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Virtual workplace intercommunication tool

  • US 6,678,719 B1
  • Filed: 12/20/1999
  • Issued: 01/13/2004
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A system for enabling a user to determine the status of other users and to identify and use communications procedures for contacting the other users based on the status of the other users, the system comprising:

  • a plurality of communications devices, each communications device being associated with a respective user, wherein each communications device is operable for the associated user to self assign one of at least first, second, and third user statuses during a contemporaneous time, and is further operable for the associated user to self assign communications procedures respectively for each of the at least first, second, and third user statuses, the communications procedures for the respective at least first, second, and third user statuses are available for other users to use in order to contact the associated user depending upon which one of the at least first, second, and third user statuses is assigned to the associated user, wherein each communications device is operable for displaying to the associated user the user status of each of the other users, and is further operable to display to the associated user the available communications procedures for contacting each of the other users; and

    a hybrid fiber coax (HFC) communications network operable with the communications devices for providing continuous communications connectivity of the users with one another through the Internet;

    wherein the communication device associated with a user is operable with the HFC communications network and the communications devices associated with the other users for enabling the user to select a communications procedure from the available communications procedures associated with another user and then establish a communications connection with the another user using the selected communications procedure.

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