Traditional telephone systems are composed of receiver-transmitter handsets and limited keypads enabling a user to make a simple 7 or 10 digit number entry for the purposes of contacting a desired recipient at another location. The handsets typically include a sound transducer for the purpose of converting voice into an electrical signal and electrical signals to voice. The voice signals are carried in analog format over copper twisted pair wires to a central office for eventual connection with the remote receiver. For these systems, if a user desires to find telephone number information for a person or business, the user may look through the printed directory listings (White Pages or Yellow Pages) provided by the local phone company or phone an operator and ask information directly using the analog voice channel.
These services require access to printed phone directories or calls to an operator, which sometimes do not provide the needed information and tend to be relatively expensive since a premium is charged for the directory call. It would be advantageous to be able to provide a system and method, which provides directory services directly to a telephone for use by a user. Automated mechanisms to deliver directory services exist today in analog systems employing dial-up modems. For example, the MINITEL™ system used in France provides a directory service on an analog system.
Therefore, a need exists for a system and method for delivering directory device over a digital signal line network.