Method and system for sending, receiving and managing messaging data

• US 20020183044A1
• Filed: 08/31/2001
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 2Point Communications Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Eric, Blackwell, Jonathan, Kwan, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 7,185,058 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components

Abstract

A system and method of sending, receiving and managing messaging data through a shell interface is provided. The system includes a plurality of communication services, at least one messaging client and a host server. The plurality of communication services provides fax, voicemail and/or pager messaging services. The host server provides an interface between the messaging client and the plurality of communication services. The messaging client has a shell interface. A messaging component is installed into the shell interface. At least one messaging entry is displayed through the shell interface. The displayed messaging entry identifies received faxes, voicemails and/or pager messages. One of the received faxes, voicemails and pager messages is selected through the shell interface, and an appropriate communication service is invoked for accessing the selected message.

Claims

1. A method of sending, receiving and managing messaging data through a shell interface, comprising the steps of:

installing a messaging component into the shell interface;

displaying at least one messaging entry through the shell interface, the displayed messaging entry identifying received faxes, voicemails and/or pager messages; and

invoking an appropriate communication service for accessing a selected one of the received faxes, voicemails and pager messages, wherein the selected message is selected through the shell interface.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a second messaging entry through the shell interface, wherein the second messaging entry identifies sent faxes, voicemails and/or pager messages.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a second messaging entry through the shell interface, wherein the second messaging entry identifies outgoing faxes, voicemails and/or pager messages.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a second messaging entry through the shell interface, wherein the second messaging entry provides contact data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the messaging component installs a messaging shell namespace.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the messaging component adds a compose message user interface accessible through the shell interface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the messaging component adds a status monitor user interface accessible through the shell interface.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the messaging component adds a messaging properties user interface accessible through the shell interface for managing mailboxes.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user interface provides means for viewing and changing settings for the mailboxes.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication service includes a voice message viewer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication service includes a pager message viewer.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication service includes a fax message viewer.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the messaging component is maintained in a dynamic link library.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed messaging entry shows that a received fax, voicemail and pager message is an attachment to an e-mail message.

16. The program storage device of claim 15, the method steps further comprising

displaying a second messaging entry through the shell interface, the second messaging entry identifying sent faxes, voicemails and/or pager messages.

18. The computer data signal of claim 17, wherein a second messaging entry is displayed through the shell interface, the second messaging entry identifying sent faxes, voicemails and/or pager messages.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein a second messaging entry is displayed through the shell interface, the second messaging entry identifying sent faxes, voicemails and/or pager messages.

15. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for sending, receiving and managing messaging data through a shell interface, the method steps comprising:

installing a messaging component into the shell interface;

displaying at least one messaging entry through the shell interface, the displayed messaging entry identifying received faxes, voicemails and/or pager messages; and

invoking an appropriate communication service for accessing a selected one of the received faxes, voicemails and pager messages, wherein the selected message is selected through the shell interface.

17. A computer data signal embodied in a transmission medium which embodies instructions executable by a computer to send, receive and manage messaging data through a shell interface, comprising:

a first segment including installation code to install a messaging component into the shell interface;

a second segment including message management code in the messaging component to display at least one messaging entry through the shell interface, the displayed messaging entry identifying received faxes, voicemails and/or pager messages; and

a third segment including service invocation code to invoke an appropriate communication service for accessing a selected one of the received faxes, voicemails and pager messages, wherein the selected message is selected through the shell interface.

19. A system for sending, receiving and managing messaging data, comprising:

a plurality of communication services providing fax, voicemail and/or pager messaging services;

at least one messaging client having a shell interface with a messaging component to display at least one messaging entry through the shell interface, wherein the displayed messaging entry identifies received faxes, voicemails and/or pager messages, one of the received faxes, voicemails and pager messages is selected through the shell interface, and an appropriate one of the communication services is invoked by the messaging client for accessing the selected message; and

a host server providing an interface between the at least one messaging client and the plurality of communication services.