Telephonic communications – Telephone line or system combined with diverse electrical... – To produce visual-graphic copy
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-14
2002-09-24
Woo, Stella (Department: 2643)
Telephonic communications
Telephone line or system combined with diverse electrical...
To produce visual-graphic copy
C379S142150, C379S355030
Reexamination Certificate
active
06456704
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
Digital Senders, such as the HP 9100C Digital Sender, are available in the prior art. Typically, digital senders are “appliance devices” that are self-contained (i.e., they do not require a PC in order to operate). Generally, digital senders allow users to integrate paper documents into the electronic workplace, providing a reliable and cost-effective alternative to typical paper distribution systems, such as facsimile (fax), mail, and courier. A digital sender typically allows a user the ability to send information or data contained on a paper document to a destination electronically. Thus, a digital sender typically is capable of converting paper documents into digital form and communicating the digital document to a destination. For example, a digital sender may allow a user to send a digital version of a paper document to a destination e-mail address or destination fax number. As a further example, the HP 9100C allows a user to send a digital document to an e-mail address, network fax, HP JetSend-enabled device, network printer or personal computer.
Typically, prior art digital senders include a typewriter-like keyboard that allows users to manually enter destination information at the device. Similar to sending e-mail from a PC, a digital sender may enable users to type e-mail addresses or to cue personalized e-mail addresses or distribution lists from a customized address book stored in the digital sender's memory, thus allowing users to send paper-based documents as e-mail messages. Furthermore, a digital sender may enable users to type a destination fax number or to cue a destination fax number from a customized address book stored in the digital sender's memory, thus allowing users to send paper-based documents as a fax.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, an exemplary digital sender
100
of the prior art is shown. As shown, the digital sender
100
has a display
102
for displaying information to a user. Additionally, the digital sender
100
has a keyboard
104
that allows a user to manually enter information, such as destination information. Typically, as a user enters destination information using keyboard
104
the destination information is displayed on display
102
to allow the user to ensure that he/she has entered the destination information correctly. That is, display
102
allows the user to view the destination information as the user types such destination information into the digital sender. Once the desired destination information is entered into the digital sender, the digital sender allows a user to send a digital version of paper document(s)
106
to the destination.
Prior art digital senders typically allow users the ability to program commonly used destination information (e.g., commonly used destination fax numbers or commonly used destination e-mail addresses), also referred to herein as a destination code, into the digital sender's memory for future use. By having destination codes programmed into the digital sender, a user can access a programmed destination code on the digital sender and cause the digital sender to direct communication to such programmed destination code without requiring the user to manually key the destination code. For example, the user may look up a desired destination code from the destination codes programmed in the digital sender, and then press a single key to “speed dial” the desired destination code.
Typically, a destination code is programmed into the digital sender by a user pressing a key (or sequence of keys) on the digital sender to enter a “programming mode.” Thereafter, the user can manually key in the destination code using the digital sender's keyboard. Once the user has completed the process of entering the destination code, the user can press a key (or sequence of keys) to cause the digital sender to exit the programming mode. If the entered destination code later changes or otherwise needs to be updated by a user, the user follows a similar procedure to update an existing destination code stored in the digital sender's memory. Thus, prior art digital senders provide users the ability to manually program commonly used destination codes into the digital sender.
Several problems exist with prior art digital senders. First, with prior art digital senders, a user is required to know a destination code in order to enter or program such code into the digital sender. For example, if a user desires to enter or program a particular destination e-mail address or destination fax number into the digital sender, the user must first determine the proper destination e-mail address or fax number to be keyed into the digital sender. Accordingly, a user must either have the destination code memorized or the user must refer to some type of destination code book, such as a telephone directory or other listing for the destination code, before the user can enter or program the destination code into the digital sender.
Additionally, the process required for programming a destination code into prior art digital senders is not user friendly. Prior art digital senders typically require a user to press a sequence of keys on the digital sender to enter the programming mode, and once the digital sender is in programming mode, a user must follow a particular sequence of instructions to program a desired destination code into the digital sender. As shown in
FIG. 1
, prior art digital senders typically have a typewriter-like keyboard, as well as various other buttons for interacting with the digital sender. Thus, to a novice user, programming a destination code into the digital sender can be an intimidating task. Because prior art digital senders are not user friendly to program, users may spend relatively long periods of time attempting to program a destination code into a digital sender or learning how to perform such task. Thus, programming prior art digital senders can be inefficient for users. Alternatively, some users may simply not take advantage of the programming feature of prior art digital senders. That is, the task of programming prior art digital senders may be so intimidating to a user that the user decides not to program commonly used destination codes into the digital sender. As a result, the user must manually enter a destination code each time that the user desires to communicate a digital document to that destination, which also results in inefficiency for the user.
A further problem with prior art digital senders is that a mechanism is required for such digital senders to allow a user to manually program destination information into the digital senders. For example, a keyboard, such as keyboard
104
, is required for manual programming of destination information into the digital sender. As another example, a display, such as display
102
, is required to provide feedback information to a user, e.g., to indicate whether the user has entered the destination information correctly. Such mechanisms required for manually programming prior art digital senders increase the size, complexity, and cost of the digital senders. It should be recognized, that some or all of the above problems are not limited only to prior art digital senders, but also apply to other digital communication devices that communicate information to a destination, such as prior art fax machines.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above, there exists a desire for a system and method for providing caller information (i.e., a fax number, telephone number, e-mail address, or other destination information) to a digital communication device. Many digital communication devices exist, such as digital senders and fax machines, which communicate data to a destination. A desire exists for a system and method for providing caller information to such digital communication devices in order that the digital communication devices can communicate data to a destination indicated by the provided caller information.
A further desire exists for a system and method for providing caller information to a digital communication device, wherein a u
Hewlett--Packard Company
Woo Stella
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