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EP0720081A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Graphical user interface for displaying attributes of received messages

Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1995-12-11
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2015-12-11
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Abstract

Abstract The present invention provides a graphical user interface for a telecommunications system preferably forming an integrated answering system (115) having a display means (1) comprising a television receiver (101) and an input control device (3) comprising a hand-held remote control (125). The answering system (115) is coupled to a telephone network (4) to provide a communications medium in addition to one or more devices such as a telephone and an attached printer. The graphical user interface comprises a message screen (206) displayed on the television receiver (101) for displaying, at a glance, the attributes of a plurality of audio, video, data and/or script messages (29). The message screen (206) is broken down into a message information frame (6) for displaying pertinent information for a plurality of messages (29) and an output control frame (8) for displaying the controls and related information needed to manipulate their output. The information frame (6) presents the attributes of the messages (29) in a sequential ordering of message entries, preferably chronological, from line-to-line. These attributes may include among other things an associated message number (207), a calling party identifier (209), a message status indicator (211), the time (213) and date (215) of the message (29) in addition to a message icon (217) that graphically portrays the type and size of the message (29). The control frame (8) comprises in the preferred embodiment a plurality of graphically represented output function buttons (85) to be used in conjunction with a remote control (125) having the same arrangement of function buttons (611) for selecting messages (29) to be output and for manipulating the actual output of the messages (29). When a message (29) is selected, the message icon (217) is displayed within the control frame (8) and can be manipulated by the remote control (125) to control the output of the messages (29).

Inventors

  • 👤 Thomas Gerard Dennehy
  • 👤 Anne Cordell
  • 👤 Myra L. Ensor
  • 👤 Kenneth Bard Gaylin
  • 👤 Garrett Gayer Hodgson

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-07 14:41
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/0035; H04N1/00405; H04N1/00408; H04N1/00411; G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/10; G06Q10/107; H04M; H04M1/00; H04M1/64; H04M1/65; H04M1/6505; H04N1/32; H04N1/32101; H04M1/57; H04M2201/00; H04M2201/38; H04M2201/42; H04N2201/00; H04N2201/32; H04N2201/3201; H04N2201/3202; H04N2201/3204; H04N2201/3205; H04N2201/3209; H04N2201/3212; H04N2201/3214; H04N2201/3215; H04N2201/3216; H04N2201/3219; H04N2201/3221; H04N2201/3273; H04N2201/3274

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 193 words
A graphical user interface for integrally displaying a variety of received messages comprising messages selected from the group consisting of audio messages, video message, facsimile messages and script messages, the graphical user interface CHARACTERIZED BY: a display having a plurality of rows for presenting in a sequential order attributes of the received messages; and the message attributes of each received message comprising at least a message identifier associated with the sequential ordering of the received message, a date and time identification indicating the date and time when the message was received, and a message icon for visually representing the amount of message data contained within each received message, the message icon for each audio and video message comprising a bar graph set within a reference frame, with the length of the reference frame indicating the maximum possible length of each audio and video message and the length of the bar graph indicating the actual length of each audio and video message, and the message icon for each facsimile and script message comprising a plurality of page representations corresponding to the number of actual pages of data contained within each facsimile and script message.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 82 words
The graphical user interface of claim 1 , wherein the message icon for each audio message and video message further comprises a play bar superimposed over the bar graph having a first end increasing in length during message output from zero units to a maximum number of units corresponding to the total actual length of the message to indicate the amount of message data output and the amount of message data remaining to be output at any given time during message output.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 85 words
The graphical user interface of claim 2 , wherein an input control device interacting with the display of the graphical user interface is used to manipulate the position of the first end of the play bar of the message icon of a selected message within the reference frame of the message icon for choosing a starting point for message data output, the input control device comprising one of a cursor control device and a remote control having a plurality of function buttons for function activation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 71 words
The graphical user interface of claim 1 , wherein an input control device interacting with the display of the graphical user interface is used to output one or more desired pages of data for each of the facsimile and script message through selection of corresponding page representations, the input control device comprising one of a cursor control device and a remote control having a plurality of function buttons for function activation.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 158 words
A graphical user interface for displaying portions of received messages on a television receiver, the television receiver coupled to a telephone network for sending and receiving messages via the network, the graphical user interface CHARACTERIZED BY: a display presented on the television receiver having a plurality of rows for displaying in a sequential order portions of the received messages comprising message attributes; and the message attributes of each received message comprising at least a message identifier associated with the sequential ordering of the received message, a date and time identification indicating the date and time when the message was received, and a message icon for visually representing the amount of message data buffered for each received message, the message icon being variable in one of size and form during message output comprising one of audio play and visual viewing for simultaneously indicating the amount of message data output and the amount of message data remaining during message output.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 81 words
The graphical user interface of claim 5 , wherein the messages displayed comprise messages selected from the group consisting of audio messages and video message having corresponding message data stored in a message data buffer, and wherein the message icon for each message comprises a bar graph set within a reference frame, with the length of the reference frame indicating the maximum possible length of the message and the length of the bar graph indicating the actual length of the message.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 71 words
The graphical user interface of claim 6 , wherein during message output the corresponding message icon further comprises a play bar having a first end increasing in length from zero units to a maximum number of units corresponding to the total actual length of the message to indicate the amount of message data output and the amount of message data remaining to be output at any given time during message output.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 81 words
The graphical user interface of claim 7 , wherein the television receiver receives control input from a controller coupled to the television receiver, the controller having a plurality of function buttons for manipulating the output of the messages, with the first end of the play bar of the size icon for a selected message being movable within the reference frame in accordance with activation of the function buttons of the controller to a position indicating a starting point for message output.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 69 words
The graphical user interface of claim 5 , wherein the messages displayed in the graphical user interface comprise messages selected from the group consisting of facsimile messages and script messages having corresponding message data stored in a message data buffer, and wherein the message icon for each message comprises a plurality of page representations corresponding to the number of actual pages of data stored within the message data buffer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 62 words
The graphical user interface of claim 9 , wherein the television receiver receives control input from a controller coupled to the television receiver, the controller having a plurality of function buttons for use in selecting messages from the display for message output and for outputting one or more desired pages of data of a selected message through selection of corresponding page representations.

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