Intelligent messaging system and method for providing and updating a message using a communication device, such as a large character display

• US 6,034,970 A
• Filed: 07/02/1997
• Issued: 03/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: S Aqua Semiconductor LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Adaptive Micro Systems LLC
• Inventors: Peters, Michael J., Bilgrien, Stephen D., Levac, Ronald A., Kuecherer, Robert K.
• Primary Examiner(s): TON, DANG T
• Application Number:
  US08/887,445
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 370/464, 370/465, 370/466, 370/256, 370/408, 370/401, 370/389, 370/395, 370/252, 370/241, 340/825.44, 340/825.36, 340/825.34, 340/825.17, 340/825.27, 340/825.26, 340/825.15, 704/201, 704/203, 704/224, 704/228, 704/250, 704/249, 704/302, 710/105, 711/202, 711/206, 455/426, 455/457, 455/458, 379/88, 379/89, 379/87, 379/83, 379/93.15, 379/93.14, 379/93.17
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components

Abstract

An intelligent messaging system automatically conveys messages generated by a variety of message sources to one or more designated message recipients who receive communications via different types of communication devices, including a large character display. A message server automatically dispatches messages and updates to messages to a communication device interface which converts the message and message updates to a protocol compatible with the types of communication devices used by the designated message recipients. The converted message is further routed to local or remote communication destinations at which the message recipients'"'"' communication devices are located. Automatic, real-time updates of messages can thus be achieved.

Claims

1. A messaging system, comprising:

a first message source interface to receive a message and message parameters related to the message, the message parameters at least including data identifying a first message recipient;

a second message source interface to receive update information related to the message;

a message server in communication with the first and second message source interfaces, the message server configured to receive the message, the message parameters and the update information and to automatically dispatch at least one of the message and the update information based on the message parameters;

a communication device interface in communication with the message server, the communication device interface being configured to receive and to convert the at least one of the message and the update information to at least a first communication device protocol, thereby generating a first communication device message and first communication device update information; and

a first communication device in communication with the communication device interface, the first communication device being configure to receive and provide indicia representative of the at least one of the first communication device message and first communication device update information, the indicia being sensible by the first message recipient.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first message source interface is a user interface.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the second message source interface is an automated source interface in communication with an automated source and the update information is received from the automated source.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the update information is real-time update information.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the message parameters further include data identifying a time for automatically dispatching at least the message and the update information.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the message includes a variable value and the update information includes variable data for updating the variable value.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second message source interface receives update information via the Internet.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second message source interface receives the update information from a Web site having information content and the update information is a notification of modification to the information content.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the notification is representative of at least a portion of the modification to the information content.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second communication device in communication with the communication device interface to receive at least one of a second communication device message and second communication device update information having a second communication device protocol, the second communication device being configured to provide indicia representative of the at least one of the second communication device message and the second communication device update information, the indicia being sensible to at least one of the first message recipient and a second message recipient identified by the data included in the message parameters,

wherein the communication device interface includes first and second protocol converters, and

wherein the message server automatically selectively dispatches at least one of the message and the update information to the first and second protocol converters based on the message parameters.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first and second communication devices are located at different communication destinations, and the communication device interface automatically selectively conveys at least one of the first communication device message, the first communication device update information, the second communication device message, and the second communication device update information to at least one of the communication destinations based on the message parameters.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein

the first communication device is a character display and the indicia include characters having a height substantially equal to or greater than one-half inch, and

the second communication device is one of a pager, a facsimile machine, a voice mail system, an electronic mail system, an alarm, a public address system, and a personal computer.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the character display is an alphanumeric character display.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the character display is an LED display.

15. A method for communicating using a character display, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a message;

receiving message parameters related to the message, the message parameters including data at least designating a first message recipient;

receiving update information related to the message;

conveying at least one of the message and the update information to a message server;

converting at least one of the message and the update information to a character display protocol, thereby generating a character display message and character display update information;

automatically dispatching at least one of the character display message and the character display update information to a character display based on the message parameters; and

displaying on the character display characters representative of at least one of the character display message and the character display update information, the characters having a height substantially equal to or greater than one-half inch and being visible to the first message recipient.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of automatically dispatching includes automatically dispatching at least one of the character display message and the character display update information having the character display protocol at a time specified by the message parameters.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the message includes a variable value and the update information includes variable data, the method further comprising the step of updating the variable value with the variable data.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of monitoring an Internet Web site having information content and wherein the step of receiving the update information includes receiving a notification of a modification to the information content.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the character display is an LED display.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

automatically selectively converting at least one of the message and the update information based on the message parameters to a communication device protocol, thereby generating a communication device message and communication device update information;

automatically selectively dispatching at least one of the communication device message and the communication device update information to a communication device based on the message parameters; and

providing with the communication device indicia representative of at least one of the communication device message and the communication device update information, the indicia being sensible to at least one of the first message recipient and a second message recipient designated by the data included in the message parameters.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the character display and the communication device are located at different communication destinations and the method further comprises the step of automatically selectively dispatching at least one of the character display message, the character display update information, the communication device message, and the communication device update information to at least one of the communication destinations based on the message parameters.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the communication device is one of a pager, a facsimile machine, a voice mail system, an electronic mail system, an alarm, a public address system, and a personal computer.

23. A messaging system, comprising;

a message source interface to receive a message addressed to at least a first message recipient;

a message file generator to generate a message file based on the message, the message file having a message portion and a message parameter portion, the message parameter portion including data identifying the first message recipient;

a message server to receive the message file from the message file generator and automatically dispatch at least the message portion in response to the message parameter portion;

a communication device interface in communication with the message server, the communication device interface being configured to receive and convert the message portion to at least a first converted message having a character display protocol and a second converted message having a communication device protocol; and

a character display in communication with the communication device interface and configured to receive and display characters representative of the first converted message, the characters having a height substantially equal to or greater than one-half inch and being visible to the first recipient.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the message parameter portion further includes data identifying a time for automatically dispatching at least the message portion.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the message source interface further includes an update inter face to receive update information related to the message file.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the message file includes a variable value and the update information includes variable data for updating the variable value.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the update interface receives update information from an Internet Web site having information content and the update information is a notification of a modification to the information content.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the notification is representative of at least a portion of the modification to the information content.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the character display is an LED display.

30. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

a communication device in communication with the communication device interface to receive the second converted message, the communication device being configured to provide indicia representative of the second converted message, the indicia being sensible to at least one of the first message recipient and a second message recipient identified by the data included in the message parameter portion.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the character display and the communication device are located at different communication destinations, and the communication device interface automatically selectively conveys at least one of the first converted message and the second converted message to at least one of the communication destinations in response to the message parameter portion.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the communication device is one of a pager, a facsimile machine, a voice mail system, an electronic mail system, an alarm, a public address system, and a personal computer.

33. A method for automatically sending a communication to at least one of a plurality of types of communication devices, each of the plurality of types of communication devices communicating in a format different than the other types of communication devices, the plurality of types of devices being located at a plurality of communication destinations, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a message addressed to at least a first message recipient;

generating a message file based on the message, the message file including a message portion and a message parameter portion, the message parameter portion including data identifying the first message recipient;

conveying the message file to a message server;

selecting at least a character display from the plurality of types of communication devices based on the message parameter portion;

selecting at least one of the plurality of communication destinations based on the message parameter portion, wherein at least the character display is located at the selected communication destination;

converting the message portion to at least a first converted message having a character display protocol;

dispatching at least the first converted message to the character display located at the selected communication destination in response to the message parameter portion; and

displaying on the character display characters representative of the first converted message, the characters having a height substantially equal to or greater than one-half inch and being visible to the first message recipient.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the dispatching step includes dispatching at least the first converted message at a time specified by the message parameter portion.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising the steps of:

receiving update information related to the message file;

conveying the update information to the message server;

converting the update information to at least a converted update information having the character display protocol;

selectively dispatching the converted update information to the character display located at the selected communication destination based on the message parameter portion; and

displaying the characters on the character display, the characters being representative of the converted update information.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the message file includes a variable value and the update information includes variable data, the method further comprising the step of updating the variable value with the variable data.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising the step of monitoring an Internet Web site having information content and wherein the step of receiving the update information includes receiving a notification of a modification to the information content.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein the character display is an LED display.

39. The method of claim 33, wherein

the converting step includes converting the message portion to a second converted message having a communication device protocol compatible with an additional type of communication device selected from the plurality of types of communication devices,

the dispatching step includes dispatching the second converted message to the additional type of communication device located at at least one communication destination selected from the plurality of communication destinations, and

the method further comprising the step of providing with the additional type of communication device indicia representative of the second converted message, the indicia being sensible to at least one of the first message recipient and a second message recipient identified by the data included in the message parameter portion.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the additional type of communication device is one of a pager, a facsimile machine, a voice mail system, an electronic mail system, an alarm and a personal computer.