Voice mail interface

• US 20040247098A1
• Filed: 07/12/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Packebush, Sherrill J., Beans, John Payton, Valco, Larry Lee
• Granted Patent: US 7,333,595 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/355 Interactive dialogue design tools, features or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53383 Message registering commands or announcements; Greetings

Abstract

A method provides customized voice mail settings feature information to a telecommunications service subscriber. The method includes customizing a list of persistent settings features to include multiple persistent settings features that relate to telecommunications services subscribed to by the telecommunications service subscriber. The persistent settings features are maintained in a defined state through more than one subscriber session. The subscriber is sequentially prompted to select a persistent settings feature from the customized list by sequentially playing each of the persistent settings features to the subscriber.

Claims

1. A method for providing customized voice mail settings feature information to a telecommunications service subscriber, comprising:

customizing a list of persistent settings features to include a plurality of persistent settings features that relate to telecommunications services subscribed to by the telecommunications service subscriber, the persistent settings features being maintained in a defined state through more than one subscriber session; and

sequentially prompting the subscriber to select a persistent settings feature from the customized list by sequentially playing each of the persistent settings features to the subscriber.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

playing voicemail messages to the subscriber when the subscriber is in a voicemail message review area after accessing a voicemail service to initiate a voicemail session; and

providing at least one function to the subscriber, the functions being available while the voicemail messages are playing and including an option of accessing a settings area to review the sequential prompts in response to the subscriber entering a command to access the settings area.

3. The method of claim 2, in which the sequentially prompting is performed in response to the subscriber entering the command to access the settings area;

and

in which the playing voicemail messages is again performed in response to the subscriber entering a command to return to the voicemail message review area.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the persistent settings features are listed in a priority order.

5. The method of claim 4, in which the order of priority of the persistent settings features in the persistent settings features list is based upon a frequency of selection by subscribers.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding new persistent settings features to the customized list when the subscriber subscribes to new telecommunications services that relate to the new persistent settings features.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing persistent settings features from the customized list when the subscriber cancels telecommunications services that relate to the persistent settings feature to be removed.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to a subscriber'"'"'s selection of a persistent settings feature, sequentially prompting the subscriber to review a parameter of the persistent settings feature.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

resetting the persistent settings feature parameter based upon input from the subscriber.

10. The method of claim of claim 2, in which at least one input can be used at any time during the voicemail session to perform the same function.

11. A computer readable medium for storing a computer program that provides customized voice mail settings feature information to a telecommunications service subscriber, comprising:

a customizing code segment that customizes a list of persistent settings features to include a plurality of persistent settings features that relate to telecommunications services subscribed to by the telecommunications service subscriber,

a persistent settings features status code segment that maintains the persistent settings features in a defined state through more than one subscriber session; and

a feature-based subscriber prompting code segment that sequentially prompts the subscriber to select a persistent settings feature from the customized list by sequentially playing each of the persistent settings features to the subscriber.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

a voicemail playing code segment that plays voicemail messages to the subscriber when the subscriber is in a voicemail message review area after accessing a voicemail service to initiate a voicemail session; and

a function providing code segment that provides at least one function to the subscriber, the functions being available while the voicemail messages are playing and including an option of accessing a settings area to review the sequential prompts in response to the subscriber entering a command to access the settings area.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, in which the feature-based subscriber prompting code segment sequentially prompts the subscriber in response to the subscriber entering the command to access the settings area;

and

in which the voicemail playing code segment again plays voicemail messages in response to the subscriber entering a command to return to the voicemail message review area.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12, in which the function providing code segment accepts at least one input at any time during the voicemail session to perform the same function.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11, in which the persistent settings features are listed in a priority order.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, in which the order of priority of the persistent settings features in the persistent settings features list is based upon a frequency of selection by subscribers.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

a new features adding code segment that adds new persistent settings features to the customized list when the subscriber subscribes to new telecommunications services that relate to the new persistent settings features.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

a cancelled features removing code segment that removes persistent settings features from the customized list when the subscriber cancels telecommunications services that relate to the persistent settings feature to be removed.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

a parameter-based subscriber prompting code segment that sequentially prompts the subscriber to review a parameter of a persistent settings feature that is selected by the subscriber.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising:

a parameter resetting code segment that resets the persistent settings feature parameter based upon input from the subscriber.