Voice rendering of E-mail with tags for improved user experience

• US 8,189,746 B1
• Filed: 12/22/2009
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Thenthiruperai, Balaji S., Roche, Elizabeth, Landers, Brian, Kates, Jesse
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US12/644,345
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 379/88.04, 379/88.17, 379/88.02, 379/93.01, 704/500, 704/260, 706/10, 707/752, 709/203, 709/206, 709/219, 382/119, 726/24
• US Class Current: 379/88.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

Tags, such as XML tags, are inserted into email to separate email content from signature blocks, privacy notices and confidentiality notices, and to separate original email messages from replies and replies from further replies. The tags are detected by a system that renders email as speech, such as voice command platform or network-based virtual assistant or message center. For example, the system can detect the signature block or privacy notice tags and not render the signature block or privacy notice as speech. The system can render an original email message in one voice mode and the reply in a different voice mode. The tags can be inserted to identify a voice memo in which a user responds to a particular portion of an email message. Preferably, an email server that receives and stored the email message inserts the tags into the email. Alternatively, the tags could be inserted by an email client application. The tags are detected by an email parser, which can be incorporated into the system rendering email as speech, or, alternatively implemented in a separate logical entity.

Claims

1. A method of rendering an email message as speech, wherein the email message comprises email body content and a signature block, the method comprising:

a voice command platform processing the email message to identify the signature block in the email message; and

the voice command platform rendering the email body content as speech but avoiding rendering the identified signature block as speech.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the email message to identify the signature block comprises detecting a tag indicating a start of the signature block and detecting a tag indicating a stop of the signature block.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before the voice command platform processing the email message, the voice command platform receiving the email message from an email server.

4. A method of rendering an email message as speech, wherein the email message comprises email body content and a privacy notice, the method comprising:

a voice command platform processing the email message to identify the privacy notice in the email message; and

the voice command platform rendering the email body content as speech but avoiding rendering the identified privacy notice as speech.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein processing the email message to identify the privacy notice comprises detecting a tag indicating a start of the privacy notice and detecting a tag indicating a stop of the privacy notice.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

before the voice command platform processing the email message, the voice command platform receiving the email message from an email server.

7. A method of rendering an email message as speech, wherein the email message comprises email body content and a confidentiality notice, the method comprising:

a voice command platform processing the email message to identify the confidentiality notice in the email message; and

the voice command platform rendering the email body content as speech but avoiding rendering the identified confidentiality notice as speech.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein processing the email message to identify the confidentiality notice comprises detecting a tag indicating a start of the confidentiality notice and detecting a tag indicating a stop of the confidentiality notice.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

before the voice command platform processing the email message, the voice command platform receiving the email message from an email server.

10. A method of rendering an email message as speech to a recipient of the email message, comprising:

a voice command platform processing the email message to identify email content and a signature block;

the voice command platform rendering the email content as speech;

the voice command platform referring to a user profile to determine whether to render the signature block as speech; and

the voice command platform rendering, or not rendering, the signature block as speech in accordance with the user profile.

11. A method of rendering an email message as speech to a recipient of the email message, comprising:

a voice command platform processing the email message to identify email content and a signature block;

the voice command platform rendering the email content as speech;

the voice command platform detecting a tag separating a signature block from the rest of the email content;

the voice command platform prompting a user to indicate whether to render the signature block as speech; and

the voice command platform rendering, or not rendering, the signature block as speech in accordance with a response to the prompt.