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Electronic mail system having integrated voice messages

  • US 5,717,742 A
  • Filed: 05/07/1996
  • Issued: 02/10/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1993
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An existing E-mail messaging system into which a voice messaging system is integrated, comprising:

  • a plurality of computers coupled together for exchanging E-mail messages between a set of users, each computer for inputting commands to control said E-mail messaging system;

    a voice gateway computer including voice processing circuits for converting voice signals to digital data that is representative of said voice signals and also for converting said digital data back to said voice signals and said voice processing circuits coupled to a telephone switching system for interconnecting to a plurality of local and remote telephones;

    a data storage means coupled to said plurality of computers for storing an E-mail message alone or in combination with a voice message attached thereto, the voice message being attached by means of a first appropriate application interface routine, the E-mail message being accessible from the data storage means via said plurality of computers and the voice message being accessible from the data storage means via said telephones and said voice gateway computer by means of a second appropriate application interface routine; and

    a single directory within the existing E-mail system for storing a voice mailbox number for each user.

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