Unified paging

• US 6,987,443 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2001
• Issued: 01/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lund, Arnold M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): YANG, CLARA I
• Application Number:
  US09/940,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20030038708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,604 Days
• Field of Search: 340/7.23, 340/7.28, 340/7.22, 340/7.29, 340/7.52, 340/7.54, 340/7.53, 340/7.57, 379/88.1, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.14, 379/88.15, 379/88.16, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/88.19, 379/88.22
• US Class Current: 340/7.23
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/023 with message or information receiving capability

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for paging from a pagor to a pager is disclosed. In one step, a page is sent wirelessly to the pager and received from the pagor. After determining that the pagee has not responded to the page for a predetermined time period, the page is converted to a message and a message-waiting indicator is activated.

Claims

1. A method for paging from a pagor to a pager, where the pager is associated with a pagee, the method comprising steps of:

receiving one or more alert criterion from one or more of the pagor and the pagee;

sending a page wirelessly to the pager;

determining the pagee has not responded to the page for a predetermined time period;

determining at least one of the alert criterion is satisfied; and

upon the determining the pagee has not responded and the at least one alert criterion is satisfied, converting the page to a message in a communication mode agnostic format, storing the message, and activating a message-waiting indicator associated with the pager.

2. The method for paging from the pagor to the pager as recited in claim 1, wherein the message is stored remote to the pager.

3. The method for paging from the pagor to the pager as recited in claim 1, wherein the converting step comprises a step of converting the page to the message with a unified messaging system that stores messages associated with devices other than pagers.

4. The method for paging from the pagor to the pager as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of receiving a selection from the pagor of at least one of a plurality of predetermined messages to associate with the page.

5. The method for paging from the pagor to the pager as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of storing information relating to one or more communication modes for the pagor that the pagee can use when returning the page.

6. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implementable method for paging from the pagor to the pager as recited in claim 1.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically activating the message-waiting indicator comprises activating one of a light indicator or a sensory indicator associated with the pagor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the alert criterion is based upon caller I.D. information associated with the page.

9. A method for paging from a pagor at a first location to a pager, where the pager is associated with a pagee, the method comprising steps of:

storing information relating to a communication mode for the pagor that the pagee can use when returning the page;

sending a page wirelessly to the pager at a second location;

waiting until a predetermined time period has expired without the pagee responding to the page;

converting the page to a message away from the second location;

upon expiration of the predetermined time period, activating a message-waiting indicator associated with the pager;

receiving a voice message from the pagee;

converting the voice message to a second format;

transmitting the message in the second format to the pagor;

wherein the second format comprises a text format; and

wherein transmitting the message to the pagor comprises transmitting an e-mail.

10. The method for paging from the pagor to the pager as recited in claim 9, wherein the converting step comprises a step of converting the page to the message with a unified messaging system that stores messages associated with devices other than pagers.

11. The method for paging from the pagor to the pager as recited in claim 9, further comprising a step of receiving a selection from the pagor of at least one of a plurality of predetermined messages to associate with the page.

12. The method for paging from the pagor to the pager as recited in claim 9, further comprising a step of storing information relating to a plurality of communication modes for the pagor that the pagee can use when returning the page.

13. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implementable method for paging from the pagor to the pager as recited in claim 9.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein activating the message-waiting indicator comprises activating one of a light indicator, a sensory indicator, or an auditory indicator.

15. A method for paging from a pagor to a pager, where the pager is associated with a pagee, the method comprising steps of:

receiving a first alert criterion from one of the pagor or the pagee;

receiving a second alert criterion from one of the pagor or the pagee;

receiving a page from the pagor at a first location;

receiving a selection from the pagor of at least one of a plurality of predetermined messages to associate with the page;

storing information relating to a communication mode for the pagor that the pagee can use when returning the page;

sending the page wirelessly to the pager at a second location;

waiting a predetermined time period has expired without the pagee responding to the page;

converting the page to a message away from the second location with a unified messaging system that stores messages associated with devices other than pagers;

determining the first alert criterion is satisfied;

upon expiration of the predetermined time period and the determining the first alert criterion is satisfied, activating a first message-waiting indicator associated with the pager;

determining the second alert criterion is satisfied; and

upon determining the second alert criterion is satisfied, activating a second indicator associated with the pager.

16. The method for paging from the pagor to the pager as recited in claim 15, further comprising steps of:

receiving a call from the pagee at the unified messaging system;

retrieving the information relating to the communication mode for the pagor; and

automatically connecting the pagee to the pagor using the communication mode.

17. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implementable method for paging from the pagor to the pager as recited in claim 15.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein activating the message-waiting indicator comprises activating one of a light indicator, a sensory indicator, or an auditory indicator.

19. A method for paging from a pagor at a first location to a pager, where the pager is associated with a pagee, the method comprising steps of:

storing information relating to a communication mode for the pagor that the pagee can use when returning the page;

sending a page wirelessly to the pager at a second location;

waiting until a predetermined time period has expired without the pagee responding to the page;

converting the page to a message away from the second location;

upon expiration of the predetermined time period, activating a message-waiting indicator associated with the pager;

receiving a voice message from the pagee;

converting the voice message to a second format;

transmitting the message in the second format to the pagor;

wherein the second format comprises a fax format; and

wherein transmitting the message to the pagor comprises transmitting a fax.