Stored voice message control extensions

• US 20040252679A1
• Filed: 04/24/2003
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jetque
• Original Assignee: Jetque
• Inventors: Eide, Dirk D., Brookshire, Daniel A., Williams, Tim
• Application Number:
  US10/423,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20040252679A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/356
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4581 Sending message identifiers instead of whole messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing voice message control is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises recognizing at least one recipient and a subject matter of one or more audio files stored in a storage facility, generating a text message representing the subject matter of the one or more audio files, and transmitting the text message to the at least one identified recipient over a packet data network channel without transmitting the contents of the one or more audio files.

Claims

1. A method for voice message control, the method comprising:

recognizing at least one recipient and a subject matter of one or more audio files stored in a storage facility;

generating a text message representing the subject matter of the one or more audio files; and

transmitting the text message to the at least one identified recipient over a packet data network channel without transmitting the contents of the one or more audio files.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing the one or more audio files from a remote client; and

storing the captured audio files in the storage facility.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the text message comprises a menu of selectable options with respect to the audio files.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of one or more audio files to be played over one of a packet channel and a network environment;

calling a predetermined number to establish a voice connection; and

playing the one or more selected audio files over the voice connection.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of one or more audio files to be played over a packet channel; and

providing audio associated with the selected one or more audio files via the packet channel as packetized voice.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more recipients and recognizing the subject matter are performed via one or more keywords within the one or more audio files.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more recipients and recognizing the subject matter are performed via a template when the one or more audio files are captured.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transcribing substantially the entire one or more audio files into one or more text messages corresponding to the one or more audio files respectively; and

storing the one or more text messages in the storage facility.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the transcribing the selected audio files is performed via a speech recognition system.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a selection of one or more audio files to be played;

determining a preference of the one or more recipients;

transmitting the one or more text messages corresponding to the selected audio files to the one or more recipients, if the selected audio files are preferred to be in a text fromat.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the preference is determined based on the selection received.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the preference is determined based on a profile corresponding to the one or more recipients stored in the storage facility.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the preference is determined based on whether the respective recipient device is able to receive information in an audio format.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein if the selected audio files are preferred to be played in an audio format, the method further comprises:

establishing an audio connection with the one or more recipients; and

playing the selected audio files over the audio connection.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein if the selected audio files are preferred to be played in an audio format, the method further comprises:

transmitting the selected audio files in a digital form to the at least one recipient over a network, the digital audio files being suitable to be played using a digital audio player.

16. A method for voice message control, the method comprising:

receiving a request for retrieving one or more voicemails from a remote client over a data packet channel;

determining a preference of the remote client; and

transmitting the one or more voicemails in a manner according to the preference of the remote client, the manner including one of an audio format and a text format.

17. A method for voice message control, the method comprising:

receiving a signal from a remote client over a data packet channel;

retrieving voicemails statuses from a plurality of voicemails systems in response to the signal; and

transmitting the voicemails statuses in a text format to the remote client over the data packet channel.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying the voicemails statues as a selectable menu corresponding to the status of each voicemails system.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a selection of one or more voicemails systems among the plurality of voicemails systems over the data packet channel; and

retrieving voicemails from the selected one or more voicemails systems.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

establishing an audio connection with the remote client; and

playing the voicemails from the selected one or more voicemails systems over the audio connection.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the audio connection is established by calling a predetermined number of the remote client.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

transcribing substantially the entire retrieved voicemails into a text message; and

transmitting the text message to the remote client.

23. A method for voice message control, the method comprising:

periodically monitoring status of a plurality of voicemails systems with respect to a client;

retrieving new voicemails from at least one of the plurality of voicemails systems in response to the status;

storing the new vorcenails as audio files in a storage facility; and

transmitting a first text message to notify the client regarding the new voicemails.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first text message is transmitted via an email.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the first text message includes a subject matter representing each of the voicemails which are identified by a respective message number.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising offering, within the first text message, a call to a predetermined callback number of the client to play at least one voicemails.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising encrypting the predetermined callback number within the first text message via an encryption mechanism.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving a second text message from the client in response to the first text message, the second text message identifying at least one of the voicemails;

establishing a voice connection with the client; and

playing the identified one or more voicemails over the voice connection.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the voice connection is established by calling a callback number specified by the client.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the callback number is a predetermined number based on a profile of the client stored in a storage facility.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the callback number is specified by the client within the second text message.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the callback number is encrypted using an encryption mechanism within the second text message.

33. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving a second text message from the client in response to the first text message, the second text message identifying at least one of the voicemails;

transcribing substantially the entire identified one or more voicemails into a third text message; and

transmitting the third text message to the client.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the second text message is received via a data packet channel and the third text message is transmitted via an email.

35. A method for voice message control, the method comprising:

periodically monitoring status of a plurality of voicemails systems with respect to a client;

retrieving new voicemails from at least one of the plurality of voicemails systems in response to the status;

transcribing the new voicemails into text messages corresponding to each of the new voicemails; and

transmitting the text messages to the client.

36. A method for voice message control, the method comprising:

identifying a voicemails received from a predetermined party, the voicemails designated to a client; and

automatically initiating a conference call hosting the predetermined party and the client.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising capturing a callback number of the predetermined party when the voicemails is received.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the callback number of the predetermined party is captured using an SS7 technology.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein the predetermined party is specified by the client via an interface.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein the conference call to the client is initiated by calling a predetermined number according to a profile of the client.

41. The method of claim 36, further comprising examining contents of the voicemails to determine whether to initiate the conference call.

42. An apparatus for voice message control, the apparatus comprising:

means for recognizing at least one recipient and a subject matter of one or more audio files stored in a storage facility;

means for generating a text message representing the subject matter of the one or more audio files; and

means for transmitting the text message to the at least one identified recipient over a packet data network channel without transmitting the contents of the one or more audio files.

43. An apparatus, comprising:

a server; and

a voicemails system coupled to the server via a telephony interface,

wherein the server recognizes at least one recipient and a subject matter of one or more audio files stored in a storage facility, generates a text message representing the recognized subject matter, and transmits the text message to the at least one identified recipient over a packet data network channel without transmitting the contents of the one or more audio files.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the server comprises:

a storage;

a message router to receive one or more voicemails and to store the one or more voicemails in the storage; and

a telephony interface to identify the at least one recipient, to recognize the subject matter of the one or more voicemails, and to generate the text message which is transmitted by the message router to the identified recipient.

45. An apparatus for voice message control, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a request for retrieving one or more voicemails from a remote client over a data packet channel;

means for determining a preference of the remote client; and

means for transmitting the one or more voicemails in a manner according to the preference of the remote client, the manner including one of an audio format and a text format.

46. An apparatus for voice message control, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a signal from a remote client over a data packet channel;

means for retrieving voicemails statuses from a plurality of voicemails systems in response to the signal; and

means for transmitting the voicemails statuses in a text format to the remote client over the data packet channel.

47. An apparatus, comprising:

a server; and

a voicemails system coupled to the server via a telephony interface,

wherein the server receives a signal from a remote client over a data packet channel, retrieves voicemails status from the voicemails systems in response to the signal, and transmits the voicemails statuses in a text format to the remote client over the data packet channel.

48. An apparatus for voice message control, the apparatus comprising:

means for periodically monitoring status of a plurality of voicemails systems with respect to a client;

means for retrieving new voicemails from at least one of the plurality of voicemails systems in response to the status;

means for storing the new voicemails as audio files in a storage facility; and

means for transmitting a text message to notify the client regarding the new voicemails.

49. An apparatus, comprising:

a server; and

a voicemails system coupled to the server via a telephony interface,

wherein the server periodically monitors status of the voicemails system with respect to a client, retrieves new voicemails from the voicemails system in response to the status, stores the new voicemails as audio files in a storage facility, and transmits transmitting a text message to notify the client regarding the new voicemails.

50. An apparatus for voice message control, the apparatus comprising:

means for periodically monitoring status of a plurality of voicemails systems with respect to a client;

means for retrieving new voicemails from at least one of the plurality of voicemails systems in response to the status;

means for transcribing the new voicemails into text messages corresponding to each of the new voicemails; and

means for transmitting the text messages to the client.

51. An apparatus for voice message control, the apparatus comprising:

means for identifying a voicemails received from a predetermined party, the voicemails designated to a client; and

means for automatically initiating a conference call to the predetermined party and the client.

52. An apparatus, comprising:

a server; and

a voicemails system coupled to the server via a telephony interface,

wherein the server identifies a voicemails in the voicemails system received from a predetermined party, the voicemails designated to a client, and automatically initiates a conference call to the predetermined party and the client.