Methods and apparatus for operating on non-text messages

1. A method of operating on a non-text message, comprising:

searching said non-text message for one or more signal samples having pre-defined characteristics by comparing said one or more signal samples with a stored template having said pre-defined characteristics, said pre-defined characteristics having associated therewith a stored text-based equivalent;

upon finding one or more signal samples having said pre-defined characteristics, storing one or more pointers pointing to said found signal samples in said non-text message;

upon finding one or more signal samples having said pre-defined characteristics, associating a text string with said found signal samples;

storing said text string in an envelope for said non-text message; and

storing said one or more pointers in said envelope in association with said text string.

2. A method of operating on a non-text message, comprising:

searching said non-text message for one or more signal samples having pre-defined characteristics by comparing said one or more signal samples with a stored template having said pre-defined characteristics, said pre-defined characteristics having associated therewith a stored text-based equivalent;

upon finding one or more signal samples having said pre-defined characteristics, storing one or more pointers pointing to said found signal samples in said non-text message;

upon finding one or more signal samples having said pre-defined characteristics further operating on said non-text message; and

wherein said one or more signal samples having said pre-defined characteristics has an associated string of digits, and wherein said further operating on said non-text message comprises dialing said string of digits.

3. A method of operating on non-text messages comprising:

for each of one or more non-text messages,

searching each non-text message for one or more signal samples falling within one of a plurality of sets of pre-defined characteristics, each said one of said plurality of sets of pre-defined characteristics comprising at least one stored template having a pre-defined characteristic having associated therewith a stored text-based equivalent;

for each one or more signal samples found to fall within one of said sets of pre-defined characteristics, storing one or more pointers pointing to said found signal samples in association with said one of said sets of pre-defined characteristics in a message envelope for said each non-text message;

for each one or more signal samples found to fall within one of said sets of pre-defined characteristics, storing a text string in said message envelope for said each non-text message based on text-based equivalents to said one or more sets of pre-defined characteristics;

based on a user input, searching at least one said message envelope for at least one text string;

on finding one message envelope containing said at least one text string, operating on said non-text message associated with said found message envelope; and

wherein said user input requests a search for said at least one a text string representing at least one keyword and wherein said searching comprises searching said at least one message envelope for said at least one keyword.

4. A method of operating on non-text messages comprising:

for each of one or more non-text messages,

searching each non-text message for one or more signal samples falling within one of a plurality of sets of pre-defined characteristics, each said one of said plurality of sets of pre-defined characteristics comprising at least one stored template having a pre-defined characteristic having associated therewith a stored text-based equivalent;

for each one or more signal samples found to fall within one of said sets of pre-defined characteristics, storing one or more pointers pointing to said found signal samples in association with said one of said sets of pre-defined characteristics in a message envelope for said each non-text message;

for each one or more signal samples found to fall within one of said sets of pre-defined characteristics, storing a text string in said message envelope for said each non-text message based on text-based equivalents to said one or more sets of pre-defined characteristics;

based on a user input, searching at least one said message envelope for at least one text string;

on finding one message envelope containing said at least one text string, operating on said non-text message associated with said found message envelope; and

wherein said user input requests a search for any telephone number and wherein said step of searching for said at least one text string comprises searching for any string of digits of a length representing a telephone number.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said operating on said non-text message comprises dialing said at least one text string as a telephone number.

6. Apparatus for performing an operation on a message, comprising:

a non-text search engine arranged to search said message for one or more signal samples having pre-defined characteristics by comparing one or more signal samples with a stored template having said pre-defined characteristics, said pre-defined characteristics having associated therewith a stored text-based equivalent;

means for, upon finding one or more signal samples having said pre-defined characteristics, storing a pointer pointing to said found signal samples in said message; and

a memory storing text-based equivalents in association with said pre-defined characteristics for, upon said non-text search engine finding one or more signal samples having said pre-defined characteristics, associating a text string with said message.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising:

a text-based message operations engine to search text strings associated with said message for a given text string and, upon finding said given text string, further operating on said message.

8. Apparatus for operating on non-text messages comprising:

means for, for each of one or more non-text messages,

searching each non-text message for one or more signal samples falling within one of a plurality of sets of pre-defined characteristics, each said one of said plurality of sets of pre-defined characteristics comprising at least one stored template having a pre-defined characteristic having associated therewith a stored text-based equivalent;

for each one or more signal samples found to fall within one or said sets of pre-defined characteristics, storing one or more pointers pointing to said found signal samples in association with said one of said sets of pre-defined characteristics in a message envelope for said each non-text message; and

means for, for each one or more signal samples found to fall within one of said sets of pre-defined characteristics, storing a text string in said message envelope for said each non-text message based on text-based equivalents to said one or more sets of pre-defined characteristics.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

means for, based on a user input, searching each said message envelope for a text string having certain characteristics; and

means for, on finding one message envelope containing said text string having said certain characteristics, operating on said non-text message associated with said found message envelope.

10. A method of operating on a non-text message, comprising:

searching said non-text message for one or more signal samples having pre-defined characteristics by comparing said one or more signal samples with a stored template having said pre-defined characteristics, said pre-defined characteristics having associated therewith a stored text-based equivalent;

upon finding one or more signal samples having said pre-defined characteristics, storing one or more pointers pointing to said found signal samples in said non-text message;

storing said one or more pointers pointing to said found signal samples in an envelope for said non-text message;

wherein said searching comprises, for each set of a plurality of sets of pre-defined characteristics, searching said non-text message for one or more signal samples having said each set of pre-defined characteristics; and

storing said one or more pointers in said envelope in association with an ordinal, each ordinal representing a search for one of said sets of pre-defined characteristics.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said sets of pre-defined characteristics are sets of characteristics specified by a user through a user interface.

12. A method of operating on a non-text message, comprising:

searching said non-text message for one or more signal samples having pre-defined characteristics by comparing said one or more signal samples with a stored template having said pre-defined characteristics, said pre-defined characteristics having associated therewith a stored text-based equivalent;

upon finding one or more signal samples having said pre-defined characteristics, storing one or more pointers pointing to said found signal samples in said non-text message;

storing said one or more pointers pointing to said found signal samples in an envelope for said non-text message;

wherein said searching comprises, for each set of a plurality of sets of pre-defined characteristics, searching said non-text message for one or more signal samples having said each set of pre-defined characteristics; and

wherein said one or more pointers are signal sample pointers and further comprising, for said each set of pre-defined characteristics, storing a pre-defined characteristics pointer in said envelope pointing to an area in a memory in which said each set of pre-defined characteristics is stored and storing in association with said pre-defined characteristics pointer a description of a search effected by searching said non-text message for one or more signal samples having said each set of pre-defined characteristics.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said sets of pre-defined characteristics are sets of characteristics specified by a user through a user interface.

14. A method of operating on a non-text message, comprising:

searching said non-text message for one or more signal samples having pre-defined characteristics by comparing said one or more signal samples with a stored template having said pre-defined characteristics, said pre-defined characteristics having associated therewith a stored text-based equivalent;

upon finding one or more signal samples having said pre-defined characteristics, storing one or more pointers pointing to said found signal samples in said non-text message;

wherein said non-text message is a facsimile message; and

displaying a part of said facsimile message pointed to by one of said found signal samples.

15. A method of operating on non-text messages comprising:

for each of one or more non-text messages,

searching each non-text message for one or more signal samples falling within one of a plurality of sets of pre-defined characteristics, each said one of said plurality of sets of pre-defined characteristics comprising at least one stored template having a pre-defined characteristic having associated therewith a stored text-based equivalent;

for each one or more signal samples found to fall within one of said sets of pre-defined characteristics, storing one or more pointers pointing to said found signal samples in association with said one of said sets of pre-defined characteristics in a message envelope for said each non-text message;

for each one or more signal samples found to fall within one of said sets of pre-defined characteristics, storing a text string in said message envelope for said non-text message based on text-based equivalents to said one or more sets of pre-defined characteristics; and

wherein said non-text message comprises a facsimile message and said operating on said non-text message comprises displaying said one or more signal samples associated with said text string.