The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 10, 1991
Filed:
Feb. 02, 1990
Sanford S Brown, Lincroft, NJ (US);
AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
An information retrieval system includes an interactive operating mode which enables a user at a facsimile machine to receive multiple facsimile messages, each in response to a separate user request, during a single communication connection to the system. In one arrangement, the first facsimile message includes a menu of services provided by the system and subsequent facsimile messages contain information obtained in response to user selections made from that menu. The operation of a predefined button or entry of a predefined feature code at the facsimile machine is used to establish the interactive mode thereat and to signal the system to also establish the interactive mode of operation. The interactive mode is terminated at both the facsimile machine and system by the user 1) hanging up or the system timing out, 2) by the user entering a termination code, or 3) by the system sending a terminate command to the facsimile machine.