System and method for access to multimedia structures

• US 20040076274A1
• Filed: 09/24/2003
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation), Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Loquendo SpA (Microsoft Corporation), Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Inventors: Cociglio, Mauro, Zerba, Nadia, Anselmetti, Pierpaolo, Toniolo, Simone, Zanin, Diego
• Granted Patent: US 7,885,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0051 where the data service is a multimedia messaging service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system (10) in which a telephone set (16) is capable of using access devices or apparatuses (12) and a network such as the Internet (80) to access multimedia structures consisting for example of automatic answering messages or of messages that can be interpreted by a speech synthesis device, said structures being stored in a storage device (15). The invention also relates to the method for implementing the system (10) and to the generation equipment (14) capable of producing the multimedia structures to be instantiated by means of the telephone set (16) and the access device (12). In particular, the system (10) and method make it possible to implement universal automatic answering machines, i.e., answering machines that are capable of managing a plurality of answer message structures stored in a single device (15) and accessible by means of access devices (12) distributed on the network (80) or in the telephone sets (16).

Claims

1. A system (10) for access to multimedia structures comprising

Telephone sets (16) capable of connecting to a telephone network (60);

characterized by

A storage device (15) capable of storing a plurality of multimedia structures (41) representing messages and/or data and/or commands; and

Instantiating means (12) which can be associated with said telephone sets (16) and are capable of selectively instantiating said multimedia structures (41) via an interconnection network (80).

2. A system (10) in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said telephone sets (16) are capable of connecting to said instantiating means (12) via a telephone network (60).

3. A system in accordance with claim 1 or 2 characterized in that said multimedia structures (41) comprise at least one voice prompt capable of providing options for selectively accessing said messages and/or data and/or commands in said multimedia structures (41).

4. A system (10) in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that said instantiating means comprise

Speech synthesis means capable of synthesizing said prompts and messages.

5. A system in accordance with claim 4 characterized in that said multimedia structures (41) comprise messages that can be interpreted by said speech synthesis means and capable of providing options for selectively accessing said messages and/or data and/or commands in said multimedia structures (41).

6. A system in accordance with one of the foregoing claims characterized in that said interconnection network (80) is the Internet.

7. A system in accordance with one of the claims from 1 to 6 characterized in that said multimedia structures (41) comprise at least one element consisting essentially of an address for selectively instantiating further devices capable of storing multimedia structures (41).

8. A system in accordance with one of the claims from 1 to 6 characterized in that said multimedia structures (41) comprise at least one element consisting essentially of a telephone number for activating telephone calls with further telephone sets (16) via said interconnection network (80).

9. A system in accordance with one of the claims from 1 to 6 characterized in that said multimedia structures (41) comprise at least one element consisting essentially of a set of commands that can be activated by means of said telephone set (16) in order to conduct e-commerce and/or respond to questionnaires.

10. A system in accordance with claim 1 or 2 characterized by

A development device (14) connected to said interconnection network (80) and capable of producing and storing said multimedia structures (41) on said storage device (15) through said interconnection network (80).

20. A method for producing multimedia structures to be instantiated through the system of claim 1, comprising the steps of

Constructing at least one multimedia structure (41) comprising a plurality of elements (46);

Associating each element (46) with a route in accordance with a tree structure and with a message or a specific data item or set of commands;

Playing or testing said structure by activating said elements (46) by means of commands representing key actuation and/or voice commands.

11. A method for access to multimedia structures (41) comprising the steps of

Producing multimedia structures (41) which represent messages and/or data and/or commands and storing said structures (41) by means of an interconnection network (80) in a device (15) capable of storing said multimedia structures (41);

Selectively instantiating said multimedia structures (41) through said interconnection network (80) using a telephone set (16) and instantiating means (12).

12. A method in accordance with claim 11, characterized in that said instantiating step comprises the steps of

Actuating at least one key on said telephone set (16);

and

Instantiating at least one element of said multimedia structures (41) through said instantiating means (12).

13. A method in accordance with claim 11, characterized in that said instantiating step comprises the steps of

Sending a voice message through said telephone set (16);

and

Instantiating at least one element of said multimedia structures (41) through said instantiating means (12).

14. A device for producing multimedia structures comprising

Display modules capable of displaying a tree structure (41) comprising elements (46) representing messages and/or data and/or commands;

and

Storage modules (42) capable of causing said messages and/or data and/or commands to be stored in said elements (46); and

Playback or testing modules capable of selectively playing said messages and/or data and/or commands stored in said elements (46).

15. A device in accordance with claim 14 characterized in that said testing modules comprise dialing and selection means representing a telephone keypad.

16. A device in accordance with claim 14 characterized in that said testing modules comprise means for speech synthesis capable of selectively synthesizing said messages and/or data and/or commands.

17. A device in accordance with one of the claims from 14 to 16 characterized in that at least one of said elements comprises a voice message.

18. A device in accordance with one of the claims from 14 to 16 characterized in that at least one of said elements comprises a telephone number.

19. A device in accordance with one of the claims from 14 to 16 characterized in that at least one of said elements comprises a set of commands.