Method and apparatus for creating and storing telephone directory

Abstract

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 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.