User interface and rule processing for a personal communications routing system
US5796394A · kind A · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 23, 1997 |
| Grant date | Aug 18, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 23, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04M2201/38
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A user interface provides a uniform control scheme among different devices in a personal communications routing system. The system allows devices such as a personal computer, personal information communicator, pager, fax machine and base station to be operated with a standard twelve key telephone keypad controller for the purpose of accessing electronic messages such as e-mail, voice-mail, fax transmissions, etc. Handheld communicators are docked with the devices to provide wireless transmission between a base station and numerous devices in a multi-user environment. The base station receives electronic messages for the users in, e.g., an office and routes the messages to a device as the user instructs. The user is able to perform operations on the messages such as reading, responding, deleting, etc., by using the keypad. A visual indication of user designated message bins, along with icons to represent messages received, is used to special advantage by coordinating the bin layout with the arrangement of keys on the keypad. Another feature of the system is that rules can be predefined to route, screen or otherwise manipulate the messages. The rules are applied by the base station t…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.