System and method for email notification of unanswered telephone calls

• US 20070263841A1
• Filed: 10/23/2006
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Li, Bourne Bao
• Granted Patent: US 8,055,243 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.90
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/651 Text message transmission triggered by call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0054 where the data service is an electronic mail service

Abstract

A method of processing a telephone call that includes creating an email notification of the telephone call if the telephone call to a telephone number registered to receive email notifications is determined unanswered and sending the email notification based on information associated with the registered telephone number.

Claims

1. A method of processing a telephone call comprising:

creating an email notification of the telephone call if the telephone call to a telephone number registered to receive email notifications is determined unanswered; and

sending the email notification based on information associated with the registered telephone number.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining based on a database record associated with the telephone number if the telephone number is registered to receive email notifications; and

wherein

the creating step creates the email notification if the telephone call is determined unanswered and the determining step determines the telephone number is registered to receive email notifications.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the email notification includes at least one of a calling party number, a calling party name, a time of the call, a date of the call, an audio file of a voice message, and text of a voice message.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining step comprises:

obtaining the database record from a database based on the telephone number, the database record including call handling instructions indicating whether the telephone number is registered to receive email notifications.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the call handling instructions indicate the telephone number is registered to receive email notifications.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining the call unanswered if the call is not answered.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

recording a voice message if the call handling instructions indicate the telephone number is registered to receive voicemail service;

converting the voice message into one of an audio file and text; and

wherein

the creating step creates the email notification such that the email notification includes the converted voice message.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining the call unanswered if the call handling instructions indicate the call will not be answered.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the database record includes an email address.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein

the database record includes instructions of when to send the email notification;

wherein

the sending step sends the email notification based on the instructions of when to send the email notification.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the instructions of when to send the email notification are at least one of immediately and periodically.

12. A system for processing a telephone call comprising:

an intelligent processor creating an email notification of the telephone call if the telephone call to a telephone number registered to receive email notifications is determined unanswered, and sending the email notification based on information associated with the registered telephone number.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the email notification includes at least one of a calling party number, a calling party name, a time of the call, a date of the call, an audio file of a voice message and text of the voice message.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a service control point (SCP) obtaining a database record from a database based on the telephone number, the database record including call handling instructions indicating whether the telephone number is registered to receive email notifications;

a service switching point (SSP) receiving the telephone call, forwarding the telephone call based on the call handling instructions to at least one of the intelligent processor and a terminal associated with the telephone number, and determining the call unanswered; and

wherein

the intelligent processor creates the email notification if the SSP determines the call unanswered and the call handling instructions indicate the telephone number is registered to receive email notifications.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the SSP forwards the telephone call to the terminal based on the call handling instructions and determines the call unanswered if the call is not answered.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the SSP determines the call unanswered based on the call handling instructions indicating the call will not be answered.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the intelligent processor includes a memory for recording a voice message as an audio file if the call handling instructions indicate the telephone number is registered to receive voicemail service.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the intelligent processor further includes a speech-to-text converter for converting the recorded voice message to text if the call handling instructions indicate to convert the recorded voice message to text.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the call handling instructions indicate to send the email notification one of immediately and periodically, and the email notification is sent based on the call handling instructions.

20. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

an email server receiving the email notification from the intelligent processor, storing the email notification and forwarding the email notification to an email address.