System and method for managing voicemails using metadata

• US 20040062367A1
• Filed: 09/26/2002
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Seaman, James Wesley, Gusler, Carl Phillip, Hamilton, Rick Allen II, Fellenstein, Craig William
• Granted Patent: US 7,260,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/301 Management of recordings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects

Abstract

A system and method for managing voicemails using metadata is presented. The metadata includes an audible introduction which a user records and associates the audible introduction to a voicemail. The user is also able to associate other types of metadata to a voicemail, such as a description data flag, a reminder flag, and a retention flag. Once the user associates the metadata with a voicemail, the user is able to retrieve the audible introduction and the voicemail in a sequential manner or through search criteria. The user is able to customize metadata based upon the user'"'"'s requirements.

Claims

1. A method for handling voice mail messages, said method comprising:

receiving a request from a user;

analyzing metadata corresponding to one or more saved voice mail messages, wherein the metadata includes an audible introduction regarding the corresponding voice mail message; and

retrieving metadata corresponding to at least one of the saved voicemail messages in response to the analysis.

2. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving the audible introduction; and

playing the audible introduction to the user.

3. The method as described in claim 2 further comprising:

receiving a message retrieval request wherein the message retrieval request corresponds to the voice mail message associated with the audible introduction; and

playing the associated voice mail message to the user.

4. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the request includes search criteria, the method further comprising:

comparing the metadata with the search criteria;

retrieving one or more audible introductions in response to the comparing; and

playing one or more of the audible introductions to the user.

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein at least one of the metadata is selected from the group consisting of a reminder data flag, a description data flag, and an audible introduction.

6. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the request corresponds to a request format and wherein the request format is selected from the group consisting of a DTMF tone and a speech pattern.

7. A method for handling voice mail messages, said method comprising:

receiving a message retrieval request from a user, the message retrieval request corresponding to a voice mail message;

retrieving the voice mail message in response to the receiving;

playing at least a portion of the voice mail message to the user;

receiving metadata corresponding to the voice mail message, wherein the metadata includes an audible introduction regarding the corresponding voice mail message;

associating the metadata with the voice mail message; and

storing the associated metadata in a non-volatile storage area.

8. The method as described in claim 7 wherein the metadata is selected from the group consisting of a reminder data flag, a description data flag, and an audible introduction.

9. The method as described in claim 7 further comprising:

playing a description data flag identifier to the user wherein the description data flag identifier corresponds to a description data flag; and

wherein the received metadata includes the description data flag and wherein the description data flag is associated with the voice mail message.

10. The method as described in claim 7 further comprising:

receiving a new description data request from the user wherein the new description data request includes a new description data flag identifier;

creating a new description data flag wherein the new description data flag corresponds to the new description data flag identifier; and

storing the new description data flag and the new description data flag identifier in the nonvolatile storage area.

11. The method as described in claim 7 wherein the metadata corresponds to a metadata format and wherein the metadata format is selected from the group consisting of a DTMF tone and a speech pattern.

12. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

one or more nonvolatile storage devices accessible by the processors; and

a voicemail handling tool to handle voicemails, the voicemail handling tool including;

means for receiving a request from a user;

means for analyzing metadata corresponding to one or more saved voice mail messages wherein the metadata includes an audible introduction regarding the corresponding voice mail message; and

means for retrieving metadata corresponding to at least one of the saved voicemail messages in response to the analysis.

13. The information handling system as described in claim 12 further comprising:

means for retrieving the audible introduction; and

means for playing the audible introduction to the user.

14. The information handling system as described in claim 13 further comprising:

means for receiving a message retrieval request wherein the message retrieval request corresponds to the voice mail message associated with the audible introduction; and

means for playing the associated voice mail message to the user.

15. The information handling system as described in claim 12 wherein the request includes a search criteria, the information handling system further comprising:

means for comparing the metadata with the search criteria;

means for retrieving one or more audible introductions in response to the comparing; and

means for playing one or more of the audible introductions to the user.

16. The information,handling system as described in claim 12 wherein at least one of the metadata is selected from the group consisting of a reminder data flag, a description data flag, and an audible introduction.

17. The information handling system as described in claim 12 wherein the request corresponds to a request format and wherein the request format is selected from the group consisting of a DTMF tone and a speech pattern.

18. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

one or more nonvolatile storage devices accessible by the processors; and

a voicemail handling tool to handle voicemails, the voicemail handling tool including;

means for receiving a message retrieval request from a user, the message retrieval request corresponding to a voice mail message;

means for retrieving the voice mail message in response to the receiving;

means for playing at least a portion of the voice mail message to the user;

means for receiving metadata corresponding to the voice mail message wherein the metadata includes an audible introduction regarding the corresponding voice mail message;

means for associating the metadata with the voice mail message; and

means for storing the associated metadata in a non-volatile storage area.

19. The information handling system as described in claim 18 wherein the metadata is selected from the group consisting of a reminder data flag, a description data flag, and an audible introduction.

20. The information handling system as described in claim 18 further comprising:

means for playing a description data flag identifier to the user wherein the description data flag identifier corresponds to a description data flag; and

wherein the received metadata includes the description data flag and wherein the description data flag is associated with the voice mail message.

21. The information handling system as described in claim 18 further comprising:

means for receiving a new description data request from the user wherein the new description data request includes a new description data flag identifier;

means for creating a new description data flag wherein the new description data flag corresponds to the new description data flag identifier; and

means for storing the new description data flag and the new description data flag identifier in the non-volatile storage area.

22. The information handling system as described in claim 18 wherein the metadata corresponds to a metadata format and wherein the metadata format is selected from the group consisting of a DTMF tone and a speech pattern.

23. A computer program product stored on a computer operable media for handling voicemail messages, said computer program product comprising:

means for receiving a request from a user;

means for analyzing metadata corresponding to one or more saved voice mail messages wherein the metadata includes an audible introduction regarding the corresponding voice mail message; and

means for retrieving metadata corresponding to at least one of the saved voicemail messages in response to the analysis.

24. The computer program product as described in claim 23 further comprising:

means for retrieving the audible introduction;

means for playing the audible introduction to the user;

means for receiving a message retrieval request wherein the message retrieval request corresponds to the voice mail message associated with the audible introduction; and

means for playing the associated voice mail message to the user.

25. The computer program product as described in claim 23 wherein the request includes a search criteria, the method further comprising:

means for comparing the metadata with the search criteria;

means for retrieving one or more audible introductions in response to the comparing; and

means for playing one or more of the audible introductions to the user.

26. The computer program product as described in claim 23 wherein at least one of the metadata is selected from the group consisting of a reminder data flag, a description data flag, and an audible introduction.

27. The computer program product as described in claim 23 wherein the request corresponds to a request format and wherein the request format is selected from the group consisting of a DTMF tone and a speech pattern.

28. A computer program product stored on a computer operable media for handling voicemail messages, said computer program product comprising:

means for receiving a message retrieval request from a user, the message retrieval request corresponding to a voice mail message;

means for retrieving the voice mail message in response to the receiving;

means for playing at least a portion of the voice mail message to the user;

means for receiving metadata corresponding to the voice mail message wherein the metadata includes an audible introduction regarding the corresponding voice mail message;

means for associating the metadata with the voice mail message; and

means for storing the associated metadata in a nonvolatile storage area.

29. The method as described in claim 28 wherein the metadata is selected from the group consisting of a reminder data flag, a description data flag, and an audible introduction.

30. The method as described in claim 28 further comprising:

means for playing a description data flag identifier to the user wherein the description data flag identifier corresponds to a description data flag; and

means for wherein the received metadata includes the description data flag and wherein the description data flag is associated with the voice mail message.

31. The method as described in claim 28 further comprising:

means for receiving a new description data request from the user wherein the new description data request includes a new description data flag identifier;

means for creating a new description data flag wherein the new description data flag corresponds to the new description data flag identifier; and

means for storing the new description data flag and the new description data flag identifier in the non-volatile storage area.

32. The method as described in claim 28 wherein the metadata corresponds to a metadata format and wherein the metadata format is selected from the group consisting of a DTMF tone and a speech pattern.