Answering machine for transmitting messages to remotely accessible user account

• US 6,341,160 B2
• Filed: 04/14/1998
• Issued: 01/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boris S. Tverskoy, Vladimir A. Gurevich
• Original Assignee: Boris S. Tverskoy, Vladimir A. Gurevich
• Inventors: Tverskoy, Boris S., Gurevich, Vladimir A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Escalante, Ovidio
• Application Number:
  US09/060,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20010043678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 379/352, 379/353, 379/355, 379/356, 379/359, 379/908, 379/904, 379/88.22, 379/93.24, 379/88.17, 379/67.1, 379/100.08, 379/102.01, 379/93.1, 379/88.26, 379/900, 379/93.01, 709/206
• US Class Current: 379/88.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/652 Means for playing back the recorded messages by remote control over a telephone line H04M1/658 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0176 Billing arrangements using internet
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/908 Multimedia

Abstract

An electronically accessible answering machine is disclosed. The answering machine includes a memory that stores a voice message from a caller. The answering machine also includes a control system that stores information associated with a user account, including a telephone number associated with a user account provider. The control system dials the telephone number associated with the user account provider and transmits selected portions of the information associated with the user account to the user account provider to obtain access to the user account. The control system accesses the memory and generates an electronic mail message including the voice message.

Claims

1. An answering machine comprising:

a telephone line interface coupled to a first telephone line and operable to detect an incoming call on the first telephone line;

a computer-telephone interface coupled to a second telephone line, the computer-telephone interface being collocated with the telephone line interface;

a memory operable to store digital data, the memory being collocated with the telephone line interface;

a voice signal processing system operable to process a voice signal and generate voice signal data, and operable to store the voice signal data in the memory, the voice signal processing system being collocated with the telephone line interface; and

a control system in communication with and collocated with the telephone line interface, the computer-telephone interface, the memory and the voice signal processing system, the control system being operable to receive a notification of the incoming call from the telephone line interface, and operable to cause the telephone line to create an off-hook condition on the first telephone line in response to the incoming call, and operable to retrieve an announcement from the memory, and operable to play the announcement on the first telephone line in response to the incoming call, and operable to cause the voice signal processing system to process a voice message during the incoming call and store the voice message in the memory, and operable to cause the computer-telephone interface to access an electronic mail account, and operable to generate an electronic mail message including the voice message stored in the memory at the electronic mail account, the control system being further operable to receive a command message from the user account and to execute the command message.

2. An electronically accessible answering machine, comprising:

a memory operable to store a voice message from a caller;

a control system operable to store information associated with a user account, and operable to transmit selected portions of the information associated with the user account to a user account provider to obtain access to the user account, and operable to access the memory and generate an electronic mail message including the voice message, the control system being further operable to receive a command message from the user account and to execute the command message; and

a user-accessible manual interface operable to initiate playback of the voice message in response to manual user input,

wherein the control system is operable to store a user name and password associated with the user account and a telephone number associated with the user account provider, and operable to dial the telephone number associated with the user account provider, and operable to transmit the user name and password to the user account provider to obtain access to the user account.

3. The electronically accessible answering machine of claim 2, further comprising a computer-telephone interface coupled to a telephone line and operable to provide an interface between the control system and the user account provider.

4. The electronically accessible answering machine of claim 2, wherein the control system is operable to dial the telephone number associated with the user account provider in response to the incoming call.

5. An electronically accessible answering machine, comprising:

a memory operable to store a voice message from a caller;

a control system collocated with the memory system, the control system being operable to store information associated with a user account, and operable to transmit selected portions of the information associated with the user account to a user account provider to obtain access to the user account and operable to access the memory and generate an electronic mail message including the voice message, the control system being further operable to receive a command message from the user account and to execute the command message; and

a user-accessible manual interface collocated with the memory system and the control system, the manual interface being operable to initiate playback of the voice message in response to manual user input.

6. The electronically accessible answering machine of claim 5, further comprising a telephone line interface coupled to a telephone line and operable to detect an incoming call on the telephone line, and operable to notify the control system of the incoming call, wherein the control system is further operable to cause the telephone line interface to go off-hook in response to the incoming call.

7. The electronically accessible answering machine of claim 6, wherein the control system is further operable to access an announcement stored in the memory, and operable to transmit the announcement over the telephone line in response to the incoming call.

8. An electronically accessible answering machine, comprising:

a memory operable to store a voice mail message from a caller;

a control system operable to store information associated with a user account, and operable to transmit selected portions of the information associated with the user account to a user account provider to obtain access to the user account, and operable to access the memory and generate an electronic mail message including the voice message, the control system being further operable to receive a command message from the user account and to execute the command message; and

a user-accessible manual interface operable to initiate playback of the voice message in response to manual user input,

wherein the control system is operable to maintain a timer expiring at a predetermined time interval, and operable to dial the telephone number associated with the user account provider in response to the expiration of the timer.

9. An electronically accessible answering machine, comprising:

a memory operable to store a voice message from a caller;

a control system operable to store information associated with a user account, and operable to transmit selected portions of the information associated with the user account to a user account provider to obtain access to the user account, and operable to access the memory and generate an electronic mail message including the voice message, the control system being further operable to receive a command message from the user account and to execute the command message; and

a user-accessible manual interface operable to initiate playback of the voice message in response to manual user input,

wherein the user-accessible manual interface further comprises a connect button, wherein the control system is operable to dial the telephone number associated with the user account provider in response to the connect button being pressed.

10. A method for providing remote access to an answering machine located on a user'"'"'s premises, comprising:

storing an incoming voice message by the answering machine in a memory located on the user'"'"'s premises;

establishing a connection to a user account provider by the answering machine;

transmitting user account information by the answering machine to the user account provider to obtain access to a user account;

generating an electronic message including the incoming voice message in the user account; and

executing a command message received from the user account.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of generating the electronic message in the user account further comprises generating a message header associated with the voice message.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of storing incoming voice message further comprises:

answering an incoming telephone call from a caller by the answering machine; and

processing a voice signal from the caller by the answering machine to generate the incoming voice message.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising storing caller identification information associated with the incoming voice message by the answering machine in the memory.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising storing information associated with a time of the incoming voice message by the answering machine in the memory.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of generating the electronic message in the user account further comprises generating a message header including the caller identification information.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of generating the electronic message in the user account further comprises generating a message header including the information associated with the time of the incoming voice message.