Abstract: An apparatus for overriding an automatic answer function of a telephone answering device includes a host computer in communication with the telephone answering device. The host computer includes an application running on the host computer, and the telephone answering device includes a controller operatively connected to a ring counter. The application is operatively connected to the controller. The controller resets the ring counter in response to a command prefix from the application which disables an automatic answer function of the telephone answering device and enables the application to answer an incoming call by controlling the telephone answering device.

Abstract: A method and system enhance communication capabilities between a message sender and a message recipient. The message sender generates a message notification that identifies to the recipient a recording/playback technique associated with message content. The recipient uses the information in the notification to load the playback technique. The information in the notification can be the code for the playback process or an indirect reference to the code, i.e., identification of the place from which the code can be retrieved.

Abstract: The reception part 30 outputs the text and the header of the received electronic mail to the voice synthesizing part 32. The voice font switching part 326 outputs the sander ID contained in the header to the voice font searching part 328. The voice font searching part 328 searches the voice feature data in the voice font database part 330 to have voice feature data in which the user ID contained in the header of the voice feature data matches the sender ID sent to the rhythm control part 322 and the voice generating part 324. The rhythm control part 322, the voice generating part 324 and the voice output part 38 read the content of the text in a voice feature indicated by the phonemes contained in the supplied voice feature data and generates a voice signal characterized by rhythm data contained in the header of the voice feature data for output.

Abstract: Voice data requires large storage resources even when compressed and takes a long time to retrieve. Further the required information cannot normally be directly located and it is difficult to analyze the voice data for statistical information. There is described a method for performing a voice recognition function on a voice telephone conversation to convert the conversation into text data using a voice processing system. The method comprises receiving voice data representing the telephone conversation comprising a first series of speech data from an agent interspersed with a second series of speech data from a client and storing the first and second series of speech data as a single body of voice data for later retrieval. Then a voice recognition function is performed on the voice data to convert it into text data representing the telephone conversation and the text data is stored for later retrieval. Such a solution allows entire days/weeks or even months of conversation to be stored and accessed.

Abstract: A method and system for organizing and managing information to be used by a voice mail system to facilitate call handling based on information contained in an address book having a database with entries corresponding to information about callers and a user interface. The method comprising the steps of automatically or manually creating an entry in the address book associated with the information about a caller, maintaining the address book based on a set of options provided by the user interface, and managing the voice mail system corresponding to the address book by interacting with the user interface. Calls can be initiated and different calls can be treated differently using the information in the address books.

Abstract: A wireless telephone with record and playback capability is disclosed. The telephone has an operation module, which transmits near-end signals and receives far-end signals, and a record module which writes transmission packets formed from the near-end signals in a first location of a memory and reception packets formed from the far-end signals in a second location of the memory. A playback module reads the transmission packets and the reception packets from the memory, and decodes the transmission packets into transmission speech samples and the reception packets into reception speech samples using transmission and reception decoders, respectively. Further, the playback module has a mixer to mix the transmission speech samples with the reception speech samples to form mixed speech signals for playback on a speaker.

Abstract: A telephone messaging system is provided that includes a telephonic component, a computer, and an interface between the telephonic component and the computer. The telephonic component receives and processes messaging requests from a remote unit. The computer stores messages and provides message information to the telephonic component in response to the messaging requests. The interface allows the computer to operate at a faster speed than the telephonic component. The computer contains a fast memory and a primary storage device for storing message data. The telephone messaging system is accessed by first storing a message in memory, then providing an n-word title for the message, each word being k-characters. Then a number of topic terms are created to identify the message by combining the n words from the title in two-word combinations without concern as to the order of each of the n topic words in the q topic terms. Messages stored in the system can then be accessed by the topic terms.