Annotations addition to documents rendered via text-to-speech conversion over a voice connection

• US 20050021339A1
• Filed: 07/24/2003
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens Enterprise Communications, Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Information And Communication Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Ruetschi, Johannes
• Application Number:
  US10/625,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021339A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/269
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4545 Message forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53341 Message reply

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for using speech to annotate text messages over a voice connection. The present invention allows the insertion of a plurality of annotations in the message, while the message is being rendered vocally using a Text-to-Speech (TTs) conversion. The invention interactively integrates TTS conversion, Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system and the execution of office document applications within the Unified Messaging System.

Claims

1. A method for inserting a caller'"'"'s speech annotations into an original message, comprising the steps of:

providing a speech rendering of said original message;

annotating said speech message with at least one speech annotation; and

inserting said speech annotation into said original message.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said original message is a text email message.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said original message contains at least one attached document.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said original message is a voice message.

5. The method according to claim 2 wherein said step of providing a speech rendering of said original message comprises converting said text message to speech.

6. The method according to claim 3 wherein said step of providing a speech rendering of said original message comprises converting said attachment to speech.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of connecting to the mailbox of said email message by establishing a voice connection using a landline telephone or a mobile telephone.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said annotating step includes recognition of predefined commands for starting and stopping said speech annotation.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said commands are speech commands.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said commands are entered via Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) tones.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of using an interactive voice response (IVR).

12. The method according to claim 8 wherein said speech commands are user defined.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of recognizing said speech annotations of said caller.

14. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of converting said speech annotations to text.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said step of converting annotated voice command to text is accomplished using Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) and Speech-to-Text conversion.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said speech annotation is inserted in said original message in text format.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said speech annotation is inserted in said original message as a sound file.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of storing said annotated message at the Unified Messaging server after inserting said speech annotation into said message.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein said step of storing said annotated message includes creating a new copy of said message.

20. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of forwarding said annotated message to another user.

21. An apparatus for inserting a caller'"'"'s speech annotations into an original message, comprising:

means for providing speech rendering of said original message;

means for annotating said speech message with at least one speech annotation; and

means for inserting said speech annotation into said original message.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said original message is a text email message.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said original message contains at least one attached document.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said original message is a voice message.

25. The apparatus according to claim 22 wherein said means of providing a speech rendering of said original message comprises means for converting said text message to speech.

26. The apparatus according to claim 23 wherein said means of providing a speech rendering of said original message comprises means for converting said attachment to speech.

27. The apparatus according to claim 21 further comprising means for connecting to the mailbox of said email message by establishing a voice connection using a landline telephone or a mobile telephone.

28. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said annotating means includes means for recognition of commands for starting and stopping said speech annotation.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said commands are speech commands.

30. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said commands are entered via Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) tones.

31. The apparatus of claim 28 further incorporating the interactive voice response (IVR).

32. The apparatus according to claim 28 wherein said speech commands are user defined.

33. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising means for recognizing said speech annotations of said caller.

34. The apparatus according to claim 21 further comprising means for converting said speech annotations to text.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein said means of converting annotated voice command to text is accomplished using Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) and Speech-to-Text conversion.

36. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said speech annotation is inserted in said original message in text format.

37. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said speech annotation is inserted in said original message as a sound file.

38. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising means for storing said annotated message at the Unified Messaging server after inserting said speech annotation into said message.

39. The apparatus according to claim 38 wherein said means of storing said annotated message includes creating a new copy of said message.

40. The apparatus according to claim 21 further comprising the means for forwarding said annotated message to another user.