US 8,428,228 B1Granted

Unified communication system

AssigneeWeerawan Wongmanee

InventorJohn Francis Baxter, Jr.

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Abstract

Unified communication system for consolidating different message sources (e.g. emails, SMS, voice message, fax, etc.) into a single accessible location with the ability to incorporate phone calls, VoIP calls, voice commands, etc. This is achieved through integration of a Speech-ready IVR system with an E-mail client to act as the Unified Communication System. Furthermore, the IVR flexibility allows the user to access messages when internet access is not available or read messages such as SMS and emails when not physically convenient e.g. when user is driving. A computer based server receives a message in the format of SMS, fax, e-mail, or phone message. The server identifies what format the message is in and displays a notification on a graphical user interface. Through integration with a speech ready IVR system user may select to listen to the message or read the message.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A unified messaging platform having computer-implemented content conversion based on recipient designation, the platform comprising:

a proxy server operable to:
receive a recipient-targeted communication selected from the group consisting of an email, a text message, a fax, and a voice message;
identify the recipient-targeted communication for a recipient;
tag the identified recipient-targeted communication;
a user store database communicatively coupled to the proxy server, the user store database containing an array of logical preferences set by a user of the messaging platform, the logical preferences defining a singular message format for delivery of the recipient-targeted communications;
wherein the logical preferences include an indication of preferred user selected portions of the recipient-targeted communication;
the proxy server further operable to:
receive the user's logical preferences;
determine a preferred user selected portion in the recipient-targeted communication based upon the user's logical preferences;
and
send only the user selected portion in the recipient-targeted communication to the user;
a conversion server containing a text-to-speech engine for automatically converting the recipient-targeted communication to an audio message format as defined by the user's logical preferences, wherein the converted message is delivered in the audio message format to the user;
and
a customized IVR server that is functionally integrated with the database server and the conversion server operable to:
send a series of customized audio menu prompts from the IVR server to a caller, wherein the customized audio menu prompts are determined by the recipient-targeted communication,
said audio menu prompts are selected from the inbox interface information responsive to voice commands and DTMF commands received from caller;
retrieve the recipient-targeted communication through voice commands and DTMF commands, wherein the recipient-targeted communication is sent through the conversion server;
send an audio rendering of the recipient-targeted communication to the user's hp one.

15 more elements

A computer implemented method for a unified messaging platform having computer-implemented content conversion based on recipient designation, comprising:

receiving a recipient-targeted communication to a proxy server, the message having a destination value and a content value;
establishing a connection between the proxy server and a database server, the database server having a stored list of registered users and a series of logical preferences for each registered user, wherein the logical preferences include an indication of preferred user selected portions of the recipient-targeted communication;
querying the stored list of registered users for the destination value;
associating the recipient-targeted communication to a registered user, responsive to the comparison resulting in a match;
tagging a recipient-targeted communication, wherein the tagged recipient-targeted communication is selected from the group consisting of SMS, email, voicemail, and Fax;
selecting the preferred user selected portions of the tagged recipient-targeted communication based upon the logical preferences;
storing only the preferred user selected portions of the tagged recipient-targeted communication based upon the logical preferences;
receiving a caller's phone number at an IVR server that is functionally integrated with a database server containing a registered user's inbox interface;
sending a series of customized audio menu prompts from the IVR server to the caller, responsive to voice commands and DTMF commands received from the caller, wherein the series of customized audio menu prompts are selected from a tagged recipient-targeted communication;
retrieving a recipient-targeted communication selected from the group consisting of an email, a text message, a fax, and a voice message from the database server, responsive to voice commands and DTMF commands received from the caller;
automatically converting the recipient-targeted communication to an audio format through the conversion server as defined by the user's logical preferences, wherein the converted message is delivered in the audio message format to the user's phone.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/649,418Filed 11 Oct 2012 · us provisional application
Priority: 18 Sep 2012
Granted: 23 Apr 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H04M 1/7243
With means for local support of applications that increase the functionality: with interactive means for internal management of messages
G06Q 10/10
Administration; Management: office automation; Time management
H04M 2250/06
Details of telephonic subscriber devices: including a wireless LAN interface
H04M 2250/60
Details of telephonic subscriber devices: logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs