Voice and data interface to a voice-mail service system
First Claim
1. A voice and data interface to a voice message service system, comprising:
- means for coupling a plurality of voice communication channels to the system;
means for coupling a plurality of data communication channels to the system at a same time as the plurality of voice channels are coupled to the system;
means for pairing coupled voice and coupled data channels, each channel pair for use in a different communication session, includingmeans for transmitting a unique identifier on a channel of one of the coupled voice and data channels, andmeans responsive to receipt of the unique identifier on a channel of the other of the coupled voice and data channels for pairing the channel on which the unique identifier was transmitted with the channel on which the unique identifier was received; and
means responsive to control communications received over the data channel of a channel pair for providing over the voice and data channels of the channel pair those system services that are requested by the control communications received over the data channel of the channel pair, including communicating data responses to the received control communications over the data channel of the channel pair and communicating voice messages specified by the received control communications over the voice channel of the channel pair.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A user-access interface to a voice message service system (16) includes a voice channel (13) and a data channel (14). The data channel enables the user to interact with the voice-mail service system via a video terminal or display-equipped computer (11) and to print message headers on the terminal or display. The user can then visually scan the headers. The user can then listen to the messages or record new messages via the voice channel. The interactive interface between the terminal or computer and the voice message service system over the data channel is provided by a function (30) executing on the terminal or computer and a function (31) executing on the voice-message service system.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A voice and data interface to a voice message service system, comprising:
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means for coupling a plurality of voice communication channels to the system; means for coupling a plurality of data communication channels to the system at a same time as the plurality of voice channels are coupled to the system; means for pairing coupled voice and coupled data channels, each channel pair for use in a different communication session, including means for transmitting a unique identifier on a channel of one of the coupled voice and data channels, and means responsive to receipt of the unique identifier on a channel of the other of the coupled voice and data channels for pairing the channel on which the unique identifier was transmitted with the channel on which the unique identifier was received; and means responsive to control communications received over the data channel of a channel pair for providing over the voice and data channels of the channel pair those system services that are requested by the control communications received over the data channel of the channel pair, including communicating data responses to the received control communications over the data channel of the channel pair and communicating voice messages specified by the received control communications over the voice channel of the channel pair. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A voice and data interface to a voice message service system, comprising:
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means for terminating a voice communication channel from the system; means for terminating a data communication channel from the system contemporaneously with termination of the voice channel; means for pairing the terminated voice channel and the terminated data channel for use in a single communication session with the system, including means for receiving a unique identifier from the system on one of the voice channel and the data channel, and means for transmitting the unique identifier to the system on the other of the voice channel and the data channel to signal the pairing of the voice channel and the data channel to the system; means for sending control communications to the system over the data channel of the channel pair to effect activities of the voice message service system, and for receiving data responses to the sent control communications over the data channel of the channel pair; and means for communicating over the voice channel of the channel pair voice messages that are specified by the control communications sent over the data channel of the channel pair. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of providing concurrent voice and data access to a voice message service system that may have a plurality of voice channels and a plurality of data channels coupled thereto concurrently, comprising the steps of:
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concurrently coupling at least one voice communication channel and at least one data communication channel to the system; pairing the coupled voice channels and the coupled data channels, each channel pair for use in a different communication session, by transmitting a unique identifier on a channel of one of the coupled voice channels and data channels, receiving the unique identifier on a channel of the other of the coupled voice channels and data channels, and pairing the channel on which the unique identifier was transmitted with the channel on which the unique identifier was received; receiving control communications over the data channel of a channel pair; effecting activities of the voice message service system that are requested by the received control communications; communicating data responses to control communications that were received over the data channel of the channel pair, over the data channel of the channel pair; and communicating voice messages specified by control communications that were received over the data channel of the channel pair, over the voice channel of the channel pair. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of providing concurrent voice and data access to a voice message service system that may have a plurality of voice channels and a plurality of data channels coupled thereto concurrently, comprising the steps of:
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concurrently terminating a voice communication channel and a data communication channel from the system; pairing the terminated voice channel and the terminated data channel for use in a single communication session with the system, by receiving a unique identifier from the system on one of the voice channel and the data channel, and transmitting the unique identifier to the system on the other of the voice channel and the data channel to signal the pairing of the voice channel and the data channel to the system; sending control communications to the system over the data channel of the channel pair to effect activities of the voice message service system; receiving data responses to the sent control communications over the data channel of the channel pair; and communicating over the voice channel of the channel pair voice messages that are specified by the control communications sent over the data channel of the channel pair. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification