At&t Bell Laboratories

Bell Telephone Laboratories

At&t Information Systems Inc.

Richard H Boivie

Alexander Feiner

Barry J Weinbaum

Michele S Rabinowitz

Rickens T Szeto

A stored directory is searched from a display station set to obtain the telephone number of a sought-after name. The arrangement uses the station set keypad to generate signals corresponding to the spelling of the sought-after name. The arrangement adds each entry it receives to previously formed sequence of entries and, for each newly formed sequence, returns to the station set the name and telephone number contained in a directory record having a string of characters that compare to the newly formed sequence. The arrangement also provides means for scrolling through the directory.

Station set directory assistance arrangement

There is disclosed an algorithm for electronically recognizing characters. The algorithm relies upon the establishment of a particular standard 'name' for each character. A name is a sequence of 'u's, 'd's, 'l's, 'r's, and '-'s that describes the path that results when the character is traversed in a particular way. The name contains a 'u' when the path goes up, a 'd' when it goes down and 'l's and 'r's when it goes left and right respectively. '-'s are used to retrace the path so that a (second or third) branch can be attached to an earlier point in the path. The algorithm constructs a name for an unknown character, and then, using a unique directory lookup algorithm, determines which standard name is closest to the derived name. The algorithm contains a series of rules for traversing characters to minimize ambiguities while still allowing a great deal of latitude in the recognition process. Under the procedure disclosed, no prior knowledge is required pertaining to the actual font or design of the character to be recognized.

Character recognition arrangement

There is disclosed a spelling correction arrangement for use in directory lookup applications. The arrangement corrects errors by finding the name in the directory that most closely resembles the name requested by the user. The arrangement is based on a recursive routine that continually subdivides the problem of finding a given name in a given directory into smaller subproblems in which shorter names are to be found in smaller directories. Multiple spelling errors are easily accommodated since the technique uses the given directory of names to limit the search. The technique allows the algorithm to find the closest name in the directory without actually considering the vast majority of the names that appear in the directory.

Growing community of inventors

Middletown, NJ, United States of America

Richard H Boivie