Method and apparatus for telephonically accessing and navigating the internet

• US 8,848,881 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2011
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Rhie, Kyung H., Kwan, Richard J., Olsen, Lee E., Hahn, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahee, MD S
• Application Number:
  US13/285,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20120047216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 379/88.17, 379/67.1, 379/88.24, 455/426.1, 709/206, 709/225, 709/218, 709/219, 704/250, 704/270, 704/271, 370350-357
• US Class Current: 379/88.17
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2478 Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• 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 1/50 by generating or selecting currents of predetermined frequencies or combinations of frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/39 using speech synthesis
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/52 Telephonic communication in combination with fax communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• 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 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53325 Interconnection arrangements between voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00206 : Transmitting or receiving computer data via an image communication device, e.g. a facsimile transceiver H04N1/00236 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 : with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00302 : with a telephonic apparatus, e.g. telephone answering machine or videotex terminal H04N1/00307 takes precedence; telephonic communication H04M
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 : with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32771 : in response to a request, e.g. for a particular document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32776 : using an interactive, user-operated device, e.g. a computer terminal, mobile telephone H04N1/32782, H04N1/32784 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/45 : using multi-frequency signalling H04Q1/46 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for accessing and browsing the interne through the use of a telephone and the associated DTMF signals is disclosed. The preferred embodiment provides a system that converts the information content of a web page from text to speech (voice signals), signals the hyperlink selections of a web page in an audio manner, and allows selection of the hyperlinks through the use of DTMF signals generated from a telephone keypad. Upon receiving a DTMF signal corresponding to a hyperlink, the corresponding web page is fetched and again delivered to the user via one of the available delivery methods such as voice, fax-on-demand, electronic mail, or regular mail.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a data signal generated using a voice user interface and transmitted from a phone, the data signal corresponding to a unique address of a document;

retrieving, by the computing device, the document from a computer system using the unique address; and

transmitting, by the computing device, an electronic mail message containing the document.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique address is a uniform resource locator (URL).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is coupled to the Internet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the document is a web page.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the data signal further comprises receiving a dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal from the phone.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

translating, by the computing device, the received DTMF signal to a hyperlink comprising the unique address.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the retrieving further comprises retrieving the document from the computer system using the unique address by browsing through web pages; and

the receiving the data signal further comprises receiving a dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal from the phone, the method further comprising;

translating, by the computing device, the received DTMF signal to a hyperlink comprising the unique address.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving further comprises retrieving the document from the computer system using the unique address by browsing through web pages.

5. A server system, comprising:

a phone voice user interface configured to receive a data signal from a phone, the data signal including a unique address of a document; and

a document delivery subsystem configured to;

receive the data signal from the phone voice user interface,

retrieve the document from a computer system using the unique address, and

transmit an electronic mail message containing the document.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the unique address is a uniform resource locator (URL).

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the server system is coupled to the Internet.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the document is a web page.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, execution of which by a computing device causes the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a data signal generated using a voice user interface and transmitted from a phone, the data signal corresponding to a unique address of a document on a computer system;

retrieving the document from a computer system using the unique address; and

transmitting an electronic mail message containing the document.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the unique address is a uniform resource locator (URL).

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the computing device is coupled to the Internet.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the document is a web page.