Method and apparatus for automatically setting "Out of Office" greetings

• US 20060075038A1
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unify Patente GmbH & Co. KG (Atos Se)
• Original Assignee: Unify Inc. (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Mason, Andrew, Sharland, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,554,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/50 Centralised arrangements for answering calls; Centralised arrangements for recording messages for absent or busy subscribers H04M3/487 takes precedence; centralised dictation systems H04M11/10; Centralised arrangements for recording messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53 Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages , i.e. mailbox systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53383 Message registering commands or announcements; Greetings

Abstract

A telecommunications method includes setting a media server greeting automatically responsive to detection of a change in setting of an e-mail system default message. The e-mail system default message may be an “out of office” outgoing message. The media server greeting may be a voice greeting.

Claims

1. A telecommunications apparatus, comprising:

a first messaging service;

a second messaging service;

a synchronization service configured to synchronize an outgoing message on said first messaging service with an outgoing message on said second messaging service.

2. A telecommunications apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the second messaging service is an e-mail service.

3. A telecommunications apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the first messaging service is a multimedia service.

4. A telecommunications apparatus in accordance with claim 3, further including a presence service, wherein the synchronization service is configured to receive a presence context from the presence service and make a synchronization determination based thereon.

5. A telecommunications apparatus in accordance with claim 3, further including a presence service, wherein the synchronization service is configured to receive a presence context from the presence service and make a synchronization query based thereon, the synchronization query including determining whether a predetermined outgoing message on the second messaging service has been set.

6. A telecommunications apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein the outgoing message on the second messaging service comprises an outgoing e-mail.

7. A telecommunications apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein the outgoing message on the first messaging service comprises a voice greeting.

8. A telecommunications apparatus in accordance with claim 7, further including a text-to-speech service configured to convert said outgoing e-mail to said voice greeting.

9. A telecommunications apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the outgoing message on the second messaging service comprises an outgoing e-mail.

10. A telecommunications apparatus in accordance with claim 9, wherein the outgoing message on the first messaging service comprises a voice greeting.

11. A telecommunications apparatus in accordance with claim 10, further including a text-to-speech service configured to convert said outgoing e-mail to said voice greeting.

12. A telecommunications apparatus, comprising:

a presence service;

a media service;

a synchronization service, the synchronization service configured to perform a synchronization of an outgoing message on said media service responsive to a presence state of said presence service.

13. A telecommunications apparatus in accordance with claim 12, wherein the synchronization service is configured to detect a presence state and determine if a predetermined outgoing message has been set on a messaging service and synchronize an outgoing message on said media service in response thereto.

14. A telecommunications apparatus in accordance with claim 13, wherein the predetermined outgoing message is an e-mail message and the synchronized media service message in a voice message.

15. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a network;

a plurality of users associated with the network;

a first messaging service associated with the network;

a second messaging service associated with the network; and

a synchronization service configured to synchronize a user'"'"'s outgoing message on said first messaging service with the user'"'"'s outgoing message on said second messaging service.

16. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 15, wherein the second messaging service is an e-mail service.

17. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 16, wherein the first messaging service is a multimedia service.

18. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 16, further including a presence service, wherein the synchronization service is configured to receive a presence context from the presence service and make a synchronization determination based thereon.

19. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 16, further including a presence service, wherein the synchronization service is configured to receive a presence context from the presence service and make a synchronization query based thereon, the synchronization query including determining whether a predetermined outgoing message on the second messaging service has been set.

20. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 19, wherein the outgoing message on the second messaging service comprises an outgoing e-mail.

21. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 20, wherein the outgoing message on the first messaging service comprises a voice greeting.

22. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 21, further including a text-to-speech service configured to convert said outgoing e-mail to said voice greeting.

23. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 15, wherein the outgoing message on the second messaging service comprises an outgoing e-mail.

24. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 23, wherein the outgoing message on the first messaging service comprises a voice greeting.

25. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 24, further including a text-to-speech service configured to convert said outgoing e-mail to said voice greeting.

26. A telecommunications method, comprising:

setting a media server greeting automatically responsive to detection of a change in setting of an e-mail system default message.

27. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 26, wherein said e-mail system default message comprises an “

out of office”

outgoing message.

28. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 27, wherein said media server greeting is a voice greeting.