Redial apparatus and methods for processing symbols input by a user before and during a telephone call

A method for processing commands and symbols input by a user to a wireless local loop telephone, with said commands being input to control the operation of the telephone, and with said symbols being input for transmission by the wireless local loop telephone to initiate a telephone call by identifying a telephone number to be connected to or for transmission by the wireless local loop telephone during the telephone call, said wireless local loop telephone having a new number buffer for storing selected symbols and a redial buffer for storing selected symbols, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) receiving either a redial command or a symbol input by the user;
• b) if a redial command was received at step a), then transmitting the contents, if any, of the redial buffer to identify a telephone number to be connected to;
• and
• c) if a symbol was received at step a), then
• c.1) clearing the new number buffer,
• c.2) storing the most recently received symbol in the new number buffer,
• c.3) determining whether the most recently received symbol was the last symbol of the telephone number to be connected to,
• c.4) if the most recently received symbol of step c.3) was not the last symbol of the telephone number to be connected to, then
• c.4.a) receiving either a redial command or another symbol input by the user;
• c.4.b) if a redial command was received at step c.4.a), then transmitting the contents, if any, of the redial buffer to identify a telephone number to be connected to, and
• c.4.c) if another symbol was received at step c.4.a), then storing the symbol received at step c.4.a) in the new number buffer and repeating step c.3), and
• c.5) if the most recently received symbol of step c.3) was the last symbol of the telephone number to be connected to, then
• c.5.a) storing the current contents of the new number buffer in the redial buffer,
• c.5.b) transmitting the contents of the new number buffer to identify the telephone number to be connected to,
• c.5.c) receiving another symbol input by the user,
• c.5.d) transmitting without storing the symbol received at step c.5.c) and repeating steps c.5.c) and c.5.d) until the telephone call is terminated.

A method for processing commands and symbols input by a user to a telephone connected to a public switched telephone network, with said commands being input to control the operation of the telephone, and with said symbols being input for transmission by the telephone to initiate a telephone call by identifying a telephone number to be connected to or for transmission by the telephone during the telephone call, said telephone having a new number buffer for storing selected symbols and a redial buffer for storing selected symbols, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) receiving either a redial command or a symbol input by the user;
• b) if a redial command was received at step a), then transmitting the contents, if any, of the redial buffer to identify a telephone number to be connected to;
• and
• c) if a symbol was received at step a), then
• c.1) clearing the new number buffer,
• c.2) storing the most recently received symbol in the new number buffer,
• c.3) transmitting the most recently received symbol,
• c.4) determining whether the most recently received symbol was the last symbol of the telephone number to be connected to,
• c.5) if the most recently received symbol of step c.4) was not the last symbol of the telephone number to be connected to, then receiving either a redial command or another symbol input by the user, then
• c.5.a) receiving either a redial command or another symbol input by the user;
• c.5.b) if a redial command was received at step c.5.a), then transmitting the contents, if any, of the redial buffer to identify a telephone number to be connected to;
• and
• c.5.c) if another symbol was received at step c.5.a), then storing the symbol received at step c.5.a) then repeating step c.3), and
• c.6) if the most recently received symbol was the last symbol of the telephone number to be connected to, then
• c.6.a) storing the current contents of the new number buffer in the redial buffer,
• c.6.b) receiving another symbol input by the user,
• c.6.c) transmitting without storing the symbol received at step c.6.b) and repeating steps c.6.b) and c.6.c) until the telephone call is terminated.