Patent EP0215309A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0215309A2
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EP
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Message taking an retrieval system
Assignee: Wang Laboratories Inc
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Filing: 1986-08-18
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-08-18
Abstract
Abstract A system for taking and retrieving telephone messages. The system is used with a PBX (10) and includes a central computer (20), operator stations (28) for taking telephone messages, and retrieval stations (36) permitting retrieval of messages either locally or via a telephone call. The central computer includes a disk drive (38) and is connected via a RS 232 link (22) to the PBX. Information about parties having telephones connected to the PBX and messages in ASCII codes for those parties are stored on the disk drive. Each operator station includes a personal computer (24) which is connected by an adapter (30) to a telephone line (14) from the PBX and by a data link (26) to the central computer. The personal computer has a keyboard and display. When a call is forwarded to an operator station, the central computer provides information about the caller to the PC, which displays it on the station display. Messages for the caller are entered using the PC keyboard and forwarded by the PC to the central computer. Each retrieval station contains a PC (24) with keyboard and display which is connected by an adapter (30) to a telephone line (14) from the PBX and by a data link (26) to the central computer. When a message is stored in the central computer for a callee, that fact is indicated on the display. A message may be retrieved either by means of the keyboard or by means of a telephone call to the retrieval station. In both cases, the retrieval station retrieves the message from the disk and in the latter case, the retrieval station provides the message over the phone line by converting the stored message to voice signals.
Inventors
- 👤 Anne E.M. Moynihan
- 👤 Robert M. Schenkein
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 20:37
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/16; H; H04; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/50; H04M3/51; H04M3/5166; H04M3/53; H04M3/533; H04M2201/00; H04M2201/60; H04M3/537
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
196 words
Apparatus, responsive to signals applied to phone lines (14) by a user for allowing the user to selectively retrieve message data stored in a computer system (20,38), characterized by: storage means (38), associated with said computer system (20,38), for storing a plurality of text-encoded messages; decoding means (50,72), responsive to signals sent over the phone lines (14) by a user, for decoding the signals and providing decoded data representative thereof; speech means (50,60), responsive to text-encoded data applied thereto, for applying signals to the phone lines (14) representative of the spoken equivalent of text information represented by the text-encoded data; retrieval means (24,20) connected to said phone lines (14) for selectively retrieving individual ones from among said plurality of stored text-encoded messages in response to signals sent by a user over said phone lines, including: means (24,20), responsive to decoded data from said decoding means representative of first signals on said phone lines (14) identifying one of said plurality of stored text-encoded messages, for retrieving the identified text-encoded message from the storage means (38); and means (24,61) for applying the retrieved text-encoded message to the speech means, whereby the user may listen to the selected message.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
196 words
Apparatus, responsive to signals applied to phone lines (14) by a user for allowing the user to selectively retrieve message data stored in a computer system (20,38), characterized by: storage means (38), associated with said computer system (20,38), for storing a plurality of text-encoded messages; decoding means (50,72), responsive to signals sent over the phone lines (14) by a user, for decoding the signals and providing decoded data representative thereof; speech means (50,60), responsive to text-encoded data applied thereto, for applying signals to the phone lines (14) representative of the spoken equivalent of text information represented by the text-encoded data; retrieval means (24,20) connected to said phone lines (14) for selectively retrieving individual ones from among said plurality of stored text-encoded messages in response to signals sent by a user over said phone lines, including: means (24,20), responsive to decoded data from said decoding means representative of first signals on said phone lines (14) identifying one of said plurality of stored text-encoded messages, for retrieving the identified text-encoded message from the storage means (38); and means (24,61) for applying the retrieved text-encoded message to the speech means, whereby the user may listen to the selected message.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for decoding (50,52) includes means (52) for decoding DTMF signals on said phone lines and for producing digital data representative thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
84 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the storage means (38) includes means (20) for storing data associated with each text-encoded message, including text-encoded caller data representative of the source of the associated text-encoded message; and wherein the retrieval means (20,24) includes means (20,56) repsponsive to second signals on said phone lines (14) for applying text-encoded data representative of the sound of each letter of said text-encoded data representative of the sound of each letter of said text-encoded caller data to the speech means (56,60).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for retrieval (20,24) further includes means (20,24) responsive to third signals on said phone lines (18) for deleting selected ones of said text-encoded messages stored by said storage means (38).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
109 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the storage means (38) is further operative for storing user data about a plurality of users; and where the apparatus is further characterized by: means (24), responsive to user data stored in said storage means (38) and to decoded data from the decoding means (50,52) resulting from second signals on said phone lines (14) representative of a user code identifying one of said users, for providing a confirmation signal indicating that said user code corresponds to one from among said plurality of users; and wherein said retrieval means (20,24) includes means (20,24,38) for preventing retrieval of messages until said confirmation signal is provided.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
96 words
The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said storage means (38) includes means (20,38) for associating each of the text-encoded messages stored thereby with a selected one from among said plurality of users; and wherein the apparatus further includes means (50,52,24), responsive to said second signals, for determining which from among said plurality of stored text-encoded messages are associated with the user identified by said user code; and wherein the retrieval means (20,24) includes means (24) for allowing only messages associated with the identified user to be retrieved in response to signals on the phone lines (14).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
86 words
The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said storage means (38) includes means (20,38) for associating each of the text-encoded messages stored thereby with a selected one from among said plurality of users; and wherein the apparatus further includes: means (24,50,52), responsive to said second signals, for determining the number of stored text-encoded messages associated with the user identified by said user code and for generating text-encoded message-number data representative of said number; and means (50,60) for applying said generated text-encoded message-number data to said speech means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
124 words
The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the apparatus is further adapted to store and retrieve messages resulting from calls which are directed to a called-party who is one of said plurality of users and which are forwarded by a telephone exchange switch (10) to an operator station (28), further including: means (20,24,35,38) connected to said exchange switch (10) and responsive to data therefrom (22) representative of the called party and to data stored by said storage means (38) for automatically displaying at the operator station (28) data pertaining to said called-party user; and means (20,24,27,38) for allowing an operator to input as text-encoded data a message and for storing said message in said storage means (38) and associating said message with the called party-user.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus of claim 1: wherein text-encoded messages stored by said storage means includes text-encoded prompt data representative of a prompt requesting entry by a user of selected information; and further including means (24,54,61) for applying said data representative of said prompt data to the speech means.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
248 words
A system for taking and retrieving telephone messages and adapted to be used by an operator receiving calls forwarded to an operator station (28) by a telephone exchange (10), characterized by: storage means (38) for providing storage for information concerning a plurality of users; means (14,30,24) for receiving calls directed to a user and forwarded to the operator station (28) by the telephone exchange (10), including means (20,22,24,26,38) responsive to called-party information (22) from the exchange for retrieving and displaying to the operator information in said storage means (38) concerning the called user; means (24,20), responsive to the operator for storing messages as text-encoded data stored in said storage means (38); and means, connected to said storage means for retrieving selected information, including; means (24,50,54,55) connected to a telephone line (14) for answering the telephone line (14); means (20,24,50,52) responsive to user identification data stored in said storage means (38) and to DTMF signals on the telephone line (14) for verifying that the DTMF signals represents a valid user and for providing a verification signal representative that a valid user has been identified; means (20,24), operative in response to the verification signal, for determining whether any messages are stored in the storage means (38) for the identified used; and means (30,24,50,52,56), responsive to DTMF signals on the telephone line (14), for selectively playing back messages for the identified user, including means (24,60) for converting text-encoded data into electrical signals representative of the sound of the text when spoken.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
248 words
A system for taking and retrieving telephone messages and adapted to be used by an operator receiving calls forwarded to an operator station (28) by a telephone exchange (10), characterized by: storage means (38) for providing storage for information concerning a plurality of users; means (14,30,24) for receiving calls directed to a user and forwarded to the operator station (28) by the telephone exchange (10), including means (20,22,24,26,38) responsive to called-party information (22) from the exchange for retrieving and displaying to the operator information in said storage means (38) concerning the called user; means (24,20), responsive to the operator for storing messages as text-encoded data stored in said storage means (38); and means, connected to said storage means for retrieving selected information, including; means (24,50,54,55) connected to a telephone line (14) for answering the telephone line (14); means (20,24,50,52) responsive to user identification data stored in said storage means (38) and to DTMF signals on the telephone line (14) for verifying that the DTMF signals represents a valid user and for providing a verification signal representative that a valid user has been identified; means (20,24), operative in response to the verification signal, for determining whether any messages are stored in the storage means (38) for the identified used; and means (30,24,50,52,56), responsive to DTMF signals on the telephone line (14), for selectively playing back messages for the identified user, including means (24,60) for converting text-encoded data into electrical signals representative of the sound of the text when spoken.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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