Method for allowing appliance-to-appliance communication transactions
First Claim
1. A method for allowing appliance-to-appliance communication transactions, said method comprising:
- receiving at an appliance communications manager that stands apart from source and destination appliances, a connection request from a source appliance;
accessing a phonebook stored in the appliance communications manager, the phonebook comprising a plurality of phonebook entries, wherein each of the phonebook entries comprises a destination appliance identifier and associated destination appliance communication information;
presenting to a user of the source appliance, a list comprising a plurality of said phonebook entries;
receiving at the appliance communications manager, the identity of a destination appliance selected from said list;
establishing, via the appliance communications manager, a communication link with said selected destination appliance; and
transferring a communication message from said source appliance to said selected destination appliance via said communication link.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for allowing appliance-to-appliance communication transactions wherein an appliance communications manager that stands apart from source and destination appliances receives a connection request from a source appliance. A phonebook having a plurality of phonebook entries, and stored in the appliance communications manager, is then accessed. Each of the phonebook entries includes a destination appliance identifier and associated destination appliance communication information. A user of the source appliance is presented with a list having a plurality of the phonebook entries. The appliance communications manager receives the identity of a destination appliance selected from said list and, via the appliance communications manager, a communication link is established with the selected destination appliance. When a communication message is received from the source appliance, the communication message is sent to the selected destination appliance.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A method for allowing appliance-to-appliance communication transactions, said method comprising:
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receiving at an appliance communications manager that stands apart from source and destination appliances, a connection request from a source appliance;
accessing a phonebook stored in the appliance communications manager, the phonebook comprising a plurality of phonebook entries, wherein each of the phonebook entries comprises a destination appliance identifier and associated destination appliance communication information;
presenting to a user of the source appliance, a list comprising a plurality of said phonebook entries;
receiving at the appliance communications manager, the identity of a destination appliance selected from said list;
establishing, via the appliance communications manager, a communication link with said selected destination appliance; and
transferring a communication message from said source appliance to said selected destination appliance via said communication link. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
said list is presented to said user via said source appliance.
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3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein:
said list is presented to said user via said appliance communications manager.
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4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein:
said list is presented to said user via a user interface that allows said user to input a destination appliance identifier and associated destination appliance communication information.
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5. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising:
temporarily storing said communication message received from said source appliance until said communication link is established and said communication message is sent to said destination appliance.
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6. An apparatus comprising:
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a first input/output (IO) communication module to receive a connection request and a communication message from a source appliance;
data memory to store a phonebook including a plurality of phonebook entries, each of the phonebook entries comprising a destination appliance identifier and associated destination appliance communication information;
a processor to access the phonebook, to present to a user of the source appliance a list comprising a plurality of said phonebook entries, to receive a destination appliance identifier selected from the list and to establish a communication link with the selected destination appliance; and
a second I/O communication module to transfer the communication message received from the source appliance to the destination appliance via the communication link.
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7. The apparatus of 6, further comprising a user interface for displaying said list to the user.
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8. A system comprising:
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a source appliance to transmit a connection request and a communication message to an appliance communications manager;
the appliance communications manager including a phonebook having a plurality of phonebook entries, each of the phonebook entries comprising a destination appliance identifier and associated destination appliance communication information, the appliance communications manager to present to a user of the source appliance a list comprising a plurality of the phonebook entries, to receive a destination appliance identifier selected from the list, to establish a communication link with the destination appliance, and to transfer the communication message received from the source appliance to the destination appliance; and
the destination appliance to receive the communication message from the appliance communications manager. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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Specification