Multi-media communication downloading

• US 20030059022A1
• Filed: 05/23/2002
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teleware Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Teleware Incorporated
• Inventors: Nebiker, Robert M., Meyerson, Robert F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,054,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/02 Constructional features of telephone sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2478 Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1205 where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A telecommunications system, for use with a packet-switched network and with a portable-communication-device docking station for receiving a portable communication device, includes a network interface configured to couple to the packet-switched network, a docking-station interface configured to couple to the portable-communication-device docking station, a real-time user interface including a microphone configured to receive sound signals and a speaker configured to provide sound signals corresponding to signals received via the packet-switched network, and a communication controller coupled to the real-time user interface, the docking-station interface, and the network interface, and configured to transfer streaming data between the network interface and the real-time user interface, to transfer non-streaming electronic messages from the network interface to the docking-station interface, and to send a download request to a remotely-located control unit via the packet-switched network in response to a download indication being received from the docking station interface, the download request being indicative of a request for an email download.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system for use with a packet-switched network and with a portable-communication-device docking station for receiving a portable communication device, the telecommunications system comprising:

a network interface configured to couple to the packet-switched network;

a docking-station interface configured to couple to the portable-communication-device docking station;

a real-time user interface including a microphone configured to receive sound signals and a speaker configured to provide sound signals corresponding to signals received via the packet-switched network; and

a communication controller coupled to the real-time user interface, the docking-station interface, and the network interface, and configured to transfer streaming data between the network interface and the real-time user interface, to transfer non-streaming electronic messages from the network interface to the docking-station interface, and to send a download request to a remotely-located control unit via the packet-switched network in response to a download indication being received from the docking station interface, the download request being indicative of a request for an email download.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication controller is further configured to obtain access information from the portable communication device through the docking-station interface and to include the access information in the download request.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the access information is for accessing an electronic message storage unit of the control unit.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the access information includes at least one of a login name and a password.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the access information includes a device ID of the portable communication device.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the download indication indicates that the portable communication device has been received by the portable-communication-device docking station.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the communication controller is configured to initiate the download request in response to receiving the download indication.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the download indication indicates that a user of the portable communication device made a download selection using the portable communication device.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a display and drivers, coupled to the speaker and the display, configured to play and display downloaded data conveyed through the docking-station interface.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication controller is configured to receive the download as a download recipient and to send the download to the docking-station interface.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the download request is indicative of associated information regarding statistics of the email including at least one of a length of a message, a time that the message was produced, and indicia of an entity producing the message.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication controller is further configured to determine whether data received via the network interface are streaming data for real-time communications using the telecommunication system or are the requested email download.

13. A method of downloading an email from a control unit over a communications network to a portable communication device via a telecommunication system including a telephone, the control unit being disposed remotely from the telecommunication system, the method comprising:

coupling the portable communication device to the telecommunication system;

producing a data download request requesting download data from the control unit, the download data being the email;

sending the download request from the telecommunication system to the remotely-disposed control unit via the communications network;

receiving inbound data from the control unit at the telecommunication system; and

transferring the download data from the telecommunication system to the portable communication device.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the download request includes access information for accessing an electronic message storage unit of the control unit, the access information including at least one of a login name and a password.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the access information includes a device ID of the portable communication device.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the data download request is produced by the telecommunication system in response to the portable communication device being coupled to the telecommunication system.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising the control unit communicating with a server to obtain the download data.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the data download request is produced by the portable communication device in response to the portable communication device being coupled to the telecommunication system.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the data download request is produced by the portable communication device in response to a selection being made by a user of the portable communication device.

20. The method of claim 13 further comprising at least one of playing an audio file of a downloaded email and displaying a downloaded email using the telecommunication system if the telecommunication system is coupled to the portable communication device.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein the download data include associated information regarding statistics of the data including at least one of a length of a message, a time that the message was produced, and indicia of an entity producing the message.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein the receiving includes storing the inbound data in the telecommunication system and the transferring includes sending the stored data to the portable communication device.

23. The method of claim 13 further comprising determining whether the inbound data are streaming data for real-time communications using the telecommunication system or are the requested download data.

24. A telecommunications system comprising:

a housing providing a docking-station receptacle configured to receive a portable communication device, and a network port;

a network interface configured to couple to a packet-switched network through the network port;

a docking-station interface configured to couple to the portable-communication-device docking station when the portable communication device is received by the docking-station receptacle;

a real-time user interface including a microphone configured to receive sound signals and a speaker configured to provide sound signals corresponding to signals received via the packet-switched network; and

a communication controller coupled to the real-time user interface, the docking-station interface, and the network interface, and configured to transfer streaming data between the network interface and the real-time user interface, and to transfer non-streaming electronic messages from the network interface to the docking-station interface.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the communication controller is further configured to send a download request to a remotely-located control unit via the packet-switched network in response to a download indication being received from the docking station interface, the download request being indicative of a request for at least one of an email download and a voice mail download.

26. The system of claim 25 further comprising a handset and wherein the real-time user interface disposed in the handset.

27. The system of claim 24 wherein the communication controller is configured to transfer associated information of the electronic messages, the associated information including information regarding statistics of the messages including at least one of a length of a message, a time that the message was produced, and indicia of an entity producing the message.

28. The system of claim 24 wherein the communication controller is further configured to determine whether data received via the network interface represent streaming data for real-time communications using the telecommunication system or represent at least one non-streaming electronic message.

29. The system of claim 24 wherein the communication controller is configured to initiate a real-time streaming-data session via the network interface with a remote device identified by indicia received via the docking-station interface.

30. The system of claim 24 further comprising a power supply coupled to the docking-station interface to provide power to the portable communication device when the portable communication device is received by the docking-station receptacle.