System and method for email notification

• US 8,621,017 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2011
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2000
• 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: Kirkpatrick, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MINH CHAU
• Application Number:
  US13/208,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20110299669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 709203-206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages

Abstract

Email subscribers are notified of the receipt of new email messages when they are not at their computers via voice or page. An email notification server polls the email server corresponding to the subscriber'"'"'s email account for the presence of new email messages. New email messages are obtained. Header information is extracted. If new email notification is by voicemail, the extracted header information is converted from text to voice. A voicemail message containing the extracted header information is saved on the voicemail system corresponding to the subscriber for whom the email message was intended. The email notification server can also send a page to notify the subscriber of the presence of new email.

Claims

1. A method for notifying a subscriber of a presence of new email messages, comprising:

polling a plurality of email accounts associated with a subscriber, each of the plurality of email accounts polled at a respective frequency designated by the subscriber;

detecting a newly received email message of the subscriber at an email server associated with one of the plurality of email accounts;

extracting a portion of a header of the newly received email message responsive to a determination that the newly received email message is present at the email server;

converting the portion of the header extracted to a speech message; and

calling, by a notification server, a voicemail server to access a voicemail box of the subscriber and transferring the speech message to the voicemail box at the voicemail server, wherein the speech message indicates that the newly received email message is present at the email server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein information contained in the speech message extracted from the header includes a time the newly received email message was sent by a sender.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein information contained in the speech message extracted from the header includes an identity of a sender.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein information contained in the speech message extracted from the header includes a subject of the newly received email message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein information contained in the speech message extracted from the header includes a priority assigned to the newly received email message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein information contained in the speech message extracted from the header includes an indication that an attachment is included with the newly received email message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the speech message is generated to indicate a presence of the newly received email message on any of the plurality of email accounts of the subscriber.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a first speech message is generated to indicate a presence of a first newly received email message on a first email account of the subscriber and a second speech message is generated to indicate a presence of a second newly received email message on a second email account of the subscriber.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first newly received email message is maintained on the email server and the second newly received email message is maintained on a second email server that is different from the email server.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a text message to a digital phone of the subscriber indicating a presence of the newly received email message at the email server.

11. A notification system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory to store computer program instructions, the computer program instructions when executed on the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

polling a plurality of email accounts associated with a subscriber, each of the plurality of email accounts polled at a respective frequency designated by the subscriber;

detecting a newly received email message of the subscriber at an email server associated with one of the plurality of email accounts;

extracting a portion of a header of the newly received email message responsive to a determination that the newly received email message is present at the email server;

converting the extracted portion of the header to a speech message; and

calling a voicemail server to access a voicemail box of the subscriber and transfer the speech message to the voicemail box at the voicemail server, wherein the speech message indicates that the newly received email message is present at the email server.

12. The notification system of claim 11, wherein information contained in the speech message extracted from the header includes a time the newly received email message was sent by a sender.

13. The notification system of claim 11, wherein information contained in the speech message extracted from the header includes an identity of a sender.

14. The notification system of claim 11, wherein information contained in the speech message extracted from the header includes a subject of the newly received email message.

15. The notification system of claim 11, wherein information contained in the speech message extracted from the header includes a priority assigned to the newly received email message.

16. The notification system of claim 11, wherein information contained in the speech message extracted from the header includes an indication that an attachment is included with the newly received email message.

17. The notification system of claim 11, wherein a first speech message is generated to indicate a presence of a first newly received email message on a first email account of the subscriber and a second speech message is generated to indicate a presence of a second newly received email message on a second email account of the subscriber.

18. The notification system of claim 17, wherein the first newly received email message is maintained on the email server and the second newly received email message is maintained on a second email server that is different from the email server.

19. The notification system of claim 11, wherein the instructions executable by the processor further cause the processor to send a text message to a digital phone of the subscriber indicating a presence of the newly received email message at the email server.

20. A method for notifying a subscriber of a presence of new email messages, comprising:

polling a plurality of email accounts associated with a subscriber, each of the plurality of email accounts polled at a respective frequency designated by the subscriber;

detecting a newly received email message of the subscriber at an email server associated with one of the plurality of email accounts;

extracting a portion of a header of the newly received email message responsive to a determination that the newly received email message is present at the email server;

converting the extracted portion of the header to a speech message;

calling, by a notification server, a voicemail server to access a voicemail box of the subscriber and transferring the speech message to the voicemail box at the voicemail server, wherein the speech message indicates that the newly received email message is present at the email server; and

sending, by the notification server, a text message to the subscriber indicating presence of the newly received email message at the email server.