Unified messaging platform with intelligent voice recognition (IVR)

• US 8,671,149 B1
• Filed: 03/20/2013
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Weerawan Wongmanee
• Original Assignee: Weerawan Wongmanee
• Inventors: Baxter, Jr., John Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Barry, Lance L
• Application Number:
  US13/847,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20140082102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 356 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 709/246, 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/52 Telephonic communication in combination with fax communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs logging of telephone numbers H04M1/56, H04M1/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0048 where the text-based messaging service is a Short Message Service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0054 where the data service is an electronic mail service

Abstract

Unified communication system for consolidating different message sources (e.g. emails, SMS, voice message, fax, etc.) into a single accessible location with the ability to incorporate phone calls, VoIP calls, voice commands, etc. This is achieved through integration of a Speech-ready IVR system with an E-mail client to act as the Unified Communication System. Furthermore, the IVR flexibility allows the user to access messages when internet access is not available or read messages such as SMS and emails when not physically convenient e.g. when user is driving. A computer based server receives a message in the format of SMS, fax, e-mail, or phone message. The server identifies what format the message is in and displays a notification on a graphical user interface. Through integration with a speech ready IVR system user may select to listen to the message or read the message.

Claims

1. A unified messaging platform having computer-implemented content conversion based on recipient designation, the platform comprising:

a user store database communicatively coupled to a proxy server, the user store database containing an array of logical preferences set by a user of the messaging platform, the logical preferences defining a singular message format for delivery of a recipient-targeted communication, wherein the logical preferences include an indication of preferred user selected portions of the recipient-targeted communication;

the proxy server operable to;

receive the recipient-targeted communication selected from the group consisting of an email, a text message, a fax, and a voice message;

identify the recipient-targeted communication for a recipient;

tag the identified recipient-targeted communication;

receive the user'"'"'s logical preferences;

determine a preferred user selected portion in the recipient-targeted communication based upon the user'"'"'s logical preferences, the preferred user selected portion being selected based on a type of information contained therein; and

send only the preferred user selected portion in the recipient-targeted communication to the user;

a voice gateway server containing a text-to-speech engine for automatically converting the recipient-targeted communication to an audio message format as defined by the user'"'"'s logical preferences, wherein the converted message is delivered in the audio message format to the user; and

an IVR server functionally integrated with a database server and the voice gateway server operable to;

send an audio rendering of the preferred user selected portion of the recipient-targeted communication to the user'"'"'s phone,

receive a caller'"'"'s phone number,

compare the caller'"'"'s phone number to a stored list of registered phone numbers, wherein each the registered phone number is associated with a registered user,

associate the caller with a registered user account, responsive to the comparison resulting in a match,

request additional information, responsive to the comparison not resulting in a match, wherein the additional information includes a PIN and a corresponding password, each the PIN and the corresponding password associated to a registered user, and

associate the caller with the user store database, responsive to the PIN and the corresponding password correctly identifying the registered user.

2. The unified messaging platform of claim 1, further comprising a voice gateway server for converting the recipient targeted communication to a message format as defined by the user'"'"'s logical preferences.

3. The delivering of the converted recipient-targeted communication of claim 1, wherein the converted recipient-targeted communication is sent to a registered user'"'"'s phone in SMS format.

4. The unified messaging platform of claim 1, further comprising:

the proxy server further operable to;

identify the recipient-targeted communication as from the group consisting of an email, a text message, fax, and a voice message;

tag the recipient-targeted communication as from the group consisting of an email, a text message, fax, and a voice message;

generate a pre-determined notification message based upon the recipient-targeted communication'"'"'s message type;

determine the user'"'"'s preferred communication contact selected from the group consisting of an email, a text message, a fax, and a voice message;

send the pre-determined notification message to the user'"'"'s preferred communication contact.

5. The unified messaging platform of claim 1, wherein the IVR server presents a plurality of audio menu prompts pre-determined by user logical preferences.

6. The unified messaging platform of claim 1, further comprising:

the conversion server operable to convert the recipient-targeted communication to an SMS, a fax and an e-mail format.

7. The unified messaging platform of claim 1, further comprising:

the proxy server further operable to;

identify the recipient-targeted communication as from the group consisting of an email, a text message, fax, and a voice message,

tag the recipient-targeted communication as from the group consisting of an email, a text message, fax, and a voice message;

determine the user'"'"'s preferred communication contact selected from the group consisting of an email, a text message, a fax, and a voice message;

compare the tagged recipient-targeted communication with the user'"'"'s preferred communication contact;

determine whether tagged recipient-targeted communication matches the user'"'"'s preferred communication contact;

send the tagged recipient-targeted communication to the conversion server, based upon a determination the tagged recipient-targeted communication does not match the user'"'"'s preferred communication contact;

the conversion server further operable to;

receive the tagged recipient-targeted communication;

identify the user'"'"'s preferred communication contact;

convert the tagged recipient-targeted communication to the user'"'"'s preferred communication contact;

send a converted recipient-targeted communication to user.

8. The unified messaging platform of claim 1, wherein, the user selected portion is selected from the group consisting of an attachment, an embedded link, a text, a body of the recipient-targeted communication, sender information, recipient information, a sent date, a sent time, a receipt date, a receipt time, and a combination thereof.