Patent Publication Number: US-2005122959-A1

Title: Enhanced telecommunication system

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of Invention  
      This invention pertains to a telecommunication system with telephones that can selectively insert pre-recorded sound clips or other types of messages into conversations.  
      2. Description of the Prior Art  
      Conventional telephones announce incoming calls by a plain ringing tone. Recently many telephones, especially cellular telephones, have become available that provide various other types of ringing tones, as well as other types of sounds including various musical selections and special sound effects. Typically, these sounds are stored by the telephones as digital sound files or clips. These files can be pre-loaded into the telephone by the manufacturer or can be recorded and downloaded by a customer.  
      Cellular telephones can also take advantage of other services that handle sound files. For example, services such as SMS(Short Message Service) and MMS (Multimedia Message Service) use the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) protocol to send text messages and other types of digital files containing multimedia content including graphics, video clips and sound clips. These digital files can be pre-loaded into a device, such as a cellular telephone, by the manufacturer, or can be authored by the customer.  
      There is a need for an enhanced telecommunication system that is capable of providing audio and/or text messages with useful content.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      An enhanced telephone system constructed in accordance with this invention, provides a communication channel between a telephone associated with a customer and a party using another telephone. The system includes a mediator server. The mediator server monitors conversations and when a predetermined event is detected, for example, in the middle or at the end of a conversation, a message is sent to the other telephone, and optionally, to the customer&#39;s telephone as well. The message includes an audio clip, and optionally other elements, such as graphics and text.  
      In one embodiment, the contents of the messages are fixed and preselected. In another embodiment, the content of the messages can be changed dynamically.  
      A single message may be sent to several parties, or different messages may be sent to different parties.  
      The mediator server may also be provided with several modules that can convert messages from one format to another, as required.  
      The invention may be used in cellular telephones, land-based telephones, or devices providing voice communication via the Internet.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  shows a block diagram illustrating a telecommunication system constructed in accordance with this invention;  
       FIG. 2  shows a flow chart for a telephone conversation using the system of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  illustrates the elements of the telephone conversation on the system of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ;  
       FIG. 4  shows a flow chart for generating an MMS message dynamically by the system of  FIG. 1 ; and  
       FIG. 5  shows an implantation for the subject invention using a voice-over-IP device. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      An enhanced telecommunication system  10  constructed in accordance with this invention is shown in  FIG. 1 . In this system, a customer with telephone  12  can converse with, or send messages to another party using a cellular or land-based telephone  14 . Telephone  14  can, but need not be part of the system  10 .  
      Cellular telephone  12  includes a display  16  and a keypad  18  with a plurality of dialing or control pushbuttons used by a customer to operate the cellular telephone  12  in the normal manner.  
      The system  10  further includes a mediator server  30  and a cellular network  32 . The mediator server  30  is connected to one or more modules, such as a memory module  34 , a voice translation module  36 , a voice recognition module  38  and a transliteration module  40 . The function of these modules is explained below.  
      The cellular network  32  provides standard telephone service for cellular telephone  12  and other telephones within the system  10 .  
      The method for performing a typical conversation through system  10  is now described in conjunction with the flow chart of  FIG. 2 . In step  100  the customer dials the number of telephone  14 . All signals between the telephone  12  can be passed to the mediator server  30 , which then sends them to the cellular network  32 . However, preferably, the signals from the telephone  12  are intercepted (since they are radio transmissions, anyway) by both the server  32  and the mediator  30 . The cellular network  32  then contacts telephone  14  and tries to open a communication channel between telephones  12  and  14  (step  102 ). If, the channel cannot be established, the customer can leave a voice message using voice message server  50  (as discussed in more detail below).  
      Once the communication channel is opened, the two parties can engage in a conversation (step  106 ) in a conventional manner. The conversation is performed in full duplex mode with the outgoing signals being transmitted from the telephone  12  through the cellular network  32  to the telephone  14 . The return signals from the telephone  14  (indicated by dashed lines) are transmitted through the cellular network  32  to the telephone  12 .  
      The mediator server  30  detects a predetermined event, as discussed in more detail below. When this event is detected, the mediator server  30  retrieves a preselected MMS from memory  34  (step  110 ) and sends it to telephone  14  (step  112 ) and, optionally, to telephone  12 . At the end of the conversation, when the user signs off on telephone  12 . The channel between the two telephones is then closed (step  114 ).  
       FIG. 3  shows the content of a typical conversation  200  between the telephones  12  and  14 . As discussed above, it starts off with the transmission of the number of telephone  14  during period  202 . Once the channel is established, the two parties engage in conversation during period  204 . While this conversation is occurring, the user of telephone  12  can activate a predetermined key on the keypad  18  (or a sequence of keys). When the mediator server  30  detects this event, it causes the respective MMS message to be sent. This message is imbedded in the conversation, as indicated in  FIG. 3  by the dashed lines. In addition, or alternatively, the system can be adapted so that the MMS message  206  is sent at the end of the conversation (during the so-called ring-off period). In this embodiment, the server  30  detects that the user of telephone  12  has signed off. A typical cellular telephone system may require that at the end of the message, the telephone  12  send out a sign-off signal. In system  10 , this sign-off signal can be generated either by the server  30  or by telephone  12 . Of course, the sign-off signal has to be generated after the MMS message  206  because, otherwise, the MMS message  206  may not be received by the telephone  14 . Alternatively, the message  206  may be sent first to telephone  12  which then can readily incorporate it into the conversation.  
      The mediator server  30  is shown as a separate component of the system  10 , however, all or parts of it may be incorporated into the telephone  12 .  
      In the simplest embodiment of the invention, the MMS message can be a small audio or video clip from a known artist, a feature movie, a music video, a cartoon, etc. The clip can be generated by the user, downloaded through the Internet and into the telephone  12 , purchased from a commercial vendor, etc. The prerecorded audio clip may be a voice message recorded by the customer using his own voice, may be a musical selection, or could be special sound effect, such as a door bell.  
      The system may be provided with several additional options to enhance or modify its mode of operation. For example, in the embodiment disclosed above, the contents of the MMS message are preselected by the customer of the telephone  12 . That is, for every predetermined event, a preselected MMS message is sent out. The mediator server  30  can be provided with a plurality of MMS messages in its memory  34 , each message being associated with one or more telephones. In this manner, a first MMS message may be sent when a call is made to a first telephone, a second MMS message may be sent when a call is made to a second telephone, and so on. In this embodiment, the customer using telephone  12  preselects a specific MMS message for each telephone number that he calls. The mediator server  30  then generates and stores in its memory  34  a list associating each of a plurality of telephones with a specific MMS message. One of the MMS messages may be designated to any telephone called from telephone  12  that is not on the list. The mediator server  30  can also be set to pick a random MMS and send it either to unlisted telephones, or, alternatively, to any telephone, whether listed or not.  
      The MMS message(s) can be sent simultaneously to several other parties, for example, during or at the end of a conference call. In one embodiment, all the parties can get the same message. In another embodiment, each party can get a different MMS message.  
      In all of these embodiments, the contents of the MMS messages are preselected. However, the system can also accommodate messages that are dynamically generated. For example, at the end of a conversation, the customer can activate a specific pushbutton sequence and utter an arbitrary or random sentence. When the mediator server determines that the pushbutton sequence has been activated, it modifies the sentence in a predetermined manner and generates a corresponding MMS message.  FIG. 4  shows the process for performing this function. In step  300 , the mediator server  30  monitors the telephone  12  for the pushbutton sequence In step  302  the mediator server  30  receives the arbitrary sentence. In step  304  the arbitrary sentence is processed as discussed below. In step  306  the processed sentence is converted into an MMS message. In step  308  the MMS message is sent out in the manner described in  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  
      The processing step  306  can include various different types of operations. For example, a voice modification filter can be used to transform the voice of the customer. As a result, the processed message consists of the words uttered by the customer but in the voice of a cartoon character, a famous personality, etc.  
      Alternatively, the mediator server  30  can be coupled to, or provided with a translator module  36 . The translator module  36  translates the words from the customer into a corresponding phrase in a different language. Thus, if the customer normally talks in English, the processed words could be in French, Spanish, Chinese, etc.  
      The mediator server  30  can also be set to process the words from the customer into a different media. More particularly, in the examples given above, the customer utters spoken words and the mediator server  30  can be associated with a speech recognition module  38  that recognizes the spoken words and converts them into alphanumeric written characters. Thus, the MMS message generated is a written, rather than a spoken message. Conversely, the customer, rather then speaking the words, can enter them on the telephone  12  (which, at least for this embodiment must be equipped with a keyboard, other means of entering text, or handwriting recognition means). For this embodiment, the mediator server  30  is provided with a transliteration module  40  that transforms the written words into spoken words. The spoken words thus generated are then used for the MMS message.  
      In the description of  FIGS. 1 and 2  it has been assumed that a channel is established immediately with telephone  14 . In some instances, the party using the telephone  14  may not be available, or the telephone  14  could be off, or out of range. For these situations, a voice mail server (VMS)  50  is provided to allow the customer to leave a voice message. The customer using phone  12  can leave a regular voice message and the MMS message, or only the MMS message on this voice mail server  50 . The message(s) are then delivered to the phone  14  at a later time in the usual manner.  
      The system  10  is further configured to provide other functions for situations in which the customer using telephone  12  is unable to engage in a regular conversation with another party. For these occasions, the mediator server  30  is programmed to assemble a conglomerate message and send it automatically to the other party. For example, if the customer is at a meeting and he gets a call from the other party, he depresses a sequence of three pushbuttons  18 A,  18 B,  18 C, all part of the keypad  18 . In response, the telephone  12  generates several signals to the calling party. The first signal alerts the mediator server  30  that a conglomerate message must be generated. The second signal designates the type of message that is to be sent. The message may be “I busy right now. I will call you back soon.” Optionally, the message may include a blank portion that has to be filled in by a variable voice or audio clip. If the selected message does include a blank portion, a third signal is sent to the moderator designating the voice clip for filling in the blank period. For example, the message designated by the second signal may be “I am busy right now. I will call you in ______ minutes” and the third signal is then used to designate the voice clip to be introduced in the blank portion of the message. The voice clip may be “5 minutes,” “15 minutes,” “one hour,” etc.  
      A message with a blank period may also be initiated by the customer. For example, as the customer is driving home, he can depress a series of pushbuttons on telephone  12 , causing a message to be sent home. One such message could be “I am on the road, I will be home in 35 minutes” where “35” is a variable selected by the customer and imbedded in the message as described above. Alternatively, instead of the customer generating it, the variable voice clip may be generated automatically by another means. For example, the mediator server  30  can be preprogrammed to determine the location of both parties, for example using GPS information, or from the cell that is servicing cellular telephone  12 . The mediator server  30  then determines the approximate time that it will take for the customer to reach the location of the other party. The location of the other party may be preselected by the customer.  
      The variable content message generated by mediator server  30  can be in the voice of the customer, or a generic voice may be used. In this latter instance, a table is set up so that the mediator server  30  receives a request to send a message from a customer, the mediator server  30  looks up the name of the customer and incorporates it into the message. So one message can say “Mr. Smith is at a meeting and will call you back in 20 minutes” while another message may say “Mr. Jones is on his way home and will be there in one hour.” As can be seen from these examples, messages may have two or more blank periods that are filled by voice clips.  
      Some of the messages discussed above may include graphic elements such as pictures of actual people or cartoon characters. If a message includes both graphic elements and sound clips, the graphic elements may be modified simultaneously or in synchronism with the sound clip, for example, by changing facial expressions.  
      The invention was described as being part of and in conjunction with a cellular telephone system. However, it is equally applicable to other systems, such as systems with land based (wired or wireless) telephones, and other types of devices, such as Internet communication devices that allow conversations over the Internet using, for example, voice over the Internet Protocol (VOIP). As shown in  FIG. 5 , for this latter implementation, an MMS message source  418  is provided which can generate messages for various parties, as discussed above. The source  418  may include the mediator server and various other components shown in  FIG. 1 . Conversations take place over the VOIP device  412  that is connected to an Internet portal  414  to a distributed digital communication network  416 . Communication between the device  412  and portal  414  may take place through a dial-up telephone modem, a cable modem, a DSL modem, etc. Device  412  may be implemented as a card inserted into a PC or other similar computer, or may be stand-alone device. Both arrangements are available from several companies, such as Net2Phone of Newark, N.J. Conversations can be conducted from the device  412  to other devices including VOIP devices, land-based telephones, cellular telephones, etc. The MMS source  418  can be a separate device, or can be incorporated in the device  412 .  
      While the invention has been described with reference to several particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Accordingly, the embodiments described in particular should be considered as exemplary, not limiting, with respect to the following claims.