Method and apparatus for announcing receipt of an electronic message

• US 6,553,341 B1
• Filed: 04/27/1999
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Swearingen, Craig Ardner, Tannenbaum, Alan Richard, Mullaly, John Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): EDOUARD, PATRICK NESTOR
• Application Number:
  US09/300,319
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 704/1, 704/8, 704/9, 704/258, 704/260, 379/93.24, 379/67, 379/88, 379/88.25, 379/88.13, 709/206
• US Class Current: 704/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/205 Parsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

A method and apparatus for announcing receipt of an electronic message. When a message including text is received, the message is filtered determine what will be announced. Text from the filtered message is selectively combined with announcement text to create modified announcement text in which filtered text is selectively placed into the announcement text. The modified announcement text is then transformed into synthesized speech.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for announcing receipt of a message, the method comprising the data processing system implemented steps of:

receiving the message;

parsing the message to extract selected data to form extracted data, wherein the selected data is text matching a user customizable criteria;

responsive to parsing the message, combining the extracted data with announcement data to form output data; and

announcing receipt of the message using the output data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the announcement data includes text with an indication of placement of the extracted data matching the criteria.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the indication comprises at least one tag.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the announcement data further includes a recording.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of announcing comprises sending the output data to a text to speech synthesis process.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected data includes an identification of the sender of the message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected data includes key words from the message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data processing system is a personal computer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data processing system is a personal digital assistant.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the user customizable criteria is a criteria determined by the user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the user customizable criteria is user specified text in the body of the message.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the user customizable criteria includes user specified text in more than one field of the message.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the more than one field of the message includes the body of the message.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected text includes text of a name of a sender of the message.

15. A method in a data processing system for announcing receipt of a message, the method comprising the data processing system implemented steps of:

receiving the message, wherein the message includes text;

parsing the message for selected text, wherein the selected text includes keywords;

selectively combining the selected text with announcement text to create modified announcement text; and

transforming the modified announcement text into synthesized speech.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

playing a sound effect in conjunction with transforming the modified announcement text into synthesized speech.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the message is originated by a sender and wherein the step of transforming includes:

determining whether a sound profile is associated with the sender; and

responsive to a determination that a sound profile is associated with the sender, using the sound profile in performing a text to speech synthesis of the modified announcement text.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of transforming further includes:

responsive to a determination that a sound profile is associated with the sender, using the sound profile in performing a text to speech synthesis of the modified announcement text.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the selected text is combined with the announcement text using tags located within the announcement text.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the keyword appears in the body of the message.

21. A data processing system for announcing receipt of a message, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving the message;

parsing means for parsing the message to extract selected data to form extracted data, wherein the selected data is text matching a user customizable criteria;

combining means, responsive to parsing the message, for combining the extracted data with announcement data to form output data; and

announcing means for announcing receipt of the message using the output data.

22. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein the announcement data includes text with an indication of placement of the extracted data matching the criteria.

24. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein the announcement data further includes a recording.

25. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein the announcing means of announcing comprises sending the output data to a text to speech synthesis process.

26. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein the selected data includes an identification of the sender of the message.

27. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein the selected data includes key words from the message.

28. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein the data processing system is a personal computer.

29. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein the data processing system is a personal digital assistant.

23. The data processing system of claim 23, wherein the indication comprises at least one tag.

30. A data processing system for announcing receipt of a message, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving the message, wherein the message includes text;

parsing means for parsing the message for selected text, wherein the selected text includes keywords;

combining means for selectively combining the selected text with announcement text to create modified announcement text; and

transforming means for transforming the modified announcement text into synthesized speech.

31. The data processing system of claim 30, wherein the selected text includes text of a name of a sender of the message.

32. The data processing system of claim 31, further comprising:

playing means for playing a sound effect in conjunction with transforming the modified announcement text into synthesized speech.

33. The data processing system of claim 31, wherein the message is originated by a sender and wherein the transforming means includes:

determination means for determining whether a sound profile is associated with the sender; and

using means, responsive to a determination that a sound profile is associated with the sender, for using the sound profile in performing a text to speech synthesis of the modified announcement text.

34. The data processing system of claim 33, wherein the transforming means further includes:

using means, responsive to a determination that a sound profile is associated with the sender, for using the sound profile in performing a text to speech synthesis of the modified announcement text.

35. The data processing system of claim 31, wherein the selected text is combined with the announcement text using tags located within the announcement text.

36. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for announcing receipt of a message, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving the message;

second instructions for parsing the message to extract selected data to form extracted data, wherein the selected data is text matching a user customizable criteria;

third instructions, responsive to parsing the message, for combining the extracted data with announcement data to form output data; and

fourth instructions for announcing receipt of the message using the output data.

37. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for announcing receipt of a message, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving the message, wherein the message includes text;

second instructions for parsing the message for selected text, wherein the selected data is text matching a user customizable criteria;

third instructions for selectively combining the selected text with announcement text to create modified announcement text; and

fourth instructions for transforming the modified announcement text into synthesized speech.