A method of communicating messages between subscribers to an electronic messaging network, comprising the steps of: maintaining, at a network operation center, a first file of canned messages and message codes respectively assigned to the canned messages; maintaining at a first terminal of a first subscriber, a second file of canned messages and message codes corresponding to the first file; maintaining, at a second terminal of a second subscriber, a third file of canned messages and message codes corresponding to the first file; selecting an appropriate canned message from the second file for transmission to the second terminal; sending the message code assigned to the selected canned message to the network operation center; relaying the message code assigned to the selected canned message from the network operation center to the second terminal; retrieving the selected canned message from the third file using the assigned message code received from the network operation center; and displaying the selected canned message retrieved from the third file. view more

A message terminal for use in an electronic messaging network, comprising: a memory storing a file of canned messages and message codes respectively assigned thereto and a file of canned multiple response options and response codes respectively assigned thereto; means for retrieving the file of canned messages and the file of canned multiple response options from the memory; a display for displaying the canned messages and the multiple response options in the retrieved file; means for selecting one of the canned messages and at least one of the multiple response options appropriate for the selected canned message for communication to a designated other message terminal; and a transmitter for transmitting the message code assigned to the selected canned message and the response code assigned to the at least one multiple response option over a communications link of the network. view more

A mobile unit for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals to and from a communications network comprising: means for receiving a radio frequency message from the network; a display for displaying said message; a switch actuatable to specify a portion of the displayed message for which a user desires retransmission from the communications network; means for transmitting, only upon actuation of the switch, a signal to the communications network requesting retransmission of said specified portion of said message; and means for receiving said specified portion retransmitted from the communications network and for displaying the received specified portion on the display. view more