Electronic mail pop-up control system

• US 6,408,055 B1
• Filed: 06/10/1999
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Telecom Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Telecom Technologies Limited
• Inventors: Kokubun, Hisami
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US09/284,991
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/70, 379/76, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.21, 379/93.21, 379/265, 379/48, 379/88.18, 379/93.12, 379/93.13, 379/93.35, 379/142.08, 379/157, 379/158, 379/201.01, 379/202.01, 379/205.01, 379/207.01, 379/208.01, 379/209.01, 379/210.01, 379/211.02, 379/212.01, 379/265.01, 379/265.06, 379/265.11
• US Class Current: 379/67.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems

Abstract

An electronic mail pop-up control system in a dealing system for lightening a burden on a dealer handling a large amount of information at the same time by reducing the number of operations to be done on a dealing talk terminal, said control system lightening a burden on a dealer by displaying an electronic mail which is one of means for exchanging information between talking terminals 1 on a display 1-26 of a called side talking terminal 1 without any operation performed by a dealer at the called side.

Claims

1. An electronic mail pop-up control system comprising a plurality of talking terminals and a line control unit for communication-connecting with said plurality of talking terminals, wherein

each of said plurality of talking terminals comprises:

message input means for inputting a message; and

display means for displaying various messages including a line display screen to display a communication-connection operation key and a message input request key,

wherein a first talking terminal of said plurality of talking terminals comprises;

message input request key recognition means for recognizing a key operation of said message input request key in said line display screen;

electronic mail input means for, when said message input request key recognition means recognizes a key operation of said message input request key, displaying an electronic mail input request key, displaying an electronic mail input display window on said line display screen and inputting a message inputted by said message input means in said electronic mail input display window; and

transfer means for transferring the message inputted by said electronic mail input means to a second talking terminal of said plurality of talking terminals;

wherein said second talking terminal comprises;

reception means for receiving the message transferred from said first talking terminal;

electronic mail display means for, when said reception means receives said message while said display means displays said line display screen, automatically pop-up displaying an electronic mail display window on said line display screen and displaying the message received by said reception means in the electronic mail display window;

storage means for storing a plurality of previously-set reply messages;

reply message selection display means for displaying a plurality of select keys corresponding to each of said plurality of reply messages in said electronic mail display window;

selection means for selecting a desired select key out of said plurality of select keys displayed in said electronic mail display window by said reply message selection display means; and

reply means for, when said selection means selects a desired select key, automatically transferring to said first talking terminal the reply message corresponding to the select key selected by the selection means.

2. An electronic mail-pop-up control system according to claim 1, wherein said first talking terminal comprises:

reception means for receiving the reply message transferred from said second talking terminal; and

reply mail display means for, when said reception means receives said reply message while said display means displays said line display screen, automatically pop-up displaying the electronic mail display window at the forefront of said line display screen, and displaying the reply message received by said reception means in the electronic mail display window.

3. A method for sending electronic messages between a first talking terminal and a second talking terminal, comprising:

operating a first key of the first talking terminal to obtain an electronic message transmission screen on a display of the first talking terminal;

typing in data onto the electronic message transmission screen, by way of a keyboard of the first talking terminal;

operating a second key of the first talking terminal to select the second talking terminal as a called terminal;

operating a third key of the first talking terminal to send a first electronic message corresponding to data entered onto the electronic message transmission screen to the second talking terminal;

receiving the first electronic message at the second talking terminal;

automatically displaying the first electronic message on a display screen of the second talking terminal without any prior key operation being entered at the second talking terminal to display the first electronic message;

operating a first key of the second talking terminal to reply to the first electronic message;

outputting a predefined electronic message, as a second electronic message, as well as information as to the first key of the second talking terminal being operated, to the first talking terminal; and

popping up a display screen at the first talking terminal to display the second electronic message without any prior key operation being entered at the first talking terminal to display the second electronic message, and notifying a user at the first talking terminal of the operating of the first key of the second talking terminal by illuminating a corresponding key at the first talking terminal while the second electronic message is displayed on the display screen at the first talking terminal.