Method and apparatus for voice interactive messaging

• US 20050207543A1
• Filed: 08/11/2004
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takeda, Kyoko, Booth, Theodore R. III, Clement, Jason Lee
• Granted Patent: US 7,570,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/64 Hybrid switching systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/65 Recording arrangements for recording a message from the calling party in the exchange H04M3/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/39 using speech synthesis speech synthesis per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A method comprising receiving a request to compose a message; outputting a first prompt requesting a recipient for the message; receiving a first audible response to the first prompt, the first audible response including a recipient of the message; outputting a second prompt requesting a body for the message; receiving a second audible response to the second prompt, the second audible response including a body of the message; and composing the message. An electronic device for voice messaging comprising an audible guide module for audibly prompting a user for recipient information and for audibly prompting a user for message information; a voice recognition module for interpreting received responses to the audible prompt for the recipient information and the audible prompt for the message information; and a message compiler module for creating a message from the responses to the audible prompt for the recipient information and the audible prompt for the message information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request to compose a message;

outputting a first prompt requesting a recipient for the message;

receiving a first audible response to the first prompt, the first audible response including a recipient of the message;

outputting a second prompt requesting a body for the message;

receiving a second audible response to the second prompt, the second audible response including a body of the message; and

composing the message.

2. A method of claim 1 further comprising:

outputting a third prompt requesting a message type for the message; and

receiving a third audible response to the third prompt, the third response including a type of message.

3. A method of claim 2 further comprising altering the type of message based upon the availability of the recipient.

4. A method of claim 3 further comprising comparing the received responses to a database.

5. A method of claim 3 further comprising comparing the received responses to a sound database.

6. A method of claim 1 further comprising attaching an electronic file to the message.

7. An electronic device for voice messaging comprising:

an audible guide module for audibly prompting a user for recipient information and for audibly prompting a user for message information;

a voice recognition module for interpreting received responses to the audible prompt for the recipient information and the audible prompt for the message information; and

a message compiler module for creating a message from the responses to the audible prompt for the recipient information and the audible prompt for the message information.

8. An electronic device of claim 7, wherein the voice recognition module comprises a speaker dependent module.

9. An electronic device of claim 7, wherein the voice recognition module comprises a speaker independent module.

10. An electronic device of claim 7, wherein the voice prompting module audibly prompts a user for a message type.

11. An electronic device of claim 7, further comprising a recipient identification module for determining an intended recipient of a message.

12. An electronic device of claim 11, further comprising retrieving the intended recipient of the message from a contact book.

13. An electronic device comprising:

means for receiving a request to compose a message;

means for outputting a first prompt requesting a recipient for the message;

means for receiving a first audible response to the first prompt, the first audible response including a recipient of the message;

means for outputting a second prompt requesting a body for the message;

means for receiving a second audible response to the second prompt, the second audible response including a body of the message; and

means for composing the message.

14. An electronic device of claim 13 further comprising:

means for outputting a third prompt requesting a message type for the message; and

means for receiving a third audible response to the third prompt, the third audible response including a type of message.

15. An electronic device of claim 14 further comprising means for altering the type of message based upon the availability of the recipient.

16. An electronic device of claim 15 further comprising means for comparing the received responses to a database.

17. An electronic device of claim 15 further comprising means for comparing the received responses to a sound database.

18. An electronic device of claim 13 further comprising means for attaching an electronic file to the message.

19. An electronic device for voice messaging comprising:

an audible guide module for audibly prompting a user for message information;

a voice recognition module for interpreting received responses to the audible prompt for the message information; and

a message compiler module for creating a message from the response the audible prompt for the message information.

20. An electronic device of claim 19 wherein the message information includes a recipient of the message and a body of the message.