Method and system for group communication across electronic mail users and feature phone users

Abstract

Method and system for group communication across electronic mail users and feature phone users. A method for receiving electronic mails on a feature phone includes receiving a text message on the feature phone in response to a first electronic mail. The method also includes calling a telephonic number embedded in the text message to listen to an audio clip of the first electronic mail and providing a voice input as a response to the first electronic mail. The system includes a feature phone that receives a plurality of electronic mails. The system also includes one or more electronic devices, and a communication interface in electronic communication with the feature phone and the one or more electronic devices. The system further includes a memory that stores instructions, and a processor responsive to the instructions to receive a text message in response to an electronic mail transmitted by an electronic mail user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a computing device, a first message addressed to a user, the first message comprising first text data;   converting, via the computing device, the first text data to audio data;   generating, via the computing device, a second message comprising a telephonic number for enabling access to the audio data;   determining, via the computing device, a number of characters of the first text data of the first message, the determination further comprising comparing the number of characters to a predefined number;   conditionally communicating, via the computing device, the first text data of the first message based on the determination, the second message further comprising the first text data of the first message when the determined number of characters of the first text data is less than the predefined number; and   communicating, via the computing device, the second message to the user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second message further comprises information identifying a sender of the first message. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first message is an electronic mail message and the information identifying a sender of the first message comprises the sender's name and electronic mail address. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second message is a text message. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the predefined number of characters is indicative of a size limitation of the second message. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the converting is performed by an interactive voice response (IVR) unit. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, via the computing device, an indication of an interaction with the telephonic number within the second message; and   presenting the audio data to the user in response to the received indication.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, via the computing device, an audio response from the user; and   communicating, via the computing device, the audio response via a third message to a number of recipients.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the third message is an electronic mail message comprising second text data and the audio response is embedded as an audio file in the electronic mail message. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , communicating the audio response further comprising:
 receiving, at the computing device, the electronic message comprising the second text data and the audio file;   converting, via the computing device, the audio file embedded in the electronic mail message to third text data;   determining, via the computing device, a number of characters of the second and third text data, the determination further comprising comparing the number of characters to a predefined number and determining that the number of characters of the second and third text data is less than the predefined number;   generating, via the computing device, and based on the determination, a fourth message comprising the second and third text data and a telephonic number for enabling access to the audio file embedded in the electronic message; and   communicating, by the computing device, the fourth message to at least one of the number of recipients.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the fourth message is a text message that uses a messaging protocol having a message size limitation and the predefined number of characters is indicative of the message size limitation. 
     
     
         12 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly encoded with computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor associated with a computing device perform a method comprising:
 receiving a first message addressed to a user, the first message comprising first text data;   converting the first text data to audio data;   generating a second message comprising a telephonic number for enabling access to the audio data;   determining a number of characters of the first text data of the first message, the determination further comprising comparing the number of characters to a predefined number;   conditionally communicating the first text data of the first message based on the determination, the second message further comprising the first text data of the first message when the determined number of characters of the first text data is less than the predefined number; and   communicating the second message to the user.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein the first message is an electronic mail message and the second message is a text message. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein the predefined number of characters is indicative of a size limitation of the second message. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein the converting is performed by an interactive voice response (IVR) unit. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , the method further comprising:
 receiving an indication of an interaction with the telephonic number within the second message; and   presenting the audio data to the user in response to the received indication.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , the method further comprising:
 receiving an audio response from the user; and   communicating the audio response via a third message to a number of recipients, wherein the third message is an electronic mail message comprising second text data and the audio response is embedded as an audio file in the electronic mail message.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , communicating the audio response further comprising:
 receiving the electronic mail message comprising the second text data and the audio file;   converting the audio file embedded in the electronic mail message to third text data;   determining a number of characters of the second and third text data, the determination further comprising comparing the number of characters to a predefined number and determining that the number of characters of the second and third text data is less than the predefined number;   generating and based on the determination, a fourth message comprising the second and third text data and a telephonic number for enabling access to the audio file embedded in the electronic message; and   communicating the fourth message to at least one of the number of recipients.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein the fourth message is a text message that uses a messaging protocol having a message size limitation and the predefined number of characters is indicative of the message size limitation. 
     
     
         20 . A computing device comprising:
 a processor; and   a non-transitory storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising:
 receiving logic executed by the processor for receiving a first message addressed to a user, the first message comprising first text data; 
 converting logic executed by the processor for converting the first text data to audio data; 
 generating logic executed by the processor for generating a second message comprising a telephonic number for enabling access to the audio data; 
 determining logic executed by the processor for determining a number of characters of the first text data of the first message, the determination further comprising comparing the number of characters to a predefined number; 
 communicating logic executed by the processor for conditionally communicating the first text data of the first message based on the determination, the second message further comprising the first text data of the first message when the determined number of characters of the first text data is less than the predefined number; and 
   communicating logic executed by the processor for communicating the second message to the user.