Multimedia mail system

• US 4,972,462 A
• Filed: 09/27/1988
• Issued: 11/20/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shibata, Yoji
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US07/249,714
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 379/89, 379/88, 379/94, 379/98, 379/100
• US Class Current: 379/88.13
• 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 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53325 Interconnection arrangements between voice mail systems

Abstract

A multimedia mail system utilizes an analog telephone network and interconnects processors at a voice mail center and a text mail center, and provides data/voice transmit/receive mode selectors between the analog telephone network and the paired voice mail center and text mail center and between the analog telephone network and paired voice mail terminal and text mail terminal so that voice and text data can be switched during communication to provide a consolidated voice mail/text mail communication system.

Claims

1. A multimedia mail system for transferring and storing test data and voice data within said multimedia mail system, comprising:

a telephone network;

a text mail center storing test data;

a voice mail center storing voice data;

a center text/voice transmit/receive selector connected to said text mail center, said voice mail center and said telephone network, said center selector transferring test data between said text mail center and said telephone network, and said center selector further transferring voice data between said voice mail center and said telephone network, said center selector switching between transferring the text data, or the voice data or the text and voice data during one call;

a text terminal for inputting and outputting text data;

a voice terminal for inputting and outputting voice data; and

a terminal text/voice transmit/receive selector connected to said text terminal, said voice terminal and said telephone network, said terminal selector transferring text data between said text terminal and said telephone network, said terminal selector further transferring voice data between said voice terminal and said telephone network, said terminal selector switching between transferring the next data or the voice data or the text and voice data during one call.

2. A multimedia mail system according to claim 1 wherein, said center text/voice transmit/receive selector comprises:

first means for generating a first discrimination signal to be transferred with either the text data or the voice data to identify a type of data, voice or text, to be transferred by said center selector; and

said terminal text/voice transmit/receive selector comprises a second means for generating a second discrimination signal transferred with either the text data or the voice data to identify the type of data, voice or text, to be transferred by said terminal selector,

where said center text/voice transmit/receive selector and said terminal text/voice transmit/receive selector switch between transferring the text data and the voice data in accordance with the type of data identified by said first discrimination signal or second discrimination signal.

3. A multimedia mail system according to claim 1 wherein said voice mail center comprises a voice mail center processor for controlling a transfer of the voice data and said text mail center comprises a text mail center processor for controlling a transfer of the text data and wherein said voice mail center processor and said text mail center processor are interconnected processors for a transfer of stored text data and stored voice data between said centers.

4. A multimedia mail system for transferring and storing test data and voice data within said system comprising:

a telephone network;

a multimedia mail center connected to said network receiving voice and text data from said network and transferring voice and text data to said network; and

a plurality of terminals connected to said network;

said multimedia mail center comprising;

first means for storing the text data;

second means for storing the voice data;

a first text/voice transmit/receive selector transferring the text data between said first means and said telephone network and for transferring the voice data between said telephone network and said second means, said first selector switching between transferring the next data or the voice data or both text and voice data during one call; and

third means for controlling said first means, said second means and said first text/voice transmit/receive selector; and

at least one of said terminals having;

fourth means for inputting and outputting the text data;

fifth means for inputting and outputting the voice data; and

a second text/voice transmit/receive selector transferring the text data and the voice data by switching between the text data or the voice data or the voice and text data during one call;

where said multimedia mail center stores the text data and the voice data received from the at least one terminal via said network in said first means and said second means respectively by said first selector switching between the text data and the voice data during one call under control of said third means, and said multimedia mail center transmitting the text data and the voice data stored in said first means and said second means respectively to the terminal by said first selector switching between the text data and the voice data during one call under control of said third means, and said second selector of said terminal transfers data between said multimedia mail center, said fourth means and said fifth means by switching between the text data and the voice data during one call.

5. A multimedia mail system according to claim 4;

where said first text/voice selector comprises;

means for transferring voice data to and from said second means;

means for transferring text data to and from said first means by modulating or demodulating a first selector carrier signal;

means for generating a first discrimination signal transferred with the text data or the voice data, said first discrimination signal discriminating between the text data and the voice data; and

means for switching between transferring the text data and the voice data to and from said second text/voice selector in response to said first discrimination signal and also in response to a second discrimination signal received from said second text/voice selector; and

said second text/voice selector comprises;

means for transferring voice data to and from said fifth means;

means for transferring text data to and from said fourth means by modulating or demodulating a second selector carrier signal;

means for generating said second discrimination signal transferred with the text data or the voice data, said second discrimination signal discriminating between the text data and the voice data; and

means for switching between transferring the text data and the voice data to and from said first text/voice selector in accordance with said second discrimination signal to be transmitted to said first text/voice signal selector and in accordance with said first discrimination signal received from said first text/voice selector.

6. A multimedia mail system according to claim 5

wherein said first text/voice selector comprises a first modem generating a first carrier signal for use as said first discrimination signal and as said first selector carrier signal for modulating and demodulating the text data, and wherein said second selector comprises a second modem generating a second carrier signal for use as said second discrimination signal and as said second selector carrier.

7. A multimedia mail system according to claim 6, further including, in both said first and second selectors, means for generating special data, in addition to said first and second discrimination signals respectively for discriminating between test data and voice data.

8. A multimedia mail system according to claim 7,

wherein said special data is a flag in a flag synchronization system.

9. A multimedia mail system according to claim 7,

wherein said special data is a STX (indicating start of text) in a stepping synchronization system.

10. A multimedia mail system according to claim 7,

wherein said special data is a SYN (synchronization bit) in a SYN synchronization system.

11. A multimedia mail center connected to a plurality of terminals transmitting and receiving text data and voice data through a telephone network, comprising:

first means for storing the text data;

second means for storing the voice data;

a text/voice transmit/receive selector connected to said first and said second means for switching between transferring the text data or the voice data or the text and voice data during one call; and

means for controlling said first means, said second means and said text/voice transmit/receive selector;

where said multimedia mail center stores the text data and the voice data received from one of said plurality of terminals in said first means and said second means respectively by said selector switching between the text data and the voice data during one call under control of said means for controlling, and said multimedia mail center transmits the text data and the voice data stored in said first means and said second means respectively to a second one of said plurality of terminals by said selector switching between the text data and voice data during one call under control of said means for controlling.

12. A multimedia center according to claim 11, wherein said text/voice transmit/receive selector comprises:

third means for transmitting and receiving the voice data to and from said second means;

fourth means for transmitting and receiving the text data to and from said first means by modulating or demodulating a carrier signal;

means for generating a first discrimination signal transmitted with the text data or the voice data, said discrimination signal discriminating between the text data and the voice data; and

means for switching between said third means and said fourth means in response to said discriminating signal from said means for generating a discriminating signal transmitted with the stored data to the second terminal and also in response to a second discrimination signal generated in one of the plurality of terminals, said second discrimination signal discriminating between the text data and the voice data in data transmitted by said terminal.

13. A multimedia mail enter according to claim 12,

wherein said means for generating a discrimination signal comprises a modem generating a first carrie signal used as said first discrimination signal, said first carrier signal also being used as said carrier signal.

14. A multimedia mail center according to claim 13, further including means for generating special data in addition to said first and second discrimination signals respectively for discriminating between the text data and the voice data.

15. A multimedia mail center according to claim 14,

wherein said special data is a flag in a flag synchronization system.

16. A multimedia mail center according to claim 14,

wherein said special data is a STX (indicating start of text) in a stepping synchronization system.

17. A multimedia mail center according to claim 14,

wherein said special data is a SYN (synchronization bit) in a SYN synchronization system.

18. A multimedia mail center according to claim 11,

wherein said first means is a text file and said second means is a voice file and said text/voice transmit/receive selector is a center text/voice transmit/receive selector, said text file and said voice file being connected to the telephone network through said center text/voice transmit/receive selector.

19. A multimedia mail center according to claim 11,

wherein said first means is a text file and said second means is a voice file and said means for controlling is a multimedia center processor, said voice file and said text file being connected to said multimedia center processor which is connected to the telephone network through said text/voice transmit/selector.