Method for call screening in a voice mail system
First Claim
1. A method of remote screening of calls in a centralized voice mail system, the method comprising:
- (a) receiving an incoming call for a subscriber telephone;
(b) receiving a call screening enablement signal from the subscriber telephone;
(c) muting a voice signal from the subscriber telephone;
(d) recording the incoming call to a voice mailbox associated with the subscriber, while playing the incoming call to the subscriber telephone;
(e) terminating recording and initiating two-way communication between the incoming call and the subscriber telephone, if a call screening disablement signal is received; and
(f) continuing recording the incoming call to a voice mailbox associated with the subscriber while playing the incoming call to the subscriber telephone, if a call screening disablement signal is not received.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods of call screening in a voice mail system are provided. In one embodiment, the method may comprise, for example, one or more of the following: receiving an indication of an incoming call for a voice mail system subscriber, the incoming call originating from a caller'"'"'s telephone to a subscriber'"'"'s telephone; indicating by the subscriber that call screening of the incoming call is desired; routing the incoming call to be recorded in a subscriber'"'"'s voice mail box as a caller'"'"'s voice message; and initiating call screening of the caller'"'"'s voice message by establishing a three-way connection between the caller'"'"'s telephone, the subscriber'"'"'s telephone, and the centralized voice mail system, the subscriber'"'"'s telephone being in a “mute” mode.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method of remote screening of calls in a centralized voice mail system, the method comprising:
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(a) receiving an incoming call for a subscriber telephone;
(b) receiving a call screening enablement signal from the subscriber telephone;
(c) muting a voice signal from the subscriber telephone;
(d) recording the incoming call to a voice mailbox associated with the subscriber, while playing the incoming call to the subscriber telephone;
(e) terminating recording and initiating two-way communication between the incoming call and the subscriber telephone, if a call screening disablement signal is received; and
(f) continuing recording the incoming call to a voice mailbox associated with the subscriber while playing the incoming call to the subscriber telephone, if a call screening disablement signal is not received. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method of remote screening of calls in a centralized voice mail system, the method comprising:
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(a) receiving an incoming call for a first subscriber telephone;
(b) alerting a second subscriber telephone of the incoming call;
(c) receiving a call screening enablement signal from the second subscriber telephone;
(c) muting a voice signal from the second subscriber telephone;
(d) recording the incoming call to a voice mailbox associated with the subscriber, while playing the incoming call to the second subscriber telephone;
(e) terminating recording and initiating two-way communication between the incoming call and the second subscriber telephone, if a call screening disablement signal is received; and
(f) continuing recording of the incoming call, if a call screening disablement signal is not received. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of screening calls in a centralized voice mail system, the method comprising:
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(a) receiving an indication of an incoming call for a voice mail system subscriber, the incoming call originating from a caller'"'"'s telephone to a subscriber'"'"'s telephone;
(b) accepting an indication from the subscriber that call screening of the incoming call is desired;
(c) routing the incoming call to be recorded in a subscriber'"'"'s voice mail box as a caller'"'"'s voice message; and
(d) initiating call screening of the caller'"'"'s voice message by establishing a three-way connection between the caller'"'"'s telephone, the subscriber'"'"'s telephone, and the centralized voice mail system, and wherein voice signals from the subscriber'"'"'s telephone are muted. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of remote screening of calls in a centralized voice mail system, the method comprising:
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(a) receiving an incoming call to a voice mail system subscriber, the call originating from a caller'"'"'s telephone to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone, the subscriber being already engaged in an existing conference call on the subscriber'"'"'s telephone;
(b) initiating a recording of the incoming call as a caller'"'"'s voice message into a subscriber'"'"'s voice mail box;
(c) converting the caller'"'"'s voice message from speech to text, the conversion being performed during the recording of the caller'"'"'s voice message;
(d) displaying the converted text message on the subscriber'"'"'s telephone, the displaying being performed during the conversion of the caller'"'"'s voice message;
(e) initiating a two-way call between the caller and the subscriber, the initiating of the two way call being at the subscriber'"'"'s choice; and
(f) initiating a recording of the existing conference call into the subscriber'"'"'s voice mail box, the initiating of the recording being performed automatically after initiating the two-way call.
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28. A system supporting the remote screening of calls, the system comprising:
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at least one processor capable of receiving an incoming call for a subscriber telephone;
the at least one processor capable of receiving a call screening enablement signal from the subscriber telephone;
the at least one processor capable of muting a voice signal from the subscriber telephone;
the at least one processor capable of recording the incoming call to a voice mailbox associated with the subscriber, while playing the incoming call to the subscriber telephone;
the at least one processor capable of terminating recording and initiating two-way communication between the incoming call and the subscriber telephone, if a call screening disablement signal is received; and
the at least one processor capable of continuing recording the incoming call to a voice mailbox associated with the subscriber while playing the incoming call to the subscriber telephone, if a call screening disablement signal is not received. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. A system supporting the remote screening of calls, the system comprising:
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at least one processor capable of receiving an incoming call for a first subscriber telephone;
the least one processor capable of alerting a second subscriber telephone of the incoming call;
the least one processor capable of receiving a call screening enablement signal from the second subscriber telephone;
the least one processor capable of muting a voice signal from the second subscriber telephone;
the least one processor capable of recording the incoming call to a voice mailbox associated with the subscriber, while playing the incoming call to the second subscriber telephone;
the least one processor capable of terminating recording and initiating two-way communication between the incoming call and the second subscriber telephone, if a call screening disablement signal is received; and
the least one processor capable of continuing recording of the incoming call, if a call screening disablement signal is not received. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification