US5712901A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatic voice/text translation of phone mail messages
Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc
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Filing: 1996-06-26
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Granted: 1998-01-27
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Expires: 2016-06-26
Abstract
Abstract A system for providing phone mail service for customers using either conventional voice telephones or text telephone units. The system of the present invention includes a phone mail unit for receiving a message from a caller, a switch connected to the phone mall unit for receiving the message and routing it to a translation unit for translation. The system also includes a gateway for receiving a data packet, containing call information related to the message. The data packet is routed to a console in the translation unit. A control interface is disposed between the gateway and the console. The control interface transfers the data packet from the gateway to the console. A communications assistant of the translation unit receives the message and data packet and translates the message from voice-to-text or text-to-voice. The translated message is then sent back to the customer's mailbox for storage and subsequent retrieval. The translated message may also be sent to the customer's electronic mailbox, pager and/or Internet address for retrieval.
Inventors
- 👤 David R. Meermans
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 18:41
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/42391; H04M3/50; H04M3/53; H04M3/5307; H04M3/5322; H04M2201/00; H04M2201/60; H04M2242/00; H04M2242/22; H04M3/42025; H04M3/42085; H04M3/42102; H04M3/42314; H04M3/42323; H04M3/51; H04M7/00; H04M7/12; H04Q; H04Q3/00; H04Q3/72
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
108 words
A system for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising: a phone mail unit for receiving a message from a caller, wherein said phone mail unit generates a data packet relating to said message; and a switch connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said message from said phone mail unit and for routing said message to a translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice, and wherein said message is routed to a pager associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
108 words
A system for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising: a phone mail unit for receiving a message from a caller, wherein said phone mail unit generates a data packet relating to said message; and a switch connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said message from said phone mail unit and for routing said message to a translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice, and wherein said message is routed to a pager associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of claim 1, further comprising a control interface disposed between said phone mail unit and said translation unit, for transferring said data packet from said phone mail unit to said translation unit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system of claim 2, wherein said control interface comprises a Local Area Network.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
148 words
A system for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising: a phone mail unit for receiving a message from a caller; a switch connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said message from said phone mail unit and for routing said message to a translation unit; a gateway connected to said phone mail unit for receiving a data packet containing call information relating to said message; and a control interface disposed between said gateway and said translation unit, for transferring said data packet from said gateway to said translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice, and wherein said message is routed back to said phone mail unit for storage in a phone mail box associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
148 words
A system for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising: a phone mail unit for receiving a message from a caller; a switch connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said message from said phone mail unit and for routing said message to a translation unit; a gateway connected to said phone mail unit for receiving a data packet containing call information relating to said message; and a control interface disposed between said gateway and said translation unit, for transferring said data packet from said gateway to said translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice, and wherein said message is routed back to said phone mail unit for storage in a phone mail box associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system of claim 4, whereto said control interface comprises a Local Area Network.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
111 words
A method for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising the steps of: receiving, in a phone mail unit, a phone mail message from a caller; routing said phone mail message from said phone mail unit to a translation unit; generating a data packet, containing call information relating to said phone mail message, in said phone mail unit; routing said data packet to said translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice; and routing said message to a pager associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
111 words
A method for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising the steps of: receiving, in a phone mail unit, a phone mail message from a caller; routing said phone mail message from said phone mail unit to a translation unit; generating a data packet, containing call information relating to said phone mail message, in said phone mail unit; routing said data packet to said translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice; and routing said message to a pager associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 6, wherein said data packet is routed to said translation unit via a control interface.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 7, wherein said control interface comprises a Local Area Network.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
138 words
A system for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising: a phone mail unit for receiving a message from a caller; a switch connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said message from said phone mail unit and for routing said message to a translation unit; a gateway connected to said phone mail unit for receiving a data packet containing call information relating to said message; and a control interface disposed between said gateway and said translation unit, for transferring said data packet from said gateway to said translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice, and wherein said message is routed to a pager associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
138 words
A system for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising: a phone mail unit for receiving a message from a caller; a switch connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said message from said phone mail unit and for routing said message to a translation unit; a gateway connected to said phone mail unit for receiving a data packet containing call information relating to said message; and a control interface disposed between said gateway and said translation unit, for transferring said data packet from said gateway to said translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice, and wherein said message is routed to a pager associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
139 words
A system for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising: a phone mail unit for receiving a message from a caller; a switch connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said message from said phone mail unit and for routing said message to a translation unit; a gateway connected to said phone mail unit for receiving a data packet containing call information relating to said message; and a control interface disposed between said gateway and said translation unit, for transferring said data packet from said gateway to said translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice, and wherein said message is routed to an electronic mailbox associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
139 words
A system for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising: a phone mail unit for receiving a message from a caller; a switch connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said message from said phone mail unit and for routing said message to a translation unit; a gateway connected to said phone mail unit for receiving a data packet containing call information relating to said message; and a control interface disposed between said gateway and said translation unit, for transferring said data packet from said gateway to said translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice, and wherein said message is routed to an electronic mailbox associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 10, wherein said message is routed to said electronic mailbox via the Internet.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
138 words
A system for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising: a phone mail unit for receiving a message from a caller, wherein said phone mail unit generates a data packet relating to said message; a switch connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said message from said phone mail unit and for routing said message to a translation unit; and a gateway connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said data packet containing call information relating to said message and for routing said data packet to said translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice, and wherein said message is routed to a pager associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
138 words
A system for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising: a phone mail unit for receiving a message from a caller, wherein said phone mail unit generates a data packet relating to said message; a switch connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said message from said phone mail unit and for routing said message to a translation unit; and a gateway connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said data packet containing call information relating to said message and for routing said data packet to said translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice, and wherein said message is routed to a pager associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
148 words
A system for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising: a phone mail unit for receiving a message from a caller, wherein said phone mail unit generates a data packet relating to said message; a switch connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said message from said phone mail unit and for routing said message to a translation unit; and a gateway connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said data packet containing call information relating to said message and for routing said data packet to said translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice, and wherein said message is routed back to said phone mail unit for storage in a phone mail box associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
148 words
A system for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising: a phone mail unit for receiving a message from a caller, wherein said phone mail unit generates a data packet relating to said message; a switch connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said message from said phone mail unit and for routing said message to a translation unit; and a gateway connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said data packet containing call information relating to said message and for routing said data packet to said translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice, and wherein said message is routed back to said phone mail unit for storage in a phone mail box associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
139 words
A system for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising: a phone mail unit for receiving a message from a caller, wherein said phone mail unit generates a data packet relating to said message; a switch connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said message from said phone mail unit and for routing said message to a translation unit; and a gateway connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said data packet containing call information relating to said message and for muting said data packet to said translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice, and wherein said message is routed to an electronic mailbox associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
139 words
A system for providing phone mail service for a customer, comprising: a phone mail unit for receiving a message from a caller, wherein said phone mail unit generates a data packet relating to said message; a switch connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said message from said phone mail unit and for routing said message to a translation unit; and a gateway connected to said phone mail unit for receiving said data packet containing call information relating to said message and for muting said data packet to said translation unit, wherein said translation unit receives said message and said data packet and translates said message from voice to text or text to voice, and wherein said message is routed to an electronic mailbox associated with the customer, after said message has been translated by said translation unit.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 14, wherein said message is routed to said electronic mailbox via the Internet.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-01-26 | 2001-07-28 | 2002-01-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-01-26 | 2005-07-28 | 2006-01-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-01-26 | 2009-07-28 | 2010-01-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |