The invention refers to a method for operating a voice mail system connected to a telecommunication system, comprising a recorder with a message storage connected thereto.
In large telecommunication systems, which may comprise in particular a plurality of terminals or extension, voice mail systems (also called automatic answering machine) are often connected via a private automatic branch exchange to the telephone network and serve for receiving incoming calls when the recipient or party concerned is absent or busy. When the calling party is forwarded to the voice mail system, he is greeted first of all and then asked to leave a message. With most systems, the greeting can be configured individually for each calling party and can in particular consist in mentioning his name. For the storage of the message, after the greeting, which is usually initiated by a suitable signal in the manner of a request, the voice mail system comprises as a rule a recorder with which a message storage is connected in the manner of a mailbox of the respect-tive user. The recipient of the call can, therefore, start the voice mail system later in order to hear the messages stored in the mailbox.
The recall of the speech message stored in the voice mail system is, however, too unpracticable for further use and evaluation of the information contained in the speech message, especially in case of commercial use of the voice mail system. The recipient of the speech message is not in a position to edit the information in a suitable manner and to integrate it into his existing information and communication system.
Therefore, the invention is based on the problem to provide a suitable method for operating a voice mail system, with the help of which the recipient can use in a particularly flexible way a speech message stored in the voice mail system.
The problem is solved by the invention by converting a speech message collected by the recorder, storable as a speech information in the message storage by means of a speech-to-text conversion module into a text message.