Computerized mail notification system and method which detects calls from a mail server
First Claim
1. An electronic mailing system having at last a main host computer, for transferring mail between a sending subscriber and a recipient subscriber, said sending subscriber and said recipient subscriber not being continually connected to each other or to said host computer, comprising:
- a. a dialing unit connected to said host computer for calling a telephone number associated with said recipient subscriber whenever a mail message for said recipient subscriber arrives at the host computer;
b. a receiving unit comprising a call intercept unit associated with the recipient subscriber'"'"'s telephone, for intercepting said telephone call from said dialing unit, identifying it as a telephone call from said dialing unit and providing an indication that said dialing unit has called said call intercept unit without requiring completion of said call; and
c. a display unit for displaying said indication that said dialing unit has called said call intercept unit, thereby indicating arrival of a mail message at said host computer.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic mailing system having at least a main host computer, for transferring mail between a sending subscriber and a recipient subscriber is provided. The subscribers are not connected to each other or to the host computer. Messages are sent from one sender subscriber to another recipient subscriber via the host computer which stores mail addressed to subscribers in individual mailboxes. The host computer has a dialing unit connected to it for calling a phone associated with the recipient subscriber whenever a new message arrives at the host computer. The recipient has a receiving unit including a call intercepting unit associated with the recipient'"'"'s phone for intercepting and identifying calls from the dialing unit and a display unit for displaying an indication that the dialing unit has called the call intercepting unit.
70 Citations
57 Claims
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1. An electronic mailing system having at last a main host computer, for transferring mail between a sending subscriber and a recipient subscriber, said sending subscriber and said recipient subscriber not being continually connected to each other or to said host computer, comprising:
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a. a dialing unit connected to said host computer for calling a telephone number associated with said recipient subscriber whenever a mail message for said recipient subscriber arrives at the host computer; b. a receiving unit comprising a call intercept unit associated with the recipient subscriber'"'"'s telephone, for intercepting said telephone call from said dialing unit, identifying it as a telephone call from said dialing unit and providing an indication that said dialing unit has called said call intercept unit without requiring completion of said call; and c. a display unit for displaying said indication that said dialing unit has called said call intercept unit, thereby indicating arrival of a mail message at said host computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 54)
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11. An electronic mailing system having at last a main host computer, for transferring mail between a sending subscriber and a recipient subscriber, said sending subscriber and said recipient subscriber not being continually connected to each other or to said host computer, comprising:
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a. a dialing unit connected to said host computer for calling a telephone number associated with said recipient subscriber whenever a mail message for said recipient subscriber arrives at the host computer; b. a receiving unit comprising a modem communicator associated with the recipient subscriber'"'"'s telephone, for receiving said telephone call from said dialing unit, identifying it as a telephone call from said dialing unit and providing an indication that said dialing unit has called said receiving unit without requiring completion of said call; and c. a computer system comprising a display unit for displaying said indication that said dialing unit has called said receiving unit, thereby indicating arrival of a mail message at said host computer. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 55)
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18. A mail notification system for notifying an addressee that mail has been deposited in an addressee mailbox, the system comprising:
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a. a processing unit for processing mail operations; b. a dialing unit connected to said processing unit for calling a telephone number associated with said recipient subscriber whenever mail is deposited in said addressee subscriber'"'"'s mailbox; c. a receiving unit comprising a call intercept unit associated with the recipient subscriber'"'"'s telephone, for intercepting said telephone call from said dialing unit identifying it as a telephone call from said dialing unit and providing an indication that said dialing unit has called said call intercept unit without requiring completion of said call; and c. a display unit for displaying said indication that said dialing unit has called said call intercept unit, thereby indicating that mail has been deposited in said addressee subscriber'"'"'s mailbox. - View Dependent Claims (19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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20. A mail notification system for notifying an addressee subscriber that mail has been deposited in an addressee subscriber'"'"'s mailbox, the system comprising:
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a. a processing unit for processing mail operations; b. a sensing device, connected to said addressee subscriber'"'"'s mailbox and said processing unit, for sensing whenever mail is deposited in or removed from said addressee subscriber'"'"'s mailbox; c. a dialing unit connected to said processing unit for calling a telephone number associated with said addressee subscriber whenever mail is deposited in said addressee subscriber'"'"'s mailbox; d. a receiving unit comprising a call intercept unit associated with the recipient subscriber'"'"'s telephone, for intercepting said telephone call, identifying it as a telephone call from said dialing unit and providing an indication that said dialing unit has called said call intercept unit without requiring completion of said call; and e. a display unit for displaying said indication that said dialing unit has called said call intercept unit, thereby indicating that mail has been deposited in said addressee subscriber'"'"'s mailbox. - View Dependent Claims (56)
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31. A mail notification system for notifying an addressee subscriber that mail has been deposited in said addressee subscriber'"'"'s mail box, comprising:
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a. a processing unit for processing incoming mail; b. a dialing unit connected to said processing unit for calling a telephone number associated with said addressee subscriber whenever mail is deposited in said addressee subscriber'"'"'s mail box; c. a receiving unit comprising a modem communicator associated with the addressee subscriber'"'"'s telephone, for receiving said telephone call from said dialing unit, identifying it as a telephone call from said dialing unit and providing an indication that said dialing unit has called said receiving unit without requiring completion of said call; and d. a computer system comprising a display unit for displaying said indication that said dialing unit has called said receiving unit, thereby indicating that mail has been deposited in said addressee subscriber'"'"'s mail box. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 57)
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40. A method for notifying a subscriber that mail has been deposited in said subscriber'"'"'s mailbox, comprising the steps of:
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a. processing incoming mail; b. depositing mail addressed to said subscriber in said subscriber'"'"'s mailbox; c. dialing a telephone number associated with said subscriber whenever mail is deposited in said addressee subscriber'"'"'s mail box; d. intercepting a dialed call by means of an unit associated with said subscriber'"'"'s telephone; e. identifying said dialed call as a telephone call from said dialing unit and providing an indication that said dialing unit has called said receiving unit without requiring completion of said call; and f. displaying said indication that said dialed call has been intercepted, thereby indicating that mail has been deposited in said subscriber'"'"'s mailbox. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 53)
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47. A method for transferring mail between a sensing subscriber and a recipient subscriber via a host computer, said sending subscriber and said recipient subscriber not being continually connected to each other or to said host computer, said method comprising the steps of:
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a. dialing a telephone number associated with said recipient subscriber whenever a mail message for said recipient subscriber arrives at said host computer; b. intercepting a dialed telephone call by means of an unit associated with said subscriber'"'"'s telephone; c. identifying said dialed call as a telephone call from said dialing unit and providing an indication that said dialing unit has called said receiving unit without requiring completion of said call; and d. displaying said indication that said dialed call has been intercepted, thereby indicating that a mail message for said recipient subscriber arrives at said host computer. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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Specification