Computer, internet and telecommunications based network

• US 9,912,628 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2014
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Parus Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Parus Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Kurganov, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): MEHRA, INDER P
• Application Number:
  US14/493,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20150081289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• Field of Search: 455466, 4554121, 455413, 455517, 455415, 455461, 4554561, 455 6711, 4555561, 455557, 455559, 370352, 370260, 370259, 370389, 370390, 370392, 709204, 709206, 709707, 379 9324, 37910007, 37910008, 3792011, 379 9307, 379 9329, 379 8813, 340 721, 340 729, 340 731, 340 751
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/20 of structured data, e.g. relational data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/30 of unstructured textual data document management systems G06F16/93
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/00 Speech recognition G10L17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/00 Speech or voice signal processing techniques to produce another audible or non-audible signal, e.g. visual or tactile, in order to modify its quality or its intelligibility G10L19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/48 specially adapted for particular use
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• 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 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 : Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 : Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/515 : Night service systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53 : Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages , i.e. mailbox systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 : Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0003 : Interconnection between telephone networks and data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0033 : Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer
• 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: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a computer and telecommunication network which can receive, send and manage information from or to a subscriber of the network, based on the subscriber'"'"'s configuration. The network is made up of at least one cluster containing voice servers which allow for telephony, speech recognition, text-to-speech and conferencing functions, and is accessible by the subscriber through standard telephone connections or through internet connections. The network also utilizes a database and file server allowing the subscriber to maintain and manage certain contact lists and administrative information. A web server is also connected to the cluster thereby allowing access to all functions through internet connections.

Claims

1. A unified-messaging network for managing, sending and receiving user-level messages relating to a first user of the unified-messaging network, said unified-messaging network utilizing both at least one telephone connection and at least one internet connection, said user-level messages sent to and received from a plurality of communication networks employing a plurality of communication protocols, comprising:

a first-voice server in a first cluster of voice servers, said first-voice server comprising;

telephony hardware coupling said at least one telephone connection to at least one application with a first capability to identify one or more user events based on user input from an electronic device of the first user passed through said at least one telephone connection, said at least one application having a second capability to create and to transmit a plurality of telephony-related network messages to at least one of a plurality of second servers;

an internet-connection interface for establishing an internet connection and including a third capability to create and to transmit a plurality of internet-related network messages to at least one other server of the plurality of second servers; and

a cluster-switching and resource-allocation device coupled to said telephony hardware and said internet-connection interface, said cluster-switching and resource-allocation device including a first computing capability to process said telephony-related network messages and said internet-related network messages, said telephony-related network messages and said internet-related network messages created to enable the managing, sending and receiving of said user-level messages;

said plurality of second servers coupled to said first-voice server and responsive to said telephony-related network messages and said internet-related network messages, said plurality of second servers interfacing each other through the telephony-related network messages or the internet-related network messages executed under control of the cluster-switching and resource-allocation device to at least one of receive a first user-level message from and transmit a first user-level message to said electronic device of the first user over at least one of the telephone connection and the internet connection, the first user-level message received from or sent to said electronic device associated with the first user and using a first network protocol from a plurality of network protocols associated with said at least one of the telephone connection and the internet connection, the plurality of second servers further comprising;

at least one database server for storage of data relating to the first user for use in performing a voice-enabled task for the first user and a file server coupled to the database server, at least one of the file server and the database server accessible to the first user to manage an account including stored data associated with the first user including one or more setting options to send and to receive the user-level messages according to a preference of the first user, at least one of said database server and said file server accessible to said first-computing capability of said cluster-switching and resource-allocation device, wherein said cluster-switching and resource-allocation device processes said plurality of telephony-related network messages and said plurality of internet-related network messages with a capability to reference at least one of said database server and said file server; and

at least one web server coupled to the internet-connection interface of the first-voice server with a second-computing capability and adapted to provide access to the first user over the internet connection; and

one or more additional voice servers coupled to the first-voice server in the cluster of voice servers, at least one of first-voice server and the one or more additional servers further comprising;

an interactive speaker-independent, phoneme-based speech recognition device coupled to the cluster-switching and resource-allocation device and with a capability to receive a natural speech input at least over the telephone connection and to process the received natural speech input using phoneme-based speech recognition and to initiate execution of a voice-enabled task for the first user, based at least in part on the natural speech input, the interactive speaker-independent, phoneme-based speech recognition device adapted to recognize a plurality of natural speech commands and adapted to automatically trigger execution of a plurality of different voice-enabled tasks, each voice-enabled task corresponding to at least one specific natural speech command, and adapted to initiate the first user-level message in a manner relating to the voice-enabled task and a second user-level message, such that the first user-level message is transmittable over the telephone connection and over the internet connection to at least one electronic device designated by the first user, the electronic device being any one of at least a computer and a mobile device, and the first computing capability of said cluster-switching and resource-allocation device adapted to control processing of the second user-level message and to initiate transmission of the second user-level message at least by the internet connection to at least one of the mobile device in text format and to the computer or the mobile device in email format.

2. The unified-messaging network according to claim 1, further comprising:

the first cluster of voice servers interconnected by a voice bus and the plurality of second servers including the file server and the database server interconnected by an internal network accessible by the first-voice server having the interactive speaker-independent, phoneme-based speech recognition device.

3. The unified-messaging network according to claim 1, wherein the voice-enabled task relates to at least a portion of the data stored for the first user in at least one of the file server and the database server.

4. The unified-messaging network according to claim 1, wherein the telephony hardware is adapted to receive an input provided by the first user by a DTMF signal, from said at least one electronic device associated with the first user and wherein the voice-enabled task is executable based at least in part on the DTMF signal received from said electronic device of the first user in addition to the natural speech input.

5. The unified-messaging network according to claim 1, wherein the voice-enabled task facilitates management by the first user of, at least one of a contact, a user profile, an email, a voicemail, a video, a telephone call, a facsimile, and a text message on at least one of said electronic device, the file server, and the database server.

6. The unified-messaging network according to claim 1, wherein the voice-enabled task uses stored data for the first user in at least one of the database server and the file server to perform for the first user, at least one action from a group of actions including:

a telephone call, an email, a voicemail, a fax, a text message, a conference call, and a video conference.

7. The unified-messaging network according to claim 1, wherein the natural speech input is received from an electronic communication from the first user over an internet connection coupled to at least one of said first-voice server and said additional voice servers, the natural speech input conveyed using an Internet Protocol (IP) address to identify an internet location.

8. The unified-messaging network according to claim 1, wherein the first-voice server in the unified-messaging network is configured to transmit an electronic message to the electronic device of said first user, via both IP and non-IP transmission protocols over the network.

9. The unified-messaging network of claim 1, wherein said electronic device of the first user further initiates access, by at least the natural speech input, to a plurality of call-processing features including at least one of:

playing voicemail, reading an email or using text-to-speech to convert and listen to the email over the telephone, reading a fax, managing a contact, managing a schedule, and setting options for a plurality of features that execute particular functions including sending and receiving messages, faxes, and email, managing stored data, setting the parameters for outgoing calls, and setting up conferences.

10. The unified-messaging network according to claim 9, wherein said computing ability of said web server provides access by said electronic device of said first user to a plurality of webpages on a website, said website accessible through an internet firewall and a security program, and at least one of said plurality of webpages providing said call-processing features.

11. The unified-messaging network according to claim 10, wherein said website provides a single point of access for said first user to access said user-level messages through said electronic device of said first user.

12. The unified-messaging network according to claim 10, further comprising:

an additional private telephone connection and an extranet firewall for certain users to access the web server via said extranet firewall.

13. The unified-messaging network of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication networks includes at least the Internet.

14. The unified-messaging network of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication networks includes at least a local-area network.

15. The unified-messaging network of claim 1, wherein the options are configured by said electronic device for the first user in response to menu prompts to indicate at least one of a location and a communication device at which the first user wants to receive user-level messages.

16. The unified-messaging network of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of telecommunication applications to implement an application programming interface (API) usable by said telecommunication applications for a plurality of access protocols.

17. The unified-messaging network according to claim 1, further comprising:

a text-to-speech device coupled to at least the web server and the first-voice server, wherein during a session on a website, accessible over the internet connection, said text-to-speech device receives text input relating to said first user and co-relates said text input to stored phonemes to create a speech output delivered to said first user over said electronic device of said first user.

18. The unified-messaging network according to claim 17, wherein said text-to-speech device converts said email into a speech output for said electronic device to enable a user to listen to said speech output over the electronic device.

19. The unified- messaging network according to claim 1, wherein said email is displayable on said computer and said computer has a capability to accept a user response to said email and transmit said user response to one or more user contacts with audio by using an audio attachment.

20. The unified-messaging network according to claim 1, wherein the preference of the first user includes selecting incoming calls for at least one of call waiting, transferring or directing through call forwarding, and transmission directly to voice mail messaging.

21. The unified-messaging network according to claim 1, further comprising:

a device adapted to receive a user voicemail over said telephone connection and deliver said voicemail via streaming audio over said internet connection.

22. The unified-messaging network according to claim 1, wherein said natural speech input relates to said voice-enabled task and a tag, said tag associated with contact data stored in said database, said contact data including at least a location for a user.

23. The unified messaging network according to claim 1, wherein the natural speech input enables at least one of review, play back, read, reply to and reroute a user-level message received over at least one of said telephone connection and said internet connection.

24. The unified-messaging network according to claim 1, wherein the setting options include sending and receiving said user-level messages including at least one of faxes and email, managing said contact data on said database server, setting up conferences, and setting at least one of a greeting and a security code.

25. A unified-messaging-network method for managing, sending and receiving user-level messages relating to a first user, by using both telephone and internet connections, over a plurality of networks, comprising:

interconnecting a plurality of voice servers in a cluster with a voice bus, the plurality of voice servers including a first-voice server including a cluster-switching and resource-allocation device;

configuring the first-voice server to receive user input from an electronic device passed through at least one of a telephone connection and an internet connection, and to use at least one telephony application for processing user input passed through the telephone connection, said at least one telephony application with a first capability to identify one or more user events based on the user input and a second capability to create and to transmit a plurality of telephony-related network messages to at least one of a plurality of second servers by a first network protocol from a plurality of network protocols associated with the one of a plurality of networks and the telephone connection and to use at least one other application for the user input passed through the internet connection, the at least one other application with a third capability to create and to transmit a plurality of internet-related network messages to at least one other server of the plurality of second servers by a second network protocol from said plurality of network protocols associated with another one of the plurality of networks, and to use said cluster-switching and resource-allocation device including a first computing capability to process the telephony-related network messages and the internet-related network messages to enable the managing, sending, and receiving of said user-level messages relating to said first user;

interconnecting a database server with the first-voice server for storage of data relating to the first user for use in performing a task for the first user;

interconnecting a file server with the database server and the first-voice server, the file server providing access to the first user via said electronic device to manage an account associated with the first user including setting options for sending and receiving the user-level messages according to a preference of the first user;

interconnecting a web-server with said first-voice server, said database server and said file server and providing access for the first user, so that the first user can access the network via said electronic device using at least one of a plurality of the internet protocols including http protocol, over the internet connection; and

configuring at least the first-voice server to include an interactive speaker-independent phoneme-based speech recognition capability, said interactive speaker-independent phoneme-based speech recognition capability capable of receiving a natural speech input at least by the telephone connection, said first-voice server adapted to process the natural speech input received based on phoneme-based speech recognition and to initiate execution of the task for the first user, based at least in part on the natural speech input, the interactive speaker-independent phoneme-based speech recognition capability adapted to recognize a plurality of natural speech commands and adapted to automatically trigger execution of a plurality of different voice-enabled tasks, each voice-enabled task corresponding to a specific natural speech command, and to initiate transmission of a second user-level message relating to the voice-enabled task or the first user-level message to any one of a computer and a mobile device, the computing capability of said cluster-switching and resource-allocation device adapted to process the second user-level message and to initiate transmission by the internet connection to at least one of the mobile device in a text format and to the computer or the mobile device in an email format.

26. The unified-messaging-network method according to claim 25, wherein the file server and the database server are connected to an internal network.

27. The unified-messaging-network method according to claim 25, wherein the task relates to at least a portion of the data stored for the first user in at least one of said file server and said database server.

28. The unified-messaging-network method according to claim 25, wherein the user input includes a DTMF signal and wherein the voice-enabled task is executable based at least in part on the DTMF signal in addition to the natural speech input.

29. The unified-messaging-network method according to claim 25, wherein the voice-enabled task facilitates management by the first user of, at least one of a contact, a user profile, an email, a voicemail, a video, a telephone call, a facsimile, and a text message on at least one of said electronic device, said file server, and said database server.

30. The unified-messaging-network method according to claim 25, wherein the task uses stored data for the first user in at least one of the database server and the file server to perform for the first user, at least one action from a group of actions including:

a telephone call, an email, a voicemail, a fax, a text message, a conference call, and a video conference.

31. The unified-messaging-network method according to claim 25, wherein the natural speech input is received from an electronic communication from the user over an internet connection coupled to at least one of said first-voice server and said additional servers, the natural speech input conveyed using an Internet Protocol (IP) address to identify an internet location.

32. The unified-messaging-network method according to claim 25, wherein the first-voice server in the unified network is configured to transmit an electronic message to the electronic communication of said first user, via both IP and non-IP transmission protocols over the network.

33. The unified-messaging-network method of claim 25, further comprising:

making a plurality of call-processing features accessible to the first user, by at least the natural speech input, including at least one of;

playing voicemail, reading an email or using text-to-speech to convert and listen to the email over the telephone, reading a fax, managing a contact, managing a schedule, and setting options for a plurality of features that execute particular functions including sending and receiving messages, faxes, and email, managing stored data, setting the parameters for outgoing calls, and setting up conferences.

34. The unified-messaging-network method of claim 25, wherein the plurality of communication networks includes at least the Internet.

35. The unified-messaging-network method of claim 25, wherein the plurality of communication networks includes at least a local-area network.

36. The unified-messaging-network method of claim 25, wherein the options are configured by said electronic device of the first user through menu prompts to specify at least one of a location and a communication device at which the first user wants to receive the messages.

37. The unified-messaging-network method of claim 25, wherein the at least one other application implements an application programming interface (API) which is used by the application for a plurality of access protocols.

38. A method of unified messaging over a network to process user-level communications over at least one telephone connection and at least one internet connection, said user-level communications sent to and received from a plurality of communication networks using a plurality of communication protocols, comprising:

receiving at a first-voice server, user input passed through at least one of a telephone connection and an internet connection, using a first application of the first-voice server to identify a user event passed through said telephone connection and using a second application of the first-voice server to identify a user event passed through said internet connection, and using a first capability of said first application to generate and send a plurality of telephony-related network messages to at least one of a plurality of servers coupled to said first-voice server and using a second capability of said second application having a second capability to generate and send a plurality of internet-related network messages to at least one other server of said plurality of servers;

selectively switching among said plurality of servers based on said telephony-related network messages and said internet-related network messages to control the transmission of at least one user-level message and a notification relating to the user-level message over at least the internet connection to at least one user device designated to receive user-level messages; and

receiving a natural speech input over said telephone connection and processing said natural speech input based on phoneme-based recognition to initiate execution of a voice-enabled task, said voice-enabled task generating said at least one user-level message and said notification and initiating transmission of said user-level message in at least one of a telephony-specific audio format over said telephone connection and a computer-specific audio format over said internet connection and said notification in text format over said internet connection to said user device.

39. The method of unified messaging according to claim 38, wherein the natural speech input enables at least one of review, play back, read, reply to, and reroute of a user-level message received over at least one of said telephone connection and said internet connection.

40. The method of unified messaging according to claim 38, further comprising:

providing a plurality of setting options, by which a user can designate sending and receiving options of said user-level messages including at least one of faxes and email, managing said contact data on a database associated with said voice server, setting up conferences, and setting at least one of a greeting and a security code.

41. The method of unified-messaging according to claim 38, further comprising:

coupling a text-to-speech device to said voice server to convert at least one of said user-level messages including an email into a speech output for said electronic device to enable a user to listen to said speech output over the electronic device.

42. The method of unified messaging according to claim 38, further comprising:

using a computing ability of said web server to provide access by said electronic device of said first user to a plurality of webpages on said website, and making said website accessible through an internet firewall and a security program, and using at least one of said plurality of webpages to provide a plurality of call-processing features relating to said user-level messages.

43. The method of unified messaging according to claim 38, wherein said website provides a single point of access for said first user to access said user-level messages through said electronic device of said first user.

44. The method of unified messaging according to claim 38, further comprising:

providing a text-to-speech device and using said text-to-speech device to convert an email into a speech output for said electronic device to enable a user to listen to said speech output over the electronic device.