FR2885473A1 - Voice message storing method for e.g. mobile telephone, involves arranging server for permitting storage of message on card for sending message to sending address or address associated to sending address - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves storing a voice message on a server by utilizing a mobile terminal and storing or selecting a sending address by utilizing the mobile terminal. The server is arranged for permitting the storage of the voice message on a card for sending the message to the sending address or an address associated to the sending address e.g. postal address, where the mobile terminal is associated to a telephony network.

Description

The present invention relates in particular to the recording of messages

voice.

  In general, in wireless telephony networks commonly used by the public, each user having a terminal can receive voice messages on an associated voicemail.

  The messages are not recorded on the terminal itself and the voice mail has the disadvantage of keeping the messages saved for a limited time for example to a few weeks, when the number of messages that can be kept is not himself capped.

  In addition, some operators offer their subscribers the possibility of saving a text written by dialing a particular number and retrieving this text by connecting to a predefined Internet address.

  The owner of a mobile terminal may receive a voice message that he wishes to keep non-temporarily, for example because this message carries an emotion. For example, a father who has received a message from his young son announcing that he has lost his second tooth and wishes to memorize this message in order to offer it later to his son, at the same time. as old photographs.

  However, the current telephone networks do not offer this possibility, so that the user must, if he wants to save the message, broadcast it on the earpiece of the terminal while recording with a microphone placed in front of the headphone, which affects the sound quality.

  The invention aims in particular to further improve the telephony networks and the way of archiving the audio data.

  According to a first of its aspects, the invention thus relates to a method of recording a voice message, in which: the voice message is recorded in a voicemail, associated with a terminal, of a telephony network , this messaging can only save the messages to the terminal for a predefined duration and / or a predefined number and / or predefined volume of data, the telephony network being arranged to allow the user of the terminal - of select a message at least partially for reception at a predetermined address, and - to allow the reception of this at least partially selected message at said address.

  The invention thus defined offers multiple advantages and allows the user to easily save audio messages in various forms.

  The invention also increases the number of applications of a portable terminal such as a mobile phone, for example.

  The telephony network can be arranged to allow the reception of the selected message at least partially in the form of a file readable by another terminal, in particular in the form of a compressed file, for example compressed to one of the formats.ram, .rmm,. rpm, .mp3, .mva, or.wav, this list not being limiting. The file may for example be created, in particular following commands and manipulations of the terminal, before it is sent to the predetermined address.

  In an exemplary implementation of the invention, the user can partially select a received message, this selection being made by means of the terminal. The telephony network may for example be arranged to allow the user of the terminal to choose the part of the message which he wishes to receive at said address. This may allow him, for example, to keep only the part of the message that really interests him, which may help to reduce the size of the files under which the messages will be received at the above address and may also allow to save the part of the message. selected message in a low capacity electronic circuit or in a magnetic or optical form readable by a camera.

  Furthermore, the terminal may advantageously comprise a key allowing the recording of a telephone conversation in progress in a memory of the terminal, and be arranged to then allow the user to select at least part of this recorded conversation in order to its receipt at said address. The recording can be performed on the terminal itself and / or remotely, by means of network data storage means.

  The network may be arranged to cause the selected message to be sent at least partially to a processing center where the message is recorded on a physical medium for delivery to a predefined destination. The message may for example be stored in an electronic memory, an optical disk such as a CD or DVD, a magnetic backup means or in the form of a code readable by a camera, for example a bar code, in particular matrix.

  The message selected at least partially can be associated with at least one image, if necessary, for example at least one image received by the user's terminal or at least one photograph. This image can be printed on the above mentioned hardware, if any.

  The telephony network may be arranged to allow the user to associate or to automatically associate the message at least partially selected information on the date of receipt by the terminal of this message.

  The telephony network may be arranged to allow the concatenation of at least a portion of the selected message with other audio data, for example with another portion of the same message or another message, before allowing the reception from the set to the determined address. This can allow for example the user to save multiple portions of the same message without saving the whole.

  The telephony network may be arranged to allow the loading in the terminal, as ringing, of the selected message at least partially. The user can thus hear for example the voice of a relative or acquaintance when this person calls, several sound sequences that can advantageously be saved by the terminal in association with respective caller numbers. For example, when a family member calls and their phone number is recognized by the device, an excerpt from a previous telephone conversation or message left by that person and downloaded from the voicemail service, can be used as a ringtone. The user of the terminal may, in an implementation example, select as a ringtone a word or an expression uttered by a given person, extracted from a conversation or a message left in the voicemail, sound sequence that the user could not have obtained otherwise, for example because the person is geographically distant or is not close to the user.

  In an exemplary implementation, the telephony network is arranged to allow reception of a transcription of the selected message at least partially. Speech recognition software or a human operator can be implemented on this occasion. Such a transcription may comprise for example a translation into a language other than that of the user or vice versa.

  The message selected at least partially from the voicemail service or any sound sequence recorded by the terminal during or out of a telephone conversation may still be sent to a processing center where that message is translated into a language defined by the user and returned to a predefined address, for example also given by the user, in the form of a voice message or alphanumeric.

  The network may be arranged to count an amount representative of the number and / or the duration of the messages selected by the user, for the purpose for example to bill it.

  Independently or in combination with the foregoing, the invention further relates, in another of its aspects, to a method for recording a voice message, in which: a voice message is recorded on a server via a terminal, mobile or other, - a sending address is registered or selected on the server via the terminal, the method in which the server is arranged to allow, for example by transmission to a processing center, the recording on a physical medium of the voice message to be sent to the sending address or to another address associated with this sending address.

  The message may be stored in an electronic memory, for example a chip fixed or attached to a card, an optical disk, a magnetic backup means or in the form of a code readable by a camera, in particular a matrix bar code , this list not being limiting.

  The voice message may, where appropriate, be associated with an image, which may be printed on another physical medium associated with the one in which the message is recorded, for example on a card associated with a message broadcasting device.

  The sending address may be a postal address or an email address, and in the latter case, the server is for example arranged to send to this email address an email asking in response to communicate the delivery address. This can be useful when for example only the e-mail address of the recipient is known.

  The invention further relates, in another of its aspects, a telephone network arranged for the implementation of the method as defined above.

  Another subject of the invention, according to another of its aspects, is a support comprising an apparent image and at least one code readable by a camera, containing an audio sequence associated with the image, for example an intelligible message obtained by setting implementation of the method as defined above. The code may still contain text, for example a transcription of such a message.

  Another object of the invention is, according to another of its aspects, a telephony network terminal, comprising a camera and at least one processor programmed to transform in at least one audio sequence a code present on a material medium and read by the camera, the code may contain for example audio data obtained by the implementation of the method as defined above.

  According to another of its aspects, a subject of the invention is a printer arranged to receive video data and audio data associated with this video data and to print an image comprising a code readable by a camera and containing at least a portion of the images. audio data, the latter coming for example from the implementation of the method as defined above.

  The invention further relates, in another of its aspects, independently or in combination with the foregoing, to a method for saving information associated with an image, in particular a voice message obtained for example in accordance with the foregoing, method in which: - the information is recorded in a listed manner, - the image is printed with a code readable by a camera, for example a matrix bar code, this code comprising a link to the listed information.

  The camera may for example belong to a mobile terminal, in particular a cameraphone or a digital camera that can exchange information over a wireless link, for example WI-FI or the like, with a computer.

  The information listed may for example be saved to files on a hard disk or other data storage medium, of the computer.

  In one example, the code is read by a cameraphone and the latter interrogates the computer on which the information listed is stored. The computer sends the cameraphone the corresponding information. If it is a voice message, it is then broadcast by the cameraphone. The message is for example constituted by a comment relating to the printed image. If necessary, the cameraphone screen can display information informing the user about this image, for example the shooting date, the location and the name of the person or persons in the image.

  In another example, the code read by the cameraphone is transmitted by the telephone network to the operator who, in return, transmits the audio information and / or other listed. This may imply that the operator backs up the listed information over a long period of time.

  Another subject of the invention, according to another of its aspects, is a computer system comprising a printer, a computer and a terminal, for example a cameraphone, system in which: the printer can receive at least one image to be printed and a link associated with the image, for example a file name, the term link should be understood in a narrow sense, - the printer is arranged to print on the same medium as the image a code readable by a camera, for example, an alphanumeric code or a bar code, in particular a matrix code, the code containing the link, the cameraphone is arranged to read this code and to transmit information representative of it to the computer, for example by a WI link. FI or the like, the computer is arranged to transmit to the cameraphone at least audio information associated with this code, the cameraphone is arranged to broadcast this audio information received from the computer.

  In the description and the claims, the term terminal must be understood in a broad sense and covers as well, unless otherwise stated, a mobile terminal that a fixed terminal, such as for example a mobile phone, a cameraphone, a digital personal assistant or a laptop capable of exchanging information over a wireless link.

  The term address includes a physical or computer address, for example an e-mail address or a telephone number.

  The invention will be better understood on reading the following detailed description of examples of non-limiting implementation of the invention, and on examining the appended drawing, in which: FIG. schematically a telephony network and its environment, in the case of an exemplary implementation of the invention, - Figure 2 is a block diagram of a terminal, - Figure 3 is an example of a format of save data of the audio message, - Figures 4 and 5 are two schematic views of the screen of the terminal in an exemplary implementation of the method according to the invention, -le 6 represents a support having a code readable by a FIG. 7 shows a card incorporating a device for broadcasting a recorded message, FIG. 8 schematically represents the device for broadcasting the message of the card of FIG. 7, and FIG. schematic an imprint mantle made according to one aspect of the invention.

  The telephony network, represented in FIG. 1, comprises data processing means 1, represented very schematically, receiving data streams from mobile terminals 2 via radio communication means 3.

  The network may include gateways to the Internet network 4 and the public switched telephone network 5.

  The processing means 1 may include data backup means 6, for example disk or magnetic tape, and means 7 billing management of different users of the network.

  The Internet network 4 allows computers 10 to receive information that can come from the processing means 1.

  The telephony network may be a wireless telephony network and may have any known or future architecture, for example a GSM, UMTS, GPRS or MMS architecture, as described in particular in the book MOBILE MESSAGING, TECHNOLOGIES AND SERVICES, GWENAEL THE BODIC, WILEY.

  The network includes a voicemail service for each subscriber, which makes it possible to save for example in the data backup means 6 the messages intended for the subscriber, for a predefined duration and / or in a capped number and / or in one predefined data volume.

  A terminal 2 may comprise, as can be seen in FIG. 2, means 12 which notably ensure the management of the data exchanged with the network and the reception and their transfer by radio and an identification module of the subscriber 13, by example a SIM card.

  The terminal 2 can still be configured so that it can be connected to any peripheral 15 such as, for example, a printer, another portable terminal, a computer or a screen, to cite only a few examples, the links being able to be made wired or no.

  The terminal 2 may include, where appropriate, a camera 14, consisting for example of a cameraphone.

  The processing means 1 are arranged in such a way as to enable the user to select a message received and recorded in the voicemail, in order to allow its subsequent reception at a predefined address, for example an e-mail address or a physical address. .

  To enable the selection of a message, information is exchanged between the terminal 2 and the processing means 1, this information causing for example the display on the screen of the terminal indications informing the user on the manipulations to be performed to save the message and allow it to be received at the predefined address later.

  The terminal 2 may for example display, as shown in Figure 3, a message indicating the date of receipt and the origin of the message listened.

  The terminal 2 can still display, as illustrated in FIG. 4, information inviting the user to enter the e-mail or physical address of the message, for example by means of the keyboard or by voice recognition.

  In an exemplary implementation of the invention, the telephony network and / or the terminal 2 may also allow the user to send to the aforementioned address only a portion of the selected message.

  The terminal 2 may for example be arranged to allow the user to listen to the selected message and, by pressing one or more keys, for example to mark the beginning and the end of the part of the message to be sent to said address .

  When reading the message, an indicator 17 may be displayed so as to allow the user to view the total duration of the message and the situation in time of the beginning and the end of the selected part. The latter may for example be displayed in a different color.

  If necessary, the terminal 2 can be arranged to allow the saving of several portions of the same message. In this case, the selected portions may for example be saved in a concatenated form before being received at the address defined by the user.

  It may be for example excerpts of a conversation between several people, and for example excerpts in which we hear only one of these people, for example a child. Thus, the method according to the invention makes it possible to preserve the memory of privileged moments.

  After selection of at least part of a message, it can be stored for example in the backup means 6 by the network processing means 1 in a format comprising, for example, as illustrated in FIG. data 20 for identifying the subscriber, for example data relating to the SIM card present in the terminal 2, audio data 22, data 21 providing information on the length of the audio data 22 saved, data 23 giving information for example on the date and the origin of the message and data 24 giving, for example, the address of reception of the message. Of course, the data can be saved in many other formats, depending for example on the architecture of the network.

  In an exemplary implementation of the invention, the selected message is sent in the form of a file by the Internet network 4 to a computer 10 whose address has been communicated by the user of the terminal 2. This file For example, it contains information about its origin and the audio data is attached as a file, for example in the format.wav.

  In another exemplary embodiment, the user of the terminal 2 does not specify a reception address for each backup of a message, which is already known by the network operator. This may be for example an address provided by the user during the subscription. If necessary, different possible addresses for sending a selected message can be displayed on the terminal screen and the user selects one.

  The selected message can still be recovered, in another variant, through the Internet network 4, in the form of a computer file, for example in .wav format or other, after connection of the computer 10 to a site of the network operator.

  The user of the computer 10 can then for example identify himself and then download on the computer 10 the file corresponding to the selected message.

  Once the selected message downloaded to the computer 10, this message can be saved on any appropriate support such as for example an optical disk or an electronic memory.

  In an exemplary implementation of the invention, the computer 10 is arranged to generate an image comprising a code readable by a camera and containing the selected voice message, when the duration of the latter allows it, or a code containing a link to retrieve audio data corresponding to this message, this image is then printed.

  The code, which is for example a matrix bar code 18, can be read on the printed image by means of a camera, for example that of a cameraphone, the decoding of information being carried out using an adapted algorithm.

  The cameraphone may include a processor programmed to read the code and broadcast the corresponding audio data after decompression.

  The patent application US 2004/0016814 describes a portable terminal arranged to read a matrix bar code. Such a terminal could be programmed to transform the decoded data into a sound sequence or to read an encrypted link in the bar code.

  The support 19 on which the code is printed is for example paper and the code may be associated with a photograph 20, the computer 10 being for example arranged to allow the user to load himself the file containing the photograph in front of be associated with code 18 on the support 19.

  The support 19 may for example be a greeting card, for example birthday, and the message recorded in the code 18 be constituted by the voice of a child congratulating the recipient.

  In another example of implementation of the invention, an audio sequence corresponding for example to the message selected by the user with the terminal 2 is transmitted directly by the telephony network or in another way by the user, to a center 22 loaded, for example, to record it on a medium 23 and to physically send this medium 23 to a physical address, which may have been communicated by the user of the terminal 2 at the time of saving the selected message or have been communicated previously or subsequently by the user, through the Internet network 4 or the telephone network or otherwise.

  The support 23 is for example a card as illustrated in FIG. 7, comprising two flaps and an electronic device 25 represented in FIG. 8, comprising a switch 26 that changes state when the card is opened, so as to cause the reading by an electronic circuit 25 of the message recorded in it and its diffusion by a speaker 26. The electronic circuit 25 is known in itself, being for example similar to those used for musical greeting cards.

  The support 23 may also be an optical disk or a computer-readable electronic circuit, for example after connection to a USB port or to any other connector on the computer.

  According to another exemplary implementation, audio data is transferred to a printer, which may also have received video data, for example an image file.

  The printer may include an algorithm for transforming the received audio data into a code readable by a camera, so as to allow the subsequent reading thereof for example by means of a terminal equipped with a camera, as described above , in order to obtain a sound commentary associated with the photograph.

  The user can then, for example, constitute a family album with his children at different ages and each photograph may contain a code containing an associated audio sequence, such as for example the recording of the voice of the one on the photograph . This sequence can be read with a specific or multi-purpose reader, for example a cameraphone.

  In an implementation variant of the invention, the code printed with the image does not contain the audio data itself but a link to them, for example the name of a file where these audio data are recorded. .

  In this case, the terminal can send this code to a personal computer, for example by a WI-FI link or the like, or to a server of the telephony network, where these are listed, and receives back the audio data for disseminate them.

  According to another exemplary implementation, the terminal 2 may be arranged to allow the recording of a telephone conversation by pressing a key on the keyboard, for example. For example, pressing the key may trigger the recording and press again to stop it.

  The entire recorded conversation or only part of it can be transmitted as a selected audio sequence to the telephony network, in order to receive it at a predefined address, as described previously, or its backup listed in association with an image.

  If necessary, the audio data can be transmitted by the terminal to a printer, the audio data being associated with video data, and the printer prints with the image a code that contains the audio data or a link to them.

  Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples which have just been described.

  The various examples of implementation of the invention described above can in particular be combined with each other.

  Throughout the description, including the claims, the phrase having one must be understood as being synonymous with at least one, unless the opposite is specified.

Claims (13)

  A method for recording a voice message, wherein: a voice message is recorded on a server via a mobile terminal; a sending address is recorded or selected on the server via the mobile terminal, the server being arranged to allow the recording on a physical medium (19) of the voice message to be sent to the sending address or to another address associated with this sending address.   2. Method according to the preceding claim, wherein the mobile terminal is associated with a telephony network.   3. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the message is stored in an electronic memory (25), a chip fixed or attached to a card, an optical disk, a magnetic backup means or in the form of a code readable by a camera, in particular a matrix bar code (18).   4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hardware support comprises a card, the card having two flaps.   A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the voice message results from concatenating at least a portion of a selected message with other audio data, for example with another portion of the same message or another message.   The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the voice message is associated with an image.   7. Method according to the preceding claim, wherein the image is printed on another material medium associated with the one in which the message is recorded, in particular on a card (19, 23) associated with a message broadcasting device (25, 26).   8. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sending address is a postal address or an e-mail address.   9. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sending address is an electronic address and the server is arranged to send to this email address an email asking in response to communicate the delivery address.   10. Support having an apparent image and at least one code readable by a camera, containing an audio sequence associated with the image, the audio sequence being an intelligible message recorded by the implementation of the method according to any one of the preceding claims.   11. Card, including greeting card (19) or two-panel card (23), supporting at least one message recorded by the implementation of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.   12. Telephony network terminal, comprising a camera and at least one processor programmed to transform into at least one audio sequence a code present on a material medium and read by the camera, the code containing audio data recorded by the implementation process according to any one of claims 1 to 9.   A printer arranged to receive video data and audio data associated with this video data and to print an image comprising a code readable by a camera and containing at least a portion of the audio data, the latter resulting from the implementation of the method according to any of claims 1 to 9.