Abstract:
A system and apparatus provides a voice message of a calling party to a called party. The method includes the steps of initiating a telephone call to the called party over a first network and receiving the telephone call at a network node within the first network. The method further includes the steps of determining whether the called party is on-line a second network and receiving the voice message from the calling party. The method further includes the steps of converting the voice message to a digital file and sending an electronic mail message that includes the digital file to the called party.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a system for forwarding voice messages to a called party. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a system for forwarding voice messages to a called party using electronic mail. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     With the advent of cellular phones and pagers, an individual person may have multiple telephone numbers associated with them. Telephone routing systems exist to automatically route calls intended for a called party to multiple phone numbers in an attempt to reach the called party. For example, a routing system can automatically route telephone calls for a called party to the called party&#39;s business phone, then home phone, then cellular phone, then pager device. 
     Sometimes a called party cannot respond to a telephone call to any of the phone numbers associated with the called party. In this case, known telephone answering systems can record a voice message from the calling party. This message can be later retrieved by the called party. However, the calling party has no way to determine when or if the called party has retrieved the message. Further, the calling party may desire that the called party be able to immediately retrieve the message. 
     Based on the foregoing, there is a need for a system and method that allows a calling party to leave a voice message for a called party that can be immediately retrieved by the called party, and that provides an indication to the calling party that the message has been retrieved. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One embodiment of the present invention is a system and method for providing a voice message of a calling party to a called party. The method includes the steps of initiating a telephone call to the called party over a first network and receiving the telephone call at a network node within the first network. The method further includes the steps of determining whether the called party is on-line on a second network and receiving the voice message from the calling party. The method further includes the steps of converting the voice message to a digital file and sending an electronic mail message that includes the digital file to the called party. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a voice message system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the steps performed by a network node accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     One embodiment of the present invention is a telephone network service that transmits a voice message from a calling party to a called party via electronic mail (“e-mail”) if the called party is on-line. The present invention can then immediately notify the calling party if the message has been retrieved. The present invention can further allow the calling party to talk live to the called party or receive a voice message from the called party. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a voice message system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The system  40  includes a network  14  coupled to a network  18 . In one embodiment, network  14  is the Public Switched Telephone Network (“PSTN”) and network  18  is the Internet. 
     System  40  further includes telephones  10  and  20  coupled to network  14 . A calling party initiates a telephone call using telephone  10 . A called party receives the telephone call using telephone  20  at a phone number associated with the called party. The telephone call is routed from telephone  10  to telephone  20  through network  14 . 
     A network node  12  is one of the nodes within network  14 . In one embodiment, node  12  is a general purpose computer that includes a processor and memory. Node  12  is programmed to perform the steps of the present invention that are described below. Node  12  stores a list of all called parties that subscribe to the voice message system of the present invention and a corresponding e-mail address for each called party. 
     All telephone calls intended for the called party at telephone  20  are automatically routed to network node  12  if the called party is unavailable at telephone  20  (i.e., the called party does not answer telephone  20  or telephone  20  is busy). A service similar to “Home Voice Mail” available from Bell Atlantic Corp. or other known voice systems that are implemented on a local phone switch can perform the function of automatically routing incoming calls for telephone  20  to node  12  if the calls are not answered. 
     System  40  further includes a computer  22 . Computer  22  is a general purpose computer that allows a user to access network  14  and/or network  18  (i.e., the Internet) and receive and send electronic mail over network  18 . In one embodiment, computer  22  is equipped with a sound card that allows a user to listen to audio files, a modem for dialing into a network, and a microphone. Computer  22  accesses network  18  by dialing into an Internet Service Provider (“ISP”)  16 . ISP  16  is coupled to network  18 . ISP  16  is further coupled to node  12  through network  14 . 
     FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the steps performed by network node  12  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention when a calling party at telephone  10  initiates a telephone call to a called party at telephone  20 . 
     At step  100 , node  12  receives the telephone call from the calling party at phone  10  to the called party at phone  20  (i.e., at a phone number associated with the called party) if the called party does not answer the telephone call. As previously discussed, the telephone call is automatically routed to node  12  when the called party does not answer. When the telephone call is routed to node  12 , node  12  also receives information that identifies the called party. In another embodiment, the calling party can directly dial a number associated with node  12  in order to leave a voice message for the called party. In such an embodiment, node  12  will prompt the calling party to identify the called party by, for example, entering the telephone number of the called party. 
     At step  110 , node  12  determines whether the called party is on-line with respect to network  18  via computer  22  and therefore can immediately be reached by electronic mail. In one embodiment, computer  22  is a Unix-based computer, and node  12  can issue a Unix “finger” command over network  18 . The response to the finger command by computer  22 , received by node  12  determines whether the called party is on-line. In another embodiment, computer  22  is programmed to automatically send an e-mail message to node  12  during predetermined times (e.g., every 1 minute) when the called party is on-line. In still another embodiment, computer  22  is programmed to automatically send an e-mail to node  12  when the called party becomes on-line (i.e., when the called party logs on) and when the called party is no longer on-line (i.e., when the called party logs off). 
     If it is determined that the called party is on-line at step  110 , node  12  performs step  130 . If it is determined that the called party is not on-line at step  110 , at step  120  node  12  determines whether the calling party wants to leave a voice message that will not be immediately available to the called party. If the calling party does not want to leave a message, the telephone call is ended. If the calling party does want to leave a message, node  12  performs step  130 . 
     At step  130 , node  12  prompts the calling party to leave a voice message for the called party. The voice message is then received by node  12 . 
     At step  140 , the voice message received from the calling party is converted into a digital audio file (e.g., a “WAV” file, an “AU” or Mu-law file, a RealAudio® file, a pulse code modulation file, etc.). Step  140  includes an analog-to-digital conversion in node  12  of the voice message if the voice message is received by node  12  as an analog signal. In another embodiment, node  12  converts the voice message to digitized text using a speech-to-text converter. 
     At step  150 , an e-mail is sent to the called party at computer  22 . The digital audio file formed at step  140  is included with the e-mail as an attachment in one embodiment. In another embodiment, if the voice message was converted to text at step  140 , the digitized text is included within the body of the e-mail. 
     After the e-mail is sent, the calling party is given the option of remaining on hold by node  12  if the called party was determined to be on-line at step  110 . When the called party retrieves or opens the e-mail, the voice message in the form of the audio file can be listened to by the called party, or the text message can be read by the called party. Opening the e-mail automatically generates an indication that the e-mail was opened. The indication is sent to node  12 . In one embodiment, the indication is a confirmation e-mail that is automatically generated and sent to node  12  when the received e-mail is open by the called party. At step  160 , node  12  provides the calling party with a confirmation that the e-mail has been opened when the indication is received. If the calling party remains on hold, the confirmation that the called party has opened the e-mail is immediately received by the calling party. If the calling party does not wish to remain on hold, the calling party can request a call back from node  12  when the called party opens the e-mail. Therefore, this step provides the calling party with the option of immediate feedback when the called party retrieves the voice message. 
     Other options are performed by node  12  if the calling party remains on hold at step  160 . These options can be specified by the called party when the called party sets up the service described by the present invention. One option allows the called party to send a voice message response to the calling party. The calling party will be notified that a response is coming. The called party creates the response by speaking into the microphone of computer  22 . The response is then converted to a digital audio file and sent to node  12  as an attachment to an e-mail. Node  12  then plays the audio file to the calling party. 
     Another option allows the called party to be connected to the calling party directly through network  18  (i.e., with the called party using Internet telephony or any other known method). This allows the called party to engage in a live two-way conversation with the calling party. 
     Several embodiments of the present invention are specifically illustrated and/or described herein. However, it will be appreciated that modifications and variations of the present invention are covered by the above teachings and within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and intended scope of the invention. 
     For example, instead of delivering the voice message using e-mail, in one embodiment the voice message is sent to an Internet Web page that is automatically pushed to the called party if the called party is on-line. The called party can then listen to the message using a standard Internet audio player. 
     Further, in one embodiment computer  22  does not include the capability of listening to audio files yet the called party can still listen to an audio file of the calling party&#39;s voice message. In this embodiment, the called party receives an e-mail message that instructs the called party to call node  12  to receive the voice message. Node  12  then plays the voice message to the called party. Node  12  can then complete the telephone call between the calling party and the called party if the calling party has remained on hold. 
     As described, the present invention transmits a voice message from a calling party to a called party via e-mail if the called party is on-line. The present invention can then immediately notify the calling party if the message has been retrieved. The present invention can further allow the calling party to talk live to the called party or receive a voice message from the called party.