The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 01, 2007
Filed:
May. 06, 2003
Stephen J. H. Owens, Dublin, OH (US);
James Arthur Kitchen, Atlanta, GA (US);
David Gregory Smith, Atlanta, GA (US);
Leonard A. Denittis, Atlanta, GA (US);
Kyle S. Brown, Santa Rosa, CA (US);
Michael S. Finney, Hilliard, OH (US);
Thomas Francis Johnson, Iii, Atlanta, GA (US);
Steve Feinstein, Atlanta, GA (US);
Michael L. Snider, Columbus, OH (US);
Randall S. Wright, Worthington, OH (US);
James W. Paynter, Hilliard, OH (US);
Robin R. Bard, Dublin, OH (US);
Stephen J. H. Owens, Dublin, OH (US);
James Arthur Kitchen, Atlanta, GA (US);
David Gregory Smith, Atlanta, GA (US);
Leonard A. DeNittis, Atlanta, GA (US);
Kyle S. Brown, Santa Rosa, CA (US);
Michael S. Finney, Hilliard, OH (US);
Thomas Francis Johnson, III, Atlanta, GA (US);
Steve Feinstein, Atlanta, GA (US);
Michael L. Snider, Columbus, OH (US);
Randall S. Wright, Worthington, OH (US);
James W. Paynter, Hilliard, OH (US);
Robin R. Bard, Dublin, OH (US);
Cranberry Properties, LLC, Dulles, VA (US);
Abstract
A system is disclosed for integrating electronic mail, voice mail, and fax mail in a universal mailbox. Message receivers may access their messages with a telephone or a computer regardless of the communication medium used by the message sender. Using a telephone, message receivers may playback voice mail, redirect fax mail, and 'listen' to e-mail through a text-to-speech conversion process. Using a computer and modem, message receivers may playback voice mail, view fax mail, and read e-mail by accessing the universal mailbox via connection software. Message senders and receivers may choose from a variety of filter and forward options that allow them to manage their communications via the universal mailbox. Forwarding and conversion of messages is performed automatically. The options are used to define a set of rules to be applied to inbound and outbound messages so that messages are sent and received in accordance with the preferences of the senders and receivers.