Systems and methods for remote access to a display-based bulletin board in a shared user environment

• US 20050086305A1
• Filed: 12/28/2001
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koch, Robert A., Holt, Scott C.
• Granted Patent: US 6,968,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

An electronic bulletin board for use in a shared always-on environment wherein a user may manipulate messages from a remote location. The electronic bulletin board may be implemented via database and programming logic on an application server accessible from any network node, including wireless devices. The always-on environment may be set up on a computer or broadband internet appliance or other communications device. Remote users may perform operations such as updating an existing message, posting a new message, download messages, and the like. The bulletin board also supports shared messages designed for special purposes, for example, an electronic grocery list that is accessible from remote locations.

Claims

1. An electronic messaging system comprising an application server configured to receive and process a remote message manipulation instruction from a remote user, said instruction comprising a sender address, a recipient address and a content, wherein said application server looks up at least one of the sender address or the recipient address in a customer database;

and wherein said application server updates a bulletin board display on a communications center according to the sender address, the recipient address and the content by sending a message to a client gateway in communication with said communications center.

2. The electronic messaging system of claim 1, wherein the instruction further comprises a retrieval command and wherein, in response to the instruction, the application server instructs the communications center to send a copy of any data displayed thereon to the sender address.

3. The electronic messaging system of claim 1, wherein the instruction further comprises a retrieval command and wherein, in response to the instruction, the application server instructs the communications center to send a subset of any data displayed thereon to the sender address.

4. The electronic messaging system of claim 1, wherein the application server is further configured to store a copy of data displayed on the communications center.

5. The electronic messaging system of claim 4, wherein the instruction further comprises a retrieval command and wherein, in response to the instruction, the application server sends the copy of data to the sender address.

6. The electronic messaging system of claim 4, wherein the instruction further comprises a retrieval command and wherein, in response to the instruction, the application server sends a subset of the copy of data to the sender address.

7. The electronic messaging system of claim 1, wherein the content of the instruction includes an audio clip.

8. The electronic messaging system of claim 1, wherein the content of the instruction includes a video clip.

9. The electronic messaging system of claim 1, wherein the content of the instruction includes an audio clip and a video clip.

10. The electronic messaging system of claim 1, wherein bulletin board display the communications center includes audio clips.

11. The electronic messaging system of claim 1, wherein bulletin board display the communications center includes video clips.

12. The electronic messaging system of claim 1, wherein bulletin board display the communications center includes audio clips and video clips.

13. A method of providing remote access to a shared always-on electronic messaging system, said method comprising:

creating a customer database in communication with an application server;

receiving a remote message manipulation instruction from a remote user, said instruction comprising a sender address, a recipient address and a content;

looking up at least one of the sender address and the recipient address in the customer database;

causing the shared always-on electronic messaging system to display a message according to the sender address, the recipient address and the content by sending an instruction to a client gateway in communication with said electronic messaging system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the remote manipulation instruction further comprises a retrieval command.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising instructing the communications center to send data to the sender address.