Short voice message (SVM) service method, apparatus and system
First Claim
1. Method for use in a telecommunications network for providing messages between users, comprising the steps of:
- receiving a voice message from a first terminal spoken by a first user for a second user at a second terminal, checking availability of said second terminal, and immediately sending the received voice message to the second terminal if available.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Tiresome entry of numerous letters of the alphabet into a hand-held device for assembling a short text message for transmission via a short message service (SMS) to a second terminal is avoided by the sending of a short voice message (SVM). The SVM is recorded in the sending terminal and sent to a SVM service center (SVMSC). The SVMSC may notify the intended recipient of the arrival of the SVM and await acceptance before sending it. The second terminal may then commence a bidirectional communication so that an instant voice message session can be established. Alternatively, the problem can be overcome by converting the spoken SVM to text in the user terminal by means of voice recognition software and sending the converted text to the recipient by means of the traditional SMS infrastructure for display as text or for playback as text converted to voice.
49 Citations
27 Claims
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1. Method for use in a telecommunications network for providing messages between users, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a voice message from a first terminal spoken by a first user for a second user at a second terminal, checking availability of said second terminal, and immediately sending the received voice message to the second terminal if available. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. Apparatus for use in a telecommunications network for providing messages between users, comprising:
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means for receiving a voice message from a first terminal spoken by a first user for a second user at a second terminal;
means for checking availability of said second terminal; and
means for immediately sending the received voice message to the second terminal if available. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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15. A voice message system including a plurality of terminals and a voice message service center, said service center comprising:
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means for receiving a voice message from a first user terminal;
means for storing the received voice message from the first terminal;
means for checking availability of an intended second user at a second terminal;
means for sending the stored received message from the first terminal to the second terminal if the second terminal is available.
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23. User equipment for use in a voice message system, comprising:
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means for receiving a short voice message (SVM) spoken by a first user;
means for storing SVMs including said SVM spoken by said first user;
means for receiving a designation signal from the first user designating a second user as an intended recipient;
means for retrieving the stored SVM in response to the designation signal for providing the SVM retrieved from storage and the designation signal; and
means for sending the SVM retrieved from storage and the designation signal to the second user of the voice message system as an outgoing SVM.
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Specification