US6404860B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System and method for internet call management with text-to-speech messaging
Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC
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Filing: 2000-02-09
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Granted: 2002-06-11
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Expires: 2020-02-09
Abstract
Abstract A call management system provides an Internet call management service that permits a subscriber to receive information about incoming calls, and provides a personal message to the caller over a voice channel. The caller may be given a personal notification, as a spoken audio message that includes the callers's name, advising the caller that a personal message is forthcoming and requesting that the caller stand by to receive the personal message. The subscriber enters the personal message as text, which is transmitted over a data channel to the call management system. The call management system converts the text message into speech, and then “reads” the message as a spoken, audio message to the caller, using the voice channel over which the call was received by the call management system.
Inventors
- 👤 Theodore E. Casellini
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 20:30
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M1/00; H04M1/66; H04M1/663; H04L; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/428; H04M3/4281; H04M7/00; H04M7/0024; H04M7/0033; H04M7/0057; H04M1/253; H04M1/2535; H04M1/57; H04M1/575; H04M2201/00; H04M2201/60
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
173 words
A system for managing telephone calls, comprising: a data channel; a voice channel; a call management system, coupled to the data channel and voice channel, the call management system including a central processing unit, and one or more call management applications, executable by the central processing unit, for handling an incoming call placed by a caller to a subscriber; the one or more call management applications including instructions for: collecting information about the incoming call placed by the caller to the subscriber, the collected information including the callers's name; transmitting over a data channel notification of the incoming call to a computer associated with the subscriber; receiving a subscriber entered command transmitted from the subscriber's computer over the data channel; in response to receiving the transmitted command, transmitting a first message, to the caller over the voice channel to inform the caller that a second message from the subscriber is forthcoming; and transmitting a personal audio message to the caller over the voice channel, the personal audio message including the determined callers's name.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
173 words
A system for managing telephone calls, comprising: a data channel; a voice channel; a call management system, coupled to the data channel and voice channel, the call management system including a central processing unit, and one or more call management applications, executable by the central processing unit, for handling an incoming call placed by a caller to a subscriber; the one or more call management applications including instructions for: collecting information about the incoming call placed by the caller to the subscriber, the collected information including the callers's name; transmitting over a data channel notification of the incoming call to a computer associated with the subscriber; receiving a subscriber entered command transmitted from the subscriber's computer over the data channel; in response to receiving the transmitted command, transmitting a first message, to the caller over the voice channel to inform the caller that a second message from the subscriber is forthcoming; and transmitting a personal audio message to the caller over the voice channel, the personal audio message including the determined callers's name.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
The system of claim 1 , the one or more call management applications further including instructions for: receiving a subscriber-originated message transmitted from the subscriber's computer over the data channel; and transmitting the subscriber-originated message to the caller over the voice channel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
The system of claim 2 , where the subscriber-originated message transmitted from the subscriber's computer is a text message; the one or more call management applications further including a procedure for converting the subscriber-originated message into speech prior to transmitting the message to the caller.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 3 , wherein the data channel includes a data connection through the Internet.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the data channel includes a data connection through the Internet.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the first message includes the callers's name.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
121 words
A method for managing telephone calls, comprising the steps of: with respect to an incoming call by a caller to a subscriber, determining the callers's name; transmitting over a data channel notification of the incoming call to a computer associated with the subscriber, the notification including the determined callers's name; receiving a subscriber entered command transmitted from the subscriber's computer over the data channel; in response to receiving the transmitted command, transmitting a first message to the caller over a voice channel to inform the caller that a second message from the subscriber is forthcoming; and transmitting to the caller over the voice channel a personal audio message specified by transmitted command, the personal audio message including the determined callers's name.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
121 words
A method for managing telephone calls, comprising the steps of: with respect to an incoming call by a caller to a subscriber, determining the callers's name; transmitting over a data channel notification of the incoming call to a computer associated with the subscriber, the notification including the determined callers's name; receiving a subscriber entered command transmitted from the subscriber's computer over the data channel; in response to receiving the transmitted command, transmitting a first message to the caller over a voice channel to inform the caller that a second message from the subscriber is forthcoming; and transmitting to the caller over the voice channel a personal audio message specified by transmitted command, the personal audio message including the determined callers's name.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 7 , wherein the first message includes the callers's name.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
115 words
A method for managing telephone calls, comprising the steps of: transmitting, over a data channel to a computer associated with a subscriber, notification of an incoming call placed by a caller to the subscriber; receiving subscriber entered commands transmitted from the subscriber's computer over the data channel; in response to receiving at least one of the transmitted commands, transmitting a first message to the caller over a voice channel to inform the caller that a second message from the subscriber is forthcoming; receiving a message, comprising the second message, transmitted from the subscriber's computer over the data channel; and transmitting the second message as a spoken, audio message to the caller over the voice channel.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
115 words
A method for managing telephone calls, comprising the steps of: transmitting, over a data channel to a computer associated with a subscriber, notification of an incoming call placed by a caller to the subscriber; receiving subscriber entered commands transmitted from the subscriber's computer over the data channel; in response to receiving at least one of the transmitted commands, transmitting a first message to the caller over a voice channel to inform the caller that a second message from the subscriber is forthcoming; receiving a message, comprising the second message, transmitted from the subscriber's computer over the data channel; and transmitting the second message as a spoken, audio message to the caller over the voice channel.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 9 , wherein the message transmitted from the subscriber's computer is a text message; the method including converting the message into speech prior to transmitting the message to the caller.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 10 wherein the data channel includes a data connection through the Internet.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
116 words
A method for managing telephone calls, comprising the steps of: transmitting, over a data channel to a computer associated with a subscriber, notification of an incoming call placed by a caller to the subscriber; receiving a subscriber entered command transmitted from the subscriber's computer over the data channel; in response to receiving the transmitted command, transmitting a first message to the caller over a voice channel to inform the caller that a second message from the subscriber is forthcoming; receiving a text message transmitted from the subscriber's computer over the data channel; translating the text message to speech; and transmitting the translated text message as a spoken, audio message to the caller over the voice channel.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
116 words
A method for managing telephone calls, comprising the steps of: transmitting, over a data channel to a computer associated with a subscriber, notification of an incoming call placed by a caller to the subscriber; receiving a subscriber entered command transmitted from the subscriber's computer over the data channel; in response to receiving the transmitted command, transmitting a first message to the caller over a voice channel to inform the caller that a second message from the subscriber is forthcoming; receiving a text message transmitted from the subscriber's computer over the data channel; translating the text message to speech; and transmitting the translated text message as a spoken, audio message to the caller over the voice channel.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 12 , wherein the data channel includes a data connection through the Internet.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
121 words
A method for managing telephone calls, comprising the steps of: transmitting notification to a subscriber's computer over a data channel of an incoming call placed by a caller to the subscriber; receiving a subscriber entered command transmitted from the subscriber's computer over the data channel; determining the callers's name; in response to receiving the transmitted command, transmitting a first message, including the callers's name, to the caller over the voice channel to inform the caller that a second message from the subscriber is forthcoming; receiving a text message transmitted from the subscriber's computer over the data channel; translating the text message to speech; and transmitting the translated text message as a spoken, audio message to the caller over the voice channel.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
121 words
A method for managing telephone calls, comprising the steps of: transmitting notification to a subscriber's computer over a data channel of an incoming call placed by a caller to the subscriber; receiving a subscriber entered command transmitted from the subscriber's computer over the data channel; determining the callers's name; in response to receiving the transmitted command, transmitting a first message, including the callers's name, to the caller over the voice channel to inform the caller that a second message from the subscriber is forthcoming; receiving a text message transmitted from the subscriber's computer over the data channel; translating the text message to speech; and transmitting the translated text message as a spoken, audio message to the caller over the voice channel.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 14 , wherein the data channel includes a data connection through the Internet.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 14 , wherein the spoken, audio message includes the callers's name.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-06-10 | 2005-12-10 | 2006-06-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-06-10 | 2009-12-10 | 2010-06-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-06-10 | 2013-12-10 | 2014-06-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |