Voicemail short massage service method and means and a subscriber terminal

• US 20040005877A1
• Filed: 07/28/2003
• Published: 01/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: S Aqua Semiconductor LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Suinno Oy
• Inventors: Vaananen, Mikko Kalervo
• Granted Patent: US 7,218,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• 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 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/59 based on real time
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53 Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages , i.e. mailbox systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5315 where the non-audio components are still images or video still image mailbox systems H04N1/324, intermediate storage of video signals for videophones H04N7/147
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A voicemail short messaging method (10, 20, 30) and unit and a subscriber terminal for instantaneous packet switched voicemail between Internet compatible computers, personal digital assistants, telephones and mobile stations. In particular the subscriber terminal (500) concerns a hardware and a software setup that allows the combined use of audio and/or video devices (550) with both the normal cellular or fixed telephony network (520) and with an Internet connection (510). The subscriber terminal (500) allows the flexible use of both the Internet and telephony network with numerous advantages, one of which is the inventive voicemail short messaging method under study. The voicemail messaging method (10), comprising at least one subscriber terminal is characterised by server independence.

Claims

1. A voicemail messaging method, comprising at least one subscriber terminal, characterised by the steps of,

choosing at least one message recipient or a group (110),

recording at least one voice/video message (120),

writing at least one recording to at least one data file (130),

transmitting at least one data file to at least one recipient via telephony network or the Internet (140),

4. A method according to claims 1, 2 and/or 3, characterised in that, the recipient is chosen on the basis of the telephone number (420), or a name corresponding to the recipient'"'"'s telephone number in the phone book of the subscriber terminal, by labeling the recipient with a pointer from the “

contacts”

file of the terminal, device, by speech recognition, a dedicated keyboard accelerator, hot key, dedicated key or any combinations or permutations of these.

5. A method according to claims 1, 2, 3 and/or 4, characterised in that, the said telephone number (420) and/or name is converted to an IP-address (430), email address (440) and/or an ISDN address from a central directory on the Internet, in the telephony network, or from the memory of the said subscriber terminal.

6. A method according to claims 1, 2 and/or 3, characterised in that, at least one subscriber terminal is a TCP/IP, CDMA, GSM, GPRS, WCDMA, UMTS, Teldesic, Iridium, Inmarsat, IP-RAN, WLAN, Globalstar, DIGI-TV, SS7, HTTP, H323, IrDA, Bluetooth, NADC, PCS, JDC, ISDN, TDMA, EDGE and/or imode compliant mobile station or a Personal Computer or an Apple Macintosh computer and/or a PDA.

7. A method according to claims 1, 2 and/or 3, characterised in that, if the receiver is unavailable the voicemail messages may be stored on a central server.

8. A method according to claims 1, 2, 3 and/or 7, characterised in that,

if the receiving terminal is unable to reproduce the data format, the data transmission may be stored on a central server, and the server may convert the data format to a reproducible data format and send it to the same directory or another directory,

and/or the server may convert the data format to sound and play it to the receiving subscriber terminal through a telecommunications connection and/or an Internet connection in real time or at a later time.

9. A method according to claims 1, 2 and/or 3, characterised in that, the packets are IP-packets, the data file is a MP3- or an WAV-file, and their transmission and reception conforms to TCP/IP, CDMA, GSM, GPRS, WCDMA, UMTS, Teldesic, Iridium, Inmarsat, IP-RAN, WLAN, Globalstar, DIGI-TV, SS7, HTTP, H323, IrDA, Bluetooth, NADC, PCS, JDC, ISDN, TDMA, EDGE and/or imode standards.

10. A method according to claims 1, 2 and/or 3, characterised in that, at least one recipient receives and plays the data file and/or packet stream, and the recipient is provided with a chance to answer at least one sender and/or at least one recipient.

11. A method according to claims 1, 2 and/or 3, characterised in that, at least one of the phases 140, 230, 325 features dialing a connection and/or playing the file as playback through the communication connection or the telephone line.

2. A voicemail messaging method, comprising at least one subscriber terminal, characterised by the steps of,

choosing at least one message recipient or a group (210),

recording at least one voice/video message (220),

streaming data packets to at least one recipient via telephony network or the Internet (230),

at least one recipient receives and/or reassembles packet stream (240),

3. A voicemail messaging method, comprising at least one subscriber terminal, characterised by the steps of,

choosing at least one message recipient (305),

recording at least one voice/video message 310),

writing at least one recording to at least one data file (315),

decomposing at least one data file into IP-packets (320),

streaming packets to at least one recipient via telephony network or the Internet (325).

12. A subscriber terminal (500), comprising a software (530, 540), an Internet connection (510) and/or a telephony network connection (520), characterised in that,

the software (530, 540) is arranged to transmit and receive data and/or record and/or play files using both the Internet (510) and/or the telephony network connection (520) simultaneously or at separate times,

the software (530, 540) is arranged to use some or all of the same audio and/or video devices (550) with both of the connections (510, 520).

13. A subscriber terminal (500) according to claim 12, characterised in that, the software application (530) is an MP3- or a WAV-media player or another media player in connection with the software and/or communication drivers for the Internet connection devices (510) and/or telephony network connection devices (520).

14. A subscriber terminal (500) according to claim 12, characterised in that, the subscriber terminal (500) is a TCP/IP, CDMA, GSM, GPRS, WCDMA, UMTS, Teldesic, Iridium, Inmarsat, IP-RAN, WLAN, Globalstar, DIGI-TV, SS7, HTTP, H323, IrDA, Bluetooth, NADC, PCS, JDC, ISDN, TDMA, EDGE and/or imode compliant mobile station or a Personal Computer or an Apple Macintosh computer and/or a PDA.

15. A subscriber terminal (500) according to claim 12, characterised in that, the subscriber terminal (500) is a UMTS-, GSM-, WAP-, Teldesic-, Inmarsat-, Iridium-, GPRS-, CDMA-, and/or WCDMA mobile station or a Personal Computer or an Apple Macintosh computer and/or a PDA, which has a common data-BUS to the audio and/or video devices (550) from both the Internet connection (510) and the telephony network connection (520).

16. A software application according to claim 12 and/or 13, characterised in that, at least one software (530, 540) is an integral part of the operating system of the subscriber terminal (500), and/or or an application operating under the control of the operating system of the subscriber terminal (500).

17. A network server comprising at least one media player, at least one dialer, at least one telephony connection and/or at least one data network connection, characterised in that,

the network server is arranged to receive, store and forward undelivered messages or copies of messages in data file format,

the network server is arranged to resend and/or reroute messages to directories, to at least one other network server or voicemail box electronically in file format, and/or by playing the message down the phone line with at least one media player to at least one recipient and/or voicemail box.

18. A network server as claimed in 17, characterised in that, the directory of resending and/or rerouting is the email or the voicemail box of the recipient.

19. A client terminal, comprising recipient contact information, at least one telephony and/or Internet connection means, media recorder, and a user interface, and audio and/or video recording and/or reproduction means, characterised in that,

at least one dedicated action from the user interface indicates at least one message recipient or a group of recipients from the associated recipient contact information and arranges the media recorder to record an audio and/or a video signal from the audio and/or video recording and/or reproduction means to a data file, which data file is further sent, played and/or reproduced to at least one indicated recipient using the said telephony and/or Internet connection.

20. A client terminal in accordance with claim 19, characterised in that, the said dedicated action may be given orally and recognized by speech recognition, by a press and/or release of real or virtual button, a dedicated keyboard accelerator, hot key, dedicated key or any combinations or permutations of these.