Systems and methods for forwarding text, voice, and data in a telecommunications network

• US 7,937,444 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2006
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ruckart, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dalencourt; Yves
• Application Number:
  US11/559,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20070124397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,632 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/206, 709/217, 709/218, 715/752
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression

Abstract

A method for sending a message from a telecommunications device to a receiving device. The method includes recording the message as an audio file, receiving an address of the receiving device, and sending the audio file as an attachment to an electronic mail message to the receiving device.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating transmission of data from a sender to a recipient, comprising:

receiving a call at an administration telephone number, the administration telephone number configured to facilitate recording of audio data;

receiving at a network service node associated with the administration telephone number the data for transmission;

providing by the network service node a sender prompt that includes a first option to transmit, to a receiving device which is configured to receive an electronic mail message, the received data as an attachment to the electronic mail message and a second option to transmit, to the receiving device which is configured to receive a facsimile message, the received data as the facsimile message;

responsive to receiving selection of the first option by the sender and the data being Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) signals representing text characters, converting the Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) signals to an audio file;

attaching the audio file as the attachment to the electronic mail message; and

delivering the electronic mail message to the receiving device which is configured to receive the electronic mail message;

responsive to receiving selection of the first option by the sender and the data being the audio data, saving the audio data as the audio file;

attaching the audio file as the attachment to the electronic mail message; and

delivering the electronic mail message to the receiving device which is configured to receive the electronic mail message;

responsive to receiving selection of the second option by the sender and the data being the audio data, converting the audio data into a format associated with a facsimile device and delivering the converted audio data to the receiving device which is configured to receive the facsimile message; and

responsive to receiving selection of the second option by the sender and the data being Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) signals representing text characters, converting the Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) signals to a text message and delivering the text message to the receiving device which is configured to receive the facsimile message; and

responsive to receiving selection of at least one of the first or second options by the sender, prompting the sender for a delivery address associated with the selected receiving device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to receiving selection of the second option to transmit the received data as the facsimile message and the data being the audio data, converting the received data into a textual format associated with the receiving device that is configured to receive the facsimile message.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the delivery address associated with the selected receiving device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving the address associated with the receiving device includes receiving at least one of the following:

Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) signals representing a text message address and a spoken word address.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the delivery address to a network switch to allow for correct routing of the email message or the facsimile message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data for transmission is inputted with a keypad of a touch-tone telephone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery address comprises a uniform resource locator (URL) address.

8. A system for facilitating transmission of data from a sender to a recipient, comprising:

a first receiving component configured to receive a call at an administration telephone number, the administration telephone number configured to facilitate recording of audio data;

a second receiving component configured to receive the audio data for transmission;

a providing component configured to provide a sender prompt that includes a first option to transmit, to a receiving device which is configured to receive an electronic mail message, the received data as an attachment to the electronic mail message and a second option to transmit, to the receiving device which is configured to receive a facsimile message, the received audio data as the facsimile message;

a conversion component configured to;

responsive to receiving selection of the first option by the sender and the data being Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) signals representing text characters, convert the Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) signals to an audio file;

attach the audio file as the attachment to the electronic mail message; and

deliver the electronic mail message to the receiving device which is configured to receive the electronic mail message;

responsive to receiving selection of the first option by the sender and the data being the audio data, save the audio data as the audio file;

attach the audio file as the attachment to the electronic mail message; and

deliver the electronic mail message to the receiving device which is configured to receive the electronic mail message;

responsive to receiving selection of the second option by the sender and the data being the audio data, convert the audio data into a format associated with a facsimile device and deliver the converted audio data to the receiving device which is configured to receive the facsimile message; and

responsive to receiving selection of the second option by the sender and the data being Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) signals representing text characters, convert the Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) signals to a text message and deliver the text message to the receiving device which is configured to receive the facsimile message; and

an address component configured to, responsive to receiving selection of at least one of the first or second options by the sender, prompt the sender for a delivery address associated with the selected receiving device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first receiving component is further configured to record at least a portion of the received data as the audio file.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising an address receiving component configured to receive the delivery address associated with the selected receiving device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein receiving the delivery address associated with the receiving device includes receiving at least one of the following:

Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) signals representing a text message address and a spoken word address.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the address component provides the delivery address to a network switch to allow for correct routing of the email message or the facsimile message.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the conversion component includes an audio-based interface interpreter having text-to-speech translation, automatic speech recognition, and voice recording capabilities.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the data for transmission is inputted with a keypad of a touch-tone telephone.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the delivery address comprises a uniform resource locator (URL) address.

16. An endpoint communications device for facilitating transmission of data from a sender to a recipient, comprising:

first receiving logic configured to receive a call at an administration telephone number, the administration telephone number configured to facilitate recording of audio data;

second receiving logic configured to receive the data for transmission;

providing logic configured to provide a sender prompt that includes a first option to transmit, to a receiving device which is configured to receive an electronic mail message, the received data as an attachment to the electronic mail message and a second option to transmit, to the receiving device which is configured to receive a facsimile message, the received data as the facsimile message;

conversion logic configured to;

responsive to receiving selection of the first option by the sender and the data being Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) signals representing text characters, convert the Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) signals to an audio file;

attach the audio file as the attachment to the electronic mail message; and

deliver the electronic mail message to the receiving device which is configured to receive the electronic mail message;

responsive to receiving selection of the first option by the sender and the data being the audio data, save the audio data as the audio file;

attach the audio file as the attachment to the electronic mail message; and

deliver the electronic mail message to the receiving device which is configured to receive the electronic mail message;

responsive to receiving selection of the second option by the sender and the data being the audio data, convert the audio data into a format associated with a facsimile device and deliver the converted audio data to the receiving device which is configured to receive the facsimile message; and

responsive to receiving selection of the second option by the sender and the data being Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) signals representing text characters, convert the Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) signals to a text message and deliver the text message to the receiving device which is configured to receive the facsimile message; and

address logic configured to, responsive to receiving selection of at least one of the first or second options by the sender, prompt the sender for a delivery address associated with the selected receiving device.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the first receiving logic is further configured to record at least a portion of the received data as the audio file.

18. The device of claim 16, further comprising address receiving logic configured to receive act the delivery address associated with the selected receiving device.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the address logic is configured to provide the delivery address to a network switch to allow for correct routing of the email message or the facsimile message.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the data for transmission is inputted with a keypad of a touch-tone telephone.