Patent ID: 8103509

Claim:
An email system comprising: a mobile device; a server configured to receive an email directed to the mobile device, the email including text, the server further configured to convert said text in the email into an audio file; and the mobile device in communication with the server over a wireless link to receive the email from the server, the mobile device configured to include a media player, the media player configured to receive the audio file from the server and play back the audio file as a voice message on the mobile device; wherein the mobile device is further configured for: executing a listening application for identifying the email, the email being a text message; retrieving a message body from the text message, the message body including the text which is suitable for audio conversion; retrieving header information from the text message; retrieving a device specific identifier indicative of the mobile device; and sending the message body, header information, and device specific identifier to the server; and wherein the server is further configured for: receiving the text message from the mobile device; performing a text-to-speech (TTS) conversion on the text message to generate audio data corresponding to the message body retrieved from the text message; and loading the audio data into the audio file, the audio file having an audio file format recognized by the mobile device.