Text-to-speech based reminder system

• US 6,182,041 B1
• Filed: 10/13/1998
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: McNamara, Ross, Li, Yizhi, Ng, Alexander S., Trinh, Trung
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABEBE, DANIEL DEMELASH
• Application Number:
  US09/170,706
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 704/260, 704/258
• US Class Current: 704/260
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

Text-to-speech based reminder system. One or more servers within a communication network include hardware and software which allows the system to direct the collection of data about reminder, the translation of the reminder from text-to-speech, and the forwarding of the reminder to a recipient via an appropriate delivery method. The invention makes use of delivery methods such as e-mail, voicemail, or an existing telephone connection to communicate the speech reminder to a recipient. The recipient need not view a display screen to understand the content of the reminder, and needs no locally installed reminder software.

Claims

1. In a universal compatibility server wherein one or more adapter software entities reside, the server for use in a universal compatibility software system, a method of delivering a reminder, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving reminder data from a user interface adapter software entity;

sending a text reminder message to a text-to-speech translation system, the text-to-speech translation system being represented in the universal compatibility software system by a text-to-speech adapter software entity for providing translation of information;

directing a delivery system, represented in the universal compatibility software system by a delivery system adapter software entity, to begin recording; and

directing the text-to-speech translation system to send a speech reminder message to the delivery system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the delivery system is a voicemail system, and further comprising the steps of:

suspending execution until a pre-selected delivery time; and

directing the voicemail system to deliver the speech reminder message to a recipient.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the user interface is a world-wide-web interface.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the delivery system is an e-mail system.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the user interface is a world-wide-web interface.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interface is a world-wide-web interface.

7. A computer program product for delivering a reminder within a universal compatibility software system wherein one or more adapter software entities reside in a universal compatibility server, the computer program product having a medium with a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program comprising:

computer program code for receiving reminder data from a user interface adapter software entity;

computer program code for sending a text reminder message to a text-to-speech translation system, the text-to-speech translation system being represented in the universal compatibility software system by a text-to-speech adapter software entity for providing translation of information;

computer program code for directing a delivery system, represented in the universal compatibility software system by a delivery system adapter software entity, to begin recording; and

computer program code for directing the text-to-speech translation system to send a speech reminder message to the delivery system.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the delivery system is a voicemail system, and further comprising:

computer program code for suspending execution until a pre-selected delivery time; and

computer program code for directing the voicemail system to deliver the speech reminder message to a recipient.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the user interface is a world-wide-web interface.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the delivery system is an e-mail system.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the user interface is a world-wide-web interface.

12. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the user interface is a world-wide-web interface.

13. A universal compatibility server for a universal compatibility software system, the universal compatibility server including a computer program product for delivering a reminder within a network, the universal compatibility server comprising:

a plurality of input/output devices; and

a processor system connected to the network and to the plurality of input/output devices, the processor system including a computer program product, the computer program product including a computer program further comprising computer program code for receiving reminder data from a user interface system and computer program code for sending a text reminder message to a text-to-speech translation system and directing the text-to-speech translation system to send a speech reminder message to a delivery system, wherein the delivery system, the text-to-speech translation system, and the user interface system are all represented within the universal compatibility software system by adapter software entities for handling translation for communication between disparate systems, and wherein at least one of the adapter software entities resides on the universal compatibility server.

14. The universal compatibility server of claim 13 wherein the delivery system is a voicemail system and the computer program further includes computer program code for directing the voicemail system to deliver the speech reminder message to a recipient at a pre-selected delivery time.

15. The universal compatibility server of claim 14 wherein the user interface system includes a world-wide-web interface.

16. The universal compatibility server of claim 13 wherein the delivery system is an e-mail system.

17. The universal compatibility server of claim 16 wherein the user interface system includes a world-wide-web interface.

18. The universal compatibility server of claim 13 wherein the user interface system includes a world-wide-web interface.

19. Apparatus for delivering a reminder within a universal compatibility software system wherein at least one adapter software entity resides on a universal compatibility server, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving reminder data from a user interface universal compatibility software system adapter software entity;

means for sending a text reminder message to a text-to-speech translation system, the text-to-speech translation system being represented in the universal compatibility software system by a text-to-speech adapter software entity for providing translation of information;

means for directing a delivery system, represented in the universal compatibility software system by a delivery system adapter software entity, to begin recording; and

means for directing the text-to-speech translation system to send a speech reminder message to the delivery system.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the delivery system is a voicemail system, the apparatus further comprising:

means for suspending execution until a pre-selected delivery time; and

means for directing the voicemail system to deliver the speech reminder message to a recipient.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the user interface is a worldwide-web interface.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the delivery system is an e-mail system.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the user interface is a worldwide-web interface.

24. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the user interface is a worldwide-web interface.

25. In a universal compatibility software system network, a method of delivering a reminder to a recipient, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a service request at a user interface system and sending a text reminder message to a universal compatibility server, wherein the user interface system is represented on the universal compatibility server by a user interface adapter software entity;

sending the text reminder message to a text-to-speech translation system for text-to-speech translation;

translating the text reminder message into a speech reminder message;

sending the speech reminder message to a delivery system, the delivery system being represented on the universal compatibility server by a delivery system adapter software entity; and

recording the speech reminder message in the delivery system.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the delivery system is a voicemail system and further comprising the steps of:

suspending execution until a pre-selected delivery time; and

delivering the speech reminder message to a recipient at the pre-selected delivery time by the voicemail system.

27. A computer program product for delivering reminders in a universal compatibility software system network, the computer program product having a medium with a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program comprising:

computer program code for receiving a service request at a user interface system and sending a text reminder message to a universal compatibility server, wherein the user interface system is represented on the universal compatibility server by a user interface adapter software entity;

computer program code for sending the text reminder message to a text-to-speech translation system for text-to-speech translation;

computer program code for translating the text reminder message into a speech reminder message;

computer program code for sending the speech reminder message to a delivery system, the delivery system being represented on the universal compatibility server by a delivery system adapter software entity; and

computer program code for recording the speech reminder message in the delivery system.

28. The computer program product of claim 27 wherein the delivery system is a voicemail system and the computer program further comprises:

computer program code for suspending execution until a pre-selected delivery time; and

computer program code for delivering the speech reminder message to a recipient at the pre-selected delivery time by the voicemail system.

29. A universal compatibility software system network which provides for the delivery of reminders to recipients, the network comprising:

means for receiving a service request at a user interface system and sending a text reminder message to a universal compatibility server, wherein the user interface system is represented on the universal compatibility server by a user interface adapter software entity;

means for sending the text reminder message to a text-to-speech translation system for text-to-speech translation;

means for translating the text reminder message into a speech reminder message;

means for sending the speech reminder message to a delivery system, the delivery system being represented on the universal compatibility server by a delivery system adapter software entity; and

means for recording the speech reminder message in the delivery system.