Systems and methods for two-way messaging using a pager

• US 6,690,262 B1
• Filed: 10/21/1999
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Genuity Inc. (Lumen Technologies, Inc.), Verizon Corporate Services Group Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Winnett, Steven Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl
• Application Number:
  US09/422,306
• Time in Patent Office: 1,573 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/7.21, 340/7.22, 340/7.23, 340/7.29, 340/7.31, 340/7.5, 340/539.11, 340/539.12, 379/88.17
• US Class Current: 340/7.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/025 with acknowledge back capability

Abstract

A system facilitates two-way messaging in a network that includes at least one paging device. The system includes a paging service provider and a server. The paging device generates a message intended for a called party and transmits the message to the paging service provider. The paging service provider forwards the message to the server. The server translates the message to a form used by the called party and sends the translated message to the called party.

Claims

1. A system that communicates with a paging device, comprising:

a paging service provider configured to;

receive a paging message and a telephone number from a paging party using a telephone device,

encode the paging message and the telephone number into a paging signal,

deliver the paging signal to the paging device,

receive an encoded reply message from the paging device, the encoded reply message including a text reply and the telephone number from the paging party, and

decode the encoded reply message to extract the text reply and the telephone number; and

a server connected to the paging service provider and configured to;

receive the text reply and the telephone number from the paging service provider,

translate the text reply to a voice message, and

place a call to the telephone device of the paging party to send the voice message to the paging party using the telephone number.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the server includes:

a text-to-voice converter configured to translate the text reply to a digitized voice message for delivery to the telephone device.

3. A system for communicating with a paging device, comprising:

means for receiving a paging message and a telephone number from a paging party using a telephone device;

means for delivering the paging message and the telephone number to the paging device;

means for receiving a reply message from the paging device, the reply message including a text reply and the telephone number;

means for translating the text reply to a voice reply; and

means for sending the voice reply to the telephone device of the paging party using the telephone number.

4. A method for communicating with a paging device in a network including a paging service provider and a server, the method comprising:

receiving, at the paging service provider, a paging message and a telephone number from a paging party using a telephone device;

delivering the paging message and the telephone number to the paging device;

receiving, at the paging service provider, a reply message and the telephone number from the paging device;

transmitting the reply message and the telephone number to the server;

translating, at the server, the reply message to a voice message; and

sending the voice message to the telephone device of the paging party using the telephone number.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

encoding the paging message and the telephone number into a paging signal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the delivering the paging message and the telephone number includes:

transmitting the paging signal to the paging device.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the receiving a reply message and the telephone number includes:

receiving an encoded reply signal from the paging device, and

decoding the encoded reply signal to extract the reply message and the telephone number.