Synchronous voice/data message system

• US 5,832,065 A
• Filed: 10/03/1996
• Issued: 11/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northern Telecom Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Bannister, Cecil Henry, Edwards, Russell A., Mo, Richard C. S.
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US08/725,551
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.17, 379/93.19, 379/93.21, 379/93.24, 348/14, 348/15, 348/17, 348/500, 348/512, 348/515, 370/260
• US Class Current: 379/93.08
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A synchronous voice/data messaging system allows parties to communicate both voice and graphic information or other data interactively or to retrieve such information synchronously in the exact sequence in which it was created. Voice information and data information are transmitted on a voice channel and a data channel. Time stamps are generated to synchronize the voice and data information. The time stamps can be generated either in a user device or in a multimedia messaging system. In either case, the voice and graphic or other data is played back to the called party in the exact sequence and at a rate corresponding to the rate at which it was received. Such a system can also be used to provide other services such as synchronous voice/data messaging while on hold or as part of a multimedia greeting.

Claims

1. A personal communications and multimedia mail system for providing synchronous communication of data and voice, comprising:

first, second, third and fourth telecommunications links,

a first portable communications device comprising a voice input unit, a data input unit, and a transceiver unit, wherein the data input unit accepts data as input by a user command from a data base, the voice input unit accepts voice signals of a user, and the transceiver unit transmits said voice signals over the first telecommunications link and the data over said the second telecommunications link,

a central switching office for receiving and storing said voice signals transmitted over the first telecommunications link from said first portable communications device and the data transmitted over the second telecommunications link from said first portable communications device, and retransmitting said data over said third telecommunications link and retransmitting said voice signals over said fourth telecommunications link, said central switching office including;

a service controller for receiving the data directly from the first portable communications device over the second telecommunications link,

a switch for receiving the voice signals directly from the first portable communications device over the first telecommunications link, and

a voice mail unit connected to the service controller and the switch and configured to temporarily store the voice signals in a case where a destination device is not currently available to receive the data and the voice signals,

a second portable communication device, which corresponds to the destination device, said second portable communication device comprising a voice output unit, a data display unit, and a transceiver unit, wherein said second portable communication device receives said voice signals over the fourth communications link and said data over third telecommunications link, the data display unit outputs the data received over said third telecommunications link as a dynamic visible display and the voice output unit outputs the voice received over said fourth telecommunications link as audible voice instructions corresponding to the dynamic visible display, and

a time stamp means for placing time stamps on the voice signals and the data,

wherein the switch outputs the voice signals received over the first telecommunications link to the fourth telecommunications link based on control signals received from the service controller, the service controller providing the control signals to the switch based on decoding of the data received over the second telecommunications link.

2. A personal communications and multimedia mail system according to claim 1, wherein said time stamp means is disposed in one of the first portable telecommunications device and the service controller.

3. A personal communications and multimedia mail system according to claim 2, wherein, when said time stamp means is disposed in said service controller, said time stamp means places said time stamps on said data received over said second telecommunications link based on a time when said data are received by said service controller over said second telecommunications link, and said time stamps are placed on said voice signals received over said first telecommunications link by said switch based on said control signals sent from said service controller to said switch.

4. A personal communication and multimedia mail system according to claim 1, wherein said second portable telecommunications device records the time stamps based on the data received over the third telecommunications link and the voice signals received simultaneously over the fourth telecommunications link, and

wherein the second portable telecommunications device is capable of synchronously reproducing the voice signals and the data at a later time based on the time stamps.

5. A personal communication and multimedia mail system according to claim 1, wherein in a case where said voice mail unit has temporarily stored the voice signals due to said destination device not being available to receive the data and the voice signals at a time when the data and the voice signals were initially received by the central switching office, at a later time when the destination device is able to receive the data and the voice signals based on a signal sent from the destination device to the central switching office, the temporarily stored voice signals are output to said switch and routed to said destination device over the fourth telecommunications link, and at a same time the data are routed to said destination device directly from said service controller over the third telecommunications link.

6. A personal communication and multimedia mail system according to claim 1, wherein the data that is received by the service controller over the second telecommunications link are capable of being received at a different time with respect to when corresponding voice signals are received by the switch over the first telecommunications link, and

wherein the time stamp means provides information so as to equate portions of the data to be output with portions of the voice signals at a synchronized timing by the second portable communications device.