Automatic voice/text translation of phone mail messages

• US 5,712,901 A
• Filed: 06/26/1996
• Issued: 01/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Meermans, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): TSANG, FAN S
• Application Number:
  US08/670,906
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 379/52, 379/100, 379/57, 379/93, 379/94, 379/90, 379/230, 379/229
• US Class Current: 379/88.14
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42391 where the subscribers are hearing-impaired persons, e.g. telephone devices for the deaf
• 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 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• 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: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

A system for providing phone mail service for customers using either conventional voice telephones or text telephone units. The system of the present invention includes a phone mail unit for receiving a message from a caller, a switch connected to the phone mall unit for receiving the message and routing it to a translation unit for translation. The system also includes a gateway for receiving a data packet, containing call information related to the message. The data packet is routed to a console in the translation unit. A control interface is disposed between the gateway and the console. The control interface transfers the data packet from the gateway to the console. A communications assistant of the translation unit receives the message and data packet and translates the message from voice-to-text or text-to-voice. The translated message is then sent back to the customer'"'"'s mailbox for storage and subsequent retrieval. The translated message may also be sent to the customer'"'"'s electronic mailbox, pager and/or Internet address for retrieval.

Claims

1. A system for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising:

a phone mail unit for receiving a message from a caller, wherein said phone mail unit generates a data packet relating to said message; and

a switch connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said message from said phone mail unit and for routing said message to a translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice, and wherein said message is routed to a pager associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a control interface disposed between said phone mail unit and said translation unit, for transferring said data packet from said phone mail unit to said translation unit.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said control interface comprises a Local Area Network.

4. A system for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising:

a phone mail unit for receiving a message from a caller;

a switch connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said message from said phone mail unit and for routing said message to a translation unit;

a gateway connected to said phone mail unit for receiving a data packet containing call information relating to said message; and

a control interface disposed between said gateway and said translation unit, for transferring said data packet from said gateway to said translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice, and wherein said message is routed back to said phone mail unit for storage in a phone mail box associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.

5. The system of claim 4, whereto said control interface comprises a Local Area Network.

6. A method for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising the steps of:

receiving, in a phone mail unit, a phone mail message from a caller;

routing said phone mail message from said phone mail unit to a translation unit;

generating a data packet, containing call information relating to said phone mail message, in said phone mail unit;

routing said data packet to said translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice; and

routing said message to a pager associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said data packet is routed to said translation unit via a control interface.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said control interface comprises a Local Area Network.

9. A system for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising:

a phone mail unit for receiving a message from a caller;

a switch connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said message from said phone mail unit and for routing said message to a translation unit;

a gateway connected to said phone mail unit for receiving a data packet containing call information relating to said message; and

a control interface disposed between said gateway and said translation unit, for transferring said data packet from said gateway to said translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice, and wherein said message is routed to a pager associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.

10. A system for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising:

a phone mail unit for receiving a message from a caller;

a switch connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said message from said phone mail unit and for routing said message to a translation unit;

a gateway connected to said phone mail unit for receiving a data packet containing call information relating to said message; and

a control interface disposed between said gateway and said translation unit, for transferring said data packet from said gateway to said translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice, and wherein said message is routed to an electronic mailbox associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said message is routed to said electronic mailbox via the Internet.

12. A system for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising:

a phone mail unit for receiving a message from a caller, wherein said phone mail unit generates a data packet relating to said message;

a switch connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said message from said phone mail unit and for routing said message to a translation unit; and

a gateway connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said data packet containing call information relating to said message and for routing said data packet to said translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice, and wherein said message is routed to a pager associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.

13. A system for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising:

a phone mail unit for receiving a message from a caller, wherein said phone mail unit generates a data packet relating to said message;

a switch connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said message from said phone mail unit and for routing said message to a translation unit; and

a gateway connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said data packet containing call information relating to said message and for routing said data packet to said translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice, and wherein said message is routed back to said phone mail unit for storage in a phone mail box associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.

14. A system for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising:

a phone mail unit for receiving a message from a caller, wherein said phone mail unit generates a data packet relating to said message;

a switch connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said message from said phone mail unit and for routing said message to a translation unit; and

a gateway connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said data packet containing call information relating to said message and for muting said data packet to said translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice, and wherein said message is routed to an electronic mailbox associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said message is routed to said electronic mailbox via the Internet.