Electronic audio communication system

An electronic communication message system for being coupled to any private branch exchange or central office for receiving, storing and forwarding audio messages from user's telephone facilities, comprising:

• electronic digital signal processing means for controlling the operation of the message system;
• digital memory means controlled by said electronic digital signal processing means for storing digital representations of the audio messages;
• means for enabling an originator to access the message system through signals transmitted from a telephone station;
• means for controlling unauthorized user access to the message system;
• means for storing in said memory means digital representations of audio messages from the telephone station of the originator;
• means for storing selected recipient telephone station addresses for digital representations of audio messages stored in said memory means;
• means for accessing said stored digital representations associated with particular telephone station addresses;
• means for reproducing the audio messages from the stored digital representations;
• means for sequentially transmitting the reproduced audio messages to said selected recipient telephone stations;
• and
• said means for storing selected telephone station addresses including means for designating with an abbreviated address a plurality of telephone station addresses for receipt of one of said reproduced audio messages, wherein each of said telephone stations receives the same audio message.

An electronic communication message system for being coupled to any private branch exchange or central office for receiving, storing and forwarding audio messages from users' telephone facilities, comprising:

• electronic digital signal processing means for controlling the operation of the message system;
• digital memory means controlled by said electronic digital signal processing means for storing digital representations of the audio messages;
• means for enabling an originator to access the message system through signals transmitted from a telephone station;
• means for controlling unauthorized user access to the message system;
• means for storing in said memory means digital representations of audio messages from the telephone station of the originator;
• means for storing selected recipient telephone station addresses for digital representations of audio messages stored in said memory means;
• means for accessing said stored digital representations associated with particular telephone station addresses;
• means for reproducing the audio messages from the stored digital representations;
• means for sequentially transmitting the reproduced audio messages to said selected recipient telephone stations;
• means for a recipient to reply to the originator of an audio message after receiving the audio message on the same telephone call through signals transmitted from the recipient's telephone station;
• means for storing digital representations of a reply message in said memory means;
• and
• means for reproducing and transmitting the reply message to the originator's telephone station.

An electronic communication message system for receiving, storing and forwarding audio messages from users' telephone facilities, comprising:

• electronic digital signal processing means for controlling the operation of the message system;
• digital memory means controlled by said electronic digital signal processing means for storing digital representations of the audio messages;
• means for enabling an originator to access the message system through signals transmitted from a telephone station;
• means for controlling unauthorized user access to the message system;
• means for storing in said memory means digital representations of audio messages from the telephone station of the originator;
• means for storing selected recipient telephone station addresses for digital representations of audio messages stored in said memory means;
• means for accessing said stored digital representations associated with particular telephone station addresses;
• means for reproducing the audio messages from the stored digital representations;
• means for sequentially transmitting the reproduced audio messages to said selected recipient telephone stations;
• and
• means for automatically notifying the originator if the reproduced audio message is not delivered to the intended recipient within a predetermined period of time.

An electronic communication message system for receiving, storing and forwarding audio messages from users' telephone facilities, comprising:

• electronic digital signal processing means for controlling the operation of the message system;
• digital memory means controlled by said electronic digital signal processing means for storing digital representations of the audio messages;
• means for enabling an originator to access the message system through signals transmitted from a telephone station;
• means for controlling unauthorized user access to the message system;
• means for storing in said memory means digital representations of audio messages from the telephone station of the originator;
• means for storing selected recipient telephone station addresses for digital representations of audio messages stored in said memory means;
• means for accessing said stored digital representations associated with particular telephone station addresses;
• means for reproducing the audio messages from the stored digital representations;
• means for sequentially transmitting the reproduced audio messages to said selected recipient telephone stations;
• and
• means for providing audible progress tones to a user in response to the electronic digital signal processing means operating upon signals from a telephone station.

An electronic communication message system for being coupled to any private branch exchange or central office for receiving, storing and forwarding audio messages from users' telephone facilities, comprising:

• electronic digital signal processing means for controlling the operation of the message system;
• digital memory means controlled by said electronic digital signal processing means for storing digital representations of the audio messages;
• means for enabling an originator to access the message system through signals transmitted from a telephone station;
• means for controlling unauthorized user access to the message system;
• means for storing in said memory means digital representations of audio messages from the telephone station of the originator;
• means for storing selected recipient telephone station addresses for digital representations of audio messages stored in said memory means;
• means for accessing said stored digital representations associated with particular telephone station addresses;
• means for reproducing the audio messages from the stored digital representations;
• means for sequentially transmitting the reproduced audio messages to said selected recipient telephone stations;
• and
• means for a recipient to control said transmitting means through signals transmitted from a recipient telephone station to said electronic digital signal processing means.

An electronic communication message system for being coupled to any private branch exchange or central office for receiving, storing and forwarding audio messages from users' telephone facilities, comprising:

• electronic digital signal processing means for controlling the operation of the message system;
• digital memory means controlled by said electronic digital signal processing means for storing digital representations of the audio messages;
• means for enabling an originator to access the message system through signals transmitted from a telephone station;
• means for controlling unauthorized user access to the message system;
• means for storing in said memory means digital representations of audio messages from the telephone station of the originator;
• means for storing selected recipient telephone station addresses for digital representations of audio messages stored in said memory means;
• means for accessing said stored digital representations associated with particular telephone station addresses;
• means for reproducing the audio messages from the stored digital representations;
• means for sequentially transmitting the reproduced audio messages to said selected recipient telephone stations;
• and
• means to transfer digital representations of an audio message transmitted to a recipient to said memory means, including means for assigning a file identification number for storing with said digital representations of said message in said memory means for later replay.

An electronic communication message system for storing and forwarding audio messages from a user's telephone facility, comprising:

• electronic digital signal processing means for controlling the operation of the message system;
• digital memory means controlled by said electronic digital signal processing means for storing digital representations of the audio messages;
• means for enabling an originator to access the message system through signals transmitted from a telephone station;
• means for controlling unauthorized user access to the message system;
• means for storing in said memory means digital representations of an audio message from the telephone station of the originator;
• means for storing selected recipient telephone station addresses for digital representations of audio messages stored in said memory means;
• means for reproducing the audio messages from the stored digital representations;
• means for transmitting the reproduced audio messages to said selected recipient telephone stations;
• means for a recipient to access the message system through signals transmitted from a telephone station;
• means for determining the total number of audio messages corresponding to the digital representations addressed to the recipient;
• means for transmitting an audio message from the message system to inform the recipient of the number of audio messages for delivery;
• and
• means for the recipient to activate the transmission of an audio message corresponding to the digital representations addressed to the recipient.

An electronic communication message system for connection to a private branch exchange telephone facility for use in facilitating communications between users of the private branch exchange, comprising:

• an electronic digital signal processing means for controlling the operation of a message system;
• means for enabling an audio message originator to access the message system through a signal transmitted to said electronic digital signal processing means from a telephone unit of the private branch exchange;
• digital memory means for storing digital representations of an audio message originating from a telephone unit of the private branch exchange;
• means for selecting at least one addressee to receive the audio message;
• means for accessing said message addressee's telephone unit connected to the private branch exchange in response to the selected message addressee;
• means for reproducing the audio message from the stored digital representations;
• means for transmitting the reproduced audio message to the addressed telephone unit;
• means for accumulating the total number of stored digital representations of audio messages for an addressee;
• means for reproducing an audible signal corresponding to said accumulated total of stored digital representations of audio messages;
• and
• means for transmitting said audible signal in response to a signal from a message addressee to enable a user to determine the number of audio messages for the user.

A method for storing audio messages transmitted from a user's telephone station and for subsequently forwarding the stored audio messages to a selected message addressee, comprising:

• providing an access signal in order to allow a message originator to transmit an audio message through the telephone station;
• recording and storing the originator's audio message along with addressee identification information;
• providing access to a selected message addressee in response to the stored message addressee information;
• reproducing and transmitting the stored audio message in response to accessing the selected message addressee;
• accumulating the total number of stored audio messages intended for an addressee;
• and
• reproducing and transmitting the number of stored audio messages for an addressee in response to a signal from the message addressee.

An electronic communication network enabling communication between remote locations of a user's network telephone facility for storing and forwarding audio messages, comprising:

• first and second remotely disposed electronic communication systems coupled to remote portions of the telephone facilities of a user's network telephone facility, each of said first and second electronic communication systems further comprising:
• means responsive to signals transmitted from the user's telephone facility for enabling access to each of said systems;
• means for storing digital representations of audio messages transmitted from the user's telephone facility;
• means for storing digital representations of route data transmitted from the user's telephone facility and indicating the intended addresses of the audio messages;
• means for accessing stored digital representations of audio messages for a selected message addressee in response to said route data;
• means for reproducing the audio messages from the stored digital representations;
• means for transmitting the reproduced audio messages to the telephone station of the message addressee;
• first and second signal transmitting and receiving means connected to said first and second electronic communication systems for enabling access between said electronic communication systems;
• and
• a data transmission link between said first and second transmitting and receiving means for enabling the exchange of information between said first and second electronic communication systems.

An electronic communication message system for storing and forwarding audio messages via telephones comprising:

• a plurality of ports for being coupled to any private branch exchange or central office to receive audio messages and address signals which represent plural desired recipients from various telephone stations;
• means associated with said ports for converting said audio messages and address signals into digital signals;
• digital storage means for storing said digital signals representing audio messages and said address signals from each of said ports;
• means for accessing all digital signals representing audio messages stored in said storage means and associated with each address signal;
• electronic digital signal processing means for controlling the operation of said storage means and said accessing means;
• means for converting said access digital signals into audio messages;
• and
• means for sequentially transmitting all audio messages associated with an address signal through said ports to each of said plural desired recipients.

An electronic communications message system for storing and forwarding audio messages via telephones comprising:

• a plurality of ports for being coupled to any private branch exchange or central office to receive audio messages and address signals of desired recipients from various telephone stations;
• means associated with said ports for coverting said audio messages and address signals into digital signals;
• digital storage means for storing said digital signals representing audio messages and said address signals from each of said ports;
• means for accessing all digital signals representing audio messages stored in said storage means and associated with each address signal;
• electronic digital signal processing means for controlling the operation of said storage means and said accessing means;
• means for converting said access digital signals into audio messages;
• means for sequentially transmitting all audio messages associated with an address signal through one of said ports to the desired recipient;
• and
• means for transmitting an audio signal to said desired recipient informing of the number of audio messages to be transmitted.

An electronic communication message system for storing and forwarding audio messages via telephones comprising:

• a plurality of ports for being coupled to any private branch exchange or central office to receive audio messages and address signals of desired recipients from various telephone stations;
• means associated with said ports for converting said audio messages and address signals into digital signals;
• digital storage means for storing said digital signals representing audio messages and said address signals from each of said ports;
• means for accessing all digital signals representing audio messages stored in said storage means and associated with each address signal;
• electronic digital signal processing means for controlling the operation of said storage means and said accessing means;
• means for converting said access digital signals into audio messages;
• means for sequentially transmitting all audio messages associated with an address signal through one of said ports to the desired recipient;
• and
• means for enabling said desired recipient to transmit reply audio messages to said message system for storage and forwarding after said desired recipient has received audio messages.

An electronic communication message system for storing and forwarding audio messages via telephones comprising:

• a plurality of ports for being coupled to any private branch exchange or central office to receive audio messages and address signals of desired recipients from various telephone stations;
• means associated with said ports for converting said audio messages and address signals into digital signals;
• digital storage means for storing said digital signals representing audio messages and said address signals from each of said ports;
• means for accessing all digital signals representing audio messages stored in said storage means and associated with each address signal;
• electronic digital signal processing means for controlling the operation of said storage means and said accessing means;
• means for converting said access digital signals into audio messages;
• means for sequentially transmitting all audio messages associated with an address signal through one of said ports to the desired recipient;
• and
• means responsive to function signals generated by the desired recipient for performing an operation upon said audio messages.

An electronic communication message system for storing and forwarding audio messages via telephones comprising:

• a plurality of ports for being coupled to any private branch exchange or central office to receive audio messages and address signals of desired recipients from various telephone stations;
• means associated with said ports for converting said audio messages and address signals into digital signals;
• digital storage means for storing said digital signals representing audio messages and said address signals from each of said ports;
• means for accessing all digital signals representing audio messages stored in said storage means and associated with each address signal;
• electronic digital signal processing means for controlling the operation of said storage means and said accessing means;
• means for converting said access digital signals into audio messages;
• means for sequentially transmitting all audio messages associated with an address signal through one of said ports to the desired recipient;
• and
• means for notifying the originator of an audio message if the desired recipient does not receive said audio message within a predetermined time interval.

An electronic communication message system for storing and forwarding audio messages via telephones comprising:

• a plurality of ports for being coupled to any private branch exchange or central office to receive audio messages and address signals of desired recipients from various telephone stations;
• means associated with said ports for converting said audio messages and address signals into digital signals;
• digital storage means for storing said digital signals representing audio messages and said address signals from each of said ports;
• means for accessing all digital signals representing audio messages stored in said storage means and associated with each address signal;
• electronic digital signal processing means for controlling the operation of said storage means and said accessing means;
• means for converting said access digital signals into audio messages;
• means for sequentially transmitting all audio messages associated with an address signal through one of said ports to the desired recipient;
• and
• means operable in response to function signals generated by the desired recipient to redirect a previously stored audio message to a new address location.

A method of storing and forwarding audio messages via telephones having tone signaling push button dialing comprising:

• coupling a plurality of ports through the telephone network to any private branch exchange or central office to receive audio messages and address signals of desired recipients from any one of a plurality of telephone stations;
• converting said audio messages and address signals into digital signals;
• storing said digital signals representing audio messages and said address signals from each of the ports;
• accessing all digital signals representing audio messages stored in said storage means and associated with each address signal;
• converting said accessed digital signals into audio messages;
• sequentially transmitting via a telephone call all audio messages associated with an address signal through one of the ports to the desired recipient in response to operation of the telephone push buttom dialing by the recipient;
• and
• receiving and transmitting audio messages left by said recipient during said telephone call.