US 5,315,642 A · Concurrent creation and transmission of text messages to multiple paging services

Abstract

A paging device sends text messages to pagers via paging services observing different communication protocols. Communication data is stored in random access memory and includes a service file identifying telephone numbers and protocols associated with each paging services and a pager file containing pager identification codes. Operator message creation and automatic transmission occur contemporaneously, coordinated with status fields in message records. Each newly-created message is stored in a queue together with control data identifying a paging service and pager and status data indicating a "pending" status, namely, a requirement for transmission of the message. The automatic transmission involves repeated scanning of the queue for pending messages, programming a modem according to the message's control data, and arranging transmission to the relevant service. The status of messages subject to transmission errors is automatically set to "rejected". The operator can retrieve any message from queue, setting its status from rejected to pending to reinitiate transmission or from pending to cancelled to suppress transmission. Communication data can also be transmitted to and received from an identical device in a remote service center, to allow correction of faulty communication data or reconfiguration to meet user requirements.

Claims16

Dependent claims

For a remotely-located device that transmits text messages with a programmable modem over telephone lines to a paging service that serves pagers and observes a particular communication protocol, the device using communication data stored in storage means associated with the device to communicate with the paging service and being programmed to permit entry and editing of the communication data, the communication data comprising at least paging service data identifying the communication protocol of the paging service, a method of reconfiguring the communication data of the remotely-located device to correct transmission problems associated with faulty communication data or to meet operator communication requirements, the method comprising:

telephonically connecting the remotely-located device via its modem with a device at the service center;
operating the remotely-located device to retrieve from its associated storage means the communication data and to transmit the retrieved communication data according to a predetermined communication protocol via its modem over telephone lines to the telephonically-connected service center device;
storing the received communication data in storage means associated with the service center device;
reconfiguring the received communication data with the service center device;
telephonically connecting the service centre device with the remotely-located device after reconfiguring the received communication data;
transmitting the reconfigured communication data from the service centre device over telephone lines to the telephonically-connected remotely-located device;
and,
operating the remotely-located device to store the reconfigured transmitted communication data in the storage means associated with the remotely-located device for later use by the remotely-located device for communication with the paging service.

5 more elements

A device for sending text messages destined for pagers over telephone lines to a paging service serving the pagers, comprising:

input means comprising a keyboard;
a display;
storage means for storing data in digital form;
a modem;
control means coupled to the input means, the display, the storage means and the modem;
the control means comprising an operator-controlled mode of operation and a concurrent automatic mode of operation, the control means being programmed for the operator-controlled mode of operation:
(a) to permit an operator with the input means to compose messages on the display and to associate each of the composed messages with any one of the pagers;
and,
(b) to store each of the composed messages in a message queue in the storage means together with transmission data identifying the associated pager and status data associating a predetermined status with the message, the predetermined status being one of a set of predetermined statuses including a transmit status and a transmitted status;
the control means being programmed for the automatic mode of operation:
(d) to repeatedly scan the message queue to identify messages whose status data indicates a transmit status;
(e) to transmit via the modem over the telephone lines to the paging service each of the identified messages;
and,
(f) to alter the status data of the identified messages to associate therewith a transmitted status.

11 more elements

A method of sending text messages destined for pagers with a programmable modem over telephone lines to a plurality of paging services serving the pagers and observing different communication protocols, comprising:

storing communication data in digital form in a storage medium, the communication data comprising paging service data identifying for each of the paging services its communication protocol and at least one telephone number for the paging service and comprising pager data identifying for each of the pagers one of the paging services serving the pager and data required by the one paging service to identify the pager for communication therewith;
composing the messages with input means comprising a keyboard;
operating the input means in response to the stored communication data to generate for each of the messages transmission control data associating the message with a particular pager and the paging service serving the particular pager;
storing each of the composed messages and its associated transmission control data in digital form in a message queue in the storage medium thereby creating a queue of messages associated with different ones of the paging services;
transmitting the messages in the message queue to the associated paging services, the transmission comprising repeatedly:
(a) selecting an untransmitted message in the message queue and identifying from its associated stored transmission control data the particular paging service associated with the selected message;
(b) identifying among the messages in the message queue other untransmitted messages for which the associated stored transmission control data also identify the particular paging service;
(c) programming the modem for transmission to the particular paging service in response to the transmission control data associated with the selected message and the stored paging service data for the particular paging service;
and,
(d) communicating with the particular paging service via the programmed modem to transfer the selected message and the other identified messages in succession to the particular paging in a single communication session.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Concurrent creation and transmission of text messages to multiple paging services

Life of this patent

Concurrent creation and transmission of text messages to multiple paging services

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16