Applied Voice Technology Inc, of Kirkland, Washington, reckons it holds a key patent related to the graphical control toolbar used in its CallXpress unified messaging products. The patent, which has been granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office, addresses the use of a single graphical tool bar to control the play, record, rewind, fast forward and pause functions of multiple playback objects from a personal computer, as used for multiple voice messages and for other media types, such as video messages. Such objects are an integral part of many unified messaging products currently on the market, the company says ominously.