Messaging device

• US 8,442,493 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hayes S. Raffle
• Original Assignee: Hayes S. Raffle
• Inventors: Raffle, Hayes S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US12/130,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20090298556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,810 Days
• Field of Search: 4554121-4122, 455/413, 4554141-4144, 455/415, 455418-420, 455 411- 412, 4555561-5562, 455/557, 455/566, 455 901- 903, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.25, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 715/206, 715/207, 715/704, 715/763, 715/810, 434/317
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/651 with speech synthesis
• 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 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

An apparatus may include a housing that is configured to support a first picture and a second picture, a first sensor that is configured to receive a first input and that is associated with the first picture, a second sensor that is configured to receive a second input and that is associated with the second picture, a communication module that is configured to communicate with a remote device and to retrieve audio messages from the remote device, a speaker that is configured to play the audio messages, an electronics control module that is configured to control playing of the audio messages that are designated as being associated with the first picture in response to selection of the first sensor and control playing of the audio messages that are designated as being associated with the second picture in response to selection of the second sensor, and a power module.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing that is arranged and configured to support a first printed photograph of a first person and a second printed photograph of a second person;

a first sensor that is arranged and configured to receive a first input and that is associated with the first printed photograph;

a second sensor that is arranged and configured to receive a second input and that is associated with the second printed photograph;

a communication module that includes an interface and that is arranged and configured to retrieve audio messages from a remote device using the interface;

a speaker that is arranged and configured to play the audio messages;

an electronics control module that is operably coupled to the first sensor, the second sensor, the speaker, and the communication module, the electronics control module comprising;

a first mailbox that associates received audio messages that are designated for the first mailbox with the first sensor, and

a second mailbox that associates received audio messages that are designated for the second mailbox with the second sensor, wherein the electronics control module is arranged and configured to;

control playing of the audio messages associated with the first mailbox in response to selection of the first sensor, and

control playing of the audio messages associated with the second mailbox in response to selection of the second sensor; and

a power module that is operably coupled to the electronics control module and that is configured to provide power to the electronics control module.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a book that includes multiple pages, wherein a first page of the book is configured to hold the first printed photograph and a second page of the housing is configured to hold the second printed photograph.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a soft fabric photo album that is arranged and configured to support the first printed photograph and the second printed photograph.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the first sensor includes a first button that is arranged and configured to receive the first input and that is associated with the first printed photograph; and

the second sensor includes a second button that is arranged and configured to receive the second input and that is associated with the second printed photograph, wherein the second button differs from the first button.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the first sensor includes a touch sensor that is arranged and configured to receive the first input and that is activated when the first printed photograph is touched; and

the second sensor includes a touch sensor that is arranged and configured to receive the second input and that is activated when the second printed photograph is touched.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the remote device includes a telephone; and

the interface of the communication module includes a telephone interface that is arranged and configured to retrieve the audio messages from the telephone.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electronics control module includes an answering machine processor that is arranged and configured to include the first mailbox, the second mailbox and memory for storing the audio messages.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein:

the first mailbox is accessed by a first message sender associated with the first printed photograph using a first unique identifier such that the first message sender leaves an audio message by accessing the first mailbox using the first unique identifier; and

the second mailbox is accessed by a second message sender associated with the second printed photograph using a second unique identifier such that the second message sender leaves an audio message by accessing the second mailbox using the second unique identifier.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electronics control module is further arranged and configured to:

control playing the audio messages associated with the first mailbox by playing new audio messages first, if any, and then by randomly playing previously played audio messages in response to selection of the first sensor; and

control playing the audio messages associated with the second mailbox by playing new audio messages first, if any, and then by randomly playing previously played audio messages in response to selection of the second sensor.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a first light emitting diode that is associated with the first mailbox and that is arranged and configured to illuminate when the first mailbox receives a new audio message; and

a second light emitting diode that is associated with the second mailbox and that is arranged and configured to illuminate when the second mailbox receives a new audio message.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the power module includes a battery.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a board book having cardboard-type pages.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a soft fabric photo album.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing is selected from a group consisting of a single frame, a single board and a single page that is arranged and configured to support the first printed photograph and the second printed photograph.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing that is arranged and configured to support a first printed photograph and a second printed photograph;

a first sensor that is arranged and configured to receive a first input and that is associated with the first printed photograph;

a second sensor that is arranged and configured to receive a second input and that is associated with the second printed photograph;

a radio module that is arranged and configured to communicate with a remote device and to retrieve audio messages from the remote device;

a speaker that is arranged and configured to play the audio messages;

an electronics control module that is operably coupled to the first sensor, the second sensor, the speaker and the radio module and that is arranged and configured to;

control playing of the audio messages that are designated as being associated with the first photograph in response to selection of the first sensor, and

control playing of the audio messages that are designated as being associated with the second photograph in response to selection of the second sensor; and

a power module that is operably coupled to the electronics control module and that is configured to provide power to the electronics control module.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the housing includes a book that includes multiple pages, wherein a first page of the book is configured to hold the first printed photograph and a second page of the housing is configured to hold the second printed photograph.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the housing includes a soft fabric photo album that is arranged and configured to support the first printed photograph and the second printed photograph.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein:

the first sensor includes a first button that is arranged and configured to receive the first input and that is associated with the first printed photograph; and

the second sensor includes a second button that is arranged and configured to receive the second input and that is associated with the second printed photograph, wherein the second button differs from the first button.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein:

the first sensor includes a touch sensor that is arranged and configured to receive the first input and that is activated when the first printed photograph is touched; and

the second sensor includes a touch sensor that is arranged and configured to receive the second input and that is activated when the second printed photograph is touched.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the radio module includes a Bluetooth module that is arranged and configured to communicate with the remote device and to retrieve the audio messages from the remote device.

21. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein:

the remote device includes a network server; and

the radio module is arranged and configured to communicate with the network server and to retrieve the audio messages from the network server.

22. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein:

the remote device includes an answering machine processor; and

the radio module is arranged and configured to communicate with the answering machine processor and to retrieve the audio messages from the answering machine processor.

23. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

a first light emitting diode that is associated with the first printed photograph and that is arranged and configured to illuminate when the radio module retrieves a new audio message that is associated with the first printed photograph; and

a second light emitting diode that is associated with the second printed photograph and that is arranged and configured to illuminate when the radio module retrieves a new audio message associated with the second printed photograph.

24. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the housing is selected from a group consisting of a single frame, a single board, and a single page that is arranged and configured to support the first printed photograph and the second printed photograph.

25. A system, comprising:

a messaging device; and

a remote device, wherein the messaging device includes;

a housing that is arranged and configured to support a first printed photograph and a second printed photograph;

a first sensor that is arranged and configured to receive a first input and that is associated with the first printed photograph;

a second sensor that is arranged and configured to receive a second input and that is associated with the second printed photograph;

a radio module that is arranged and configured to communicate with the remote device and to retrieve audio messages from the remote device;

a speaker that is arranged and configured to play the audio messages;

an electronics control module that is operably coupled to the first sensor, the second sensor, the speaker and the radio module and that is arranged and configured to;

control playing of the audio messages that are designated as being associated with the first printed photograph in response to selection of the first sensor, and

control playing of the audio messages that are designated as being associated with the second printed photograph in response to selection of the second sensor; and

a power module that is operably coupled to the electronics control module and that is configured to provide power to the electronics control module.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the remote device includes:

a radio module that is arranged and configured to communicate with the messaging device; and

an answering machine processor that is arranged and configured to receive the audio messages and to separate the audio messages into one or more mailboxes that are each associated with a sender of the audio messages.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein the remote device includes:

a radio module that is arranged and configured to communicate with the messaging device; and

a network server that is arranged and configured to receive the audio messages and to separate the audio message into one or more mailboxes that are each associated with a sender of the audio messages.

28. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing that is arranged and configured to support a first printed photograph of a first person and a second printed photograph of a second person;

a first sensor that is arranged and configured to receive a first input and that is associated with the first photograph;

a second sensor that is arranged and configured to receive a second input and that is associated with the second photograph;

a communication module that includes an interface and that is arranged and configured to retrieve audio messages from a remote device using the interface;

a speaker that is arranged and configured to play the audio messages;

an electronics control module that is operably coupled to the first sensor, the second sensor, the speaker and the communication module, the electronics control module comprising;

a first mailbox that associates the audio messages designated for the first mailbox with the first sensor, and

a second mailbox that associates the audio messages designated for the second mailbox with the second sensor, wherein the electronics control module is arranged and configured to;

control playing of the audio messages associated with the first mailbox in response to selection of the first sensor, and

control playing of the audio messages associated with the second mailbox in response to selection of the second sensor; and

a power module that is operably coupled to the electronics control module and that is configured to provide power to the electronics control module.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the housing includes a first transparent sleeve configured for holding the first printed photograph and a second transparent sleeve configured for holding the second printed photograph.