Cellular radiotelephones including means for generating a search request data signal and receiving a telephone number from a network directory database and related methods

DETAILED DESCRIPTION It is therefor an object of the present invention to provide improved cellular radiotelephones, methods, and systems.
It is another object of the present invention to provide automated access to a cellular radiotelephone system network directory.
These and other objects are accomplished according to the present invention by providing a network directory database in a cellular radiotelephone system which can be accessed automatically from a remote cellular radiotelephone without requiring the intervention of a directory assistance operator.
In particular, the user can be prompted for search criteria by a visual display on the radiotelephone, and the input search criteria can be sent to the cellular system as part of a search request data signal.
This data signal is used to search the database, and telephone numbers matching the search criteria are returned to the radiotelephone.
In addition, information such as names and/or addresses corresponding to the identified telephone numbers can also be returned and displayed.
The telephone number (or numbers) returned can be stored in a personal directory within the radiotelephone and retrieved at a later time.
Accordingly, the radiotelephone user can retrieve telephone numbers from the cellular system without interacting with a directory assistance operator.
In addition, the number can automatically be stored in a memory of the radiotelephone eliminating the need to remember or write down a number retrieved from the directory.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a method of storing directory information in a cellular radiotelephone includes the following steps.
A cellular radiotelephone system is provided with a network directory database including a plurality of telephone numbers.
The user is prompted for input of search criteria, and the input search criteria is accepted.
The prompt can be provided through a visual display on the radiotelephone, and the input search criteria can be accepted by a keypad.
A search request data signal is generated within the cellular radiotelephone in response to the search criteria, and this search request data signal is preferably an electronic data signal including the search criteria