Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer conferencing – Demand based messaging
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-07
2004-10-05
Maung, Zarni (Department: 2154)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer conferencing
Demand based messaging
C709S203000, C709S205000, C379S088140, C455S424000, C455S425000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06801932
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention disclosed herein relates generally to the field of messaging. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for sending and retrieving messages remotely. Specifically, this invention implements wireless technology and document transformation to communicate a message to a mobile recipient for remote access.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In today's rapidly paced society, professional and personal demands on messaage technologies, such as voice mail, e-mail, facismile and pagers, have greatly increased. The development of this technology, in turn had increased demands on mobile people who rely on these messaging devices for a variety of business and social communications. Specifically, these expectations have forced the mobile professional to demand the ability to receive messages regardless of time, location, or availability of messaging devices. According to a recent study by Pitney Bowes Inc. of Stamford, Conn., a typical business professional receives 169 messages a day. Many of these messages are delivered using some form of electronic and mobile communication such as cellular telephones, facsimiles, analog/digital telephone, pagers, e-mail transmission, and personal data assistants. These messages help determine the mobile professional's daily plans, keep him/her in contact with his/her community and enable him/her to accomplish his/her professional and personal goals.
Users, recognizing the capabilities of these devices, have relied on these devices such that they have become nearly indispensable tools for many businesses and individual consumers. Specifically recognized as invaluable are the inherent capabilities of a facsimile as an effective means of quickly and efficiently transmitting many types of documents from one known and specified location to another known and specified location. Facsimile machines are indispensable global tools, because they are used throughout the world and are accessible by and compatible with any other facsimile in the world. In addition, the use of facsimile machines has significantly improved the speed of transmittal of documents as compared to the sending of such a document through the postal services and/or various other express courier services, which, in general, require overnight delivery. Furthermore, facsimile machines have eased the travel burden on mobile professionals by eliminating the total number of printed documents they must carry to offsite meetings. With the aid of facsimile machines, any forgotten necessary documents may be retrieved by a simple facsimile.
Also in recent years, photocopiers have become more than just a reproduction machine. Photocopiers, which exist in virtually every office environment, have integrated the capabilities of printing and the flexibility of facsimile to become a valuable office tool. These machines have opened a new channel for communication which will enable mobile professionals to operate more efficiently and effectively.
In typical document messaging systems, a person desiring to send a print form of a message, such as a facsimile, must know the physical location of the intended recipient in order to insure that the intended recipient will be the actual recipient of the transmitted message. These systems require the message sender to first contact the intended recipient to determine a location, a time and a facsimile number where a message may be received. If the message is a confidential communication, the sender also must know that the recipient will be present at the precise time the sender transmits the facsimile. If the recipient is not physically present at the facsimile machine, the intended recipient may never receive the message, and/or any confidentiality may be broken.
In another messaging scenario where an individual desires to access and print his/her e-mail messages remotely using his/her laptop computer, the recipient first must locate a telephone line to enable access to the recipient's e-mail. The recipient must then locate and access either a dedicated printer or a networked printer in order to print the e-mail. Often, the access to a company's network is protected, and visitors are not authorized to use the network without a cumbersome approval process. Moreover, if the e-mail has accompanying attachments, the intended recipient must also insure that the attachments are in a software program format which is loaded on the accessed network or that the program is present on the intended recipient's computer. Meeting these requirements is both time consuming and, often, unattainable.
In another messaging scenario, the sender of the message may choose to send the recipient an e-mail message, a voice message, a facsimile or even a paper message, while the recipient prefers to receive the message in a print format. The present systems do not allow the flexibility to easily enable this access to messages and documents. In most systems, the lack of integration between an input device and a destination device means that a message recipient must separately utilize a variety of messaging and delivery systems in order to access the desired information. In a voice messaging scenario, this often means that the recipient must call into a phone system to check whether any voice messages exist, manually set call forwarding to a network for translation into a readable form, and then remotely log on to a network to receive the message.
In another scenario, a message recipient may choose to access his/her messages through his/her personal data assistant; however, the personal data assistant may not have enough memory to reproduce the entire e-mail and/or the attachments. This scenario requires the recipient to contact either his/her assistant to arrange a time and location to have the facsimile sent, or it requires the recipient to contact the message originator himself or herself to have the documents directly transferred. If the message is a voice mail sent to a recipient and the recipient desires a print version, the recipient either must have his/her assistant transcribe the voice message, or the recipient must employ voice to text conversion. Again, in order for the recipient to actually receive a physical print copy of the voice text, the recipient must arrange for a facsimile transmission. The above example presents some of the problems associated with remote retrieval of document. It is to be appreciated that many such examples exist.
One example of a solution to this problem has been disclosed by EFAX.COM™, a Delaware corporation having headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. EFAX.COM™ produces a product which enables a mobile professional to receive facsimiles and voice mail messages using a wireless device. However, the EFAX.COM™ product requires that the recipient know the facsimile number of the machine to be used for printing and further requires the sender to manually enter that number into the sender's wireless device. Furthermore, the EFAX.COM™ sends facsimile to facsimile; however, any voice transmission is sent to an e-mail as an attached audio file using a proprietary format.
Therefore, there now exists a requirement to enable the mobile professional the flexibility and ease of access to his/her messages at any time and location which have originated from any messaging format.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a method and system for remote receipt of a message, such as a telephone, e-mail, facsimile or paper message. This invention allows mobile people such as telecommuters, sales people, professional people having multiple offices; business travelers; professionals who do not have a dedicated assistant; and anyone having a message flow, the ability to receive their messages at a variety of locations in a variety of formats with ease and flexibility. In today's environment, even when professionals strive for a paperless office, there remains a need for paper documents. Paper is a collaborative media and, as such, fosters innovation, design and teamwork
Norris, Jr. James R.
Picoult Cheryl L.
Rojas John W.
Strobel Kevin L.
Winkelman John H.
Chaclas Angelo N.
Chotkowski Kimberly S.
Hu Jinsong
Maung Zarni
Pitney Bowes Inc
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