Electronic document answering machine

• US 8,666,044 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2003
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: OL Security LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Yuzalla Investments LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Kikinis, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Islam, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Van D
• Application Number:
  US10/701,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20040091087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,773 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/88.01, 379/88.13, 379 8817- 8819, 379/93.09, 379/93.24, 379/93.35, 379/900, 379/903, 379/988, 379/68, 379/164, 379/179, 37937301-37304, 379/374.03, 707/201, 709219-221, 709/229
• US Class Current: 379/93.24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/908 Multimedia

Abstract

An Electronic Document Answering Machine is adapted to connect to remote information sources and to download digital documents including e-mail and WEB pages, and to store the documents for later review by a user. The Answering machine has an alert device for alerting a user that new documents are available for review, and an initializing device for a user to cause documents to be communicated for review one-at-a-time. In a preferred embodiment documents are communicated over a speaker via voice synthesis. In an alternative preferred embodiment a small display is provided wherein documents may be displayed in alphanumeric characters. The answering machine can be implemented as a stand-alone device or can be connected via a serial port to a host PC for transferring documents to the PC for processing and review. In other embodiments the Answering Machine is implemented as a system in a PC, with alert and selective input added as an interface. The interface can be in a keyboard, and can be provided by existing keys and LEDs on a keyboard. An Answering Machine is also provided as a set-top-box for a TV, downloading digital documents from the Internet and providing the documents with user prompting to a TV via an audio/video output. prompting may be by infra-red input from a remote controller.

Claims

1. An electronic document answering machine, comprising:

a processor; and

a communication interface configured to access at least one remote source with a code used to access the at least one remote source at a plurality of download frequencies,

wherein a first one of the plurality of download frequencies or a second one of the plurality of download frequencies is selected based, at least, on whether the electronic document answering machine is operating in a full power mode or a reduced power mode.

2. The electronic document answering machine of claim 1, wherein the electronic document answering machine further comprises a port configured to enable communication between the electronic document answering machine and a host device, wherein the electronic document answering machine is configured to transmit a stored document to the host device, wherein the communication interface is a modem, and wherein the electronic document answering machine is configured to provide functionality of the modem for use by the host device.

3. The electronic document answering machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one remote source includes a mail server, and a stored document includes at least one addressed e-mail message received from the mail server.

4. The electronic document answering machine of claim 1, further comprising a pushbutton configured to control an application of power to one or more power-using elements of the electronic document answering machine.

5. The electronic document answering machine of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of programmable mail boxes, wherein a first one of the plurality of programmable mail boxes is designated for fax messages, a second one of the plurality of programmable mail boxes is designated for website pages or a third one of the plurality of programmable mail boxes is designated for voice messages.

6. The electronic document answering machine of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory configured to store at least one new document received from the at least one remote source based on at least accessing the at least one remote source; and

an alert device comprising a light emitting device, wherein the alert device is configured to illuminate the light emitting device based on at least the at least one new document being received and stored in the memory of the electronic document answering machine and not yet reviewed.

7. The electronic document answering machine of claim 6, further comprising a pushbutton including the light emitting device and configured to initiate rendering of the stored document, wherein the light emitting device includes a light emitting diode.

8. The electronic document answering machine of claim 6, further comprising:

a rendering apparatus configured to render a stored document of the at least one new document.

9. The electronic document answering machine of claim 8, wherein the rendering apparatus comprises a speaker and a voice synthesis apparatus.

10. The electronic document answering machine of claim 8, wherein the rendering apparatus comprises a display apparatus.

11. An electronic document answering system, comprising:

means for retrieving documents, wherein the means for retrieving documents is configured to access one or more remote sources and retrieve and store one or more new digital documents; and

means for operating the electronic document answering system in response to the electronic document answering system being in a reduced-power mode or in a full power operating mode, wherein the means for operating is configured to base operation on a first download frequency in response to the electronic document answering system being in the full power operating mode and based on a second download frequency in response to the electronic document answering system being in the reduced-power mode.

12. The electronic document answering system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for initializing, wherein the means for initializing is configured to signal the electronic document answering system to initiate review of the one or more new digital documents that have been retrieved and stored and are ready for review, wherein the first download frequency is greater than the second download frequency.

13. The electronic document answering system of claim 12, wherein the second download frequency is determined based on one or more rules associated with whether the reduced-power mode occurs on a day defined as a holiday.

14. The electronic document answering system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for providing a light emitting device alert, wherein the means for providing the light emitting device alert is configured to illuminate a light emitting device to signal that the one or more new digital documents have been retrieved and stored and are ready for review.

15. The electronic document answering system of claim 14, further comprising a means for receiving input, wherein the means for providing the light emitting device alert and the means for initializing are included in the means for receiving input.

16. The electronic document answering system of claim 15, wherein the means for providing the light emitting device alert comprises a light emitting diode in a keyboard, and the means for initializing comprises a key on the means for receiving input.

17. A device, comprising:

a processor; and

a communication apparatus configured to interface to at least one network store of electronic documents to receive a new set of electronic documents having a delivery address associated with the device, wherein an interfacing by the communication apparatus comprises use of a code to access the at least one network store at one of a plurality of frequencies in response to a determination of a power mode of the device, wherein access is performed at a first frequency in response to the device being in the full power operating mode and wherein access is performed at a second frequency in response to the device being in a reduced power mode.

18. The device of claim 17, further comprising:

a memory configured to store the new set of electronic documents having the delivery address;

an alert device configured to render video based on at least receipt of the new set of electronic documents having the delivery address; and

an input device configured to request rendering of the new set of electronic documents having the delivery address, wherein the device is communicatively coupled to a television configured to display rendered video.

19. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device, from at least one remote network store, one or more new electronic documents having an associated delivery address, wherein the receiving comprises;

using a code to access the at least one remote network store at a first download frequency or a second download frequency based on whether the device is in a full power operating mode or a reduced power mode, respectively.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving a request to render at least one of the one or more new electronic documents; and

transferring the at least one of the one or more new electronic documents to another device for further processing, wherein the transferring is performed based on at least the request to render the at least one of the one or more new electronic documents, and wherein the transferring includes transferring the at least one of the one or more new electronic documents to the other device for display of the at least one of the one or more new electronic documents by the other device.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

storing the one or more new electronic documents in a memory for electronic documents having the associated delivery address, wherein the device includes the memory; and

rendering a video indication that the one or more new electronic documents are received.

22. A device, comprising:

a retriever configured to access one or more remote sources and retrieve and store in memory of the device at least one new digital document addressed to an addressee associated with the device,

wherein the retriever is further configured to operate using a designated code configured to enable access to the one or more remote sources at a first selected frequency in response to a determination indicating that the device is in a full power operating mode and to enable access to the one or more remote sources at a second selected frequency in response to the determination indicating that the device is in a reduced power mode.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the second selected frequency is based on a time of year in which the device is not in use.

24. The device of claim 22, further comprising:

an input device having at least one light emitting device included in the input device, wherein the at least one light emitting device is configured to become illuminated based on at least the at least one new digital document being stored in the memory of, and ready for review at, the device.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the retriever is further configured to operate using the designated code to access the one or more remote sources at the second selected frequency in response to another determination that the device is not in use,

and wherein the input device is configured to be activated to initiate rendering of the at least one new digital document.

26. A method, comprising:

accessing, by a device including a processing device, at least one remote source of electronically addressable digital documents addressed to an addressee;

receiving and storing in memory at least one of the electronically addressable digital documents addressed to the addressee, wherein the receiving and the storing is based on at least the accessing the at least one remote source, wherein the receiving comprises;

employing a code to access the least one remote source at a first selected frequency in response to an indication that the device is in a full power operating mode, and to access the at least one remote source at a second selected frequency in response to an indication that the device is not in a reduced power mode.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

initiating illumination of a light emitting device based on at least the storing in memory the at least one of the electronically addressable digital documents.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising rendering the at least one of the electronically addressable digital documents, wherein the rendering is performed based on at least activating an input device comprising the light emitting device, wherein the light emitting device is a light emitting diode, and wherein the rendering includes rendering the at least one of the electronically addressable digital documents during a time period over which no other electronically addressable digital document is rendered.