Distributed voice and wireless interface modules for exposing messaging/collaboration data to voice and wireless devices

• US 7,260,536 B1
• Filed: 10/06/2000
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Abu-Samaha, Mamoun
• Primary Examiner(s): Lerner; Martin
• Application Number:
  US09/684,065
• Time in Patent Office: 2,510 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/270.1, 704/275, 379/88.01, 379/88.04, 379/88.13, 455/412.1, 455/413, 455/414.1, 455/414.4, 709/205, 709/206
• US Class Current: 704/270.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level

Abstract

In one aspect, a system for providing remote electronic services to a device includes an access module and a voice interface module. The access module is configured to expose messaging/collaboration data stored on a messaging/collaboration server. The voice interface module is configured to translate messaging/collaboration service requests from a voice device for presentation to the access module and to translate a requested messaging/collaboration service deliverable from the access module for presentation to the voice device. In another aspect, a wireless interface module is configured to translate messaging/collaboration service requests from a wireless device for presentation to the access module and to translate a requested messaging/collaboration service deliverable from the access module for presentation to the wireless device. The access module also integrates fax functionality with the messaging/collaboration services provided by the messaging/collaboration server.

Claims

1. A system for providing remote electronic services to a voice device, comprising:

an access module configured to expose messaging/collaboration data, including at least one of electronic mail data, calendar data, contacts data, and tasks data, that are stored on a messaging/collaboration server, wherein the access module is configured to manage amount of data transmitted to the voice device to accommodate capacity constraints of the voice device, wherein the access module additionally is configured to create a replacement reference identifying a data item identified by a messaging/collaboration server reference into the messaging/collaboration data, pass the replacement reference to the voice device without passing the data item, and store an association between the replacement reference and the messaging/collaboration server reference, wherein the access module is configured to transmit the referenced data item to the voice device in response to receipt of the replacement reference from the voice device;

a voice interface module configured to translate messaging/collaboration service requests from the voice device for presentation to the access module and to translate a requested messaging/collaboration service deliverable from the access module for presentation to the voice device, wherein the voice interface module generates for presentation to the voice device a request form containing a list of one or more messaging/collaboration service options; and

a voice interface access page configured to invoke a COM (Component Object Model) object in response to a request form completed by the voice device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the COM object is configured to instantiate a server object for transmitting a request-for-service call to the access module.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a voice gateway for translating communications from the voice device from a first message format into a second message format.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the voice gateway is configured to translate between electronic voice signals and a voice-based markup language.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the voice interface module is configured to communicate with the access module in accordance with the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the voice interface module is configured to filter a requested messaging/collaboration service deliverable for presentation to the voice device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the access module and the voice interface module reside on different server computers.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the access module is configured to expose messaging/collaboration data stored on a Microsoft®

Exchange®

server computer.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein, in response to a request-for-service call from the voice device, the access module is configured to pass to the voice device less than all of the messaging/collaboration data exposed in response to the request-for-service call.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the access module is configured to divide a message exposed in response to a request-for-service call from the voice device into sub-messages and transmit to the voice device a list of references to the sub-messages.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the access module is configured to transmit ones of the sub-messages to the voice device in response to receipt of the corresponding references to the sub-messages from the voice device.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the access module is configured to filter characters that are incompatible with the voice device from data items before passing the data items to the voice device.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the access module is configured to reduce header and gateway data from data items before passing the data items to the voice device.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the access module is configured to send a data item designated by the voice device to a fax server.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the access module is configured to expand an attachment to the designated data item for fax transmission.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the replacement reference is smaller in size than the messaging/collaboration server reference.

17. A system for providing remote electronic services to a wireless device, comprising:

an access module configured to expose messaging/collaboration data, including at least one of electronic mail data, calendar data, contacts data, and tasks data, that are stored on a messaging/collaboration server, wherein the access module is configured to manage amount of data transmitted to the wireless device to accommodate capacity constraints of the wireless device, wherein the access module additionally is configured to create a replacement reference identifying a data item identified by a messaging/collaboration server reference into the messaging/collaboration data, pass the replacement reference to the wireless device without passing the data item, and store an association between the replacement reference and the messaging/collaboration server reference, wherein the access module is configured to transmit the referenced data item to the wireless device in response to receipt of the replacement reference from the wireless device;

a wireless interface module configured to translate messaging/collaboration service requests from the wireless device for presentation to the access module and to translate a requested messaging/collaboration service deliverable from the access module for presentation to the wireless device, wherein the wireless interface module generates for presentation to the wireless device a request form containing a list of one or more messaging/collaboration service options; and

a wireless interface access page configured to invoke a COM (Component Object Model) object in response to a request form completed by the wireless device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the COM object is configured to instantiate a server object for transmitting a request-for-service call to the access module.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising a wireless gateway for translating communications from the wireless device from a first message transfer protocol into a second message transfer protocol.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the wireless gateway is configured to translate between a wireless application protocol (WAP) and a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the wireless interface module is configured to communicate with the access module in accordance with the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the wireless interface module is configured to filter a requested messaging/collaboration service deliverable for presentation to the wireless device.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the access module and the wireless interface module reside on different server computers.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the access module is configured to expose messaging/collaboration data stored on a Microsoft®

Exchange®

server computer.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein, in response to a request-for-service call from the wireless device, the access module is configured to pass to the wireless device less than all of the messaging/collaboration data exposed in response to the request-for-service call.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the access module is configured to divide a message exposed in response to a request-for-service call from the wireless device into sub-messages and transmit to the wireless device a list of references to the sub-messages.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the access module is configured to transmit ones of the sub-messages to the wireless device in response to receipt of the corresponding references to the sub-messages from the wireless device.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the access module is configured to filter characters that are incompatible with the wireless device from data items before passing the data items to the wireless device.

29. The system of claim 17, wherein the access module is configured to reduce header and gateway data from data items before passing the data items to the wireless device.

30. The system of claim 17, wherein the access module is configured to send a data item designated by the wireless device to a fax server.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the access module is configured to expand an attachment to the designated data item for fax transmission.

32. The system of claim 17, wherein the replacement reference is smaller in size than the messaging/collaboration server reference.