System and method for providing an automatic response to a telephone call

• US 20040203794A1
• Filed: 05/06/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Amin, Umesh, Brown, Barbara L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,010,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/642 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications

Abstract

Disclosed embodiments include a system and method for providing an automatic response to a telephone call. The automatic response module may be integral to a wireless phone or may be added afterwards, such as with a plug-in module, or may be provided by a third party provider, such as on a network. In one embodiment, the user of a wireless phone may select one or more automatic responses in the form of pre-recorded messages that will be played to a caller when an incoming telephone call is received. In another embodiment, the pre-recorded messages may be text or other graphical messages. In an alternative embodiment, a selection algorithm may be used that selects the appropriate automatic response based on pre-determined criteria, such as information in the user'"'"'s calendar, contact list, etc. Many other alternatives and alternative embodiments are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a wireless transceiver for communicating with a publicly switched telephone network;

an output device;

an input device, wherein the input device includes one or more auto response buttons; and

a memory module, the memory module adapted to store prerecorded messages and instructions for permitting a user of the apparatus save a prerecorded message to transmit to a caller when an incoming telephone call is automatically responded to.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the prerecorded messages are voice messages.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the input device includes a plurality of auto response buttons, wherein further the memory module is adapted to store a plurality of prerecorded messages, and wherein further each prerecorded message is associated with a different auto response button.

4. A system for use by a user with a wireless device comprising:

an auto-response module, the auto-response module further comprising;

one or more auto-response buttons, the auto-response buttons being adapted to receive a request from the user to automatically respond to incoming telephone calls with a pre-recorded message; and

a memory module adapted to store the pre-recorded message, wherein the memory module is adapted to be accessed by the wireless device for playback of the pre-recorded message.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the auto-response module is integral to the wireless device.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the auto-response module is located in a plug-in module adapted to interface with the wireless device.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the memory module includes a digital signal processor.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the wireless device is a wireless phone.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the auto response buttons are soft buttons selectable from a menu displayed on a display screen.

10. A method of providing an automatic response to an incoming telephone call, comprising:

receiving an incoming telephone call;

receiving a request from a user to automatically respond to the incoming call;

connecting the incoming telephone call;

transmitting a pre-recorded voice message over a voice path, the voice path being created when the incoming telephone call was connected; and

disconnecting the incoming telephone call after the pre-recorded voice message has been transmitted without accepting a voice message from the caller.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the request from the user is made in response to and during an incoming telephone call.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the request from a user is received before the incoming telephone call is received.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving an indication from the user of a particular message to be used to response the incoming call; and

wherein the transmitted pre-recorded voice message is selected from a plurality of pre-recorded voice messages.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising providing an indication of the identity of the phone number associated with the telephone making the incoming call before receiving the request from the user.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising creating an entry in a log indicating that the incoming telephone call was automatically responded to.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

transmitting a request to a database for additional information;

receiving additional information from the database; and

selecting the pre-recorded message to be transmitted based at least partially on the additional information received, wherein the pre-recorded message is selected from a group of pre-recorded messages.

17. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

transmitting a request to a database for additional information, the database containing information about the user'"'"'s schedule;

receiving the additional information from the database; and

selecting the pre-recorded message to be transmitted based at least partially on the additional information received, wherein the pre-recorded message is selected from a group of pre-recorded messages, and wherein further the additional information includes information concerning the scheduled current activity of the user.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

transmitting a request to a database for additional information, the database containing information about the user'"'"'s contacts;

receiving the additional information from the database;

receiving an indication of the identity of the phone number associated with the telephone making the incoming call; and

selecting the pre-recorded message to be transmitted based at least partially on the additional information received and the identity information, wherein the pre-recorded message is selected from a group of pre-recorded messages, and wherein further the additional information includes information concerning the identity of the person making the incoming call.

19. A method, for use with a wireless phone, of providing an automatic response to an incoming telephone call, comprising:

receiving a request from a user that incoming telephone calls are to be automatically responded to;

at the wireless phone, receiving an incoming telephone call;

connecting the incoming telephone call to the wireless phone;

transmitting a pre-recorded voice message over a voice path, the voice path being created when the incoming telephone call was connected to the wireless phone; and

disconnecting the incoming telephone call after the pre-recorded voice message has been transmitted.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

determining the particular message to be used to respond to the incoming call; and

wherein the transmitted pre-recorded voice message is selected from a plurality of pre-recorded voice messages.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising creating an entry in a log indicating that the incoming telephone call was automatically responded to.

22. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

transmitting a request to a database for additional information;

receiving additional information from the database; and

selecting the pre-recorded message to be transmitted based at least partially on the additional information received, wherein the pre-recorded message is selected from a group of pre-recorded messages.

23. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

transmitting a request to a database for additional information, the database containing information about the user'"'"'s schedule;

receiving additional information from the database; and

selecting the pre-recorded message to be transmitted based at least partially on the additional information received, wherein the pre-recorded message is selected from a group of pre-recorded messages, and wherein further the additional information includes information concerning the scheduled current activity of the user.

24. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

transmitting a request to a database for additional information, the database containing information about the user'"'"'s contacts;

receiving additional information from the database;

receiving an indication of the identity of the phone number associated with the telephone making the incoming call; and

selecting the pre-recorded message to be transmitted based at least partially on the additional information received and the identity information, wherein the pre-recorded message is selected from a group of pre-recorded messages, and wherein further the additional information includes information concerning the identity of the person making the incoming call.

25. A method of providing an automatic response to an incoming telephone call, comprising:

receiving a request from a user that incoming telephone calls are to be automatically responded to with a text message;

receiving an incoming telephone call; and

transmitting a pre-recorded text message using a text message protocol.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

determining the particular message to be used to respond to the incoming call; and

wherein the transmitted pre-recorded text message is selected from a plurality of pre-recorded text messages.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising creating an entry in a log indicating that the incoming telephone call was automatically responded to.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

transmitting a request to a database for additional information, the database containing information about the user'"'"'s schedule;

receiving additional information from the database; and

selecting the pre-recorded text message to be transmitted based at least partially on the additional information received, wherein the pre-recorded message is selected from a group of pre-recorded messages, and wherein further the additional information includes information concerning the scheduled current activity of the user.

29. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

transmitting a request to a database for additional information, the database containing information about the user'"'"'s contacts;

receiving additional information from the database;

receiving an indication of the identity of the phone number associated with the telephone making the incoming call; and

selecting the pre-recorded text message to be transmitted based at least partially on the additional information received and the identity information, wherein the pre-recorded message is selected from a group of pre-recorded messages, and wherein further the additional information includes information concerning the identity of the person making the incoming call.

30. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause control logic in a wireless device to perform a method to automatically response an incoming telephone call, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a user that incoming telephone calls be automatically responded to; and

when receiving an incoming telephone call, connecting the incoming telephone call and transmitting a pre-recorded voice message over a voice path, the voice path being created when the incoming telephone call was connected.

31. An apparatus for automatically responding to an incoming telephone call on a wireless device comprising:

means for receiving a request from a user that incoming telephone calls be automatically responded to;

means, coupled to the means for receiving, for connecting an incoming telephone call;

means, coupled to the means for connecting, for transmitting a pre-recorded message; and

means, coupled to the means for connecting, for disconnecting the incoming telephone call once the pre-recorded message has been transmitted.