Simultaneous voice/data answering machine

Details Simultaneous voice/data answering machine Simultaneous voice/data answering machine

1998-01-05

2001-05-22

Weaver, Scott L. (Department: 2645)

Telephonic communications

Audio message storage, retrieval, or synthesis

Message management

C379S088130

Reexamination Certificate

active

06236717

ABSTRACT:

Today, the ability exists to receive and store messages representing a variety of different media. As used herein, the term “media” refers to the type of information conveyed in a message. For example, a user can “listen” to a message recorded on a telephone answering machine. This represents an audio form of messaging, i.e., an “audio media.” Similarly, a user can “see” a message on the display of a computer, e.g., “electronic mail” (e-mail), which in simple form is simply a data message comprising alpha-numeric characters, i.e., a “video media.”. Finally, the co-pending, commonly assigned, U.S. Patent application of Bottoms et al. entitled “Simultaneous Analog and Digital Communication Applications,” Ser. No. 08/076505, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,555, filed on Jun. 14, 1993, describes a simultaneous voice and data answering machine which stores both digital and analog signals for latter retrieval.
However, in all of these messaging systems, the inherent characteristic is that a person uses them separately—one media at a time. For example, either a person listens to an audio message from their telephone answering machine, or logs into a computer system to retrieve their e-mail. In other words, each media-specific message is typically stored and accessed independently of each other.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
We have realized a method and apparatus that coordinates the separate storage of messages, where each message represents information to be conveyed in a different media. This allows a user to store and retrieve, in effect, a multimedia message. For example, a multimedia message includes an audio message and an associated data message, with the result that while the user is listening to the audio message, the user is also viewing the associated data message.
In an embodiment of the invention, a simultaneous voice and data (SVD) modem coordinates the storage of voice messages and data messages on an audio answering machine and a computer, respectively. This allows the called party to subsequently retrieve, via the SVD modem, both a voice message and an associated data message, i.e., a multimedia message, where the called party listens to the voice message while viewing the associated data message. The called party can retrieve the multimedia message either locally or from a remote location.


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