Automatic telephone directory apparatus and method of operation thereof

A telephone directory system comprising:

• an interface adapted for connecting to a subscriber line of a voice telephone network;
• a dialing signal decoder receiving a dialing signal from said interface to provide dialed number information;
• a calling number identification decoder receiving a calling number signal from said interface to provide calling number information;
• a processor receiving said dialed and calling number information and, in response, issuing a query to a remote database for identification information associated with at least one of said dialed and calling number information;
• and
• a memory storing said dialed and calling number information and said identification information.

A telephone number database comprising:

• a DTMF receiver/decoder connected to a subscriber line to provide called number data;
• a caller-ID receiver/decoder connected to the subscriber line to provide calling number and name data;
• a data modem configured to communicate with a remote network including a remote database of telephone numbers and associated names;
• a memory;
• a controller configured to store said called and calling number data and said name data in said memory, said controller responsive to detection of a telephone call on said subscriber line for searching said memory for said name data corresponding to said telephone call;
• and further configured to transmit a query to said remote database for name information associated with said call.