Digitized audio data attachment to text message for electronic mail

• US 6,212,551 B1
• Filed: 09/15/1997
• Issued: 04/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Champagne, Gerald D., Asghar, Safdar M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cardone, Jason D.
• Application Number:
  US08/929,056
• Time in Patent Office: 1,296 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206, 709/207, 709/218, 709/223, 709/246, 709/247, 709/231, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

A method of communicating via an electronic mail system includes creating a text portion of a message. An audio portion of the message is also recorded. The audio portion is digitized. The digitized audio portion is coupled to the text portion to form a complete message. The complete message is transmitted via the electronic mail system. The complete message is received at a destination unit, which provides for the visual displaying of the text portion of the message, together with the audio outputting of the audio portion of the message.

Claims

1. An output device for an electronic mail system, comprising:

a receiving unit for receiving a complete message from the electronic mail system, the complete message including a header portion containing information about what is in the complete message;

a decoupling unit connected to the receiving unit for receiving the complete message and decoupling a digitized audio portion, the header portion, and a text portion from the complete message, the complete message including a predetermined bit pattern that is utilized by the decoupling unit to separate the digitized audio portion of the complete message from the text portion of the complete message, the predetermined bit pattern corresponding to a mark in the complete message that indicates a transition point to the decoupling unit for processing of portions of the complete message before and after the transition point;

a first storage unit connected to the decoupling unit for storing the digitized audio portion;

a second storage unit connected to the decoupling unit for storing the text portion;

a converting unit connected to the first storage unit for converting the digitized audio portion to an analog audio portion;

an audio output unit connected to the converting unit for receiving the analog audio portion and broadcasting, in accordance with receipt of a first control signal, audio corresponding to the analog audio portion; and

a display unit connected to the second storage unit for displaying, in accordance with receipt of a second control signal, the text portion on a display,

wherein the header portion of the complete message is initially an only portion of the complete message that is displayed on the display,

wherein the header portion provides information regarding whether the complete message contains text only, digitized audio only, or both text and digitized audio, to thereby allow the user to decide whether or not to open the complete message in its entirety or only particular portions thereof, and

wherein, based on user-provided inputs, either or both of the first and second control signals are outputted based on the user-provided inputs so as to output either or both of the text portion and the audio portion of the complete message.

2. An input/output device for an electronic mail system, comprising:

a text input unit;

an audio input unit;

a recording unit connected to the audio input unit for receiving an audio portion of a message from the audio input unit and recording the audio portion;

a digitizing unit connected to the recording unit for digitizing the audio portion;

a first storage unit connected to the digitizing unit for storing the digitized audio portion;

a digital audio input unit connected to the first storage unit for receiving digitized audio data and outputting the digitized audio data to the first storage unit;

a second storage unit connected to the text input unit for storing a text portion of the message from the text input unit;

an audio output unit connected to the first storage unit for outputting in an audible manner digitized audio data from the first storage unit, wherein the first storage unit outputs the digitized audio data in accordance with a first control signal provided thereto;

a text display output unit connected to the second storage unit for outputting onto a display the text portion of the message, wherein the second storage unit outputs the text portion of the message to the text display output unit in accordance with a second control signal provided thereto;

a coupling unit connected to the first and second storage units for receiving the digitized audio portion and the text portion and coupling the digitized audio portion and the text portion into a complete message, the coupling unit further coupling a header portion into the complete message that includes information concerning relative location and size of the audio portion and the text portion within the complete message;

a transmitting unit connected to the coupling unit for transmitting the complete message,

wherein the input device provides for updating of one or both of the text portion and the audio portion of the complete message by a user after the user has reviewed at least one of the text portion and the audio portion of the complete message by way of the audio output unit and the text display output unit;

a receiving unit for receiving a complete message from the electronic mail system;

a decoupling unit connected to the receiving unit for receiving the complete message and decoupling a digitized audio portion, the header portion, and the text portion from the complete message, the complete message including a predetermined bit pattern that is utilized by the decoupling unit to separate the digitized audio portion of the complete message from the text portion of the complete message, the predetermined bit pattern corresponding to a mark in the complete message that indicates a transition point to the decoupling unit for processing of portions of the complete message before and after the transition point;

a third storage unit connected to the decoupling unit for storing the digitized audio portion;

a fourth storage unit connected to the decoupling unit for storing the text portion;

a converting unit connected to the third storage unit for converting the digitized audio portion to an analog audio portion;

an audio output unit connected to the converting unit for receiving the analog audio portion and broadcasting, in accordance with receipt of a third control signal, audio corresponding to the analog audio portion; and

a display unit connected to the second storage unit for displaying, in accordance with receipt of a fourth control signal, the text portion on a display,

wherein the header portion of the complete message is initially an only portion of the complete message that is displayed on the display,

wherein the header portion provides information regarding whether the complete message contains text only, digitized audio only, or both text and digitized audio, to thereby allow the user to decide whether or not to open the complete message in its entirety or only particular portions thereof, and

wherein, based on user-provided inputs, either or both of the third and fourth control signals are outputted based on the user-provided inputs so as to output either or both of the text portion and the audio portion of the complete message.

3. An electronic mail system, comprising at least two input/output devices, each including:

a text input unit;

an audio input unit;

a recording unit connected to the audio input unit for receiving an audio portion of a message from the audio input unit and recording the audio portion;

a digitizing unit connected to the recording unit for digitizing the audio portion;

a first storage unit connected to the digitizing unit for storing the digitized audio portion;

a digital audio input unit connected to the first storage unit for receiving digitized audio data and outputting the digitized audio data to the first storage unit;

a second storage unit connected to the text input unit for storing a text portion of the message from the text input unit;

an audio output unit connected to the first storage unit for outputting in an audible manner digitized audio data from the first storage unit, wherein the first storage unit outputs the digitized audio data in accordance with a first control signal provided thereto;

a text display output unit connected to the second storage unit for outputting onto a display the text portion of the message, wherein the second storage unit outputs the text portion of the message to the text display output unit in accordance with a second control signal provided thereto;

a coupling unit connected to the first and second storage units for receiving the digitized audio portion and the text portion and coupling the digitized audio portion and the text portion into a complete message, the coupling unit further coupling a header portion into the complete message that includes information concerning relative location and size of the audio portion and the text portion within the complete message;

a transmitting unit connected to the coupling unit for transmitting the complete message,

wherein the input device provides for updating of one or both of the text portion and the audio portion of the complete message by a user after the user has reviewed at least one of the text portion and the audio portion of the complete message by way of the audio output unit and the text display output unit;

a receiving unit for receiving a complete message from the electronic mail system;

a decoupling unit connected to the receiving unit for receiving the complete message and decoupling a digitized audio portion, the header portion, and the text portion from the complete message, the complete message including a predetermined bit pattern that is utilized by the decoupling unit to separate the digitized audio portion of the complete message from the text portion of the complete message, the predetermined bit pattern corresponding to a mark in the complete message that indicates a transition point to the decoupling unit for processing of portions of the complete message before and after the transition point;

a third storage unit connected to the decoupling unit for storing the digitized audio portion;

a fourth storage unit connected to the decoupling unit for storing the text portion;

a converting unit connected to the third storage unit for converting the digitized audio portion to an analog audio portion;

an audio output unit connected to the converting unit for receiving the analog audio portion and broadcasting, in accordance with receipt of a third control signal, audio corresponding to the analog audio portion; and

a display unit connected to the second storage unit for displaying, in accordance with receipt of a fourth control signal, the text portion on a display,

wherein the header portion of the complete message is initially an only portion of the complete message that is displayed on the display,

wherein the header portion provides information regarding whether the complete message contains text only, digitized audio only, or both text and digitized audio, to thereby allow the user to decide whether or not to open the complete message in its entirety or only particular portions thereof, and

wherein, based on user-provided inputs, either or both of the third and fourth control signals are outputted based on the user-provided inputs so as to output either or both of the text portion and the audio portion of the complete message.