Apparatus for converting e-mail data into audio data and method therefor

• US 20040010559A1
• Filed: 07/18/2003
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Han, Mong Ju
• Granted Patent: US 7,617,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided for converting an e-mail data into an audio data. The apparatus, includes a communication connector connected with a communication line for controlling a transmission of an e-mail data and an e-mail audio data, a controller to control receiving and sending e-mail data pertaining to an e-mail receiving through the communication connector and controlling a conversion from the received e-mail data into e-mail message data containing gender information that pertains to a sender, contexts and texts of the e-mail, a memory for storing the received e-mail data and the e-mail message data, and an audio data generator for generating an audio signal according to the e-mail data and transmitting the contents and texts of the e-mail message data to a client through the communication connector upon client request.

Claims

1. An apparatus for converting an e-mail (electronic mail) data into an audio data, comprising:

a communication connector connected with a communication line to control a transmission of an e-mail data and an e-mail audio data;

a controller to control receiving and sending e-mail data pertaining to an e-mail through the communication connector, and controlling a conversion from the received e-mail data into e-mail message data, the e-mail message data containing gender information pertaining to a sender, contents and texts of the e-mail;

a memory to store the e-mail data and the e-mail message data; and

an audio data generator to generate an audio signal according to the e-mail message data and to transmit the contents and texts of the e-mail message data to a client through the communication connector upon client request,

wherein an audio message data stored in the memory is attached in the e-mail message data and reproduced audibly by the audio data generator, the audio message data pertaining to certain data which is not reproduced by the audio data generator.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an e-mail client program installed system.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a video unit for processing the e-mail message data; and

a display unit for displaying the e-mail message data processed by the video unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the e-mail message data further contains header information of the e-mail and a message from the sender.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the header information identifies the sender'"'"'s name, a sending date, and a subject of the e-mail.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the e-mail message data further identifies a total number of e-mails received by the apparatus for the client.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the audio data generator generates the audio signal in a male voice that is not the sender'"'"'s if the gender information identifies that the sender of the e-mail is a male, and generates the audio signal in a female voice that is not the sender'"'"'s if the gender information identifies that the sender of the e-mail is a female.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the male voice is also not of a receiver of the e-mail, and the female voice is also not of a receiver of the e-mail.

9. A method for converting an e-mail data into an audio data, comprising the steps of:

storing an e-mail when the e-mail is received;

converting the received e-mail into e-mail message data and storing the e-mail message data, the e-mail message data containing gender information pertaining to a sender, contents and texts of the e-mail;

identifying a client'"'"'s identification when a client requests an e-mail;

converting the e-mail message data to audio data; and

transmitting the contents and texts of the e-mail message data to the client as an audio signal,

wherein an audio message data stored in a memory is attached in the e-mail message data and reproduced audibly as part of the audio signal, the audio message data pertaining to certain data which is not audibly reproduced.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein in said audio converting and storing steps, identification information of the sender of the e-mail is checked and an audio conversion is implemented based on the checked result.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifying step includes a step of judging whether there is an e-mail received after the client'"'"'s identification has been identified.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising a step for transmitting a message indicating that the e-mail is not received when the e-mail is not received.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising a step for referencing the sender of the e-mail in an address list.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said identifying step is implemented using a telephone line or using a direct access to an e-mail service system.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said audio signal is generated based on the gender of the sender of the e-mail.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said audio signal is generated in a male voice that is not the sender'"'"'s if the gender information identifies that the sender of the e-mail is a male, and said audio signal is generated in a female voice that is not the sender'"'"'s if the gender information identifies that the sender of the e-mail is a female.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the male voice is also not of a receiver of the e-mail, and the female voice is also not of a receiver of the e-mail.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein, in the step of converting the received e-mail into the e-mail message data, the e-mail message data further contains header information of the e-mail and a message from the sender.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, in the step of converting the received e-mail into the e-mail message data, the header information identifies the name of the sender, a sending date, and a subject of the e-mail.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the e-mail message data further identifies a total number of e-mails directed to the client.

21. A method of converting e-mail data into audio data, comprising:

detecting, from a user, a request to access an e-mail stored in a server;

verifying contents of said server upon detecting the user request;

converting at least a portion of the e-mail into audio data; and

conveying the converted audio data to the user by simulating a voice indicating a gender of a sender of the e-mail,

wherein said verifying is performed without going through an intermediary between said server and said user,

wherein said portion of the e-mail is a header portion of the e-mail, a body of the e-mail includes texts, and the texts are converted into standard code format, and

wherein an audio message data stored in a memory is audibly reproduced during the conveying step, the audio message data pertaining to certain data which is not audibly reproduced.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said e-mail header portion contains information indentifying the sender'"'"'s name, a sending date and a subject of the e-mail.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said e-mail is in ASCII format.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein said intermediary is an electronic mail client program.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein, in the conveying step, the voice is not of the sender of the e-mail.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the voice is not of a receiver of the e-mail.