System allowing telephone customers to send and retrieve electronic mail messages using only conventional telephonic devices

A method of retrieving electronic mail (“e-mail”) messages, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) connecting a telephone customer to an e-mail device (EMD) via only a telephone call from a conventional touch-tone telephone unit;
• b) upon connection of said customer to said EMD, providing said customer with a menu of e-mail messages for which said customer is the intended recipient;
• c) via said EMD, converting text information in an e-mail message to audio information;
• and
• d) playing an audio version of an e-mail message to said customer.

A system for creating and sending electronic mail (“e-mail”) messages, said system comprising:

• a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN);
• an e-mail device (EMD);
• and
• at least one conventional touch-tone telephone unit adapted to connect a telephone customer to said EMD with a telephone call via said PSTN;
• wherein said EMD comprises:
• a menu generator adapted to generate for said customer, a menu of options for e-mail creation and transmission;
• an e-mail message constructor adapted to construct an e-mail message at least partially based upon input information input by said customer via said telephone unit;
• an e-mail recipient identifier adapted to, in response to said customer's input, identify a recipient of said e-mail message;
• an e-mail message memory adapted to store said e-mail message;
• and
• an e-mail message sender adapted to send said e-mail message to the identified recipient via a wide area network.

A system for retrieving electronic mail (“e-mail”) messages, said system comprising:

• a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN);
• an e-mail device (EMD);
• and
• at least one conventional touch-tone telephone unit adapted to connect a telephone customer to said EMD with a telephone call via said PSTN;
• wherein said EMD comprises:
• a menu generator adapted to generate for said customer, a menu of e-mail messages for which said customer is the intended recipient;
• a text-to-voice converter adapted to convert text information in an e-mail message to audio information;
• and
• an e-mail message player adapted to play an audio version of an e-mail message to said customer.