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Electronic audio communications system with user accessible message groups    
United States Patent4581486   
Link to this pagehttp://www.wikipatents.com/4581486.html
Inventor(s)Matthews; Gordon H. (Plano, TX); Tansil; Thomas B. (Dallas, TX); Fannin; Michael L. (Dallas, TX)
AbstractAn advanced electronic telecommunications system is provided for the deposit, storage and delivery of audio messages to both user and non-users with limited access provided to the non-user under the control of the user. A Voice Message System (10) interconnects multiple private exchanges (12) of a subscriber with a central telephone office (22). Individual subscriber users may access the Voice Message System (10) through ON NET telephones (18) or OFF NET telephones (24). Selected non-users may be allowed access through the OFF NET telephones (24), the scope of the access of the selected non-users determined by a subscriber user. The Voice Message System (10) includes an administrative subsystem (60), call processor subsystem (62) and a data storage subsystem (64). The Voice Message System (10) enables the user to deposit a message in data storage subsystem (64) for automatic delivery to other addresses connected to the system. The user is also able to deposit a message for transmission to addressees of a unique group who are able to reply to all addressees in the group. The Voice Message System (10) also enables a user to access the system to determine if any messages have been in data storage subsystem (64) for him. Prerecorded instructional messages are deposited in the data storage subsystem (64) for instructing a user or a selected non-user on their progress in using the system.
   














 Title Information Submit all comments and votes
 
Patent Text Patent PDF Print Page Summary File History
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Inventor     Matthews; Gordon H. (Plano, TX); Tansil; Thomas B. (Dallas, TX); Fannin; Michael L. (Dallas, TX)
Owner/Assignee     VMX, Inc. (Richardson, TX)
Patent assignment
All assignments
Publication Date     * April 8, 1986
Application Number     06/427,532
PAIR File History     Application Data   Transaction History
Image File Wrapper   Patent Term   Fees
Litigation
Filing Date     September 29, 1982
US Classification     379/88.26 379/69 379/88.08 379/88.12 379/88.19 379/88.24
Int'l Classification     H04M 003/50
Examiner     Brown; Thomas W.
Assistant Examiner    
Attorney/Law Firm     Mills; Jerry W. Howison; Gregory M. ,
Address
Parent Case     RELATED APPLICATIONS This is a continuation-in-part of parent application Ser. No. 97,240 filed Nov. 26, 1979 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,371,752 issued Feb. 1, 1983.
Priority Data    
USPTO Field of Search     179/18 B 179/6.02 179/6.17 179/6.18 179/6.09 179/6.03 179/6.01 179/27 D 179/5 P 360/32 360/12 364/513.5 364/513 381/36 370/60 370/61 370/62
Patent Tags     electronic audio communications user accessible message groups
   
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 References Submit all comments and votes
 
*references marked with an asterisk below are user-added references
 U.S. References
 
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[0 after 0 votes]		4406925
Jordan
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Market Size
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$2B - $5B
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$0
 
$0   $2.5B   $5B   $7.5B   $10B
Market Share
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50% - 74.99%
25% - 49.99%
10 - 24.99%
5 - 9.99%
2 - 4.99%
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< 1%
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Reasonable Royalty
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75% - 100%
50% - 74.99%
25% - 49.99%
10 - 24.99%
5 - 9.99%
2 - 4.99%
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 Technical Review Submit all comments and votes
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What we claim is:

1. An electronic communication message system for connection to a private branch exchange telephone facility for use in facilitating communication between users of the private branch exchange, comprising:

an electronic digital signal processing means for controlling operation of the message system;

means for enabling an audio message originator to access the message system through said signal processing means from a telephone unit of the private branch exchange;

digital memory means for storing digital representations of an audio message originating from the telephone unit of the private branch exchange;

means for selecting a pre-stored unique group of message addresses from said digital memory means to receive the audio message from said message originator, each of the message addressees having a telephone unit associated therewith;

means for transmitting the audio message from said message originator to all of the message addressees in said unique group;

reply means for each of said message addressees in said unique group to allow the message addressee to reply to the audio message; and

means for transmitting a reply from any one of said message addressees to at least one of the other message addressees in said unique group in response to signals transmitted from the telephone unit of the one of said message addressees in said unique group that originates the reply.

2. The message system of claim 1 further comprising:

means for storing in said digital memory means a digital representation of an audible name for each of the message addressees in said unique group in association with each of the message addressees' addresses;

means for accessing the digital representations of said names stored in said digital memory means;

means for reproducing said names in analog format in conjunction with the