[asterisk-users] Using the PBX Directory from a Blackberry

[Trevor Hammonds]

From: Darrick Hartman 
Sent: Thursday, July 02, 2009 8:06 PM

On 07/02/2009 10:14 AM, Tzafrir Cohen wrote:
> On Thu, Jul 02, 2009 at 09:53:18AM -0500, JR Richardson wrote:
>> Hi All,
>>
>> A couple of customers called complaining that folks were dialing into
>> their PBX trying to use the Directory to locate users, from a
>> Blackberry, and getting frustrated due to the incompatibility of
>> dialing alpha characters on the the qwerty keyboard and not getting
>> through.
>>
>> The issue of course is the Directory application only recognizes
>> numeric digit tones, not alpha characters (not sure is there is
>> actually tones generated when the alpha characters are pressed, it
>> just doesn't work).
>>
>> Anyhow, on the Blackberry, when you hold down the Alt key and press
>> the alpha character, the device sends out the correct digit tone
>> associated with that character, like on a regular phone keypad.
>
> Is it a tone?
>
> Or the letter itself in SIP / RTP signalling?

This is a 'bug' or 'feature' of blackberry phones.  The phones switch 
the keypad to numeric when in a phone call.  You need to memorize abc=2, 
def=3...  Sure would be nice if there was an option to send the DTMF for 
5 when pressing the alpha key j k or l, but I don't believe this is 
possible.

You do not need to memorize the alpha-to-numeric conversion on a BlackBerry.
The OP mentioned the solution:

"Anyhow, on the Blackberry, when you hold down the Alt key and press the
alpha character, the device sends out the correct digit tone associated with
that character, like on a regular phone keypad."


Sincerely,
Trevor Hammonds