Patents by Inventor Diane Marie Thomas

Diane Marie Thomas has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • System and method for accessing a messaging service using a short dialing sequence
    Patent number: 6453018
    Abstract: A system and method for providing easy access to messaging services in a telecommunications network having office switches that are used by different providers of telephone and messaging services. The system uses a supplementary services database to maintain customer records including whether the customer uses messaging services and whether the customer subscribes to a short dialing sequence service for access to the messaging services. The customer is connected to the central office switch, which analyzes the dialing sequences generated by the customer. When the customer attempts access to the messaging services, the customer dials a short dialing or message sequence, such as *XX. The central office switch triggers a query to the supplementary services database for a call forwarding number to the messaging service used by the customer when the selected short dialing sequence is recognized by the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Ameritech Corporation
    Inventors: Tricia Ehlers Henry, Victor Piollet Mills, Jr., Margaret Jean Andrietsch, Diana Inara Tiliks, Rodney T Brand, Carlos H Donoso, Diane Marie Thomas
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ACCESSING A MESSAGING SERVICE USING A SHORT DIALING SEQUENCE
    Publication number: 20010014142
    Abstract: A system and method for providing easy access to messaging services in a telecommunications network having office switches that are used by different providers of telephone and messaging services. The system uses a supplementary services database to maintain customer records including whether the customer uses messaging services and whether the customer subscribes to a short dialing sequence service for access to the messaging services. The customer is connected to the central office switch, which analyzes the dialing sequences generated by the customer. When the customer attempts access to the messaging services, the customer dials a short dialing or message sequence, such as *XX. The central office switch triggers a query to the supplementary services database for a call forwarding number to the messaging service used by the customer when the selected short dialing sequence is recognized by the switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 1998
    Publication date: August 16, 2001
    Inventors: TRICIA E. HENRY, VICTOR PIOLLET MILLS, MARGARET J. ANDRIETSCH, DIANNA TILIKS, RODNEY T. BRAND, CARLOS H. DONOSO, DIANE MARIE THOMAS