COMPUTER, INTERNET AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS BASED NETWORK

• US 20130179157A1
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parus Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Parus Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Kurganov, Alex
• Granted Patent: US 8,838,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/20 of structured data, e.g. relational data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/30 of unstructured textual data document management systems G06F16/93
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/00 Speech recognition G10L17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/00 Speech or voice signal processing techniques to produce another audible or non-audible signal, e.g. visual or tactile, in order to modify its quality or its intelligibility G10L19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/48 specially adapted for particular use
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4509 Unified messaging with single point of access to voicemail and other mail or messaging systems unified messaging in packet switching networks H04L51/56
• 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 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 : Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 : Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/515 : Night service systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53 : Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages , i.e. mailbox systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 : Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0003 : Interconnection between telephone networks and data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0033 : Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 : for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a computer and telecommunication network which can receive, send and manage information from or to a subscriber of the network, based on the subscriber'"'"'s configuration. The network is made up of at least one cluster containing voice servers which allow for telephony, speech recognition, text-to-speech and conferencing functions, and is accessible by the subscriber through standard telephone connections or through internet connections. The network also utilizes a database and file server allowing the subscriber to maintain and manage certain contact lists and administrative information. A web server is also connected to the cluster thereby allowing access to all functions through internet connections.

Claims

1. A method for performing unified messaging operations comprising:

receiving, via a network, data at one or more servers in a collection of servers, the one or more servers configured to receive and transmit the data via a plurality of network protocols;

storing the data at a database associated with the collection of servers wherein the data is associated with a user account, the user account resident at the database;

transmitting, via the network, at least a portion of the data to one or more electronic communication devices associated with the user account;

receiving a speech input, via the network, at a speaker-independent speech recognition functionality, the speech recognition functionality resident at the one or more servers; and

recognizing and interpreting the speech input at the speaker-independent speech recognition functionality for executing at least one operation on the data, the at least one operation based at least in part on the spoken command.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the received speech input is at least partially processed by a second speaker-independent speech recognition functionality at an electronic communication device associated with the user account.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the collection of servers comprise a file server, a web server, a database server, and a voice server.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting at least a portion of the data is initiated by the one or more electronic communication devices.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of network protocols support the transmission of at least one from the group of:

an e-mail, a voicemail, a phone call, a conference call, a video, a text message, and a fax.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the operation manages at least one of a contact, a user profile, an e-mail, a voicemail, a video, a phone call, a fax, and a text message.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a DTMF signal from one of the electronic communication devices and wherein the executing an operation includes executing an operation based at least in part of the DTMF signal.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the operation uses the stored data to perform at least one of:

place a phone call, send an e-mail, send a voicemail, send a fax, send a text message, initiate a conference call, and initiate a video conference.

9. A method for performing unified messaging operations at an electronic communication device comprising:

receiving, via a network, data at an electronic communication device, the electronic communication device associated with a user account and the electronic communication device configured to receive and transmit data via a plurality of network protocols;

receiving a speech input relating to the data at the electronic communication device and transmitting the speech input to a speaker-independent speech recognition functionality resident at one or more servers in a collection of servers for executing at least one operation on the data, the at least one operation based at least in part on the speech input; and

receiving a result at the electronic communication device, via the network, based on the execution of at least one operation.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the electronic communication device is selected from the group of:

a mobile phone, a personal computer, an e-mail box, a voice-mail service, a pager, or a fax machine.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting DTMF signals via the network from the electronic communication device to the one or more servers in a collection of servers and receiving a result at the electronic communication device based on the execution of at least one operation based at least in part on the DTMF signals.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising transmitting, via the network, at least a portion of the data to the one or more servers in a collection of servers.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the plurality of network protocols support the transmission of at least one from the group of:

an e-mail, a voicemail, a phone call, a conference call, a video, a text message, and a fax.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the operation manages at least one of a contact, a user profile, an e-mail, a voicemail, a video, a phone call, a fax, and a text message.

10. The method of 9 further comprising recognizing and interpreting at least a portion of the speech input at a second speaker-independent speech recognition functionality resident at the electronic communication device and executing at least one operation based at least in part on the portion of the speech input.

16. A system for performing unified messaging operations comprising:

one or more servers in a collection of servers configured to receive and transmit, via a network, data from a plurality of electronic communication devices using a plurality of network protocols;

a first server in the collection of servers configured to store the data in one or more user accounts associated with the plurality of electronic communication devices; and

a second server in the collection of servers configured with a speaker-independent speech recognition functionality to receive, recognize and interpret speech input from the electronic communication devices to execute operations on the data, the operations based at least in part on the speech input.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein data is received using one of the plurality of network protocols and is transmitted using a different one of the plurality of network protocols.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the collection of servers includes a web server.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein transmission of the data is initiated by an instruction received from the plurality of electronic communication devices.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the plurality of network protocols support the transmission of at least one from the group of:

an e-mail, a voicemail, a phone call, a conference call, a video, a text message, and a fax.

21. The system of claim 16 wherein the executed operations manage at least one of a contact, a user profile, an e-mail, a voicemail, a video, a phone call, a fax, and a text message.

22. The system of claim 16, further comprising a third server configured to receive DTMF signals from one of the electronic communication devices and execute operations based at least in part on the DTMF signal.

23. The system of claim 16 wherein the executed operations use the stored data of to perform at least one of:

place a phone call, send an e-mail, send a voicemail, send a fax, send a text message, initiate a conference call, and initiate a video conference.

24. An electronic communication device for performing unified messaging operations comprising:

one or more communication interfaces configured to receive data via a network using a plurality of network protocols;

a processor coupled to the one or more communication interfaces configured to perform unified messaging operations;

a speaker-independent speech recognition functionality coupled to the processor configured to recognize and interpret speech input; and

a memory coupled to the processor having instructions when executed cause the processor to perform the steps of;

receiving, via a network, data at the one or more communication interfaces using one of the plurality of network protocols;

transmitting the data using a different one of the plurality of network protocols; and

receiving, recognizing and interpreting a speech input received at the speaker-independent functionality and executing an operation based at least in part on the spoken command.

25. The electronic communication device of claim 24, wherein the data is transmitted to one or more remote servers, the remote servers configured to perform at least one operation from the group of:

associating the message with a user account and the user account'"'"'s stored data; and

using the stored data of a the user account to perform at least one of;

place a phone call, send an e-mail, send a voicemail, send a fax, send a text message, initiate a conference call, and initiate a video conference.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the plurality of network protocols support the receipt and transmission of at least one from the group of:

an e-mail, a voicemail, a phone call, a conference call, a video, a text message, and a fax.