Method and system for call, facsimile and electronic message forwarding

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9479645-B2
Application number	US-201414465412-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2014
Priority date	Dec 17, 2001
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

A method and system are provided for forwarding telephone calls, facsimile transmissions and electronic messages to a single forwarding telephone number. The telephone calls, fax transmissions and electronic messages are first forwarded to a central forwarding repository by the forwarding party where the fax transmissions, and messages are converted to audio formats. Forwarded telephone calls and audio formatted versions of the fax transmissions and electronic messages are then forwarded directly to a designated forwarding number. If the forwarding party answers at the forwarding number, she will receive forwarded calls, and the audio formatted versions of fax transmissions and electronic messages will be played to her over her telephone. If the forwarding party does not answer the forwarded call, she subsequently may retrieve saved telephone calls, saved telephone messages and saved audio versions of fax transmissions and electronic messages from the central forwarding repository.

First claim

We claim:

1. A computer readable storage device storing computer program instructions for forwarding an electronic message, the computer program instructions, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, comprising:
in response to receiving an electronic message directed to a subscriber address:
designating a forwarding address for the electronic message;
routing, by the processor, the electronic message to a central forwarding repository;
converting a portion of an electronic message to an audio formatted transmission;
transmitting the audio formatted transmission to a service node for storage;

in response to a request for the electronic message:
retrieving the audio formatted transmission;
authenticating the request for the electronic message; and
routing the audio formatted transmission to the forwarding address.

2. The computer readable storage device of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
receiving a forwarding telephone directory number designated by the service node.

3. The computer readable storage device of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
routing the audio formatted communication to a second address.

4. The computer readable storage device of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
receiving the electronic message.

5. The computer readable storage device of claim 1 , wherein the authenticating the request is based on a personal identification number.

6. The computer readable storage device of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the electronic message is a message header.

7. A system comprising:
a processor; and
a memory to store computer program instructions, the computer program instructions, when executed on the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
in response to receiving an electronic message directed to a subscriber address:
designating a forwarding address for the electronic message;
routing the electronic message to a central forwarding repository;
converting a portion of an electronic message to an audio formatted transmission; and
transmitting the audio formatted transmission to a service node for storage;

in response to a request for the electronic message:
retrieving the audio formatted transmission;
authenticating the request for the electronic message; and
routing the audio formatted communication to the forwarding address.

8. The system of claim 7 , the operations further comprising:
receiving a forwarding telephone directory number from the service node.

9. The system of claim 7 , the operations further comprising:
routing the audio formatted communication to a second address.

10. The system of claim 7 , the operations further comprising:
receiving the electronic message.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the portion of the electronic message is a message header.

12. The system of claim 7 ,
wherein the authenticating the request is based on a personal identification number.

13. A method for forwarding an electronic message, the method comprising:
in response to receiving, by a processor, an electronic message directed to a subscriber address:
designating, by the processor, a forwarding address for the electronic message;
routing, by the processor, the electronic message to a central forwarding repository;
converting, by the processor, a portion of the electronic message to an audio formatted transmission; and
transmitting, by the processor, the audio formatted transmission to a service node for storage;
in response to a request for the electronic message:
retrieving, by the processor, the audio formatted transmission;
authenticating, by the processor, the request for the electronic message; and
routing, by the processor, the audio formatted transmission to the forwarding address.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
designating, by the processor, a forwarding telephone directory number for receiving the audio formatted transmission.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
forwarding, by the processor, the audio formatted transmission to a second forwarding address.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the request for the electronic message comprises a personal identification number.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the authenticating the request for the electronic message is based on the personal identification number.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Moore Darryl Cynthia
• King Kathryn D
• Carter Sharon E

Classifications

• H04M3/543

  Call deflection · CPC title

• H04N1/32713

  Data transmission device, e.g. switched network of teleprinters for the distribution of text-based information transceiver · CPC title

• H04M2203/60

  related to security aspects in telephonic communication systems · CPC title

• H04N1/00228

  Image push arrangements, e.g. from an image reading device to a specific network destination (push-based network services H04L67/55) · CPC title

• H04N1/32723

  speech signals · CPC title