Mobile communication system for a network

• US 20020123342A1
• Filed: 03/01/2002
• Published: 09/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adomo, Inc. (Avaya Incorporated)
• Inventors: Skakkebaek, Jens Ulrik, Lehaff, Samir G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,400,879 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A method for facilitating incoming and outgoing calls in a mobile communication system using a server or software located on a third-party server is provided. An electronic attendant allows users to perform various tasks using one or more speech terminals coupled to the server through a public and private communications network. The method also provides for access to a corporate information system (“CIS”) using the one or more speech terminals. The server recognizes both voice and digital signals from the speech terminals. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b).

Claims

1. A method for conducting mobile communications, comprising:

providing a server coupled to a corporate information system (CIS) in an organization via a first network;

providing a plurality of speech terminals coupled to the server through a second network, the speech terminals accessing data in the CIS through voice or digital signals; and

distributing calls to the speech terminals using an electronic attendant coupled to the server through the computer network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the voice signals are recognized through speech recognition technology.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the server is a modular appliance.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second network comprises a public communications network and/or a private communications network.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising distributing incoming calls from the public communications network to the private communications network.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising distributing outgoing calls from the private communications network to the public communications network.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising distributing incoming and outgoing calls to the private communications network.

8. The method of claim 4 further comprising distributing incoming and outgoing calls to the public communications network.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic attendant is comprised of a public attendant and a corporate attendant.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the public attendant distributes calls from speech terminals external to the organization.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the corporate attendant distributes calls from speech terminals internal to the organization.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the speech terminals are attended devices.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising accessing one or more parties through a speech terminal using the e-mail address, phone number, or any other form of identification for the one or more parties stored in the CIS.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein user authentication is required to access data in the CIS.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the authentication comprises entering a code into a speech terminal.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the authentication comprises a matching voice characteristic.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising dynamically associating a user with a speech terminal using data stored in the CIS.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising storing the association between the user and the speech terminal as a user profile, the CIS accessing the user profile every time the user logs on to the mobile communication system using the speech terminal.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating the data in the CIS using a speech terminal by a user or other users registered in the CIS.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the data includes contact information.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the data includes e-mail messages.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the data includes address information.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the data includes calendar and task lists.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein the data includes directory lists.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the data includes sales force automation information.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein the data includes field force automation.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein the data includes information related to an organization'"'"'s employees.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the data includes information from data repositories internal to the organization.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the data includes information from data repositories external to the organization.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein the data includes information from databases and web sites on the Internet.

32. The method of claim 1 further comprising commanding the server to perform tasks using a speech terminal.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the tasks include sending and receiving messages.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the messages are e-mail messages.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein the tasks include forwarding calls.

36. The method of claim 32 wherein the task include conferencing with other parties using the speech terminals.

37. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a set of responses to a speech terminal, the set of responses dynamically changing depending on the speech terminal.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the set of the responses to the speech terminal includes a recorded message.

39. The method of claim 37 wherein the set of responses to the speech terminal is an on-the-fly translation of responses into sounds using text-to-speech technology.

40. The method of claim 1 wherein the speech terminals includes multi-modal interfaces.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein a user can input information to the server through the multi-modal interfaces using text, keystrokes, and speech recognition.

42. The method of claim 40 wherein the multi-modal interfaces present information to the server using a combination of sound, text, graphics, and video.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein the sound is generated by text-to-speech technology.

44. The method of claim 42 wherein the sound is generated by playing recorded files.

45. The method of claim 42 wherein the sound is generated by a continuous stream of sound data sent to the multi-modal interfaces.

46. The method of claim 42 wherein the video is generated by a continuous stream of video data sent to the multi-modal interfaces.

47. The method of claim 1 wherein the speech terminals include telephones.

48. The method of claim 1 wherein the speech terminals include personal digital assistants.

49. The method of claim 1 wherein the speech terminals include computers.

50. The method of claim 1 wherein the network is the Internet.

13. The method of claim I wherein the speech terminals are unattended devices.