Gateway apparatus for transferring voice mail to an electronic mail server or transferring electronic mail to a voice mail apparatus

• US 6,295,552 B1
• Filed: 09/19/1996
• Issued: 09/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Shibata, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FIELDS, KENNETH WAYNE
• Application Number:
  US08/716,608
• Time in Patent Office: 1,832 Days
• Field of Search: 379/89, 379/88, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 379/88.25, 379/88.18, 379/88.17, 379/88.24, 379/88.16, 395/200.35, 395/200.36, 709/206, 709/207
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A gateway apparatus which transfers voice mail to an electronic mail server as electronic mail so that the voice mail can be accessed from a remote place by a simple operation. The gateway apparatus is connected between the electronic mail server and a public telephone network. The gateway apparatus communicates with a voice mail apparatus via a telephone line. The electronic mail server is connected to at least one personal computer. Voice mail addressed to a selected user is retrieved from the voice mail apparatus. The voice mail is converted into electronic mail, and a voice mail box number corresponding to the retrieved voice mail is converted into an electronic mail address which is assigned for the selected user. The electronic mail converted from the voice mail is transferred to the electronic mail server so that the electronic mail is distributed to a personal computer connected to the electronic mail server in accordance with the converted electronic mail address. Reversely, electronic mail received by the personal computer may be converted into voice mail, and transferred to the voice mail apparatus.

Claims

1. A gateway apparatus connected between an electronic mail server and a public telephone network, said gateway apparatus communicating with a voice mail apparatus via a telephone line, said electronic mail server being connected to at least one personal computer, said gateway apparatus comprising:

voice mail retrieving means for retrieving voice mail addressed to a selected user from said voice mail apparatus, said voice mail retrieving means retrieving the voice mail via a private branch exchanger connected to the public telephone network by transmitting push button tone signals to said voice mail apparatus to access a voice mail box of the user;

voice mail converting means comprising an analog-to-digital converter for converting the voice mail into electronic mail by converting an analog voice signal corresponding to a voice message contained with the voice mail into digital data conforming to electronic mail, said digital data in the electronic mail corresponding to a complete textual conversion of the voice message;

box number converting means for converting a voice mail box number corresponding to the voice mail box of the retrieved voice mail into an electronic mail address which is assigned for the selected user, wherein the voice mail box number is converted to the assigned electronic mail address after the voice mail is retrieved by the voice mail retrieving means; and

transferring means for transferring the electronic mail to the electronic mail server so that the electronic mail is distributed to the personal computer connected to said electronic mail server in accordance with the electronic mail address obtained by said box number converting means.

2. The gateway apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a retrieval of the voice mail for each user is periodically performed at a predetermined time interval.

3. The gateway apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said box number converting means converts the voice mail box number into the electronic mail address in accordance with a predetermined address conversion table.

4. The gateway apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

unaccessed electronic mail searching means for searching for unaccessed electronic mail which was received by said electronic mail server and has not been accessed by a particular user to whom the unaccessed electronic mail is addressed;

electronic mail address converting means for converting an electronic mail address corresponding to the unaccessed electronic mail into a voice mail box number which is assigned to said particular user; and

message outputting means for outputting to said voice mail apparatus a voice message announcing a presence of the unaccessed electronic mail so that said voice message is stored at a voice mail box number of said particular user.

5. The gateway apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said electronic mail address converting means converts the electronic mail address into the voice mail box number in accordance with a predetermined address conversion table.

6. The gateway apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said voice message announcing the presence of the unaccessed electronic mail is an analog voice signal conforming to voice mail.

7. The gateway apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

unaccessed electronic mail retrieving means for retrieving unaccessed electronic mail which was received by said electronic mail server and has not been accessed by a particular user to whom the unaccessed electronic mail is addressed;

text file converting means for converting a text file contained in the unaccessed electric mail into a voice signal;

electronic mail address converting means for converting an electronic mail address corresponding to the unaccessed electronic mail into a voice mail box number which is assigned to said particular user; and

voice signal outputting means for outputting said voice signal to said voice mail apparatus so that said voice signal is stored at a voice mail box number of said particular user.

8. The gateway apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said electronic mail address converting means converts the electronic mail address into the voice mail box number in accordance with a predetermined address conversion table.

9. The gateway apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said voice signal output to said voice mail apparatus is an analog voice signal conforming to voice mail.

10. A gateway apparatus connected between an electronic mail server and a public telephone network, said gateway apparatus communicating with a voice mail apparatus via a telephone line, said electronic mail server being connected to at least one personal computer, said gateway apparatus comprising:

voice mail retrieving means for retrieving voice mail addressed to a selected user from said voice mail apparatus, said voice mail retrieving means retrieving the voice mail via a private branch exchanger by transmitting push button tone signals to said voice mail apparatus to access a voice mail box of the user;

voice mail converting means comprising an analog-to-digital converter for converting the voice mail into electronic mail by converting an analog voice signal corresponding to a voice message contained with the voice mail into digital data conforming to electronic mail, said digital data in the electronic mail corresponding to a complete textual conversion of the voice message;

box number converting means for converting a voice mail box number corresponding to the voice mail box of the retrieved voice mail into an electronic mail address which is assigned for the selected user, wherein the voice mail box number is converted to the assigned electronic mail address after the voice mail is retrieved by said voice mail retrieving means; and

transferring means for transferring the electronic mail to the electronic mail server so that the electronic mail is distributed to the personal computer connected to said electronic mail server in accordance with the electronic mail address obtained by said box number converting means.