Personal switchboard system and method

• US 20020075519A1
• Filed: 12/20/2000
• Published: 06/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Konsella, Shane, Rishel, Michael L., Abraham, Kwesi E.
• Application Number:
  US09/745,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20020075519A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/402
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53 Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages , i.e. mailbox systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00281 with a telecommunication apparatus, e.g. a switched network of teleprinters for the distribution of text-based information, a selective call terminal details of transmission H04N1/00095; establishing a communication with one of a facsimile machine or another apparatus sharing a single line H04N1/32704; interfacing cordless telephone terminals with an accessory to increase the functionality of user interface H04M1/72409
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00302 with a telephonic apparatus, e.g. telephone answering machine or videotex terminal H04N1/00307 takes precedence; telephonic communication H04M
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32416 Storage of instructions or retrieval of prestored instructions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0067 Converting to still picture data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0068 Converting from still picture data

Abstract

A system and method for routing a communication originally directed to an original destination to a secondary destination. The original destination and the secondary destination are each one of a voice communication phone number, a fax communication phone number, and an e-mail address. User profile information provided by a user is received and stored. The user profile information identifies the secondary destination. The user profile information includes routing information associating the original destination with the secondary destination. A communication originally directed to the original destination is converted into a format compatible with the identified secondary destination. The converted communication is routed to the secondary destination based on the user profile information.

Claims

1. A method of routing a communication originally directed to an original destination to a secondary destination, the original destination and the secondary destination each being one of a voice communication phone number, a fax communication phone number, and an e-mail address, the method comprising:

receiving and storing user profile information provided by a user, the user profile information identifying the secondary destination, the user profile information including routing information associating the original destination with the secondary destination;

converting a communication originally directed to the original destination to a format compatible with the identified secondary destination; and

routing the converted communication to the secondary destination based on the user profile information.

2. The method recited in claim 1, and further comprising transmitting via the Internet at least one web page that provides a means for users to enter the user profile information.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the user profile information is received via the Internet.

4. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the secondary destination includes a pager number.

5. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the converting step includes at least one of the following steps:

synthesizing a voice communication;

performing optical character recognition on a fax communication;

performing voice recognition on a voice communication; and

performing a text-to-fax conversion on an e-mail communication.

6. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the user profile information includes a date range indicating a range of dates for which the user profile information is valid.

7. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the user profile information includes a time range indicating a range of times for which the user profile information is valid.

8. A method of routing communications from multiple input sources in multiple formats to multiple output destinations in multiple formats, the method comprising:

defining an incoming voice phone number, an incoming fax phone number, and an incoming e-mail address;

receiving and storing configuration information identifying an outgoing voice phone number, an outgoing fax phone number, and an outgoing e-mail address;

receiving and storing action information identifying a first action to be performed when a voice communication is directed to the incoming voice phone number, a second action to be performed when a fax communication is directed to the incoming fax phone number, and a third action to be performed when an e-mail communication is directed to the incoming e-mail address; and

performing the first action, second action and third action based on the stored action information and the stored configuration information.

9. The method recited in claim 8, wherein the first action is at least one of forwarding the voice communication to the outgoing voice phone number, converting the voice communication to a fax communication and forwarding the fax communication to the outgoing fax phone number, and converting the voice communication to an e-mail communication and forwarding the e-mail communication to the outgoing e-mail address.

10. The method recited in claim 8, wherein the second action is at least one of converting the fax communication to a voice communication and forwarding the voice communication to the outgoing voice phone number, forwarding the fax communication to the outgoing fax phone number, and converting the fax communication to an e-mail communication and forwarding the e-mail communication to the outgoing e-mail address.

11. The method recited in claim 8, wherein the third action is at least one of converting the e-mail communication to a voice communication and forwarding the voice communication to the outgoing voice phone number, converting the e-mail communication to a fax communication and forwarding the fax communication to the outgoing fax phone number, and forwarding the e-mail communication to the outgoing e-mail address.

12. The method recited in claim 8, and further comprising transmitting via the Internet at least one web page that provides a means for users to enter the configuration information and the action information.

13. The method recited in claim 8, wherein the configuration information and the action information is received via the Internet.

14. The method recited in claim 8, wherein the configuration information includes an outgoing pager number.

15. The method recited in claim 8, and further comprising performing at least one of voice synthesis, optical character recognition, voice recognition, and text-to-fax conversion, on at least one of the voice communication, the fax communication, and the e-mail communication.

16. The method recited in claim 8, and further comprising receiving and storing date range data indicating a range of dates during which the first action, second action, and third action are to be performed.

17. The method recited in claim 8, and further comprising receiving and storing time range data indicating a range of times during which the first action, second action, and third action are to be performed.

19. The personal switchboard system recited in claim 18, wherein the original contact information and the secondary contact information each include a voice communication phone number, a fax communication phone number, and an e-mail address

20. The personal switchboard system recited in claim 18, and further comprising a transmitter configured to transmit via the Internet at least one web page to permit the user to enter the secondary contact information and the configuration information.

21. The personal switchboard system recited in claim 18, wherein the secondary contact information and the configuration information are received via the Internet.

22. The personal switchboard system recited in claim 19, wherein the secondary contact information includes a pager number.

23. The personal switchboard system recited in claim 18, wherein the converter comprises at least one of a voice synthesis system, an optical character recognition system, a voice recognition system and a text-to-fax conversion system.

24. The personal switchboard system recited in claim 18, wherein the configuration information includes a date range indicating a range of dates for which the configuration information is valid.

25. The personal switchboard system recited in claim 18, wherein the configuration information includes a time range indicating a range of times for which the configuration information is valid.

18. A personal switchboard system controllable by a user to change contact information of the user on demand, the personal switchboard system comprising:

a storage unit configured to store original contact information associated with the user;

a first receiver configured to receive secondary contact information from the user;

a second receiver configured to receive configuration information from the user, the configuration information associating at least a portion of the original contact information with at least a portion of the secondary contact information;

an identifier configured to identify a first communication directed to a communication device identified in the original contact information;

a converter configured to convert the first communication to a converted communication having a format compatible with a communication device identified in the secondary contact information; and

a router configured to route the converted communication to the communication device identified in the secondary contact information based on the configuration information.