Methods and systems for a telephone e-mail interface

• US 7,009,990 B1
• Filed: 04/23/1998
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Adams, Rodney Glen, Law, Albert, D'Ingianni, Rita
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Application Number:
  US09/065,787
• Time in Patent Office: 2,875 Days
• Field of Search: 370/217, 370/221, 370/352, 370/355, 370/357, 370/389, 370/392, 370/428, 370/912, 370/913, 370/395.4, 370/235, 370/353, 370/354, 370/356, 370/400, 370/401, 370/252, 370/429, 370/1, 379/67.1, 379/88.01, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.16, 379/88.17, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/217, 379/900, 379/93.17, 379/88.14, 379/52, 379/67, 709/217, 709/218, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 709/230, 709/231, 709/245, 709/246, 709/249, 455/412, 455/500, 455/461.1
• US Class Current: 370/429
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of and apparatus for converting address and message input, obtained from a telephone type terminal, at a service provider, to a format whereby the service provider may attach the voice message to an e-mail directed to an internet addressee.

Claims

1. The method of automating the delivery of a voice originated message to a data network recipient comprising the steps of:

inputting a recipient e-mail address received from a calling party to be stored in a service provider;

supplying a voice originated message to be stored in the service provider wherein the email address and the voice originated message are input and supplied during a call;

converting a stored voice originated message to a data network format and

sending a notification message from the service provider to the recipient informing the recipient of the stored voice originated message to be accessed via email.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the notification message is sent through a wireless communication network.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the notification message is sent in the form of a page.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the notification message is sent in the form of a short message service message.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising the additional step of:

sending a converted voice originated message as electronic mail to the recipient.

6. The method of claim 5 comprising the additional step of sending the notification message from the service provider to the recipient of the electronic mail wherein the notification message informs the recipient that the recipient has been sent the converted voice originated message in the form of electronic mail.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the notification message is sent through a wireless communication network.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the notification message is sent in the form of a page.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the notification message is sent in the form of a short message service message.

10. The method of claim 1 comprising the additional step of:

sending a converted voice originated message as an electronic mail attachment to the recipient.

11. The method of claim 1 comprising the additional step of:

confirming that the recipient'"'"'s address is correct before supplying the voice originated message to be stored; and

verifying the supplied voice originated message before sending the notification message to the recipient at said e-mail address.

12. Apparatus for automating the delivery of a voice network originated voice message to a data network recipient comprising:

service provider means including means for storing a data network recipient'"'"'s e-mail address received from a calling party address and a voice network originated message for that recipient;

voice network means for inputting a recipient e-mail address to be stored in said service provider;

voice network means for supplying the voice network originated message to be stored in said service provider;

means for converting the supplied voice network originated message to a format appropriate for transmission over a data network and

means for sending a converted voice network originated message from the service provider to the recipient informing the recipient of a stored converted voice network originated message to be accessed via email.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 comprising in addition:

means for sending the converted message as electronic mail to the recipient.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said means for inputting and means for supplying comprises telephone type communication means.

15. A system for automating a communication from a voice network to a data network comprising:

means for inputting a recipient email address received from a calling party to be stored in a service provider;

a calling party voice network terminal;

a service provider;

means for interconnecting said voice network terminal and said service provider;

means for converting inputs obtained from said calling party voice network terminal to a data network address;

means for converting a voice message received from said calling party voice network terminal to an audio format transmittable over a data network;

means for storing a converted voice message,

means for forwarding said converted voice message to the stored data network address; and

means for notifying a recipient at said stored data network address that the converted voice message is available for retrieval.

16. A method of delivering a voice originated message to a data network recipient comprising the steps of:

inputting a voice network originated recipient e-mail address received from a calling party to a service provider;

supplying a voice network originated message to the service provider;

converting the voice network originated message to a format suitable for transmission over a data network;

storing the recipient e-mail address;

storing a voice network originated converted message; and

converting the supplied voice network originated message to an audio format.

17. Apparatus for delivering a voice originated message to a data network recipient comprising:

means for inputting a voice network originated recipient e-mail address received from a calling party to a service provider;

means for supplying a voice network originated message to the service provider;

means for converting a supplied voice network originated message to a format suitable for transmission over a data network and

sending a notification message from the service provider to the recipient informing the recipient of a stored converted voice network originated message to be accessed via email.

18. Apparatus for storing and delivering a voice originated message to a data network recipient, comprising:

circuitry for receiving a recipient e-mail address from a calling party;

circuitry for receiving and converting a voice message to a data message having a data network format;

a store or storing the data message and recipient e-mail address;

circuitry for generating a notification message for notifying the recipient of the stored data format message; and

transmission circuitry for transmitting the notification message to a wireless communication network.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the wireless communication network is comprised of a network for paging wherein the notification message is sent in the form of a page.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the wireless communication network comprises a mobile telephone network and wherein the notification message is sent in the form of a short message service message.

21. An apparatus for delivering a voice originated message to a data network recipient, comprising:

circuitry for receiving a recipient c-mail address from a calling party;

circuitry for receiving a voice message and for converting the voice message to a data network format;

a store for storing the message in the data network format;

means for transmitting the data network message over a data network to the recipient e-mail address; and

means for transmitting a notification message to the recipient to inform the recipient that a data network message has been transmitted over the data network.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 further including circuitry to cause the notification message to be transmitted simultaneously or nearly simultaneously to the transmission of the data network message over the data network.

22. An apparatus for delivering a voice originated message to a data network recipient, comprising:

means for receiving a voice message and recipient e-mail address from a calling party;

means for storing the received message and recipient e-mail address;

means for transmitting the message over a data network in a data network format to the recipient e-mail address; and

means for transmitting a notification message to the recipient to inform the recipient that a data network message has been transmitted over the data network.

23. Apparatus for storing and delivering a voice originated message to a data network recipient comprising:

means for receiving a voice message and recipient e-mail address from a calling party;

means for storing the received message and recipient e-mail address;

means for converting the received message to a data network format before forwarding same to the recipient;

means for generating a notification message for notifying the recipient of the stored message; and

means for transmitting the notification message to a wireless communication network.

25. Apparatus for automating the delivery of a voice network originated voice message from a sender to a data network recipient comprising:

means for a calling party to input at least one recipient e-mail address to a service provider;

data network means having at least one data network address from which text messages can be retrieved by a recipient of a notification message sent to the recipient address;

storage means for storing information representing a data network address and information representing an associated voice network originated voice message for transmission to the data network address;

voice network means for receiving and thereafter transmitting to the storage means information representing the data network address and the associated voice message,

means for converting the information representing the voice message to a format appropriate for transmission over the data network means to the data network address; and

wherein the data network means transmits the converted information representing the voice message to the data network address for retrieval by the message recipient.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising address conversion means for converting the information representing the data network address to a format appropriate for transmission over the data network means to the data network address.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising notification means for transmitting a signal to the data network recipient indicating receipt at the data network address of information representing the voice message.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising message display means for converting data representing the voice message received at the data network address into text for review by the recipient.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising certification means for transmitting to the voice message sender an indication of receipt at the data network address of the information representing the voice message.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, further providing means for verifying the accuracy of the data network address prior to transmission over the data network means of the information representing the voice message.

31. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the data network address conversion means includes means for recognizing and converting voice representation of the data network address to digital data for transmission over the data network means.

32. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the data network address conversion means includes means for recognizing touch tone entries representing the data network address.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the network data address is input to the voice network means by a touch tone code representing the address.

34. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the message conversion means converts the voice message into a voice file appropriate for transmission to the data network address as an attachment to an e-mail message.

35. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the notification means transmits a page to the data network recipient.

36. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the notification means transmits the notification via a wireless communication network.

37. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the data network means employs push technology means for allowing receipt of the voice message at the data network address without any action by the recipient.