Method and apparatus for telephone data network access

Details Method and apparatus for telephone data network access Method and apparatus for telephone data network access

1998-11-03

2001-06-05

Kuntz, Curtis (Department: 2743)

Telephonic communications

Telephone line or system combined with diverse electrical...

Having transmission of a digital message signal over a...

C379S093250, C370S352000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06243445

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to accessing data networks by using voice communication devices.
2. Description of Related Art
Data networks such as the Internet have gained widespread acceptance as a desirable communication medium as well as a source of information. Conventionally, data networks are accessed via devices such as personal computers. Such devices provide visual outputs through a video display and data entry through a keyboard, for example. Additionally, personal computers provide a local storage medium for retrieving data from the data network and storing user preferences, for example. However, potential users that do not have access to a personal computer, for example, are prevented from taking advantage of the benefits provided through a data network. Thus, new technology is needed to make available the data network in such circumstances.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides a telephone-data network access system that permits voice communication device users to access a data network such as the Internet. Callers using a voice communication device such as a telephone station may call a telephone-data network access device through the telephone network and issue voice commands or keypad commands to instruct the telephone-data network access device to access a data network. After logging onto the data network, the caller may issue voice commands to the telephone-data network access device to send e-mail, search the data network, or log on to pages supported by other parties on the data network as would be done by a person using a personal computer.
The telephone-data network access device provides voice commands to the caller to easily navigate the network or pages supported by the network. For example, voice commands may be find, search, skip, faster, slower or repeat. The telephone-data network access device converts the voice commands of the caller into text by voice to text conversion and executes the commands. The responses from the data network is converted from text to voice by speech synthesis, for example, and the voice signals output to the caller through the telephone network and the voice communication device.
The telephone-data network access device provides a profile for a caller where the caller may save preferences for interacting with the data network. For example, the caller may establish outbound mail directories where a voice label may be associated with an e-mail address so that the caller may simply say “send e-mail to Lee” and instruct the telephone-data network access device to receive dictation from the caller and send it as a message to an e-mail address corresponding to the voice label “Lee”. In addition, the telephone-data network access device may supply primitive voice commands for the caller to use individually or construct more complex voice command macros so that by a single command, more complex functions may be performed using the data network.
By the above described techniques, callers who do not have access to devices such as a personal computer may access the data network and take advantage of the rich resources available through the data network. For example, callers may be traveling and not have access to a personal computer but wish to retrieve information from the network. In such circumstances, the telephone-data network access device provides the caller the ability to interface with the data network without using a device such as a personal computer.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5884262 (1999-03-01), Wisw et al.
patent: 5915001 (1999-06-01), Uppaluru
patent: 5953392 (1999-09-01), Rhie et al.
patent: 5995597 (1999-11-01), Woltz et al.
patent: 6049596 (2000-04-01), Dumaine et al.

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