Forwarding voice messages to a called party using electronic mail

• US 6,687,340 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2001
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Markowitz, Robert Edward, Rosen, Kenneth H., Goldberg, Randy G.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARNIE, REXFORD N
• Application Number:
  US09/846,385
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.04, 379/88.07, 379/88.08, 379/88.1, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 379/88.18, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/88.25, 379/67.1, 379/100.08, 379/142.08, 379/142.14, 379/215.01
• US Class Current: 379/88.14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0054 where the data service is an electronic mail service

Abstract

A system and apparatus provides a voice message of a calling party to a called party. The method includes the steps of initiating a telephone call to the called party over a first network and receiving the telephone call at a network node within the first network. The method further includes the steps of determining whether the called party is on-line a second network and receiving the voice message from the calling party. The method further includes the steps of converting the voice message to a digital file and sending an electronic mail message that includes the digital file to the called party.

Claims

1. A method of providing a voice message to a called party at a computer when a calling party initiates a telephone call, said method comprising:

(a) determining whether the called party is on-line with respect to a first network;

(b) receiving the voice message from the calling party;

(c) converting the voice message to a digital file;

(d) sending an electronic mail message that includes the digital file to the called party over the first network if the called party is determined to be on-line;

(e) receiving an indication when the called party has opened the electronic mail message; and

(f) providing the indication to the calling party.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital file comprises a digital audio file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital file comprises a digital text file.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises the step of sending a Unix finger command to the computer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network is an Internet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephone call is initiated over a public switched telephone network to a telephone number associated with the called party.

7. A method of providing a voice message of a calling party to a called party comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a telephone call at a network node within a first network, wherein the telephone call is initiated by the calling party to the called party over the first network;

(b) determining whether the called party is on-line with respect to a second network;

(c) receiving the voice message from the calling party;

(d) converting the voice message to a digital file;

(e) sending an electronic mail message that includes the digital file to the called party if it is determined that the called party is on-line;

(f) receiving an indication when the called party has opened the electronic mail message; and

(g) providing the indication to the calling party.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the called party is at a computer and wherein step (b) comprises the step of sending a Unix finger command to the computer.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first network is a public switched telephone network and the second network is an Internet.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the digital file comprises a digital audio file.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the digital file comprises a digital text file.

12. A voice message network system comprising:

a network;

a network node coupled to said network; and

a computer coupled to said network node;

wherein said network transfers to said network node a telephone call from a calling party to a phone number associated with a called party if the called party does not answer the telephone call; and

wherein said network node is programmed to perform the steps of;

(a) determining whether the called party is on-line with respect to said computer;

(b) receiving a voice message from the calling party;

(c) converting the voice message to a digital file;

(d) sending an electronic mail message that includes the digital file to said computer if it is determined that the called party is on-line;

(e) receiving an indication when the called party has opened the electronic mail message; and

(f) providing the indication to the calling party.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said network node comprises a processor and a memory device.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said network node is programmed to determine whether the called party is on-line by sending a Unix finger command to said computer.