Telephonic communications – Multi-line or key substation system with selective switching... – With intercom system
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-10
2004-09-14
Tieu, Binh K. (Department: 2643)
Telephonic communications
Multi-line or key substation system with selective switching...
With intercom system
Reexamination Certificate
active
06792091
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The instant invention pertains to the art of software based business methods in general. However, the system of the instant invention is for interpersonal communications between a plurality of people in separate locations at which their voices will not conveniently carry, such that the people may properly hear each other's verbal expressions. Hence, an aid to transmitting messages is needed and has been filled by conventional intercoms. Thus, the invention more particularly pertains to the art of intercoms. In fact, the invention is a software based intercom having many of the advantages of a conventional intercom and further including additional, substantial advantages.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
The prior art is devoid of network-based intercoms. The conventional intercoms that are based on hardware and wiring and are often installed in a building. Such conventional intercoms are inadequate in many ways and are expensive. The prior art also includes wireless intercoms that are also inadequate in many of the same ways as the hardware and wire type. In particular, prior art voice intercoms do not permit the recipient of the message to simply choose not to respond to a message without inconveniencing a sender. There are intercoms or messaging devices that illuminate a certain combination of lights as a code for a specific message. These light combination intercoms are inconvenient because they require the recipient to know the meaning of the combination of lights. Furthermore, the recipient may not know that a message is being sent unless he or she is looking at the lights. Additional drawbacks to the lighted system of an intercom is that the number of users and the number of messages are limited by the number of lights and the maximum number of combinations of lights in the system. Adding additional users is difficult because of hardware requirements. In order to expand an existing lighted or hard wired intercom system to include new message or additional users via additional lights, or to include additional locations can be difficult and expensive if not impossible.
The lighted version described above meets the need of keeping the communication somewhat confidential so that it does not obviously distract the recipient from something requiring his or her attention such as a procedure on a patient. However, under circumstances in which the recipient changes position in the office to a location at which the lights cannot be seen, the voice intercom system is required.
The voice intercom system has the drawback of broadcasting messages that preferably should be kept confidential. Alternatives for conveying information to the recipient include sending a third party to locate the recipient or paging them over a speaker system, neither of which is considered to be better than using the prior art intercoms.
As described above, visual and voice communication systems have been provided to display information and messages without any intervention by the recipient. This capability is important, for example, when the recipient is involved in other procedures and is not able to use his or her hands or voice to take the message. Alternatively, the recipient may simply wish to not be distracted at that moment.
Conventional intercom systems operate over telephone networks or dedicated hard-wired or wireless intercom systems. While these systems allow communication, they are not easily continuously modifiable to adjust to changes in the staff, the facility, or the messaging requirements. The conventional systems usually allow communication by a system of colored lights as referred to above. These colored lights are not suitable for colorblind users. These conventional systems may also have the capability of communicating digitally by a series of number codes or by text messages. These messages may be displayed in some prioritized order, but there is no choice of method of display such as static, scrolling, or flashing text.
The conventional intercoms add to the clutter in an office since they require a desk or wall mounted panel. The mounted panel may be selected from a variety of sizes and appearances available, but there is no assurance that they will fit of match the desk or wall to which they are mounted. Furthermore, mounting of the panels may require running power to the mounting location to supply power to the panel. Even most of the wireless types of intercoms require electrical wiring either for data transmission or for a power source. Hence the need for adding hardware or running wire is not easily overcome with prior art devices.
Outside the realm of intercoms, is a method for communicating called instant messaging that has some similarities to the present invention. However, instant messaging was designed for so called chatting on line. As such, there are specific differences from the instant invention. For example, instant messaging requires the recipient to do something in order to retrieve a message sent by another user, and is intended for immediate responses back and forth. Instant messaging does not utilize preset messages like the instant invention. Furthermore, instant messaging does not have the intricacies of the instant invention like prioratization of messages, being capable of dual messaging for a single recipient, and all the settings that are made available with the instant invention. Another example of the deficiencies of instant messaging is that a message cannot be made large enough to see from a distance.
There is a need in the art for a software based intercom system utilizing a plurality of computers networked over a local area network or being selectively connected to the World Wide Web (Internet).
There is a need for the software based intercom system to include a software driven dispatcher which resides in any one of the computers with a set of computer readable instructions for performing various functions. These functions may be adjusted by a user interfacing directly with the dispatcher, or indirectly with the dispatcher via one of the computers by selecting user selectable settings. As such, there is a need for the software driven dispatcher to interface with an intercom module software in each of the computers of the system in order to control the many settings for each of the computers.
There is a need for a software driven intercom module residing in each computer on the system with a set of computer readable instructions for sending, receiving and filtering messages as well as for controlling other user selectable functions.
There is a need for the software driven intercom system to avoid interference with existing software that is or may be currently running on the system.
There is a need for at least one symbol or indicator to indicate which message of a list was the first message that was entered into the system in order to enable a user to differentiate among messages.
There is a need for the messages to be accompanied by a unique tone or voice for each recipient in order to distinguish one from another. In this way, the users can be assigned different respective tone sounds to signal that a message has been sent to a particular addressee, which initiates getting the addressee's attention.
There is a need for a software based intercom system to require no intervention on behalf of the recipient in order to retrieve a message. That is, there is a need for the system to receive messages automatically on respective user computers.
There is a need for the system to employ a voice activated message initiation, voice actuated preset message selection, and voice actuated selection of other user options.
There is a need for the system to be capable of identifying the sender and the location of the sender automatically for each message. This identification feature should be selectively activatable by users.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The instant invention meets all of the above stated needs. Primarily, the instant invention is a network-based intercom system that is a software based intercom system. The system is im
Cohen Rovi
Lemchen Marc S.
Dawes Daniel L.
Myers Dawes Andras & Sherman LLP
Tieu Binh K.
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