Telephonic communications – Telephone line or system combined with diverse electrical... – Having transmission of a digital message signal over a...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-31
2003-11-04
Eng, George (Department: 2743)
Telephonic communications
Telephone line or system combined with diverse electrical...
Having transmission of a digital message signal over a...
C379S100080, C358S402000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06643360
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Internet Service Providers (“ISP”) provide access to the Internet to dial-up clients over the Public Switched Telephone Network (“PSTN”). Typically, the ISP also provides access to a mail server. The mail sever stores mail messages for the client in a client mailbox. The mail server may be in the same server as the ISP or in a remote server which communicates with the ISP over a data network.
To access the client mailbox, the dial-up client dials the ISP's telephone number. After the phone call is connected, the dial-up client logs into the mail server and can access mail messages stored in the client mailbox. The dial-up client can only determine if a new mail message has been stored in the client mailbox after the call is connected and the client has logged into the mail server. This involves connecting the dial-up client and the ISP for a time period typically greater than one minute.
While the dial-up client is connected to the ISP, phone charges may be incurred for the telephone call. Also, because the connection between the ISP and the dial-up client, is a dedicated connection, this connection cannot be used by another dial-up client. Thus, congestion may occur at peak periods, as large numbers of clients attempt to connect to the ISP, in order to determine if a new mail message has been delivered to their mailboxes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The status of a mailbox is provided by a called user to a calling user before making a connection between the calling user and the called user. The calling user transmits a calling user identification in a request for connection to the called user. A caller-identification routine in the called user extracts the calling user identification from the request. A calling user password corresponding to the calling user identification is stored in a calling user identification table. A mail server access routine requests the mailbox status using the stored calling user password. A mailbox status routine provides the mailbox status to the calling user.
If the mailbox status indicates that there is a new message in a mailbox, the mailbox status routine connects the calling user and the called user. If the mailbox status indicates that there is no new message in a mailbox, the mailbox status routine alerts the calling user.
The request for connection can be an ISDN protocol message.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5557659 (1996-09-01), Hyde-Thomson
patent: 5946386 (1999-08-01), Rogers et al.
patent: 6075846 (2000-06-01), Jenneve et al.
patent: 6233315 (2001-05-01), Reformato et al.
patent: 6351524 (2002-02-01), Schuster et al.
Cisco Technology Inc.
Eng George
Hamilton Brook Smith & Reynolds P.C.
LandOfFree
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