Loading patent…
OwnerEmmanuel L. Huna, Kang S. Lim +1inventors
InventorsEMMANUEL L. HUNA, KANG S. LIM, Stephen C. O'Neal
Estimating the term…
An apparatus and method for alerting a user upon receipt of selected messages, independent of the type of device generating the message is provided. Message generating devices include telephony devices (telephone, fax machine, etc.), or data devices such as a computer or PDA. All messages are converted into a format compatible with a data network for delivery to a web server. The web server includes a message notification system with message alert type selection and incoming message filtering. A user designates from a computer the types of messages for which s/he wishes to be alerted, and designates how the alert is to be presented on his/her computer. When messages are received by the web server, they are distinguished by message type, and filtered according to the user defined criteria. Selected messages cause a message indication to be generated provided to a program on the user's computer. The program alerts the user, either visually or audibly, depending on user defined criteria, of the number and type of received messages. One alert type of the present invention includes a flashing icon or LED on the user's computer system.
A method for alerting a user of received messages transmitted from a plurality of different device types, the received messages transmitted to a message notification system, the alert provided to the user via a computer system, the method comprising:
A message alert system comprising:
A message notification system, coupled to a data network, for receiving a plurality of messages originating from a plurality of different message sending devices, and for notifying a user via a computer upon receipt of selected ones of the plurality of received messages, the system comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.