Method for initiating a connection between communication devices of at least two parties

Abstract

A method and system for initiating a connection between at least a first communication device and a second communication device respective of a first party and a second party. According to the present invention initiating a connection includes obtaining a destination subscriber identifier from the first party, wherein the destination subscriber identifier is a string including at least one character different than a numeric character and is respective of the second party. Then, a resolution request that includes data indicative of the destination subscriber identifier is conveyed to a hosting information storage server respective of the destination subscriber identifier, a resolution response including a destination address respective of the second communication device wherein the second party is available is obtained, and then, the present invention includes initiating a connection between the first communication device and the second communication device.

1 . A method for adding a alpha-numeric dialing functionality including alphabetic dialing to a first plurality of communication devices which can be dialed only numerically to a second plurality of telephone numbers, the first plurality of communication devices being interconnected via a communication network which supports dialing from the first plurality of communication devices to a second plurality of telephone numbers, the method comprising:
 installing software in at least one SIM card configured to reside respectively in at least one of the first plurality of communication devices; and   storing in a resolver server communicating with the communication network, a second plurality of call-names respectively corresponding to said second plurality of telephone numbers,   wherein said resolver server is operative for receiving an individual one of said second plurality of call-names dialed by an individual one of said first plurality of communication devices, and for sending an individual one of said second plurality of telephone numbers corresponding to said individual one of said second plurality of call-names to said software installed on said individual one of said first plurality of communication devices,   and wherein the software is operative for receiving, from said resolver server, said individual one of said second plurality of telephone numbers, and establishing a telephone connection from said individual one of said first plurality of communication devices to said individual one of said second plurality of telephone numbers.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1  and also comprising sending the call-name to said resolver server via a USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Services Data) request. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1  and also comprising sending the call-name to said resolver server via SMS. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1  and also comprising using said resolver server to send an individual one of said second plurality of telephone numbers corresponding to said individual one of said second plurality of call-names from said resolver server to said software installed on said individual one of said first plurality of communication devices. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1  and also comprising using said software to receive, from said resolver server, said individual one of said second plurality of telephone numbers, and to establish a telephone connection from said individual one of said first plurality of communication devices to said individual one of said second plurality of telephone numbers. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 4  wherein said resolver server sends the individual one of said second plurality of telephone numbers corresponding to said individual one of said second plurality of call-names to said software in at least one of:
 a short message (SMS), a multimedia message (MMS), an Unstructured Supplementary Services Data (USSD) response and a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) response. 
 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1  and wherein said software is installed in at least one individual device from among the first plurality of communication devices, externally to a SIM card configured to reside in said individual device. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1  and wherein at least one device from among said first plurality of communication devices, when dialed, sends only digits to its supporting communication network and does not support any alphabetical dialing beyond conventional address-book based dialing, in which an alphabetical string previously stored in the communication device's address book in association with a telephone number, is dialed by a callee. 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 1  and also comprising sending the call-name to said resolver server via IP (Internet protocol). 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 1  and also comprising using said telephone connection for placing a telephone call. 
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 1  and also comprising sending the call-name to said resolver server via a multimedia message (MMS). 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 1  and also comprising sending the call-name to said resolver server via a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 1  and wherein said software is installed remotely in at least one SIM cards. 
     
     
         14 . A system adding a alpha-numeric dialing functionality including alphabetic dialing to a first plurality of caller communication devices which can be dialed only numerically to a second plurality of telephone numbers, the first plurality of caller communication devices being interconnected via a communication network which supports dialing from the first plurality of caller communication devices to a second plurality of telephone numbers, the system comprising:
 apparatus for installing software in at least one SIM cards configured to reside respectively in at least one of the first plurality of communication devices; and   a resolver server communicating with the communication network, storing a second plurality of call-names respectively corresponding to said second plurality of telephone numbers, and being operative for receiving an individual one of said second plurality of call-names dialed by an individual one of said first plurality of communication devices and for sending an individual one of said second plurality of telephone numbers corresponding to said individual one of said second plurality of call-names to said software installed on said individual one of said first plurality of communication devices,   and wherein the software is operative for receiving, from said resolver server, said individual one of said second plurality of telephone numbers, and for establishing a telephone connection from said individual one of said first plurality of communication devices to said individual one of said second plurality of telephone numbers.   
     
     
         15 . A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for adding a alpha-numeric dialing functionality including alphabetic dialing to a first plurality of caller communication devices which can be dialed only numerically to a second plurality of telephone numbers, the first plurality of caller communication devices being interconnected via a communication network which supports dialing from the first plurality of caller communication devices to a second plurality of telephone numbers, the method comprising:
 installing software in at least one SIM cards configured to reside respectively in at least one of the first plurality of communication devices; and   storing in a resolver server communicating with the communication network, a second plurality of call-names respectively corresponding to said second plurality of telephone numbers,   wherein said resolver server is operative for receiving an individual one of said second plurality of call-names dialed by an individual one of said first plurality of communication devices, and for sending an individual one of said second plurality of telephone numbers corresponding to said individual one of said second plurality of call-names to said software installed on said individual one of said first plurality of communication devices,   and wherein the software is operative for receiving, from said resolver server, said individual one of said second plurality of telephone numbers, and establishing a telephone connection from said individual one of said first plurality of communication devices to said individual one of said second plurality of telephone numbers.   
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 1  and also comprising using said telephone connection for transmitting a short message (SMS). 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 1  and also comprising using said telephone connection for transmitting a multimedia message (MMS). 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 1  and also comprising using said telephone connection for transmitting an email message. 
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 1  and also comprising using said telephone connection for transmitting a facsimile transmission. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein at least some of said first plurality of communication devices comprises telephones. 
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 20  wherein at least some of said telephones comprise cellular telephones. 
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 20  wherein at least some of said telephones comprise mobile telephones.