Multi-media integrated message arrangement

Claim 2

The method of claim 1 CHARACTERISED IN THAT the step of identifying comprises the steps of obtaining (300) an e-mail message (400), and identifying (312) segments (403) of the obtained e-mail message that can be converted into voice message segments; the first step of converting comprises the step of converting (316) the identified segments into voice message segments (503); the second step of converting comprises the step of converting (319) other segments (404) of the e-mail message into fax message segments (504); and the step of interspersing comprises the steps of interspersing (320) voice pointers (505) to the fax message segments among the voice message segments, and delivering (324) the received message as an integrated voice-and-fax message (600) comprising the fax message segments and the voice message segments interspersed with the voice pointers.

Claim 3

The method of claim 2 CHARACTERISED IN THAT the step of converting other segments comprises the steps of: selecting (312) other segments of the e-mail message that are not to be discarded; converting (319) the selected segments into the fax message segments; and discarding (318) segments (402) of the obtained message other than the identified and the selected segments.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 CHARACTERISED IN THAT the step of identifying comprises the steps of receiving (300) an e-mail message, and parsing (312) the received message into header (401), whitespace (402), prose (403), and non-prose (404) segments; the first step of converting comprises the steps of converting (314) the header segment into a voice header segment (501), and converting (316) the prose segments into voice message segments (503); the second step of converting comprises the step of converting (319) the non-prose segments into fax message segments (504); and the step of interspersing comprises the steps of inserting (320) among the voice message segments, at places occupied in the received e-mail message by the non-prose segments, voice pointers (505) to the fax message segments, and delivering (324) the received message to a recipient as an integrated voice-and-fax message (600) comprising a voice message that includes the voice header segments, the voice message segments, and the inserted voice pointers, and further comprising a fax message that includes the fax segments.

Claim 5

The method of claim 4 CHARACTERISED BY the further step of: discarding (318) the whitespace segments (402) except those that are surrounded by the non-prose segments.

Claim 6

A media-conversion arrangement CHARACTERISED BY means (1002,1005:312) for identifying segments (403) of obtained information represented in a first medium in which the information is presentable to a person and which can be represented in a second medium in which the information is presentable to a person; processor means (1002,1005:316) for converting representation of the identified segments from the first medium into the second medium; processor means (1002,1005:319) for converting representation of other segments (404) of the obtained information from the first medium into a third medium in which the information is presentable to a person; and means (1002,1005:320) for interspersing pointers (505), represented in the second medium and pointing to the segments represented in the third medium, among the segments represented in the second medium.

Claim 7

The arrangement of claim 6 CHARACTERISED IN THAT the identifying means comprise means (1002,1005:300) for obtaining an e-mail message, and means (1002,1005:312) for identifying segments (403) of the obtained e-mail message that can be converted into voice message segments; the first processor means comprise means (1002,1005:316) for converting the identified segments into voice message segments (503); the second processor means comprise means (1002,1005:319) for converting other segments (401) of the e-mail message into fax message segments (504); and the interspersing means comprise means (1002,1005:320) for interspersing voice pointers (505) to the fax message segments among the voice message segments, and means (1002,1005:324) for delivering the received message as an integrated voice-and-fax message (600) comprising the fax message segments and the voice message segments interspersed with the voice pointers.

Claim 8

The arrangement of claim 7 CHARACTERISED IN THAT the means for converting other segments comprise: means (1002,1005:312) for selecting other segments of the e-mail message that are not to be discarded; means (1002,1005:319) for converting the selected segments into the fax message segments; and means (1002,1005:318) for discarding segments (402) of the obtained message other than the identified and the selected segments.

Claim 9

The arrangement of claim 6 CHARACTERISED IN THAT the identifying means comprise means (1002,1005:300) for receiving an e-mail message, and processing means (1002,1005:312) for parsing the received message into header (401), whitespace (402), prose (403), and non-prose (404) segments; the first processor means comprise processing means (1002,1005:314) for converting the header segment into a voice header segment (501), and processing means (1002,1005:316) for converting the prose segments into voice message segments (503); the second processor means comprise processing means (1002,1005:319) for converting the non-prose segments into fax message segments (504); and the interspersing means comprise means (1002,1005:320) for inserting among the voice message segments, at places occupied in the received e-mail message by the non-prose segments, voice pointers (505) to the fax message segments, and means (1002,1005:324) for delivering the received message to a recipient as an integrated voice-and-fax message (600) comprising a voice message that includes the voice header segments, the voice message segments, and the inserted voice pointers, and further comprising a fax message that includes the fax segments.

Claim 10

The arrangement of claim 9 CHARACTERISED FURTHER BY means (1002,1005:318) for discarding the whitespace segments (402) except those that are surrounded by the non-prose segments.