Animated audio messaging

• US 7,085,259 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2001
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mavenir Systems Incorporated (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Comverse Incorporated (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wang, Xuejun, Plansky, Joseph D., Ji, Dongxiao
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuongchau Ba
• Application Number:
  US09/918,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20030035412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,827 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/354, 370/401, 370/428, 704/235, 704/260, 704/270.1, 345/473
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5315 where the non-audio components are still images or video still image mailbox systems H04N1/324, intermediate storage of video signals for videophones H04N7/147
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

A method for providing an animated audio message includes wirelessly receiving indicia of an audio message and an image, and animating the image in association with the audio message to produce an animated audio message. A system for providing animated audio messages includes a wireless interface that can receive wireless communications that provide or identify an audio message and provide or identify an image. An animator is coupled to the wireless interface and can animate the image in accordance with the audio message to form an animated audio message. An animation interface is coupled to the animator and can transfer the animated audio message from the animator toward a desired destination.

Claims

1. A method for providing an animated audio message, the method comprising:

receiving an audio-message indication, related to an audio message, via a first wireless communication;

receiving an image indication, related to an image, via a second wireless communication;

associating the image with the audio message;

animating the image in accordance with the audio message to produce the animated audio message;

storing the animated audio message; and

sending retrieval information toward a recipient for retrieving the animated audio message, the recipient being wirelessly identified.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the image is a stored image and the image indication identifies the stored image.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the animated audio message is stored in association with a packet-switched-network address.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the address is a web address.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the retrieval information includes the address.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the retrieval information is in a format indicated wirelessly.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the format is e-mail.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the format is mobile-terminated short message service, and the retrieval information is sent to the recipient via a short message center.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving the audio message from a voice-mail system.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the audio message is stored in the voice-mail system and the audio-message indication identifies the audio message stored in the voice-mail system.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein first wireless communication occurs before the second wireless communication.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second wireless communications are portions of the same communication.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the audio-message indication includes the audio message.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the audio-message indication includes text, the method further comprising converting the text into the audio message.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the audio-message indication includes sufficient information to identify the audio message.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing a caller'"'"'s audio message in a voice-mail system.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the retrieval information is an email message containing a URL of a web page.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the retrieval information is a MT-SMS message containing a URL of a web page.

19. A computer program product including computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to:

receive an audio-message indication, related to an audio message, via a first wireless communication;

receive an image indication, related to an image, via a second wireless communication;

associate the image with the audio message;

animate the image in accordance with the audio message to produce an animated audio message;

store the animated audio message;

receive a recipient indication wirelessly, the recipient indication being indicative of an intended recipient of the animated audio message; and

send retrieval information toward the intended recipient for retrieving the animated audio message.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein the image is a stored image and the image indication identifies the stored image.

21. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein the animated audio message is stored in association with a packet-switched-network address.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the address is a web address, the computer program product further comprising instructions for causing the computer to provide a web page providing access to the animated audio message.

23. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the retrieval information includes the address.

24. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising instructions for causing the computer to wirelessly receive a format indication indicative of a format of the retrieval information, and wherein the instructions for causing the computer to send the retrieval information cause the computer to send the retrieval information in the indicated format.

25. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein the format is e-mail.

26. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein the format is mobile-terminated short message service, and the instructions for causing the computer to send the retrieval information cause the computer to send the retrieval information toward the intended recipient via a short message center.

27. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein first wireless communication occurs before the second wireless communication.

28. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein the first and second wireless communications are portions of the same communication.

29. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein the audio-message indication includes the audio message.

30. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein the audio-message indication includes text, the computer program product further comprising instructions for causing the computer to convert the text into the audio message.

31. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein the audio-message indication includes sufficient information to identify the audio message.

32. A system for providing animated audio messages, the system comprising:

a wireless interface configured to receive wireless communications from a wireless communications device, the wireless communications providing or identifying an audio message and providing or identifying an image;

an animator coupled to the wireless interface and configured to animate the image in accordance with the audio message to form an animated audio message;

an animation interface coupled to the animator and configured to transfer the animated audio message from the animator toward a desired destination; and

a voice-mail interface coupled to the wireless interface and configured to receive the audio message.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the animation interface is configured to transfer the animated audio message toward the desired destination in a wireless communication.

34. The system of claim 32 further comprising an audio format engine configured to receive an audio message and convert a format of the received audio message to a desired audio message format if appropriate.

35. The system of claim 34 further comprising an audio storage device configured to store the audio message in the desired audio message format.

36. The system of claim 35 further comprising an image engine configured to receive images and convert the images as appropriate into a desired image format.

37. The system of claim 36 further comprising an image storage device coupled to image engine and configured to store the image in the desired image format.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the wireless communications identify the audio message and the image, and wherein the animator is coupled to the audio storage device and the image storage device and is configured to retrieve the audio message and the image from the storage devices in accordance with the wireless communications.

39. The system of claim 37 wherein the animation interface comprises a streaming server configured to transfer the animated audio message toward the desired destination as a streaming file.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the animation interface further comprises a web server configured to provide access to the animated audio message via a web page related to the animated audio message.

41. The system of claim 40 further comprising a Mobile-Terminated Short Message System (MT-SMS) interface coupled to the wireless interface and configured to transmit an MT-SMS-format message toward the desired recipient, the MT-SMS-format message including a web address of the web page provided by the web server related to the animated audio message.

42. The system of claim 40 further comprising an e-mail interface coupled to the wireless interface and configured to transmit an e-mail message toward the desired recipient, the e-mail message including a web address of the web page provided by the web server related to the animated audio message.