Mixed-media communication apparatus and method

• US 6,532,230 B1
• Filed: 03/14/1997
• Issued: 03/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Altigen Communications Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Altigen Communications Incorporated
• Inventors: Liu, Leo, Lung, En-Kuang, Keung, Donggun
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duong, Frank
• Application Number:
  US08/818,390
• Time in Patent Office: 2,188 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 370/260, 370/265, 370/351, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 395/200.3, 395/200.31, 395/200.32, 395/200.33, 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 379/202, 709/202, 709/204, 709/221
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/553 Data upload
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects

Abstract

A method for recording mixed-media messages using an integrated messaging server in response to a client application, the integrated messaging server including a processor coupled to a telephone switching server, to a storage, and to a message server, includes the steps of receiving a voice message using a handset coupled with an analog line to the telephone switching server, storing the voice message in the storage, receiving a document from the client application using the message server, and associating the voice message with the document to form a mixed-media message.

Claims

1. A method for an integrated computer server, the integrated computer server including a processor and a storage the method comprising:

coupling a telephone handset directly to the integrated computer server, the integrated computer server including a text-based message server portion;

coupling the integrated computer server to a computer via a computer network;

receiving a voice message from a user at the telephone handset that is directly coupled to the integrated computer server in the;

storing the voice message in the storage;

receiving a text-based message from the user from the computer from the computer network in the message server portion of the integrated computer server, the text based message comprising routing instructions and a written message portion entered by the user; and

associating the voice message with the text-based message to form a mixed-media message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring the mixed-media message in response to the routing instructions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the text-based message is an electronic mail message, and wherein the routing instructions comprise e-mail addresses.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the message portion comprises document.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the mixed-media message is MIME compliant.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the message system is SMTP compliant.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the mixed-media message in a second integrated computer server that includes a processor and a storage;

coupling the second integrated computer server directly to a second telephone handset;

coupling the second integrated computer server to a second computer via a second computer network;

storing the voice message in the storage of the second integrated computer server;

transmitting the text-based message to the second computer via the second computer network; and

playing the voice message to the second telephone handset directly coupled to the second integrated computer server.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

coupling the integrated computer server directly to a telephone trunk line.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the voice message in the storage includes:

storing the voice message in a first format and a second format in the storage.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein storing the voice message in the storage of the second integrated computer server includes storing the voice message in a first format and a second format in the storage;

and

wherein playing the voice message to the second telephone handset comprises transmitting the voice message in the first format to the second handset directly coupled to the second integrated computer server.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the integrated computer server comprises a message server and a message agent;

wherein receiving a text-based message from the computer includes receiving the text-based message from a client application using the message server; and

wherein associating the voice message with the text-based message includes using the message agent to associate the voice message with the message.

12. An integrated messaging server for recording mixed-media messages from a client application, the integrated messaging server comprising:

a handset directly coupled to the integrated messaging server configured to input a voice message from a user;

a storage configured to store the voice message;

a message server coupled to the client application configured to receive a text-based message from a user via the client application, the text-based message comprising routing instructions and a message portion; and

a message agent coupled to the storage and to the message server for associating the voice message from the user and the text-based message from the user to form the mixed-media message.

13. The integrated messaging server of claim 12 wherein the client application is compatible with POP3 protocols.

14. The integrated messaging server of claim 12, wherein the integrated messaging server is directly coupled to a telephone trunk line.

15. The integrated messaging server of claim 12, wherein the message server is SMTP compliant.

16. The integrated messaging server of claim 12, wherein the message agent forms MIME compliant mixed-media messages.

17. The integrated messaging server of claim 12, wherein the text-based message is an electronic mail message, and the routing instructions comprise an e-mail address.

18. The messaging server of claim 17, wherein the message portion comprises a document.

19. A messaging server for recording mixed-media messages comprises:

a switching portion directly coupled to a telephone handset, the telephone handset configured to receive a voice message from a sender;

a storage, coupled to the switching portion configured to store the voice message; and

a message agent coupled to the storage configured to receive an electronic mail message from a sender via a client application on a computer and configured to associate the electronic mail message from the sender and the voice message from the sender to form a mixed-media message, the electronic mail message comprising address data and a text message portion.

20. The messaging server of claim 19, wherein the storage stores the voice message in a digital format.

21. The messaging server of claim 19, wherein the message agent forwards the mixed-media message to a receiver.

22. A computer program for recording mixed-media messages in a computer system including a processor, and a storage, comprising:

code that directs the processor to receive a voice message from a user at a telephone handset directly coupled to the computer system;

code that directs the processor to store the voice message in the storage;

code that directs the processor to receive a text-based message from a user at a client application from a computer, the text-based message comprising routing data and a text message portion; and

code that directs the processor to associate the voice message from the user with the text-based message from the user to form a mixed-media message;

wherein the codes reside on a tangible memory.

23. A method for coupling a first messaging server to a second messaging server through a computer network the messaging servers including a telephone switching portion and a processor, the method comprising:

dialing a telephone number using a telephone coupled via first telephone lines to a telephone switching portion of the first messaging server, the dialing comprising a series of telephone line switching signals;

using a processor of the first messaging server to determine a computer network address and control codes, in response to the telephone number;

contacting the second messaging server through the computer network in response to the computer network address;

receiving in a processor of the second messaging server the control codes from the first messaging server;

using a telephone switch portion of the second messaging server to determine a telephone extension coupled via second telephone lines thereto in response to the control codes; and

coupling the telephone coupled to the first messaging server to a telephone coupled to the telephone extension to provide synchronous communications between the telephones via the first telephone line, via the second telephone line and via the computer network.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the computer network address comprises an internet address.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the computer network address comprises an internet domain name.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the computer network comprises the Internet.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the computer network comprises a local area network.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein the computer network comprises a wide area network.