Method and apparatus for management of EMail originated by thin client devices

• US 6,351,523 B1
• Filed: 03/22/1999
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Detlef, Michael John
• Primary Examiner(s): WEAVER, SCOTT LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US09/273,704
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 379/62.1, 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/88.22, 379/93.01, 379/93.24, 455/412, 455/413, 455/414, 709/206, 709/207
• US Class Current: 379/88.14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless 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 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53341 Message reply
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0006 where voice calls cross both networks
• 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 7/0078 Security; Fraud detection; Fraud prevention

Abstract

A system for providing a voice response to an EMail message, wherein the voice response is generated by a thin client device and transmitted to a cellular, or similar, service and then to a world-wide communications network, includes a conversion mechanism co-located with the cellular service for converting the voice response into a voice data file which is transmitted over the world-wide communications network; an EMail server connected to the world-wide communications network for receiving conventional EMail and voice data files; an EMail-to-voicemail gateway for identifying voice data files; a voicemail interface for receiving voice data files from said EMail-to-voicemail gateway and converting said voice data files into voice streams; a voicemail system, including recipient voicemail boxes; for directing said voice streams into a recipient'"'"'s voicemail box. A method of generating a voicemail message with a thin client device and transmitting that voicemail message over an EMail system, includes sending a voice mail message over a wireless phone system; converting the voice mail message into a voice data file; transmitting a the voice data file over a world-wide communications network; receiving the voice data file at an EMail server; separating the voice data file from EMail files; changing the voice data file into a voice stream; and directing the voice stream to a recipient'"'"'s voicemail box.

Claims

1. A system for providing a voice response to an EMail message, wherein the voice response is generated by a user using a thin client device which is subscribed to a cellular service, wherein the voice response is transmitted to the cellular service and then to a world-wide communications network, comprising:

a conversion mechanism in the thin client device for converting the voice response into a voice data file which is transmitted over the world-wide communications network;

an EMail server connected to the world-wide communications network for receiving conventional EMail and said voice data file;

an EMail-to-voicemail gateway for identifying said voice data file;

a voicemail interface for receiving said voice data file from said EMail-to-voicemail gateway and converting said voice data file into a voice stream;

a voicemail system, including recipient voicemail boxes;

for directing said voice stream into a recipient'"'"'s voicemail box.

2. The system of claim 1 which includes a lookup table for correlating a recipients voicemail box address with a recipient'"'"'s EMail address.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the conversion mechanism includes an attaching mechanism for attaching said voice data file to a reply EMail message thereby making an attached voice data file.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said EMail server includes a splitting mechanism for splitting said attached voice mail data file from said EMail reply message.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said EMail-to-voicemail gateway is located in said EMail server.

6. A method of generating a voicemail message by a user using a thin client device and transmitting that voicemail message over an EMail system, comprising:

sending a voice mail message over a wireless phone system;

converting the voice mail message into a voice data file;

transmitting the voice data file over a world-wide communications network;

receiving the voice data file at an EMail server;

separating the voice data file from EMail files;

changing the voice data file into a voice stream; and

directing the voice stream to a recipient'"'"'s voicemail box.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said transmitting includes transmitting the voice data file as an attachment to an EMail message.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said separating includes using a lookup table to locate a recipient'"'"'s voicemail box address from a recipient'"'"'s EMail address.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said transmitting includes transmitting a voice message as an EMail message.

10. A method of transmitting a voice message attached to an EMail message over a world-wide communications network as a voice data file, including:

generating a voicemail message by a user using a thin client device;

sending a voicemail message over a wireless phone system;

converting the voicemail message into a voice data file; and

directing the voice data file to a recipient'"'"'s voicemail box.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein a voicemail server is connected to the world-wide communications network.

12. The method of claim 10 which includes separating the voice data file from the EMail message and converting the voice data file to a voice stream for storage in the recipient'"'"'s voicemail box.

13. The method of claim 10 which includes converting the voice data file to a voice stream for storage in the recipient'"'"'s voicemail box.