Technique for remotely reading E-mail using external telephone

• US 6,415,021 B1
• Filed: 05/04/1998
• Issued: 07/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Oh, Hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Escalante, Ovidio
• Application Number:
  US09/071,533
• Time in Patent Office: 1,520 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/93.24, 379/100.08, 379/100.13, 379/92.01, 379/88.17, 379/93.15, 455/412, 455/414
• US Class Current: 379/88.13
• 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: H04M 1/652 Means for playing back the recorded messages by remote control over a telephone line H04M1/658 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42272 whereby the subscriber registers to the terminals for personalised service provision
• 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 technique for reading speech mail or text E-mail stored in a computer by an external telephone uses an apparatus which includes: a text to speech converting service function, a speech sensing function, an E-mail managing function, and an E-mail down-loading function. The apparatus may use software which includes a program for calling the E-mail client of a computer by one of a public telephone, a cellular phone, and a portable computer having a speed phone capability, gaining access to the received E-mail, converting text E-mail into speech mail, and transmitting it to a receiver through a telephone line. Also, a computer periodically detects an E-mail server during the absence of a user and, when it is determined that there is received E-mail as a result of detecting the E-mail server, down-loads the E-mail and stores it in the computer. When urgent E-mail is received, the computer calls a receiver and informs him or her that urgent E-mail has arrived or transmits the urgent E-mail to the remote receiver. It is possible to detect only speech mail among the received E-mail in the E-mail server and to detect all the E-mail including text E-mail. Therefore, when the detected E-mail is text E-mail, the E-mail is converted into speech mail and transmitted.

Claims

1. A method of remotely reading E-mail using an external telephone, comprising the steps of:

performing a communication between a personal computer and an E-mail server, the communication including the personal computer periodically determining whether there is new E-mail in the E-mail server, and when there is new E-mail in the E-mail server down-loading the new E-mail to the personal computer;

determining when there is new E-mail whether down-loaded new E-mail is a text file, storing in the personal computer down-loaded new E-mail that is a speech file, and converting down-loaded new E-mail that is a text file into a speech file and storing in the personal computer the converted down-loaded new E-mail;

determining whether there is any received E-mail stored in the personal computer in response to a phone command from an external telephone to the personal computer;

selectively reading the E-mail stored in the personal computer and selectively transmitting the E-mail stored in the personal computer to a modem when it is determined in response to the phone command from the external telephone that there is received E-mail stored in the personal computer;

determining whether any new E-mail has been received by the E-mail server by performing a communication between the personal computer and the E-mail server in response to the phone command from the external telephone when it is determined that there is no received E-mail stored in the personal computer; and

down-loading to the personal computer any new E-mail received by the E-mail server and then transmitting down-loaded new E-mail from the personal computer to the modem when it is determined that there is no received E-mail stored in the personal computer and when there is a down-load transmit command from the external telephone.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprised of the personal computer after being in a power saver mode for a predetermined time communicating with the E-mail server and determining whether there is newly received E-mail in the E-mail server and down-loading any newly received E-mail from the E-mail server to the personal computer and, alternatively, the personal computer responding to a phone call to the personal computer and down-loading any newly received E-mail from the E-mail server to the personal computer in response to the phone call.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of the personal computer calling a corresponding E-mail receiver to transmit down-loaded E-mail stored in the personal computer to the corresponding E-mail receiver when down-loaded E-mail stored in the personal computer for the corresponding E-mail receiver is determined to be urgent E-mail.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprised of the step of selectively reading the E-mail stored in the personal computer and selectively transmitting the E-mail stored in the personal computer comprising the steps of:

receiving by the personal computer a read command from the external telephone to read an E-mail list of the down-loaded E-mail stored in the personal computer;

reading and transmitting to the external telephone the E-mail list according to the read command;

receiving by the personal computer an E-mail select signal from the external telephone for selecting desired E-mail from the transmitted E-mail list; and

transmitting from the personal computer the selected E-mail stored in the personal computer according to the E-mail select signal.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprised of the external telephone comprising any one of a public telephone, a cellular phone and a portable personal computer including a speech phone capability.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

storing in the personal computer a telephone number of a receiver for a message and the message, when the telephone number of the receiver for the message and the message are transmitted by the external telephone to the personal computer; and

performing by the personal computer a calling function to transmit the stored message until the receiver for the stored message receives the stored message, when the telephone number of the receiver for the message and the message are stored in the personal computer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

storing in the personal computer a telephone number of a receiver for a message and the message when the telephone number of the receiver for the message and the message are transmitted by the external telephone to the personal computer; and

performing by the personal computer a calling function to transmit the stored message until the receiver for the stored message receives the stored message, when the telephone number of the receiver for the message and the message are stored in the personal computer.

8. A method of remotely reading E-mail using an external telephone, comprising the steps of:

performing a communication between a personal computer and an E-mail server the communication including the personal computer periodically determining whether there is new E-mail in the E-mail server, and when there is new E-mail in the E-mail server down-loading the new E-mail to the personal computer;

determining when there is new E-mail whether down-loaded new E-mail is a text file, storing in the personal computer down-loaded new E-mail that is a speech file, and converting down-loaded new E-mail that is a text file into a speech file and storing in the personal computer the converted down-loaded new E-mail;

determining whether there is any received E-mail stored in the personal computer in response to a phone command from an external telephone to the personal computer;

selectively reading the E-mail stored in the personal computer and selectively transmitting the E-mail stored in the personal computer to a modem when it is determined in response to the phone command from the external telephone that there is received E-mail stored in the personal computer;

storing in the personal computer a telephone number of a receiver for a message and the message, when the telephone number of the receiver for the message and the message are transmitted by the external telephone to the personal computer; and

performing by the personal computer a calling function to transmit the stored message until the receiver for the stored message receives the stored message, when the telephone number of the receiver for the message and the message are stored in the personal computer.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprised of the personal computer after being in a power saver mode for a predetermined time communicating with the E-mail server and determining whether there is newly received E-mail in the E-mail server and down-loading any newly received E-mail from the E-mail server to the personal computer and, alternatively, the personal computer responding to a phone call to the personal computer and down-loading any newly received E-mail from the E-mail server to the personal computer in response to the phone call.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising a step of the personal computer calling a corresponding E-mail receiver to transmit down-loaded E-mail stored in the personal computer to the corresponding E-mail receiver when down-loaded E-mail stored in the personal computer for the corresponding E-mail receiver is determined to be urgent E-mail.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprised of the step of selectively reading the E-mail stored in the personal computer and selectively transmitting the E-mail stored in the personal computer comprising the steps of:

receiving by the personal computer a read command from the external telephone to read an E-mail list of the down-loaded E-mail stored in the personal computer;

reading and transmitting to the external telephone the E-mail list according to the read command;

receiving by the personal computer an E-mail select signal from the external telephone for selecting desired E-mail from the transmitted E-mail list; and

transmitting from the personal computer the selected E-mail stored in the personal computer according to the E-mail select signal.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprised of the external telephone comprising any one of a public telephone, a cellular phone and a portable personal computer including a speech phone capability.

13. An apparatus for remotely reading E-mail using an external telephone, comprising:

a down-loader for down-loading new E-mail from an E-mail server to a personal computer, in which the personal computer periodically communicates with the E-mail server and determines whether new E-mail has arrived at the E-mail server, and the down-loader for down-loading from the E-mail server to the personal computer any new E-mail received by the E-mail server according to a down-load transmit command from an external telephone when it is determined in response to a phone command from the external telephone that there is no received E-mail stored in the personal computer;

a text to speech converter for determining whether down-loaded E-mail is a text file, for storing in the personal computer down-loaded E-mail that is a speech file, for converting down-loaded E-mail that is a text file into a speech file and for storing the converted down-loaded E-mail in the personal computer; and

a modem for transmitting from the personal computer selected down-loaded E-mail stored in the personal computer in response to the phone command from the external telephone, and the modem for transmitting from the personal computer any down-loaded E-mail received from the E-mail server in response to the down-load transmit command from the external telephone.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprised of the personal computer for automatically calling a corresponding E-mail receiver and for transmitting down-loaded E-mail stored in the personal computer to the corresponding E-mail receiver when down-loaded E-mail stored in the personal computer for the corresponding E-mail receiver is determined to be urgent E-mail.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprised of the external telephone comprising any one of a public phone, a cellular phone and a portable personal computer including a speech phone capability.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprised of the down-loader for communicating with the E-mail server after the personal computer has been in a power saver mode for a predetermined time and for down-loading new E-mail from the E-mail server to the personal computer when new E-mail has been received, and the down-loader for down-loading new E-mail from the E-mail server to the personal computer when new E-mail has been received when there is a phone call to the personal computer even when the personal computer has not periodically communicated with the E-mail server.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for storing in the personal computer a telephone number of a receiver for a message and the message for the receiver, when the telephone number of the receiver for the message and the message are transmitted by the external telephone to the personal computer; and

means for performing by the personal computer a calling function to transmit the stored message to the receiver for the stored message until the receiver for the stored message receives the stored message, when the telephone number of the receiver for the message and the message are stored in the personal computer.

18. An apparatus for remotely reading E-mail using an external telephone, comprising:

a down-loader for down-loading new E-mail from an E-mail server to a personal computer, in which the personal computer periodically communicates with the E-mail server and determines whether new E-mail has arrived at the E-mail server;

a text to speech converter for determining whether down-loaded E-mail is a text file, for storing in the personal computer down-loaded E-mail that is a speech file, for converting down-loaded E-mail that is a text file into a speech file and for storing the converted down-loaded E-mail in the personal computer;

a modem for transmitting from the personal computer selected down-loaded E-mail stored in the personal computer in response to a phone command from an external telephone;

means for storing in the personal computer a telephone number of a receiver for a message and the message for the receiver, when the telephone number of the receiver for the message and the message are transmitted by the external telephone to the personal computer; and

means for performing by the personal computer a calling function to transmit the stored message to the receiver for the stored message until the receiver for the stored message receives the stored message, when the telephone number of the receiver for the message and the message are stored in the personal computer.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprised of the personal computer for automatically calling a corresponding E-mail receiver and for transmitting down-loaded E-mail stored in the personal computer to the corresponding E-mail receiver when down-loaded E-mail stored in the personal computer for the corresponding E-mail receiver is determined to be urgent E-mail.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprised of the external telephone comprising any one of a public phone, a cellular phone and a portable personal computer including a speech phone capability.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprised of the down-loader for communicating with the E-mail server after the personal computer has been in a power saver mode for a predetermined time and for down-loading new E-mail from the E-mail server to the personal computer when new E-mail has been received, and the down-loader for down-loading new E-mail from the E-mail server to the personal computer when new E-mail has been received when there is a phone call to the personal computer even when the personal computer has not periodically communicated with the E-mail server.