Voicemail message controls

• US 20070280433A1
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Criddle, Linda, Milstein, David, Wang, Kuansan, Chu, Lon-Chan, Howell, David A., Malueg, Michael D.
• Application Number:
  US11/444,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20070280433A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/67.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53341 Message reply
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

Generally described, aspects of the present invention are directed at software systems for responding to a received voicemail message. In one embodiment, a selection user interface is provided where a primary callee may generate an event to create a draft voicemail message that is related to a received voicemail message. In response to receiving an event from the selection user interface to create a draft voicemail message, aspects of the present invention (1) create an electronic file to store the draft voicemail message, and (2) insert metadata into the electronic file that defines the relationship between the draft voicemail message and the received voicemail message. As a result, a callee may easily create a draft voicemail message that is related to a received voicemail message and have the draft voicemail message automatically populated with contextual data.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium containing computer-readable instructions which, when executed in a client device that receives a voicemail message over a digital voice communication environment, performs a method of generating a response to the received voicemail message, the method comprising:

providing a selection user interface where a primary callee may generate an event to create a draft voicemail message that is related to the received voicemail message;

in response to receiving an event to create a draft voicemail message;

creating an electronic file to store the draft voicemail message; and

inserting metadata into the electronic file that defines the relationship between the draft voicemail message and the received voicemail message.

2. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising providing an update user interface where a primary callee may generate events to modify the draft voicemail message.

3. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 2, wherein providing an update user interface where a primary callee may generate events to modify the draft voicemail message, includes:

receiving a stream of conversational data; and

updating the body of the draft voicemail message to reflect the input received.

4. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 2, wherein providing an update user interface where a primary callee may generate events to modify the draft voicemail message includes:

receiving an event that describes a modification to the contextual data associated with the draft voicemail message; and

updating metadata included with the draft voicemail message to reflect the received event.

5. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein a control available from the selection user interface allows the primary callee to create a draft voicemail message that is a reply to the received voicemail message.

6. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein a control available from the selection user interface allows the primary callee to create a draft voicemail message that is a reply to all to the received voicemail message.

7. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein a control available from the selection user interface allows the primary callee to generate an event to create a draft voicemail message that is a forward to the received voicemail message.

8. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein a control available from the selection user interface allows the primary callee to:

identify a file by browsing a file system; and

add the file as an attachment to a transmission initiated from the selection user interface.

9. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein a control available from the selection user interface allows a primary callee to initiate a call using contextual data available from the received voicemail message.

10. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein a control available from the selection user interface allows the primary callee to send a file in response to the received voicemail message.

11. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein inserting metadata into the electronic file that defines the relationship between the draft voicemail message and the received voicemail message, includes;

extracting contextual data available from the received voicemail message; and

identifying fields in the draft voicemail message that may be populated with contextual data extracted from the received voicemail message.

12. In a digital voice communication environment that includes a client device configured to send and receive voicemail messages, a method of creating a draft voicemail message that is related to a received voicemail message, the method comprising:

receiving input to create a draft voicemail message;

wherein the input identifies a relationship between the draft voicemail message and the received voicemail message;

extracting contextual data from the received voicemail message; and

automatically populating the draft voicemail message with contextual data extracted from the received voicemail message.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising

obtaining the body of the draft voicemail message;

and

communicating the draft voicemail message to a secondary callee.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the draft voicemail message is related to the received voicemail message as a reply, a reply to all, or forward.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein extracting contextual data from the received voicemail message includes using a voice-recognition engine to convert audio in the body of the received voicemail message into text.

16. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein automatically populating the draft voicemail message with contextual data extracted from the received voicemail message, includes:

creating an electronic file to store the draft voicemail message;

identifying contextual data available from the received voicemail message that will be included in the draft voicemail message; and

inserting metadata into the electronic file to reflect the relationship between the draft voicemail message and the received voicemail message.

17. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein populating the draft voicemail message with the contextual data extracted from the received voicemail message includes providing an update user interface where a primary callee may generate an event to modify the draft voicemail message.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

receiving an event directed at updating the draft voicemail message;

determining whether the event is directed at updating the contextual data associated with the draft voicemail message; and

if the event is directed at updating the contextual data associated with the draft voicemail message, modifying metadata in the draft voicemail message to reflect the received event.

19. A computer-readable medium having computer executable components for generating a response to a received voicemail message, comprising:

a selection user interface component with selectable controls for creating a draft voicemail message that is related to the received voicemail message;

an update user interface component with selectable controls for modifying the draft voicemail message; and

a creation component operative to;

populate the draft voicemail message with data when a control for creating a draft voicemail message is activated from the selection user interface component; and

modify data associated with the draft voicemail message to reflect an event generated from the update user interface component.

20. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 19, wherein the selection user interface component is further configured with a selectable control for generating a response to the received voicemail message by initiating a call.