Communication system with voice mail access and call by spelling functionality

• US 9,363,379 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2014
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Value8 Co., Ltd. (Wisefin Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Mechatronic Systems Inc. (Trak Global Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Basir, Otman A., Miners, William Ben
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, PHUOC HUU
• Application Number:
  US14/454,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20140349619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.2, 455/466, 379/88.23, 379/88.13, 379/88.12
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4509 Unified messaging with single point of access to voicemail and other mail or messaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message

Abstract

A method of initiating a communication from a mobile communication device includes receiving a plurality of spoken letters corresponding to a spelling of at least a portion of a contact name and identifying a contact and associated contact information from a database associated with a mobile communication device in response to the spoken letters. A communication to the contact is initiated from the mobile communication device using the associated contact information. A method of presenting voicemail to a user establishes communication with a mobile communication device. A first voicemail box is checked for messages, the first voicemail box being associated with the mobile communication device. A second voicemail box is checked for messages, the second voicemail box being associated with a second communication device. At least one voicemail message received from at least one of the first and second voicemail boxes is presented to a user via a single interface.

Claims

1. A method of presenting voicemail to a user, comprising:

A) establishing communication with a mobile communication device;

B) checking a first voicemail box for messages, the first voicemail box being associated with the mobile communication device;

C) checking a second voicemail box for messages, the second voicemail box being associated with a second communication device; and

D) presenting a first voicemail message received from the first voicemail box and a second voicemail message received from the second voicemail box to a user via a unified, single voice user interface, wherein said step (D) is performed according to prioritization rules stored in a user profile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (C) is performed using the data network access of the mobile communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (C) is performed using a data network access of the control unit.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

E) providing an indication to the user in response to discovery of a new voicemail.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile is stored on the mobile communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (D) includes:

referencing voicemail meta-data for the at least one voicemail message; and

presenting spoken or visual information about the at least one voicemail message to the user, wherein the information is retrieved from the voicemail meta-data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the voicemail meta-data includes information about at least one of a caller, a voicemail length, a voicemail priority, and a voicemail age.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (C) includes

initiating a dual-tone multi-frequency command to the second voicemail box in response to a spoken voice command from the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication device is a land-line telephone.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

E) storing voicemail login information in a user profile;

F) transmitting the voicemail login information to perform said step (C).

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

E) registering via a voice-driven menu on the control unit each of the first voicemail box and the second voicemail box;

F) transmitting the voicemail registration data from said step (E) to an Internet server.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (D) includes converting the voicemail message to text using a speech-to-text engine, and transmitting the text to the user.

13. A method of presenting voicemail to a user, comprising:

A) establishing communication with a mobile communication device;

B) checking a first voicemail box for messages, the first voicemail box being associated with the mobile communication device;

C) checking a second voicemail box for messages, the second voicemail box being associated with a second communication device;

D) presenting a first voicemail message received from the first voicemail box and a second voicemail message received from the second voicemail box to a user via a unified, single voice user interface;

E) referencing voicemail meta-data for the second voicemail message;

F) cross-referencing the voicemail meta-data against a contact database on the mobile communication device to identify contact information for the second voicemail message; and

G) presenting the contact information associated with the second voicemail message to the user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the contact information includes a contact nickname.

15. A voicemail retrieval system comprising:

a mobile communication device;

a control unit in communication with the mobile communication device, the control unit being operable to check a first voicemail box associated with the mobile communication device for messages, to check a second voicemail box associated with a second communication device for messages, and to present a first voicemail message received from the first voicemail box and a second voicemail message from the second voicemail box to a user via a unified, single voice user interface according to prioritization rules in a profile associated with the user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the user profile is stored on the mobile communication device.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the control unit is further programmed to reference voicemail meta-data for the second voicemail message, cross-reference the voicemail meta-data against a contact database on the mobile communication device to identify contact information for the second voicemail message, and present the contact information associated with the second voicemail message to the user.