Method and device for message broadcasting enabling the recipient to retrieve at least partly a message

• US 7,523,166 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2001
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daniel Strub
• Original Assignee: Daniel Strub
• Inventors: Strub, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): BATES, KEVIN T
• Application Number:
  US10/477,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20040243681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,903 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/206, 709/203, 379/67.1, 379/74, 379/88.01, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/114.13, 379/114.01, 705/14, 725/22, 725/32
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53383 Message registering commands or announcements; Greetings

Abstract

In an interactive method for restoring messages in an automated message broadcast system, the automated message broadcast system comprises at least a message storage system (10) storing messages and a message restoring device (13), the message storage system (10) being capable of transmitting stored messages to the message restoring device (13), the message storage system (10) capable of carrying out a number of operations on a message during transmission. The message storage system (10) accepts to perform the operations on the message during transmission only after expiry of a minimum delay as from the beginning of the transmission of the message to the message restoring device (13).

Claims

1. Process for reproducing messages in an automated system for distributing messages, the process comprising the steps of:

communicating between at least one system for storing messages (10) and a device for reproducing messages (13) via a communication channel (12);

interrogating, by way of an interface of the device for reproducing messages (13) operated by an operator (15), said system for storing messages (10) to retrieve messages stored for the operator from said system for storing messages (10);

in response to the operator'"'"'s interrogation, transmitting from said system for storing messages (10) a stored message, over said communication channel, to said device for reproducing messages (13);

reproducing, at said device for reproducing messages and in real time for the operator (15), the message transmitted by said system for storing messages (10);

identifying whether the message, in the course of transmission, is one of i) a private message and ii) an urgent or advertising message;

storing information representative of a duration of a minimum delay for the urgent or advertising message identified in said identifying step;

executing, at said system for storing messages, operations on the message in the course of the transmission to said device for reproducing messages (13),

said device for reproducing messages (13) comprising at least one control device (14) permitting said operator (15) to generate at least one control signal destined for said system for storing messages (10),

said control device (14) allowing the operator, in the course of the transmission of the message from said system for storing messages, to generate and transmit to said system for storing messages (10) the at least one control signal,

the at least one control signal controlling said system for storing messages (10) to carry out on said message, in the course of the transmission, a corresponding operation from among said operations, and

said corresponding operation including any one of interrupting the message, saving the message, and deleting the message,

wherein said executing step at said system for storing messages, for the urgent or advertising message identified in said identifying step, commences after expiration of a minimum delay, the minimum delay counted from the beginning of the transmission of the identified urgent or advertising message to said device for reproducing messages (13) such that the operator cannot interrupt the transmission of the identified urgent or advertising message prior to the expiration of the minimum time delay, thereby assuring that at least a part of the identified urgent or advertising message corresponding to the minimum delay is delivered to the operator of said device for reproducing messages (13).

2. Process for reproducing messages, the process comprising the steps of:

in an automated system for distributing messages comprising at least one system for storing messages (10) and a device for reproducing messages (13), the system for storing messages (10) being adapted to transmit stored messages to the device for reproducing messages (13) through a communication channel (12), the device for reproducing messages (13) permitting the reproduction in real time for an operator (15) of messages transmitted by the system for storing messages (10), the system for storing messages (10) being adapted to carry out operations on a message in the course of transmission, the device for reproducing messages (13) being adapted to transmit to the system for storing messages (10) at least one control signal under the control of said operator (15) during the transmission of the message, each of the at least one control signals permitting controlling the system for storing messages (10) to carry out on the message in the course of transmission a corresponding operation from among the operations, and the device for reproducing messages (13) comprising at least one control device (14) permitting the operator (15) to generate the at least one control signals destined for the system for storing messages (10), identifying whether the message in the course of transmission from the system for storing messages 10 to the device for reproducing messages (13) is one of i) a private message and ii) an urgent or advertising message;

storing, in the system for storing messages (10), information representative of a duration of a minimum delay for the urgent or advertising message identified in said identifying step; and

in the system for storing messages (10), disabling the execution of any operation from among said operations on an identified urgent or advertising message identified in said identifying step by said system for storing messages (10) for the minimum time period determined by the stored information, where the operation being disabled is initiated by the at least one control signal sent under the control of said operator (15) during the transmission of the message, the at least one control signal for permitting controlling the system for storing messages (10) to carry out on the message in the course of transmission the corresponding operation from among the operations.

4. An automated system for the broadcasting of messages, the system comprising:

a system for storing messages (10); and

a device for reproducing messages (13),

said system for storing messages (10) configured to transmit stored messages to said device for reproducing messages (13) through a communication channel (12),

said device for reproducing messages (13) configured to reproduce messages in real time to an operator (15), said messages transmitted by said system for storing messages (10),

said system for storing messages (10) configured to carry out operations on a message in the course of transmission from said system for storing messages (10) to said device for reproducing messages (13),

said device for reproducing messages (13) configured to transmit to said system for storing messages (10) at least one control signal under control of said operator (15) during the transmission of said message,

each of said at least one control signal permitting controlling the system for storage of messages (10) to carry out on said message in the course of transmission a corresponding operation from among said operations, and

said device for reproducing messages (13) comprising at least one control device (14) permitting said operator (15) to generate said at least one control signal, destined for said system for storing messages (10),

wherein the system for storing messages, in operation, executes the process according to claim 2.

5. Process according to claim 2, in which said communication channel (12) is a radio connection and in which said device for reproducing messages (13) is a radio communication terminal.

6. Process according to claim 2, in which said communication channel (12) is a telephone line connection and in which said device for reproducing messages (13) is a conventional telephone station.

7. Process according to claim 2, in which said communication channel (12) is a telematic connection and in which said device for reproducing messages (13) is a telematic communication terminal.

8. Process according to claim 2, in which said communication channel (12) is an interactive television connection and in which said device for reproducing messages (13) is an interactive television receiver.

9. Process according to claim 2, in which said communication channel (12) is a computer network and in which said device for reproducing messages (13) is a computer system connected to said computer network.

10. Process according to claim 2, in which the device for storing messages (10), the device for reproducing messages (13) and said communication channel (12) are integrated into a single device such as an interactive terminal.

11. Process according to claim 2, in which said messages stored in said system for storing messages (10) and transmitted to said device for reproducing messages (13) comprise at least one sonic portion.

12. Process according to claim 11, in which said messages stored in said system for storing messages (10) and transmitted to said device for reproducing messages (13) comprise at least one vocal messages portion.

13. Process according to claim 12, in which said system for storing messages (10) is a vocal message server.

14. Process according to claim 2, in which said messages stored in said system for storing messages (10) and transmitted to said device for reproducing messages (13) comprise at least one portion composed of a text.

15. Process according to claim 2, in which said messages stored in said system for storage of messages (10) and transmitted to said device for reproducing messages (13) comprise at least one image or an assembly of fixed or animated images.

16. Process according to claim 2, in which said messages stored in said system for storing messages (10) and transmitted to said device for reproducing messages (13) permit an interactive dialog with the operator (15).

17. Process according to claim 2, in which said operations that can be carried out on the message in the course of transmission comprise an operation permitting the deletion of the messages being transmitted and at least one other message by a single operation.

18. Process according to claim 2, in which at least one of said control signals controlling said system for storing messages to carry out at least one of said operations on said message in the course of transmission, is determined in real time by said device for reproducing messages (13), and is transmitted in real time to said system for storing messages (10) by said operator (15) via said device for reproducing messages (13).

19. Process according to claim 18, in which one of said at least one control signals determined and transmitted by said device for reproducing messages (13) is transmitted to said storage system for storing messages (10) at any time within said minimum delay starting from the beginning of said transmission of said message.

20. Process according to claim 18, in which said at least one control signal determined and transmitted to the system of storage (10) comprises a signal acknowledging reception of the message in the course of transmission.

21. Process according to claim 20, in which said storage system for storage (10) ignores operations other than the acknowledgement of reception of the message in the course of transmission up to the reception of the acknowledgement of reception.

22. Process according to claim 20, in which said system of storage (10) retransmits at least partially the message in the course of transmission upon reception of an operation other than the acknowledgement of reception.

23. Process according to claim 2, in which one of said at least one control devices (14) present in said device for reproducing messages (13) to send said at least one control signal to said system for storage of messages (10), is a keyboard or a control device (14) comprising at least one key.

24. Process according to claim 23, in which one of said at least one control signals permitting carrying out an operation on a message in the course of transmission is the signal generated by the actuation of a key from among said at least one keys present on said keyboard or said control device (14) comprising at least one key.

25. Process according to claim 2, in which one of said at least one control devices present in said device for reproducing messages (13) to send said at least one control signal to said system for storing messages (10), is a microphone.

26. Process according to claim 25, in which one of said at least one control signals permitting carrying out an operation on a message in the course of transmission, is a vocal command entered by said operator (15) by means of said microphone and transmitted to said storage device (10) by said device for broadcasting messages (13).

27. Process according to claim 2, in which one of said at least one control devices present in said device for reproducing messages (13) to send at least one control signal to said system for storing messages (10), is a voice recognition device.

28. Process according to claim 27, in which one of said at least one control signals permitting carrying out an operation on a message in the course of transmission is a vocal command entered by said operator (15) by means of said voice recognition device.

29. Process according to claim 2, in which said minimum delay is three seconds.

30. Process according to claim 2, in which said messages stored in said system for storing messages (10) and transmitted to said device for reproducing messages (13), are advertising messages.

31. Process according to claim 2, in which the duration of said minimum delay is reduced to zero for certain messages.

32. The process according to claim 2, wherein the duration of the minimum delay is less than a total time of the urgent or advertising message.

3. Process for reproducing messages in an automated system for distributing messages, comprising the steps of:

communicating via a communication channel of a network (12) from a telecommunication terminal (13) to a system for storing messages (10), said system for storing messages being a message server;

interrogating said system for storing messages (10) through an interface (14) of said telecommunication terminal (13) to retrieve a message stored in said system for storing messages (10) for an operator of said telecommunications terminal;

transmitting, in response to the operator'"'"'s interrogation from said telecommunication terminal (13), the message from said system for storing messages (10) to said telecommunication terminal (13) over said communication channel;

reproducing, in real time at said telecommunications terminal (13), the message transmitted by said system for storing messages (10);

identifying whether the message, in the course of transmission, is one of i) a private message and ii) an urgent or advertising message;

storing information representative of a duration of a minimum delay for the urgent or advertising message identified in said identifying step;

generating a control signal destined for said system for storing messages (10) by way of the operator using the interface (14) of said telecommunication terminal (13), said control signal for an operation of interrupting the message;

transmitting, in the course of the transmission of the message from said system for storing messages (10), the generated control signal from said telecommunication terminal (13) to said system for storing messages (10) via said communication channel; and

receiving said control signal at said system for storing messages (10), said control signal controlling said system for storing messages (10) to perform the operation of interrupting the transmission of the message from said system for storing messages (10) during the transmission,

wherein said system for storing messages (10) executes said operation of interrupting the transmission of the identified urgent or advertising message after expiration of the minimum time delay counted from the beginning of the transmission of the identified urgent or advertising message to said telecommunication terminal (13) such that the operator cannot interrupt the transmission of the identified urgent or advertising message before the expiration of the minimum time delay assuring that at least a part of the identified urgent or advertising message corresponding to the minimum time delay is delivered to the operator of said telecommunication terminal (13).