System and method for communicating messages between a host computer and a designated device

• US 20030014492A1
• Filed: 07/11/2001
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Premutico, Mauro
• Granted Patent: US 7,076,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

The present invention relates to an improved system and method for an automated electronic messaging system employing at least one host computer and at least one designated device, such as a mobile device. A forwarding agent sends a message from the host computer to the designated device. The designated device receives the forwarded message, sends a response message directly to a recipient and sends a copy message, which is associated with the response message, to the host computer. The response message is configured using an address associated with the host computer.

Claims

1. A method for replying to a message from a designated device in an automated messaging system, the message being sent by a sender to an address associated with a host computer, said method comprising the steps of:

a) configuring the host computer to forward messages to an address associated with the designated device;

b) sending a forwarded message from the host computer to said address associated with the designated device, said forwarded message being associated with the message sent to the address associated with the host computer;

c) receiving the forwarded message on the designated device;

d) sending a reply message from the designated device to the sender, wherein the reply message includes originating information and wherein the originating information of the reply message is configured using information associated with the host computer; and

e) sending a copy message from the designated device to the address associated with the host computer, said copy message being associated with the reply message.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the copy message includes recipient information and wherein the recipient information of the copy message is configured using information associated with the sender.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the forwarded message includes originating information and wherein the originating information of the forwarded message is configured using information associated with sender.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the message sent to the address associated with the host computer is in a first file format and wherein the forwarded message is in a second file format, and wherein the method further comprises converting the first file format to the second file format.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the first file format is primarily a text format and wherein the second file format is primarily an audio format.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the first file format is primarily an audio format and wherein the second file format is primarily a text format.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the sending of the copy message to the address associated with the host computer is not noticeable by the sender.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the copy message is sent to the address associated with the host computer in a blind carbon copy format.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the host computer only forwards messages of a certain type to the designated device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the designated device is a mobile device.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the message sent to the address associated with the host computer is an email message.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the reply message is an email message.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the copy message includes recipient information and wherein the recipient information of the copy message is configured using information associated with the recipient address.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the forwarded message includes originating information and wherein the originating information of the forwarded message is configured using information associated with sender.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the copy message includes recipient information and wherein the recipient information of the copy message is configured using information associated with the sender.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the forwarded message includes originating information and wherein the originating information of the forwarded message is configured using information associated with sender.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the message sent to the address associated with the host computer is in a first file format and wherein the forwarded message is in a second file format, and wherein the system further comprises a formatting agent for converting the first file format to the second file format.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the first file format is primarily a text format and wherein the second file format is primarily an audio format.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the first file format is primarily an audio format and wherein the second file format is primarily a text format.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein the sending of the copy message to the address associated with the host computer is not noticeable by the sender.

23. The system of claim 16 wherein the host computer only forwards messages of a certain type to the designated device.

24. The system of claim 16 wherein the designated device is a mobile device.

25. The system of claim 16 wherein the message sent to the address associated with the host computer is an email message.

26. The method of claim 16 wherein the response message is an email message.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the copy message includes recipient information and wherein the recipient information of the copy message is configured using information associated with the sender.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the forwarded message includes originating information and wherein the originating information of the forwarded message is configured using information associated with sender.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein the message sent to the address associated with the host computer is in a first file format and wherein the forwarded message is in a second file format, and wherein the method further comprises converting the first file format to the second file format.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the first file format is primarily a text format and wherein the second file format is primarily an audio format.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the first file format is primarily an audio format and wherein the second file format is primarily a text format.

33. The method of claim 27 wherein the sending of the copy message to the address associated with the host computer is not noticeable by the sender.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the copy message includes recipient information and wherein the recipient information of the copy message is configured using information associated with the sender.

36. The system of claim 34 wherein the reformatted message includes originating information and wherein the originating information of the reformatted message is configured using information associated with sender.

37. The system of claim 34 wherein the message is in a first file format and wherein the reformatted message is in a second file format, and wherein the message-formatting agent converts the first file format to the second file format.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the first file format is primarily a text format and wherein the second file format is primarily an audio format.

39. The system of claim 37 wherein the first file format is primarily an audio format and wherein the second file format is primarily a text format.

40. The system of claim 37 wherein the sending of the copy message to the address associated with the host computer is not noticeable by the sender.

41. The system of claim 37 wherein the host computer only forwards messages of a certain type to the designated device.

42. The system of claim 37 wherein the designated device is a mobile device.

43. The system of claim 37 wherein the message sent to the address associated with the host computer is an email message.

44. The method of claim 37 wherein the response message is an email message.

13. A method for responding to a message sent to an address associated with a host computer in an automated messaging system, said method comprising the steps of:

a) configuring the host computer to forward messages to an address associated with a designated device;

b) sending a forwarded message from the host computer to said address associated with the designated device, said forwarded message being associated with the message sent to the address associated with the host computer;

c) receiving the forwarded message on the designated device;

d) sending a response message from the designated device to a recipient address, wherein the response message includes originating information and wherein the originating information of the response message is configured using information associated with the host computer and wherein the recipient address is not the address associated with the host computer; and

e) sending a copy message from the designated device to the address associated with the host computer, said copy message being associated with the response message.

16. An automated electronic messaging system for responding to a message sent from a sender to an address associated with a host computer, the sender being associated with a sender address, said system comprising:

a) a designated device, said designated device being associated with a designated device address;

b) a message-forwarding agent for sending a forwarded message from said host computer to said designated device address, said forwarded message being associated with the message sent to the address associated with the host computer;

c) a response message agent for sending a response message from said designated device to the sender address, wherein the response message includes originating information and wherein the originating information of the response message is configured using information associated with the host computer; and

d) a copy agent for sending a copy message from said designated device to the address associated with the host computer, said copy message being associated with the response message.

27. A method for providing a response message from a designated device in an automated messaging system, said method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving on a host computer a message sent to an address associated with the host computer, the message being sent from a sender, the sender being associated with a sender address;

b) sending a forwarded message from the host computer to an address associated with the designated device, said forwarded message being associated with the message sent to the address associated with the host computer;

c) receiving the forwarded message on the designated device;

d) sending a reply message from the designated device to the sender address, wherein the reply message is configured using the address associated with the host computer;

e) sending a copy message from the designated device to the address associated with the host computer, said copy message being associated with the reply message;

f) receiving the copy message on the host computer.

34. An automated electronic messaging system for responding to a message sent from a sender to an address associated with a host computer, the sender being associated with a sender address, said system comprising:

a) a designated device, said designated device being associated with a designated device address;

b) a message-formatting agent for converting the message to a reformatted message, said reformatted message can be processed by the designated device;

c) a message-forwarding agent for sending the reformatted message from said host computer to said designated device address; and

d) an agent for sending i) a response message from said designated device to the sender address, wherein the response message includes originating information and wherein the originating information is configured using information associated with the host computer and ii) a copy message from said designated device to the address associated with the host computer, said copy message being associated with the response message.