Method and apparatus for abbreviated dialing in a subscriber terminal

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing abbreviated dialing functionality to a user's subscriber terminal or telephone by automatically adding a designated string of digits to any abbreviated extension dialed by the user. The subscriber terminal may include a processor, a memory (e.g., ROM, flash memory, non-volatile memory, hard disk, etc.), a 'Send' button or the like, one or more sequences of digits stored in the memory, and a translation routine executable by the processor. The translation routine is executed when the processor determines that the digits entered by the user represent an abbreviated extension, for example, when a user dials fewer than seven digits and presses the 'Send' button on a subscriber terminal. When executed, the translation routine automatically prepends or adds one of the stored sequences of digits to the abbreviated extension entered by the user, and then the subscriber terminal dials the resulting composite telephone number. Where multiple sequences of digits are stored in the memory, the user may have preselected which sequence to use, or, alternatively, the subscriber terminal may include logic to determine which sequence to use. For example, the subscriber terminal may use the length of the abbreviated extension as a basis to determine which sequence to use.