Intelligent pager for remotely managing E-Mail messages
First Claim
1. A communications device for transmitting a selection value to an E-Mail server buffering an E-mail message received from an E-Mail network, to forward the E-Mail message to a selected forwarding destination, comprising:
- a paging system coupled directly to the E-Mail server;
a personal computer that includes a wireless pager card coupled to the paging system via a radio link;
a data storage within said personal computer for storing a pre-selected default forwarding destination and a plurality of sender records, each record being for an E-Mail sender and including the E-Mail sender'"'"'s identity, a priority word list of words, an alarm value that is either on or off, and a list of forwarding destinations, which includes a first forwarding destination, for an E-Mail message from the E-Mail server;
said wireless pager card receiving an alert signal from said paging system over said radio link, the alert signal including a received identity of a sender and a title and message summary including words;
a processor within said personal computer coupled to the storage and to the wireless pager card, for comparing the received identity of the sender with the sender identities in the plurality of sender records and comparing the words in the title and message summary with the words in the priority word list;
if there is no match between the words in the title and message summary and the words in the priority word list, said processor outputting said pre-selected default forwarding destination as said selected forwarding destination for the E-Mail message;
if there is a match between the words in the title and message summary and the words in the priority word list, and if said alarm value is off, said processor outputting said first forwarding destination in a sender record having a sender identity that matches the received sender identity as said selected forwarding destination for the E-Mail message;
if there is a match between the words in the title and message summary and the words in the priority word list, and if said alarm value is on, said processor outputting said list of forwarding destinations in a sender record having a sender identity that matches the received sender identity;
a display on said personal computer displaying said list of forwarding destinations;
a key on said personal computer whereby one of said list of forwarding destinations can be selected by depressing said key;
said wireless pager card sending a selection signal to said paging system over said radio link, wherein said selection signal includes a selection value that indicates said selected forwarding destination for the E-Mail message; and
wherein said selection value is transferred to said E-Mail server.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An intelligent pager remotely manages an E-Mail server that receives E-Mail messages transmitted over an E-Mail network. Useful E-Mail messages can be identified by the pager and separated from the junk mail. The pager remotely controls the server to forward messages as directed by the recipient. The E-Mail server sends a summary of the E-Mail message to the pager over a different network so that the pager can select a forwarding destination for the message. The pager sends a selection signal to the E-mail server which then forwards the E-Mail message to the selected destination. The E-Mail message can be forwarded by the server over another network, such as the public telephone network, to a computer or a FAX machine at the recipient'"'"'s office, home or other destination.
344 Citations
4 Claims
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1. A communications device for transmitting a selection value to an E-Mail server buffering an E-mail message received from an E-Mail network, to forward the E-Mail message to a selected forwarding destination, comprising:
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a paging system coupled directly to the E-Mail server; a personal computer that includes a wireless pager card coupled to the paging system via a radio link; a data storage within said personal computer for storing a pre-selected default forwarding destination and a plurality of sender records, each record being for an E-Mail sender and including the E-Mail sender'"'"'s identity, a priority word list of words, an alarm value that is either on or off, and a list of forwarding destinations, which includes a first forwarding destination, for an E-Mail message from the E-Mail server; said wireless pager card receiving an alert signal from said paging system over said radio link, the alert signal including a received identity of a sender and a title and message summary including words; a processor within said personal computer coupled to the storage and to the wireless pager card, for comparing the received identity of the sender with the sender identities in the plurality of sender records and comparing the words in the title and message summary with the words in the priority word list; if there is no match between the words in the title and message summary and the words in the priority word list, said processor outputting said pre-selected default forwarding destination as said selected forwarding destination for the E-Mail message; if there is a match between the words in the title and message summary and the words in the priority word list, and if said alarm value is off, said processor outputting said first forwarding destination in a sender record having a sender identity that matches the received sender identity as said selected forwarding destination for the E-Mail message; if there is a match between the words in the title and message summary and the words in the priority word list, and if said alarm value is on, said processor outputting said list of forwarding destinations in a sender record having a sender identity that matches the received sender identity; a display on said personal computer displaying said list of forwarding destinations; a key on said personal computer whereby one of said list of forwarding destinations can be selected by depressing said key; said wireless pager card sending a selection signal to said paging system over said radio link, wherein said selection signal includes a selection value that indicates said selected forwarding destination for the E-Mail message; and wherein said selection value is transferred to said E-Mail server.
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2. In a communications device for transmitting a selection value to an E-Mail server buffering an E-Mail message received from an E-Mail network, to forward the E-Mail message to a selected forwarding destination, a method comprising the steps of:
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storing a pre-selected default forwarding destination and a plurality of sender records in a pager, each record being for an E-Mail sender and including the E-Mail sender'"'"'s identity, a priority word list of words, an alarm value that is either on or off, and a list of forwarding destinations, which includes a first forwarding destination, for an E-Mail message from the E-Mail server; receiving an alert signal over a radio link from a paging system that is coupled directly to the E-Mail server, the alert signal including a received identity of a sender and a title and message summary including words; comparing in the pager the received identity of the sender with the sender identities in the plurality of sender records and comparing in the pager the words in the title and message summary with the words in the priority word list; if there is no match between the words in the title and message summary and the words in the priority word list, outputting said pre-selected default forwarding destination as said selected forwarding destination for the E-Mail message; if there is a match between the words in the title and message summary and the words in the priority word list, and if said alarm value is off, outputting said first forwarding destination in a sender record having a sender identity that matches the received sender identity as said selected forwarding destination for the E-Mail message; if there is a match between the words in the title and message summary and the words in the priority word list, and if said alarm value is on, (i) outputting said list of forwarding destinations in a sender record having a sender identity that matches the received sender identity, (ii) displaying said list of forwarding destinations on said pager, and (iii) selecting one of said list of forwarding destinations by depressing a button on said pager; sending a selection signal to said pager system over said radio link, wherein said selection signal includes a selection value that indicates said selected forwarding destination for the E-Mail message; and transferring said selection value to said E-Mail server.
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3. An article of manufacture for use in a computer system, comprising:
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a computer useable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for transmitting a selection value to an E-Mail server buffering an E-Mail message received from an E-Mail network, to forward the E-mail message to a selected forwarding destination, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising; computer readable program code means for causing a computer to store a pre-selected default forwarding destination and a plurality of sender records, each record being for an E-Mail sender and including the E-Mail sender'"'"'s identity, a priority word list of words, an alarm value that is either on or off, and a list of forwarding destinations, which includes a first forwarding destination, for an E-Mail message from the E-Mail server; computer readable program code means for causing a computer to receive an alert signal over a radio link from a paging system coupled directly to the E-Mail server, the alert signal including a received identity of a sender and a title and message summary including words; computer readable program code means for causing a computer to compare the received identity of the sender with the sender identities in the plurality of sender records and compare the words in the title and message summary with the words in the priority word list; computer readable program code means for causing a computer to output said pre-selected default forwarding destination as said selected forwarding destination for the E-Mail message if there is no match between the words in the title and message summary and the words in the priority word list; computer readable program code means for causing a computer to output said first forwarding destination in a sender record having a sender identity that matches the received sender identity as said selected forwarding destination for the E-Mail message if there is a match between the words in the title and message summary and the words in the priority word list, and if the alarm value is off; computer readable program code means for causing a computer to output said list of forwarding destinations in a sender record having a sender identity that matches the received sender identity if there is a match between the words in the title and message summary and the words in the priority word list, and if the alarm value is on; computer readable program code means for causing a computer to display said list of forwarding destinations; computer readable program code means for causing a computer to respond to a key on the computer being depressed to select one of said list of forwarding destinations; computer readable program code means for causing a computer to send a selection signal over said radio link to the paging system, wherein said selection signal includes a selection value that indicates said selected forwarding destination for the E-Mail message; and computer readable program code means for causing a computer to transfer said selection value to said E-Mail server.
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4. A communications system, comprising:
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a telecommunications transmission system; an E-Mail server buffering an E-Mail message received from an E-Mail network while waiting for a recipient to select a forwarding destination in the telecommunications transmission system for the E-Mail message; a paging system coupled directly to the E-Mail server; a pager coupled to the paging system via a radio link; a data storage within said pager for storing a pre-selected default forwarding destination and a plurality of sender records, each record being for an E-Mail sender and including the E-Mail sender'"'"'s identity, a priority word list of words, an alarm value that is either on or off, and a list of forwarding destinations, which includes a first forwarding destination, in the telecommunications transmission system for an E-Mail message from the E-Mail server; a receiver within said pager for receiving an alert signal over said radio link from said paging system, the alert signal including a received identity of a sender and a title and message summary including words; a processor within said pager coupled to the storage and to the receiver, for comparing the received identity of the sender with the sender identities in the plurality of sender records and comparing the words in the title and message summary with the words in the priority list of words; if there is no match between the words in the title and message summary and the words in the priority word list, said processor outputting said pre-selected default forwarding destination; if there is a match between the words in the title and message summary and the words in the priority word list, and if the alarm value is off, said processor outputting said first forwarding destination in a sender record having a sender identity that matches the received sender identity; if there is a match between the words in the title and message summary and the words in the priority word list, and if the alarm value is on, said processor outputting said list of forwarding destinations in a sender record having a sender identity that matches the received sender identity; a display on said pager for displaying said list of forwarding destinations; a button on said pager for selecting one of said list of forwarding destinations by depressing said button; a transmitter within said pager coupled to the processor, for sending a selection signal to said paging system, wherein said selection signal includes a selection value that indicates said selected forwarding destination for the E-Mail message.
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Specification