback means coupled to said telephone terminal for playing back from a record medium telephone number information previously recorded thereon;
write means for writing into said memory means the telephone number information created by said manually operable input means or the telephone number information played back by said playback means; and means operable at said central store for revising the telephone number information stored in said memory means.

51. The combination of Claim 50 wherein said means at said central store includes transfer means for transferring at least selected telephone number information from said central store to said write means.

52. The combination of Claim 51 wherein said means at said central store further includes means for modifying telephone number information stored in said central store; means for determining if said telephone number information prior to modification also is stored in said memory means; and means for controlling said transfer means to transfer to said write means the modified telephone number information for replacing the unmodified telephone number information in said memory means.

53. The combination of Claim 52 wherein said means for modifying includes erasure means for modifying telephone number information by erasing that telephone number information from said central store.

54. The combination of Claim 51 wherein the telephone number information stored in each memory means comprises a directory listing; wherein said central store stores directory listings of the telephone terminals coupled thereto; and wherein said transfer means includes means for transferring to said write means of a first telephone terminal the directory listing stored in the memory means of a second telephone terminal.

55. A telephone/dictation terminal comprising:
record/playback means for recording and playing back audio signals on a record medium;
telephone means coupled to said record/playback means and having handset means for transmitting audio signals to and receiving audio signals from said record/playback means, said handset means additionally being operative by a user to carry on a telephone conversation;

said telephone means being coupled to a telephone line and including automatic dialing means for dialing predetermined telephone numbers, and further including manually operable key means to generate dialing signals for dialing a telephone number;
said automatic dialing means comprising:
memory means for storing telephone number information;
read out means for reading out from said memory means selected telephone number information for dialing a telephone number represented by the read out telephone number information;
write means selectively operable for writing into said memory means telephone number information generated in response to the operation of said key means;
and means coupled to said record/playback means for supplying to said write means telephone number information played back from said record medium.

56. The invention of Claim 55 wherein said record/playback means includes means for playing back signals recorded on a magnetic recording medium, and wherein said magnetic medium has recorded thereon signals representing telephone number information.

57. The invention of Claim 56 wherein said magnetic recording medium comprises magnetic tape; wherein said record/playback means includes means for receiving said magnetic tape; and wherein said signals representing telephone number information comprise tone signals modulated with digital signals.

58. The invention of Claim 57 further comprising demodulating means for demodulating said tone signals to recover said digital signals; means for supplying the tone signals played back from said magnetic tape to said demodulating means; error detecting means for detecting errors in the demodulated digital signals; and means for supplying the demodulated digital signals to said write means if errors are not detected therein.

59. The invention of Claim 57 wherein said telephone means includes manually operable means for enabling said write means to write into said memory means the demodulated digital signals applied thereto.

60. A modular dictation/telephone system comprising:
a record/playback module for recording and playing back audio signals on a record medium; and a physically independent telephone module connectable to said record/playback module to form an integral structure therewith and operable to transmit and receive audio signals to and from said record/playback module, said telephone module including manually operable key means to generate telephone dialing signals and automatic dialing means comprised of memory means for storing telephone number information, read out means for reading out from said memory means selected telephone number information for dialing a telephone number, write means selectively operable for writing into said memory means telephone number information generated in response to the operation of said key means, and means for supplying to said write means telephone number information played back from said record medium by said record/playback module.