Automated message retrieval system
First Claim
1. Apparatus for use by subscriber of a communication switching system for obtaining stored messages from a plurality of message service systems via said communication switching system, each of said plurality of message service systems being capable of storing messages each with header information defining each message, comprising:
- means responsive to a signal from said communication switching system indicating that at least one of said plurality of message service systems has a message for said subscriber for polling each of said plurality of message service systems to identify the one of said plurality of message service systems having said message;
means for obtaining from said identified one of said plurality of message service systems a header defining said message;
means for reading said message from said identified one of said plurality of message service systems; and
means for storing said read message and said obtained header information.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for automatically polling message service systems to obtain messages for a user of the apparatus. The apparatus is a computer attached to the user'"'"'s telephone connected to a communication switching system. The computer responds to messages from the communication switching system or to an internal real time clock timing out to poll a number of message service systems to obtain messages for the user. The computer automatically performs logon procedures, message access procedures and message deletion procedures with the various message service systems. If the message service system is audio only, the computer generates audio tones and interprets verbal instruction in order to implement the above procedures.
374 Citations
16 Claims
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1. Apparatus for use by subscriber of a communication switching system for obtaining stored messages from a plurality of message service systems via said communication switching system, each of said plurality of message service systems being capable of storing messages each with header information defining each message, comprising:
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means responsive to a signal from said communication switching system indicating that at least one of said plurality of message service systems has a message for said subscriber for polling each of said plurality of message service systems to identify the one of said plurality of message service systems having said message; means for obtaining from said identified one of said plurality of message service systems a header defining said message; means for reading said message from said identified one of said plurality of message service systems; and means for storing said read message and said obtained header information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. Apparatus for use by a user of a communication switching system for obtaining stored messages from a message storage system, said message storage system providing said user with the capability of accessing said messages by transmitting signals to said message storage system in response to verbal instructions from said message storage system, comprising:
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means for generating signals defining the logon procedure for said message storage system; means for recognizing verbal instructions from said message storage system; means responsive to the recognized verbal instructions for obtaining said messages by instructing said generating means to generate additional signals to said message storage system; and means for storing the obtained messages. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. Apparatus for retrieving stored messages from a plurality of message service systems, and said apparatus is adaptable to be interconnected to said plurality of message service systems by a communication switching system and each of a subset of said plurality of message service systems is responsive to receipt of a message to indicate receipt of a message to said communication switching system and the latter system is responsive to the indication to transmit a message waiting signal to said apparatus, comprising:
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means for generating a signal at predefined intervals of time; and means responsive to said signal for automatically polling each of said message service systems to determine the presence of a message on each of said plurality of message service systems; means responsive to said message waiting signal for determining which one of said subset of said plurality of message service systems has a message; and means responsive to the determination for obtaining said latter message. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A method for obtaining stored message for a subscriber of a communication switching system from a plurality of messages service systems via said communication switching system and each of said plurality of message service systems capable of storing messages each with header information defining each message, the method comprising:
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identifying ones of said plurality of message service systems having said messages in response to a signal from said communication switching system indicating that at least one of said plurality of message service systems has a message for said subscriber by polling each of said plurality of message service systems; automatically polling a subset of said plurality of message service systems at predefined intervals of time; obtaining from said identified one of said plurality of message service systems a header defining one of said messages; reading said one of said messages from said identified one of said plurality of message service systems; and storing said red one of said messages and said obtained header information. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification