Automatic public/autonomous system message waiting indicator (MWI) recognition
First Claim
1. A method for operating a user terminal of a type that can be bidirectionally coupled to one of a plurality of networks, including at least a first network and a second network, each of the first and second networks having a respective message station, said message station of respective ones of said first and second networks having an associated storage device for storing at least one message for a user of the user terminal, the method comprising the steps of:
- prompting the user to select an access code setup function for the storage device of either of the first or second networks;
monitoring an output of an input interface to detect information specifying that the user selects an access code setup function for the storage device of a selected one of the first and second networks;
prompting the user for defining an access code for the storage device of the selected one of the first and second networks; and
monitoring an output of the input interface to detect information specifying the access code for the storage device of the selected one of the first and second networks, and, in response to detecting the information, storing the information specifying the access code in a memory of the user terminal.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A cellular radiotelephone (user terminal) (10) includes a keypad (22) having a plurality of keys (22a, 22b) and a display device (20) for displaying information, including messages, to a user. A method includes the steps of registering the user terminal with one of a plurality of networks, such as one of a first network or a second network, and receiving a signal at the user terminal indicating that at least one message is stored in a storage device associated with a message station within the network. The storage device stores voice messages for the radiotelephone. In response to receiving the signal, a step is performed of notifying the user that at least one message is stored in the storage device of the network with which the radiotelephone is registered. The user can request to retrieve the stored messages by depressing at least one predetermined key on the keypad. The user terminal responds to the user'"'"'s request by determined the network with which the user terminal is registered, and then communicating with this network to retrieve the messages. Also, in accordance with the invention, the user can specify access codes for the storage device of each network. Identifier tags may also be employed to further identify the storage device of each network. The first and second networks include an autonomous network and a public network, respectively.
68 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method for operating a user terminal of a type that can be bidirectionally coupled to one of a plurality of networks, including at least a first network and a second network, each of the first and second networks having a respective message station, said message station of respective ones of said first and second networks having an associated storage device for storing at least one message for a user of the user terminal, the method comprising the steps of:
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prompting the user to select an access code setup function for the storage device of either of the first or second networks; monitoring an output of an input interface to detect information specifying that the user selects an access code setup function for the storage device of a selected one of the first and second networks; prompting the user for defining an access code for the storage device of the selected one of the first and second networks; and monitoring an output of the input interface to detect information specifying the access code for the storage device of the selected one of the first and second networks, and, in response to detecting the information, storing the information specifying the access code in a memory of the user terminal. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11)
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2. A method for operating a user terminal of a type that can be bidirectionally coupled to one of a plurality of networks, including at least a first network and a second network, each of the first and second networks having a respective message station, said message station of respective ones of said first and second networks having an associated storage device for storing at least one message for a user of the user terminal, the method comprising the steps of:
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prompting the user to select an access code setup function for the storage device of either of the first or second networks; monitoring an output of an input interface to detect information specifying that the user selects an access code setup function for the storage device of a selected one of the first and second networks; prompting the user for defining an access code for the storage device of the selected one of the first and second networks; and monitoring an output of the input interface to detect information specifying the access code for the storage device of the selected one of the first and second networks, and, in response to detecting the information, storing the information specifying the access code in a memory of the user terminal, and further comprising the steps of; further prompting a user for specifying an identifier tag corresponding to the storage device of the selected one of the first and second networks; and further monitoring the output of the input interface to detect information specifying the identifier tag, and, in response to detecting the information specifying the identifier tag, storing the information specifying the identifier tag in the memory of the user terminal. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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12. A method for operating a user terminal of a type that can be bidirectionally coupled to one of a plurality of networks, including at least a first network and a second network, each of the first and second networks including a respective message station having an associated storage device for storing at least one message for a user of the user terminal, the method comprising the steps of:
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registering the user terminal with one of the first and second networks; if there is at least one message stored in the storage device of the network with which the user terminal is registered, receiving a first signal from the message station of this network, the first signal indicating that there is at least one message stored in the storage device of this network; in response to receiving the first signal at the user terminal, notifying the user that there is at least one message stored in the storage device of the network with which the user terminal is registered; monitoring an output of an input interface of the user terminal to detect information specifying that the at least one message stored in the storage device of the network with which the user terminal is registered be retrieved, and, in response to detecting this information, performing the steps of; determining which one of the first and second networks the user terminal is registered with; and transmitting a second signal to the message station of the network with which the user terminal is determined to be registered, the second signal specifying that the at least one message stored in the storage device of this network be retrieved, said second signal comprising information that was previously stored in a memory of the user terminal, the information enabling the user terminal to access the storage device of the network to which the second signal is transmitted. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for operating a user terminal of a type that can be bidirectionally coupled to one of a plurality of networks, including at least a first network and a second network, the user terminal having a keypad including a plurality of keys, each of the first and second networks including a respective message station having an associated storage device for storing at least one message for a user of the user terminal, the method comprising the steps of:
monitoring an output of the keypad to detect whether a predetermined at least one of the keys is depressed for at least a predetermined time period, and, in response to detecting that the predetermined at least one of the keys is depressed for at least the predetermined time period, performing the steps of; determining which one of the first and second networks the user terminal is registered with; and transmitting a first signal to the message station of the network with which the user terminal is determined to be registered, the first signal specifying that the at least one message stored in the storage device of this network be retrieved, said first signal comprising information that was previously stored in a memory of the user terminal, the information enabling the user terminal to access the storage device of the network to which the first signal is transmitted. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A user terminal for use in at least one of a first communication network and a second communication network, each of the first and second communication networks including a respective message station having an associated storage device for storing at least one message for a user of the user terminal, the user terminal comprising:
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a transceiver for bidirectionally coupling said user terminal to said message station of respective ones of said first and second communication networks; a first user-interface; a memory; a second, input user-interface; a controller coupled to said transceiver, said memory, and to said first and second user-interfaces, said controller operating under the control of a stored program for controlling said first user-interface so as to prompt the user for defining an access code for the storage device of a selected one of said first and second communication networks, said controller also operating under the control of said stored program for monitoring an output of the second user-interface to detect information specifying the access code for said storage device, and for storing the information specifying the access code in the memory in response to detecting the information. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A user terminal of a type that can be coupled through RF links to one of a plurality of networks, including at least one of a first communication network and a second communication network, each of said first and second communication networks including a respective message station having an associated storage device for storing at least one message for a user of the user terminal, said message station of each of said communication networks being responsive to the user terminal registering with the communication network for determining whether the storage device associated with the message station stores the at least one message, and if the message station determines that the storage device stores the at least one message, the message station broadcasts a message waiting indicator signal, said user terminal comprising:
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a transceiver for bidirectionally coupling said user terminal to said message station of respective ones of said first and second networks; an input user-interface; an output user-interface; and a controller coupled to said transceiver, said input user-interface, and to said output user-interface, said controller operating under the control of a stored program for registering the user terminal with one of the first and second communication networks, said controller also operating under the control of the stored program and being responsive to a receipt of the message waiting indicator signal for controlling said output user-interface so as to notify the user that there is at least one message stored in the storage device of the communication network that transmitted the message waiting indicator signal, wherein said controller also operates under the control of the stored program for monitoring an output of the input user-interface to detect information specifying that the at least one message stored in the storage device be retrieved, said controller being responsive to detecting this information for determining which one of the communication networks the user terminal is registered with, and for outputting a request signal to the transceiver for transmission to the message station of the communication network with which the user terminal is determined to be registered, the request signal requesting that the at least one message stored in the storage device of this communication network be retrieved. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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Specification