Telecommunications addressing system and method

Abstract

A telecommunications addressing system/method allowing selection of a telephone instrument device (TID) using arbitrary identifiers is disclosed. The system/method allows a source TID (STD) to select a target TID (TTD) by the use of a Target Telephone Identifier (TTI) data string rather than a traditional numeric telephone identification (NTI). This TTI is then indexed within a TTI/NTI mapping server (TMS) that functions as a hierarchical repository of TTI/NTI mappings. STD/TTD communication is established by first performing a lookup of the STD-selected TTI within the TMS to identify the NTI of the TTD. Once the NTI of the STD has been identified by the TMS, communication between the STD and TTD is established using the NTI via the normal public switched telephone network (PSTN). TMS TTI lookup may be performed via STD TID web application and/or via PSTN infrastructure interface.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A telecommunications addressing system (TAS) comprising:
 (a) telephone mapping server (TMS); 
 (b) (a) a telephone mapping database (TMD); and 
 (b) a telephone mapping server (TMS) in communication with the TMD; and  
 (c) a computer communication network (CCN) in communication with the TMS; 
 wherein: 
 said TAS is configured to communicate with a public switched telephone network (PSTN); 
 said TMS is configured to store information that identifies a telephone instrument device (TID) in said TMD, the stored information comprising a numeric telephone identifier (NTI); 
 said TMS is configured to locate an NTI within said TMD using a target telephone identifier (TTI) data string as the locating index; 
 said NTI permits said TID to be accessed via a PSTN; 
 wherein said TMD is configured to associate a target telephone identifier (TTI) data string of a user with a numeric telephone identifier (NTI) of a telephone instrument device (TID) of the user in a TTI/NTI mapping in the TMD, and to locate the NTI of the user within said TMD using the associated TTI data string as the locating index; 
 wherein said TAS is configured to permit a first user to select and associate a first TTI data string with a first numeric telephone identifier (NTI) of a first TID in the TMD access a social media network website (SMW) and, by using an automated methodology, to extract data from the SMW and to use the extracted data to associate TTI data string with NTI, in the TTI/NTI mapping of the TMD, for individual users of the SMW; and 
 whereby when a first user of the said TAS is configured such when a second user,and the SMW, operating anothera first TID as a source telephone device (STD), uses the selected extracted and associated first TTI data string of another user of the SMW to initiate a voice call to the first TID of the first another user, the TMS uses the selected extracted and associated first TTI data string of the another user as a locating index to determine, based on the TTI/NTI mapping, the associated first NTI of the another user, and such that the TAS initiates a voice telephone call between said the STD and said first TID and the TID of the another user, as a target telephone device (TTD), using the NTI of the another user, as determined by the TTI/NTI mapping. 
 
     
     
       2. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said CCN comprises the Internet. 
     
     
       3. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said TMS is further configured to initiate said telephone call via said a PSTN from said STD to said TTD. 
     
     
       4. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said TMS is further configured to initiate said a telephone call via said a PSTN from said TTD to said STD. 
     
     
       5. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said CCN comprises a wireless communication network. 
     
     
       6. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said TMS comprises a computer server contained within said a PSTN. 
     
     
       7. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said TMD comprises graphical images associated with said TTI/NTI mappings. 
     
     
       8. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said TMD comprises call sequencing information associated with said TTI/NTI mappings. 
     
     
       9. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said TMD comprises a hierarchical directory of TTI/NTI mappings. 
     
     
       10. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said TMD associates a plurality of said NTIs contained within a hierarchical directory with said TTI. 
     
     
       11. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said TMS returns said NTI based on current TTD status information contained within said TMD that is associated with said TTI. 
     
     
       12. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said TMS transmits a tree of hierarchical directory TTI/NTI mappings to said STD in response to a TTI lookup request received from said STD. 
     
     
       13. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said TMS is configured to communicate with said STD via a TTI lookup software application resident on said STD. 
     
     
       14. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said TMS is configured to host a web application configured to permit configuration of said TMD via a web browser application operational on said STD. 
     
     
       15. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said TTI comprises a data string selected from a group consisting of: data derived from a voice recognition software application resident on said STD; email address; website URL address; and hierarchical path of TTI atomic elements. 
     
     
       16. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said TMD comprises data selected from a group consisting of: information extracted from an enterprise employee information database; information obtained by scanning metadata extracted from a website HTML file; information obtained by scanning metadata extracted from a social media website. 
     
     
       17. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said TMS comprises a TMD editor (TME) configured to permit remote modification of records within said TMD specified by a TMD editing script generated in response to a series of change orders (TCOs) received from a telephone company or telephone standards organization. 
     
     
       18. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said STD further comprises a software application configured to display TTIs within a graphical user interface for individual selection as a requesting TTI sent to said TMS. 
     
     
       19. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said STD further comprises a software application configured to display a hierarchical tree of TTIs within a graphical user interface for individual selection as a requesting TTI sent to said TMS. 
     
     
       20. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said STD further comprises a software application configured to display graphical images associated with a hierarchical tree of TTIs within a graphical user interface for selection by graphical image to identify a requesting TTI sent to said TMS. 
     
     
       21. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said TMD comprises caller blocking information. 
     
     
       22. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said TMS is configured to block telephone calls received by said TTD if said TTI matches call blocking information contained within said TMD. 
     
     
       23. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said TMS is configured to block telephone calls received by said TTD if said TTI matches parental control call blocking information contained within said TMD. 
     
     
       24. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said TMS is configured to block telephone calls initiated by said STD if said TTI matches call blocking information contained within said TMD. 
     
     
       25. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said TMS is configured to block telephone calls initiated by said STD if said TTI matches parental control call blocking information contained within said TMD. 
     
     
       26. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein said TMD comprises TID location blocking information. 
     
     
       27. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein:
 said STD is configured to communicate a current STD GPS location to said TMS; 
 said TMS is configured to translate said transmit the GPS location into a text string; 
 said TMS is configured to transmit said text string to said TTD; and 
 said TTD is configured to display said text string within the GPS location on a graphical display on said TTD. 
 
     
     
       28. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 27  wherein said TMS is configured to block transmission of said text string GPS location to said TTD if the TTI of said STD matches TID location blocking information stored in said TMS TMD. 
     
     
       29. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 1  wherein:
 said TTD is configured to communicate a current TTD GPS location to said TMS; 
 said TMS is configured to translate said GPS location into a text string; 
 said TMS is configured to transmit said text string GPS location to said STD; and 
 said STD is configured to display said text string within GPS location on a graphical display on said STD. 
 
     
     
       30. The telecommunications addressing system of  claim 29  wherein said TMS is configured to block transmission of said text string the GPS location to said STD if the TTI of said TTD matches TID location blocking information stored in said TMS TMD. 
     
     
       31. A telecommunications addressing system (TAS) comprising:
 (a) a telephone mapping database (TMD);   (b) a telephone mapping server (TMS) in communication with the TMD; and   (c) a computer communication network (CCN) in communication with the TMS;   wherein said TMD is configured to associate a target telephone identifier (TTI) data string of a user with a numeric telephone identifier (NTI) of a telephone instrument device (TID) of the user in a TTI/NTI mapping, and GPS location of the NTI of the user within said TMD by using the associated target telephone identifier (TTI) data string as the locating index;   wherein said TAS is configured to access a social media network website (SMW), and by using an automated methodology, to extract data from the SMW and to use extracted data to associate TTI data string with NTI for individual users of the SMW in the TTI/NTI mapping of the TMD; and   whereby when a first user of the TAS and the SMW, operating a first TID as a source telephone device (STD), uses the extracted and associated TTI data string of another user of the SMW to initiate a communication to the another user, the TMS uses the extracted and associated TTI data string of the another user as a locating index to determine, based on the TTI/NTI mapping, the associated NTI of the another user, such that the TAS initiates a telephone call between the STD and the TID of the another user, as a target telephone device (TTD), using the NTI of the another user, as determined by the TTI/NTI mapping.