Computer, internet and telecommunications based network

• US 6,807,257 B1
• Filed: 03/02/1999
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Parus Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Webley Systems, Inc. (Webley, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kurganov, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US09/260,279
• Time in Patent Office: 2,058 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/68, 379/74, 379/83, 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/88.22, 379/88.26, 379/88.27, 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/201.03, 379/205.01, 379/211.02, 379/212.02, 379/265.09, 379/902, 379/907, 379/908, 704/260, 704/270, 704/271, 704/275
• US Class Current: 379/88.22
• 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 speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• 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 unified messaging in packet switching networks H04L51/56
• 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 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 system for managing communications and contact information using speech commands indicating specific actions to be performed, said system comprising:

a database operatively connected with a computer said database containing stored digital-form commands for operating said system;

a speaker-independent speech recognition device for receiving from subscribers and nonsubscribers speech commands indicating specific actions to be performed, said speaker-independent speech recognition device configured to convert said speech commands to converted digital-form commands;

said speech commands comprising call routing commands selectable by said subscribers and nonsubscribers;

a computer operatively connected with said database and said speech recognition device and configured to match said converted digital-form commands with said stored digital-form commands and configured to carry out the specific actions indicated by said speech commands.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said speaker-independent speech recognition device analyzes phonemes to recognize said speech commands.

3. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said speaker-independent speech recognition device recognizes naturally spoken speech commands.

4. A computer-based communication system connected to a telephone network, said system comprising:

a database for storing a message received from said telephone network;

a web server connected to the Internet through said telephone network;

a speaker-independent speech recognition device for receiving speech commands from subscribers and nonsubscribers indicating specific actions to be performed, said speech commands comprising call routing commands selectable by said subscribers and nonsubscribers;

said speaker-independent speech recognition device configured to recognize said speech commands without being trained by said subscribers and nonsubscribers; and

said web server being configured to allow said subscribers access to said database via said Internet to retrieve said message and to allow said subscribers to forward, edit or respond to said message based upon said speech commands received by said speaker-independent speech recognition device.

5. The communication system of claim 4 wherein said message stored on said database comprises a voice mail message, an e-mail message, or a facsimile message.

6. The communications system of claim 4 wherein said speech commands are utilized to place telephone calls, to create and send voice mail, e-mail or facsimile messages, or to create or modify conference calls.

7. The communications system of claim 4 wherein said speaker-independent speech recognition device analyzes phonemes to recognize said speech commands.

8. The communication system of claim 4 wherein said speaker-independent speech recognition device recognizes naturally spoken speech commands.

9. A communication system comprising:

a computer;

a telephone connection for carrying communications to and from a subscriber and a nonsubscriber and said computer;

a database connected with said computer;

an Internet connection allowing said computer to access the Internet;

a speaker-independent speech recognition device connected with said computer for receiving speech commands from said subscriber and said nonsubscriber requesting information;

said speaker-independent speech recognition device configured to recognize said speech commands without being trained by said subscriber and said nonsubscriber, said speech commands comprising call routing commands selectable by said subscriber and nonsubscriber;

said computer configured to access said Internet connection to retrieve said information from the Internet based upon said speech commands received by said speaker-independent speech recognition device; and

a notification message transmitted from said computer to said subscriber or said nonsubscriber indicating that said information has been retrieved.

10. The communication system of claim 9 wherein said computer further comprises a search engine for retrieving said information.

11. The communication system of claim 9 wherein said information comprises news, weather, sports, financial, or travel information.

12. The communication system of claim 9 wherein said speech recognition device recognizes naturally spoken speech requests.

13. The communications system of claim 9 wherein said speech recognition device analyzes phonemes to recognize said speech requests.

14. The communication system of claim 9 wherein said notification message comprises a page.

15. The communication system of claim 9 wherein said notification message comprises a telephone call.

16. A system for handling subscriber communications comprising:

a first site for receiving telephone calls and messages for subscribers;

a second site for receiving said telephone calls and messages for said subscribers;

said second site being redundant to said first site thereby allowing said telephone calls and messages to be received by either of said sites;

a network facility interconnecting said first site and said second site;

a telecommunication facility configured to carry said telephone calls and messages to either said first site or said second site;

said first site comprising a first database and a first computer for routing said telephone calls and messages to said subscribers based upon call control instructions set by said subscribers said by said subscribers;

said second site comprising a second database which is a real-time replica of said first database and a second computer redundant to said first computer for routing said telephone calls and messages to said subscribers based upon said call control instructions; and

,

wherein additional redundant sites may be added to said network facility thereby increasing the number subscribers supported by the system.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said telecommunication facility comprises a fiber optic link.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein said telecommunication facility comprises a SONET ring.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein said first computer is further comprised of a speech recognition device.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said speech recognition device analyzes phonemes to recognize speech commands.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein said speech recognition device recognizes naturally spoken speech commands.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein said second computer is further comprised of a speech recognition device.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said speech recognition device analyzes phonemes to recognize speech commands.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein said speech recognition device recognizes naturally spoken speech commands.

25. A system for managing communications and contact information using speech commands indicating specific actions to be performed, said system comprising:

a database operatively connected with a computer said database containing stored digital-form commands for operating said system and containing stored contact information;

a speaker-independent speech recognition device for receiving from subscribers and nonsubscribers speech commands indicating specific actions to be performed, said speech commands comprising call routing commands selectable by said subscribers and nonsubscribers;

said speaker-independent speech recognition device configured to convert said speech commands to converted digital-form commands;

a computer operatively connected with said database and said speech recognition device and configured to match said converted digital-form commands with said stored digital-form commands and for carrying out the specific actions indicated by said speech commands,

said computer further configured to receive a first communication and to enable said subscriber to access said contact information and said first communication and to edit said contact information and said first communication using said speech commands, said computer further configured to enable said subscriber to create a second communication and to transmit said second communication to a destination selected from said contact information using said speech commands received by said speaker-independent speech recognition device.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein said first communication comprises telephone calls, facsimile messages, voice mail messages, or e-mail messages.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein said second communication comprises telephone calls, facsimile messages, voice mail messages, or e-mail messages.

28. The system of claim 25 wherein said speaker-independent speech recognition device analyzes phonemes to recognize said-speech commands.

29. The system of claim 25 wherein said speaker-independent speech recognition device recognizes naturally spoken speech commands.