KR20020079020A - Voice communication method using E-mail and system thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A voice communication method and system using an E-mail is provided to call an E-mail recipient in real time by transmitting the E-mail to which a voice communication button is attached. CONSTITUTION: An authentication unit(12) receives an identification number of an E-mail sender according as an E-mail recipient clicks a voice communication button, confirms the identification number of the E-mail sender, and authenticates whether a voice communication connects. In case that the authentication of the identification number of the E-mail sender is performed in the authentication unit(12), a call connection unit(13) connects calls for performing the voice communication between a wired and wireless communication device(60) of the E-mail recipient or a terminal unit(40) of the E-mail recipient connected to the Internet and a wired and wireless communication terminal(70) or a terminal unit(50) of the E-mail sender connected to the Internet.

Description

Voice communication method and system using e-mail and system

The present invention relates to a voice communication method and system using e-mail, and more particularly, to a voice communication method and system that enables an e-mail user who clicks a voice communication button attached to a received e-mail to immediately communicate with an e-mail sender.

Recently, as the Internet is widely used, information exchange using the Internet is widely performed, and various services such as e-commerce, auctions, cyber financial services, and cyber education services are provided in a virtual space called the Internet. In addition, with the development of the Internet, each company is operating a company's homepage, and it is becoming more common to perform online activities such as advertisements and consumer counseling, which were previously performed offline.

However, these services and business activities through the Internet have limitations for customers and companies to communicate in real time. Advertisements on the homepage or via e-mail are only one-sided advertisements, and the active participation of customers is difficult. to be.

In addition, if the customer wants to speak directly with the person in charge of the company because the information that the customer wants is not listed on the homepage or the advertisement or the e-mail received by the customer, it is inconvenient to find the phone number of the company and call the customer. The problem is that the phone number may not be the phone number of the person who can provide the information they want, and it is more difficult and one-way than expressing it verbally than writing it. There is a problem that takes time because the results of consultation should be obtained through feedback.

On the other hand, as part of efforts to overcome the limitation of text information of e-mail or homepage and to reduce the cost of communication cost, VoIP technology has been developed to enable voice communication on the Internet. Voice communication is possible at no extra cost.

However, in the case of a service that provides voice communication over the Internet using VoIP technology, the operating mode replaces the existing wired / wireless telephone network with the Internet network and restores the data packetized to the original voice by enabling voice transmission to the Internet. Providing voice communication, there is only a difference in the form of voice communication path and voice data in the wired and wireless telephone network, but there is a limit to use in the advertising and counseling via email.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in an effort to provide a voice communication method and system using e-mail.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer-readable recording medium recording a voice communication method using e-mail.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of a voice communication system using e-mail according to the present invention.

2 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of enabling a voice call through an internet terminal unit of an email receiver and a sender for the voice communication method using email according to the present invention.

3 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of enabling a voice call through a wired / wireless communication terminal of an email receiver and an internet terminal of a sender for a voice communication method using an email according to the present invention.

4 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of enabling a voice call through a wired / wireless communication terminal of an email sender and an internet terminal of a receiver for a voice communication method using email according to the present invention.

5 is a diagram illustrating a flow of billings for service application and voice communication for receiving a voice communication service using a voice communication method or system using e-mail according to the present invention.

6 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment in which an e-mail sender and a voice call are different in a voice communication method using e-mail according to the present invention.

In order to achieve the above technical problem, a voice communication method using an e-mail according to the present invention comprises the steps of: (a) receiving an identification number of an e-mail sender according to a click of a voice communication button from a recipient of an e-mail to which a voice communication button is attached; And (b) providing voice communication between the email recipient and the email sender according to the identification number of the email sender.

In addition, the voice communication system using an e-mail according to the present invention receives the e-mail sender's identification number according to the click of the voice communication button from the recipient of the e-mail with the voice communication button attached, and confirms the e-mail sender's identification number to determine whether the voice communication is connected. Authentication unit for authenticating the; And when the authentication unit authenticates the identification number of the e-mail sender, a wired communication terminal of the e-mail receiver, a wireless communication terminal, or a wired communication terminal of the e-mail receiver and a wired communication terminal of the e-mail sender, a wireless communication terminal, or the Internet connected to the Internet. It characterized in that it comprises a call connection unit for connecting a call to enable voice communication between the terminal unit of the email sender connected to.

Hereinafter, a voice communication method and system using e-mail according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of a voice communication system using e-mail according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the voice communication system 10 using an email according to the present invention receives an identification number of an email sender according to a click of a voice communication button from a recipient of an email to which an email communication button is attached and identifies the email sender. The authentication unit 12 and the authentication unit 12 verifying the voice communication by confirming the number, if the authentication number of the sender of the email is authenticated, the wired / wireless communication means 60 of the email recipient or an email connected to the Internet. And a call connection unit 13 for connecting a call to enable voice communication between the terminal unit 40 of the receiver and the wire / wireless communication terminal 70 of the email sender or the terminal unit 50 of the email sender connected to the Internet.

The wired / wireless communication terminals 60 and 70 of the e-mail recipient and the e-mail sender include a device for providing voice communication such as a mobile communication means including a landline telephone connected to a public telephone network (PSTN) and a portable telephone connected to a wireless network. do. The wired / wireless communication terminals 60 and 70 of the email receiver and the email sender have one end connected to the wired / wireless communication network 30 and the other end connected to the call connection unit 13 to enable voice communication.

On the other hand, the terminal 40, 50 of the e-mail recipient and the e-mail sender is connected to the Internet 20, one end is connected to the call connection unit 13, the e-mail transmission and reception and voice communication using the VoIP technology is possible. . Terminal units 40 and 50 of the e-mail recipient and the e-mail sender may be a personal computer equipped with communication equipment, a PDA, a palmtop computer, or the like.

The authentication unit 12 confirms the identification number of the sent email sender and authenticates the voice communication when it is determined that the sender can use the voice communication button. Operation unit 11 Generalizes the operation of each component of the voice communication system using the e-mail according to the present invention, if there is authentication of voice communication in the authentication unit 12, voice between the e-mail recipient and the e-mail sender through the call connection unit 13; Communication is possible. The authentication unit 12 includes a user ID of a user who subscribes to a voice communication service using e-mail, an IP address of the user's computer or a telephone number of a wired / wireless voice communication terminal, a service use contract including charging conditions, and the like. The information database 12-1 may be further provided.

The call connection unit 13 includes a connection unit 13-1 for connecting a communication line between terminals, such as a personal computer, which is connected to the Internet and has a unique IP address, and such a connection unit 13-1 is a router, such as a router. It can be equipment. On the other hand, the call connection unit 13 preferably includes a VoIP gateway 13-2 that enables voice communication using the VoIP technology between the personal computer and the wired / wireless communication means. Routers and VoIP gateways are easily understood by those skilled in the art, and thus detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

Voice communication system using the e-mail according to the present invention 10 grants permission to attach a voice call button to the e-mail sender when the e-mail sender 14 and the number of voice calls or voice call time for each e-mail sender It is preferable to further include a charging unit 15 to check the billing.

In the granting authority 14, the conditions for providing the voice communication service such as the use of the voice communication service for a predetermined period (for example, one month or one year), the use of the voice communication service for a certain number of times according to the amount, etc. are presented. Grant permission. At this time, it is preferable that the user inputs a unique identification number or grants a unique identification number to the user in the permission to use 14. The identification number may be an ID according to the user. In this case, the user inputs the telephone number of the wired / wireless communication terminal or the IP address of the personal computer that the user wants to talk with, and the authentication unit 12 performs voice communication with the email sender. The e-mail sender retrieves the selected voice communication means and authenticates the e-mail recipient and the e-mail sender for voice communication.

In addition, the unique identification number described above may be a telephone number of a wired / wireless communication terminal or a personal computer IP address that a user wants to call, and in this case, the authentication unit 12 confirms as a user who subscribes to an e-mail service without a separate search procedure. If so, the e-mail recipient and the e-mail sender are authenticated for voice communication.

The charging unit 15 checks the voice communication frequency or call time by sending an e-mail to which the voice communication button is attached, and charges each user according to the service usage condition selected by each user.

On the other hand, it is preferable that the user attaches a voice communication button to an e-mail sent by the user so that the user can select a voice communication means to call the recipient of the e-mail before sending the e-mail or the e-mail including the voice communication button. That is, the user may enter a phone number of the wired / wireless communication terminal or input the IP address of the computer to which the communication means is attached by using a separate setting menu.

2 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a voice communication method using e-mail according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, an email sender composes an email using an email writing tool such as Outlook Express, Eudora, Netscape Communicator, or a web page providing an email service on his email sender terminal unit 50, and writes an email in a signature field of the email. Send an e-mail to an e-mail recipient by creating an e-mail from an e-mail creation tool or web page provided with a voice communication button or by attaching a voice communication button.

The voice communication button attached to an e-mail or included in an e-mail writing tool or an e-mail service page provided on a web page may take the form of an icon and may also take the form of an attachment. The voice communication button includes an identification number for voice communication, such as a telephone number of a wired / wireless communication terminal 70 that an email sender wants to make a voice call with an email recipient or an IP address of an email sender terminal 50. It is preferable to use the terminal unit 50 or the wired or wireless communication means 70 to select the desired voice communication means.

The identification number included in the voice communication button may be a unique ID that can identify the sender, such as a member number recognized by a company providing a voice communication service using e-mail. In this case, the authentication unit 12 includes a user's ID including the ID of the user who subscribed to the voice communication service using e-mail, the IP address of the user's computer or the telephone number of the wired / wireless voice communication terminal, and the contents of the service use contract including charging conditions. It is preferable to further provide the information database 12-1.

If the email recipient who has received the email with the voice communication button wants to talk to the email sender, the email receiver clicks the voice communication button displayed on his terminal 40 and accordingly the email included in the voice communication button The sender's identification number is transmitted to the voice communication system 10 using the e-mail according to the invention (step 200). If the e-mail sender's identification number is the telephone number of the wired / wireless voice communication terminal, when the e-mail receiver clicks the voice communication button, the e-mail recipient is displayed by displaying the e-mail sender's phone book containing the phone number of one or more e-mail senders. Can select the phone number you want to call.

At this time, if the e-mail receiver wants to talk with the e-mail sender using a wired / wireless communication terminal rather than the terminal unit 40 such as a computer connected to the Internet, enter the identification number of his / her own wired / wireless communication terminal 60 such as a telephone number. It is desirable to be able to click the voice communication button.

The authenticator 12 checks the identification number of the received email sender and authenticates the voice communication when it is determined to be a legitimate user identification number (step 210). The operation unit 11 checks whether the email recipient's telephone number is received together with the email sender's identification number (step 220), and if the email recipient's telephone number is not received, confirms whether the email sender's identification number is an IP address. (Step 230). If the telephone number of the wired / wireless communication terminal of the email recipient is received, the flow proceeds to step 300. If the identification number of the email sender is the phone number of the wired / wireless communication terminal of the email sender, the flow proceeds to step 400.

If the identification number of the email sender is confirmed as the IP address in step 230, voice communication using the VoIP technology is possible between the email receiver and the email sender through the connection unit 13-1 (step 240). Through the above process, the e-mail recipient and the e-mail sender can make a voice call at the same time as the e-mail is received on the Internet (step 250). The charging unit 15 determines the talk time or the number of calls based on the charging condition according to the e-mail sender's selection. Is charged by (step 260).

3 is a flowchart of another embodiment of a voice communication method using e-mail according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, when the telephone number of the wired / wireless communication terminal 60 of the email recipient is received in step 130, the operation unit 11 confirms whether the identification number of the email sender is an IP address (step 310). If the identification number of the email sender is an IP address, voice communication is connected to the terminal 50 of the email sender via the connection unit 13-1 (step 320), and the email recipient corresponding to the telephone number received through the VoIP gateway. The telephone is connected to the wired / wireless communication terminal 60 (step 330). Through the above process, a voice call is possible between the e-mail recipient and the e-mail sender (step 340). As described with reference to FIG. 2, the charging is performed as in step 260 (step 350).

If the identification number of the email sender is confirmed as the telephone number of the wired / wireless communication terminal 70 of the email sender in step 310 (step 360), call the wired / wireless communication terminal 70 of the email sender through the VoIP gateway 13-2. (Step 370), the process proceeds to step 330, whereby a voice call is possible between the email sender and the receiver.

In step 360, if the identification number of the email sender is not the telephone number of the wired / wireless communication terminal 70 of the email sender, the terminal corresponding to the identification number of the email sender is searched by searching the user information database 12-1 (step 380). Connect voice communication with negative IP address or telephone number of wired / wireless communication terminal. In step 380, if the identification number of the email sender is the IP address of the terminal of the email sender, the flow proceeds to step 320, and if the phone number of the wire / wireless communication terminal is the flow, step 370 (step 390). If the identification number of the email sender does not exist in the user information database 12-1, it is desirable to transmit that the voice communication cannot be connected to the email recipient. If the identification number of the e-mail sender is an ID, the e-mail sender can access a voice communication system using e-mail and select a voice communication means to call at any time.

4 is a flowchart of another embodiment of a voice communication method using e-mail according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, if the identification number of the email sender is not an IP address in step 230, the identification number of the email sender is determined to be a telephone number of the wired / wireless communication terminal 70 of the email sender (step 410). When the telephone number of the wired / wireless communication terminal 70 is confirmed, the telephone is connected to the wired / wireless communication terminal 70 of the email sender through the VoIP gateway 13-2 (step 420). Voice communication between the email sender and the email receiver is enabled through steps 420 to 430, and then voice calls and billing are performed through steps 440 to 450.

5 is a diagram illustrating a flow of billings for service application and voice communication for receiving a voice communication service using a voice communication method or system using e-mail according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, a user accesses a voice communication system using email according to the present invention through a terminal unit or a wired / wireless communication terminal such as a computer, and pays a price according to an e-mail voice communication service use application and usage conditions (step 500 ). The use permission granting unit 14 confirms whether payment is made according to the use condition selected by the user and gives the user the right to attach a voice communication button to the e-mail (step 510). At this time, the use permission granting unit 14 may transmit a dedicated e-mail writing tool capable of voice communication using an e-mail provided with a voice communication button to the user terminal or wired or wireless communication means.

The user who has been granted the permission to use the voice communication service using e-mail through the procedure described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 (step 520), and pays the billed amount according to the selected terms of use. (Step 530). Such payment can be prepaid by setting a certain amount of calls or number of calls when applying for service use, and can be paid later according to the amount or number of calls.

6 is a flowchart of another embodiment of a voice communication method using e-mail according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, when a party talking to an email receiver is not an email sender, and an advertiser such as a corporation confers with a company that performs advertisement / marketing using an email, an advertisement / marketing agency using an email may have a voice communication button. Send the attached e-mail to the customer targeted for advertising or marketing. When the email receiver wants to talk to the advertiser, the voice communication button attached to the email can be clicked to enable voice communication between the advertiser and the customer as described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4. In this case, it is natural that an advertisement / marketing agency using an e-mail inputs an identification number including an IP address of a terminal requested by an advertiser or a phone number of a wired / wireless communication terminal in a setting menu of a voice communication button when sending an e-mail to a customer.

On the other hand, according to the voice communication method and system using the e-mail according to the present invention, the individual pays a certain amount of money to the operator operating the voice communication method or system according to the present invention to perform voice communication for a predetermined number or time. If the e-mail is sent after attaching the voice communication button in which the telephone number of the wired / wireless communication terminal or the IP address of the computer connected to the Internet is input to the e-mail, the toll-free call can be realized as in the 080 service.

In each of the above embodiments, it is preferable that the voice communication button attached to the e-mail is automatically deleted after a certain time elapses. That is, a certain time (for example, one hour, one day, etc.) has elapsed since the recipient opened the e-mail, or a certain time (one day, e.g., when the e-mail arrived at the receiver 60 or the wired / wireless communication terminal 40). After one week, the voice communication button attached to the e-mail is deleted. In addition, instead of the voice communication button is deleted, it is possible to make a call connection is impossible, in this case, it is preferable to display the contact information such as the phone number of the email sender on the voice communication button.

The invention can also be embodied as computer readable code on a computer readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes all kinds of recording devices in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of computer-readable recording media include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disks, optical data storage devices, and the like, which are also implemented in the form of carrier waves (for example, transmission over the Internet). Include. The computer readable recording medium can also be distributed over network coupled computer systems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion.

In the above description, a voice communication method and a system using e-mail have been described through a representative embodiment, but a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs performs the present invention in another specific form without changing the technical spirit or essential features. I can understand that it can be. Therefore, the above-described embodiments are to be understood as illustrative in all respects and not as restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown by the following claims rather than the detailed description, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention. do.

According to the voice communication method and system using an e-mail according to the present invention, a real-time call can be made with an e-mail recipient by transmitting an e-mail with a voice communication button attached thereto. In addition, if the present invention is applied to the advertisement or marketing through the company's e-mail, it is possible to promote the sales through the real-time call with the customer and to strengthen the customer management, and when the customer needs to call the company, The customer satisfaction is improved because the call is made in the form of a receiver burden which is not economically burdened.

In addition, by making an instant call connection between the client's customer service agent and the target email recipient, customers can immediately respond when they have a question or want more detailed information, thereby facilitating sales and more effective advertising and promotion of services or products. . On the other hand, by applying the voice communication button embedded with the phone number of each individual wired and wireless communication terminal in the signature column of the personal e-mail, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the introduction of my own 080 phone in the form of toll payment.

Claims (12)

(a) receiving the identification number of the email sender according to the click of the voice communication button from the recipient of the email with the voice communication button attached; And (b) providing a voice communication between the email recipient and the email sender according to the identification number of the email sender. The method of claim 1, The identification number of the email sender is a unique IP address assigned to the terminal of the email sender. The voice communication method using the e-mail, characterized in that for providing a voice communication between the e-mail recipient and the e-mail sender using the VoIP technology in step (b). The method of claim 1, The identification number of the email sender is a recognition number of a wired or wireless communication means of the email sender, In step (b), the call recipient is connected to the call using VoIP technology, and the caller is connected to the caller using a wired or wireless communication means to provide voice communication between the email recipient and the sender. Voice communication method using an email. The method of claim 1, The identification number of the email sender is a unique IP address assigned to the terminal of the email sender. The step (a) further comprises the step of receiving the identification number of the wired or wireless communication means of the email recipient to call the email sender from the recipient of the email with the voice communication button attached, The step (b) is to connect the call to the email recipient by wire or wireless communication means of the email recipient, and to connect the call with the email sender using VoIP technology, to provide voice communication between the email recipient and the email sender. Voice communication method using an email. The method of claim 1, The identification number of the email sender is a recognition number of a wired or wireless communication means of the email sender, The step (a) further comprises the step of receiving the identification number of the wired or wireless communication means of the email recipient to call the email sender from the recipient of the email with the voice communication button attached, In the step (b), the voice connection between the email recipient and the email sender is provided by connecting a call to the email recipient and the email sender by wire or wireless communication means of the email recipient and the email sender, respectively. Communication method. The method of claim 5, The identification number of the wired or wireless communication is a voice communication method using an e-mail, characterized in that one or more wired or wireless telephone number according to the predetermined information of the e-mail sender wants the call. The method according to claim 1, wherein The voice communication button is a voice communication method using an e-mail, characterized in that can be attached to the e-mail only to the e-mail sender who has been given a predetermined call volume or a predetermined period of use in advance. The method according to claim 1, wherein The voice communication button attached to the e-mail is a voice communication method using the e-mail, characterized in that the connection to the e-mail sender when a certain period of time is clicked. An authentication unit for receiving the identification number of the email sender according to the click of the voice communication button from the recipient of the email to which the voice communication button is attached and checking the identification number of the email sender to authenticate the voice communication connection; And If the authentication unit authenticates the identification number of the email sender, the terminal of the email receiver connected to the wired / wireless communication terminal of the email recipient or the Internet and the terminal of the email sender connected to the wired / wireless communication terminal of the email sender or the Internet. Voice communication system using an e-mail, characterized in that it comprises a call connection for connecting the call to enable voice communication between. The method of claim 9, wherein the call connection portion, A VoIP gateway providing voice communication between the email receiver and the email sender using the Internet and a wired or wireless communication network; And Voice communication system using an email, characterized in that it comprises a connection for providing voice communication between the email recipient and the sender of the email using the Internet network. The method of claim 9, Granting permission to give an e-mail sender the right to attach a voice communication button when sending an e-mail; And Voice communication system using an email characterized in that it further comprises a billing unit for charging by checking the number of voice communication times or voice communication time for each email sender. (a) receiving the identification number of the email sender according to the click of the voice communication button from the recipient of the email with the voice communication button attached; And (b) a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for causing a computer to execute voice communication between an email recipient and an email sender according to the identification number of the email sender.