Using a mobile device to compose an electronic message that includes audio content

• US 7,082,298 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Issued: 07/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Enns, Neil R. N., Ferrell, John Ian
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hashem, Lisa
• Application Number:
  US09/773,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20020102969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,001 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/414.4, 455/457, 455/466, 455/414, 709/206, 379/88.17, 379/88.14, 379/88.16, 386/46, 704/270.1, 340/702
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• 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

Methods, systems, and computer program products for using a mobile device to compose an electronic message by adding audio content to the message. Mobile devices include any type of portable or hand-held computing device, such as wireless telephones, personal digital assistants, and the like. After selecting the option to add audio content, the user speaks into the mobile device'"'"'s audio input. The mobile device diverts the resulting audio stream into a temporary storage as the user speaks. To provide visual feedback, a progress indicator shows the user the amount of audio content stored compared to the amount that may be stored. An indicator shows that a message includes audio content as well as the size of the included audio content. No particular format or type is required for the audio content or electronic message.

Claims

1. In a computerized system that includes one or more mobile devices and an electronic message server supporting wireless communication, wherein at least some of the mobile devices have an input system that is optimized for numeric input rather than text input, and wherein at least some of the mobile devices are capable of sending and receiving electronic messages, a method of composing an electronic message using a mobile device, the method comprising acts of:

receiving a command to begin composing an electronic message at a mobile device;

receiving a command to add audio content to the electronic message at the mobile device, wherein a total amount of audio content added is limited to a predetermined maximum set for a single electronic message, wherein the limitation of the predetermined maximum set is dictated by an available storage and a communication bandwidth of said device;

diverting to a temporary storage within the mobile device, an audio content stream received at an audio input wherein the total amount of audio content diverted to the temporary storage is limited to the predetermined maximum;

displaying a progress indicator to show a current amount of temporary storage used in storing the data audio content stream compared to the predetermined maximum;

storing the audio content stream within the mobile device in a format that is compatible with adding audio content to the electronic message; and

attaching the formatted audio content to the electronic message at the mobile device.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a phone and the temporary storage comprises a temporary data file, and wherein the audio content stream received at the audio input is generated by a user speaking into the phone'"'"'s mouthpiece.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic message comprises an electronic mail message, and wherein the formatted audio content is attached as an electronic mail attachment.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the electronic mail message is composed in either replying to or forwarding a specific electronic mail message, the method further comprising an act of receiving the specific electronic mail message.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the format used to store the audio content stream allows for data compression, the method further comprising an act of compressing the audio content stream in accordance with the storage format.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the storage format is a WAV file format.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving the command to add audio content to the electronic message is based on either selection of a user interface menu item to add audio content to the electronic message or a press of a record button.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising acts of:

displaying an indicator that audio content has been attached to the electronic message; and

displaying a size of the attached audio content.

29. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the predetermined maximum is based on available communication bandwidth.

30. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the predetermined maximum is based on an amount of available storage.

31. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the progress indicator is a graphical sliding bar.

9. In a computerized system that includes one or more mobile devices and an electronic message server supporting wireless communication, wherein at least some of the mobile devices have an input system that is optimized for numeric input rather than text input, and wherein at least some of the mobile devices are capable of sending and receiving electronic messages, a method of composing an electronic mail message using a wireless telephone, the method comprising acts of:

receiving a command to begin composing an electronic mail message at a wireless telephone;

receiving a command to add audio content to the electronic mail message at the wireless telephone, wherein a total amount of audio content added is limited to a predetermined maximum set for a single electronic mail message, wherein the limitation of the predetermined maximum set is dictated by an available storage and a communication bandwidth of said device;

diverting to a temporary storage within the wireless telephone, an audio content stream received at a wireless telephone voice input wherein the total amount of audio content diverted to temporary storage is limited to the predetermined maximum;

displaying a progress indicator to show a current amount of temporary storage used in storing the audio content stream compared to the predetermined maximum;

storing the audio content stream within the wireless telephone in a format that is compatible with adding audio content to the electronic mail message; and

attaching the formatted audio content to the electronic mail message at the wireless telephone.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the electronic mail message is composed in either replying to or forwarding a specific electronic mail message, the method further comprising an act of receiving the specific electronic mail message.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein attaching the formatted audio content to the electronic mail message complies with a Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions specification.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the format used to store the audio content stream allows for data compression, the method further comprising an act of compressing the audio content stream in accordance with the storage format.

13. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein receiving the command to add audio content to the electronic mail message is based on either selection of a user interface menu item to add audio content to the electronic mail message or a press of a record button, the method further comprising acts of:

displaying an indicator that audio content has been attached to the electronic mail message; and

displaying a size of the attached audio content.

32. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the predetermined maximum is based on available communication bandwidth.

33. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the predetermined maximum is based on an amount of available storage.

34. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the progress indicator is a graphical sliding bar.

14. In a computerized system that includes one or more mobile devices and an electronic message server supporting wireless communication, wherein at least some of the mobile devices have an input system that is optimized for numeric input rather than text input, and wherein at least some of the mobile devices are capable of sending and receiving electronic messages, a method of composing an electronic message using a mobile device, the method comprising steps for:

initiating the creation of an electronic message at a mobile device, the electronic message to include audio content that is limited to a predetermined maximum set for a single electronic message, wherein the limitation of the predetermined maximum set is dictated by an available storage and a communication bandwidth of said device;

capturing audio content at the mobile device from an audio content stream being received at an audio input, wherein the audio content stream is generated by a user speaking into the audio input wherein the step for capturing audio content from the audio content stream comprises acts of;

diverting the audio content stream to a temporary storage wherein the temporary storage comprises a temporary data file that is limited to the predetermined maximum,

displaying a progress indicator to show a current amount of temporary storage used in storing the audio content stream compared to the predetermined maximum, and

storing the audio content stream in the temporary storage; and

adding the audio content to the electronic message at the mobile device in a format that is compatible with the electronic message.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the mobile device comprises a telephone, and wherein the audio stream is generated by a user speaking into the telephone'"'"'s mouthpiece.

16. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the electronic message comprises an electronic mail message, and wherein the step for adding the audio content to the electronic message comprises acts of:

formatting the captured audio content stream to be compatible with the electronic mail message; and

attaching the formatted audio content to the electronic mail message.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the electronic mail message is composed in either replying to or forwarding a specific electronic mail message, and wherein the step for initiating the creation of the electronic mail message includes an act of receiving the specific electronic mail message.

18. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein a format used to store the audio content stream allows for data compression, and wherein the step for adding the audio content to the electronic message comprises an act of compressing the audio content stream in accordance with the format used to store the audio content.

19. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the step for initiating the creation of an electronic message comprises acts of:

receiving a command to begin composing an electronic message; and

receiving a command to add audio content to the electronic message, wherein the act of receiving the command to add audio content to the electronic message is based on either selection of a user interface menu item to add audio content to the electronic message or a press of a record button.

20. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the step for adding the audio content to the electronic message comprises acts of:

displaying an indicator that audio content has been added to the electronic message; and

displaying a size of the added audio content.

35. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the predetermined maximum is based on available communication bandwidth.

36. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the predetermined maximum is based on an amount of available storage.

37. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the progress indicator is a graphical sliding bar.

21. In a computerized system that includes one or more mobile devices and an electronic message server supporting wireless communication, wherein at least some of the mobile devices have an input system that is optimized for numeric input rather than text input, and wherein at least some of the mobile devices are capable of sending and receiving electronic messages, a computer program product for implementing a method of composing an electronic message using a mobile device, comprising:

a computer readable medium for carrying machine-executable instructions for implementing the method; and

wherein said method is comprised of machine-executable instructions for a mobile device performing acts of;

receiving a command to begin composing an electronic message at a mobile device;

receiving a command to add audio content to the electronic message at the mobile device, wherein a total amount of audio content added is limited to a predetermined maximum set for a single electronic message, wherein the limitation of the predetermined maximum set is dictated by an available storage and a communication bandwidth of said device;

diverting to a temporary storage within the mobile device, an audio content stream received at an audio input wherein the total amount of audio content diverted to temporary storage is limited to the predetermined maximum;

displaying a progress indicator to show a current amount of temporary storage used in storing the audio stream compared to the predetermined maximum;

storing the audio content stream within the mobile device in a format that is compatible with adding audio content to the electronic message; and

attaching the formatted audio content to the electronic message at the mobile device.

22. A computer program product as recited in claim 21, wherein the mobile device comprises a phone and the temporary storage comprises a temporary data file, and wherein the audio content stream received at the audio input is generated by a user speaking into the phone'"'"'s mouthpiece.

23. A computer program product as recited in claim 21, wherein the electronic message comprises an electronic mail message, and wherein the formatted audio content is attached as an electronic mail attachment.

24. A computer program product as recited in claim 23, wherein the electronic mail message is composed in either replying to or forwarding a specific electronic mail message, the method further comprising an act of receiving the specific electronic mail message.

25. A computer program product as recited in claim 21, wherein the format used to store the audio content stream allows for data compression, the method further comprising an act of compressing the audio content stream in accordance with the storage format.

26. A computer program product as recited in claim 25, wherein the storage format is a WAV file format.

27. A computer program product as recited in claim 25, wherein receiving the command to add audio content to the electronic message is based on either selection of a user interface menu item to add audio content to the electronic message or a press of a record button.

28. A computer program product as recited in claim 21, the method further comprising acts of:

displaying an indicator that audio content has been attached to the electronic message; and

displaying a size of the attached audio content.

38. The computer program product as recited in claim 21, wherein the predetermined maximum is based on available communication bandwidth.

39. The computer program product as recited in claim 21, wherein the predetermined maximum is based on an amount of available storage.

40. The computer program product as recited in claim 21, wherein the progress indicator is a graphical sliding bar.