System for integrated electronic communications
US6633630B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 12, 1998 |
| Grant date | Oct 14, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 12, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N2201/0068
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system is disclosed for integrating electronic mail, voice mail, and fax mail in a universal mailbox. Message receivers may access their messages with a telephone or a computer regardless of the communication medium used by the message sender. Using a telephone, message receivers may playback voice mail, redirect fax mail, and “listen” to e-mail through a text-to-speech conversion process. Using a computer and modem, message receivers may playback voice mail, view fax mail, and read e-mail by accessing the universal mailbox via connection software. Message senders and receivers may choose from a variety of filter and forward options that allow them to manage their communications via the universal mailbox. Forwarding and conversion of messages is performed automatically. The options are used to define a set of rules to be applied to inbound and outbound messages so that messages are sent and received in accordance with the preferences of the senders and receivers.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.