System for integrated electronic communications

US8611512B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Cranberry Properties, LLC · US

Inventors

• Stephen J. H. Owens · Dublin, US
• Michael S. Finney · Hilliard, US
• Michael L. Snider · Columbus, US
• Randall S. Wright · Worthington, US
• James W. Paynter · Hilliard, US
• Robin R. Bard · Dublin, US
• James A. Kitchen · Lawrenceville, US
• David Gregory Smith · Atlanta, US
• Leonard A. DeNittis · Atlanta, US
• Kyle S. Brown · Santa Rosa, US
• Thomas Francis Johnson, III · Atlanta, US
• Steve Feinstein · Atlanta, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 16, 2007
• Grant date: Dec 17, 2013
• Expiry date: Jul 21, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04N2201/0068
• WIPO field: Audio-visual technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical 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.