Method for integrating audio and visual messaging

• US 8,099,046 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2004
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Helferich Patent Licensing LLC
• Original Assignee: Wireless Science LLC
• Inventors: Helferich, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William D
• Application Number:
  US10/958,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20050058124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,659 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.11, 455/406, 455/466, 455/412.2, 455/421, 455/552.1, 455/41.2, 379/67.1, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/88.26, 340/7.23, 340/7.3, 715/752, 382/206, 700/213, 709/206, 709/229, 358/407, 370/342, 370/352, 370/353, 370/465
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6421 Medium of transmission, e.g. fibre, cable, radio, satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6472 Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6475 N-ISDN, Public Switched Telephone Network [PSTN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6481 Speech, voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6483 Video, e.g. MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A communication system that integrates audio and visual messaging, including a mobile communication device for receiving visual messages and for transmitting voice messages to a recipient, a base station system in communication with the mobile communication device, an electronic mail gateway for delivering visual messages to the base station system for transmission to the mobile communication device, and an integrated mail gateway for receiving from the base station a voice message and addressing information that were both transmitted from the mobile communication device. The integrated mail gateway is programmed to create an e-mail message comprising the voice message. The integrated mail gateway is also programmed to use the addressing information to address the e-mail message, and to send the addressed e-mail message to the recipient.

Claims

1. A method of integrating audio and visual messaging in a cellular messaging system, comprising:

transmitting a visual message and associated, but separate, messaging data, to a mobile cellular device, the messaging data including a reply type code, the reply type code configured to cause the mobile cellular device to inform the user at the time the visual message is viewed that a voice reply message is allowed to be sent by the cellular messaging system;

receiving a voice reply message from the mobile cellular device; and

transmitting at least a portion of the voice reply message to an intended recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the voice reply message as a visual message having an attached audio file.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the voice reply message in real-time as it is being spoken.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the voice reply message as a file transmitted from the mobile cellular device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting to the intended recipient at least a portion of the visual message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the messaging data further comprises a length code indicating the amount of time allowable for a voice reply message.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at least part of the reply type code in the voice reply message.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving a from address of the message in the voice reply message.

9. A method of using a mobile cellular device to send a voice message as a reply to a received visual message, comprising:

receiving a visual message and associated, but separate, messaging data at the mobile cellular device from a cellular messaging system, where the messaging data includes a reply type code, the reply type code configured to cause the mobile cellular device to inform the user at the time the visual message is viewed that a voice reply message is allowed to be sent by the system;

storing in a memory within the mobile cellular device at least a portion of the messaging data;

displaying on the display screen of the mobile phone at least a portion of the received visual message;

receiving an input to create the voice reply message via a reply option of a user interface of the mobile cellular device; and

transmitting the voice reply message to an intended recipient based on the messaging data.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving the voice reply message input via a microphone of the mobile cellular device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the message comprises an email.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting at least a portion of the received visual message with the voice reply message.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the messaging data comprises an electronic mail address.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the messaging data comprises a length code indicating the amount of time allowable for a voice reply message.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein a messaging system determines a from address of the received message using a reply code.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting the voice reply message in real-time as it is being received by the mobile communication device.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting the voice reply message as one or more files.