Methods, systems, and products for responding to communications

• US 20080159492A1
• Filed: 01/03/2007
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moore, Darryl
• Granted Patent: US 8,135,123 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53391 dependent on calling party

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for responding to a communication. The communication is received from a sender'"'"'s address and is destined for a recipient'"'"'s address. An audible message associated with the sender'"'"'s address is retrieved. The audible message is sent to a server that stores messages associated with the sender.

Claims

1. A method of responding to a communication, comprising:

receiving the communication from a sender'"'"'s address, the communication destined for a recipient'"'"'s address;

retrieving an audible message associated with the sender'"'"'s address; and

sending the audible message to a server that stores messages associated with the sender.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising querying for an address of a voicemail server that stores the sender'"'"'s voicemail messages.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein sending the audible message to the server comprises sending the audible message to the voicemail server so that the audible message is queued with the voicemail messages.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein in response to receiving the communication, automatically initiating a call to the sender and playing the audible message.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein automatically initiating the call comprises automatically initiating the call to the sender'"'"'s address.

6. A method according to claim 4, further comprising querying for a telephone number associated with the sender'"'"'s address such that the call is automatically initiated to the telephone number.

7. A method according to claim 4, wherein when the sender'"'"'s address is incompatible with a dialing plan, then querying for an alternative communications address that is formatted according to the dialing plan.

8. A system for responding to a communication, comprising:

a processor communicating with memory, the memory storing instructions for

receiving the communication from a sender'"'"'s address, the communication destined for a recipient'"'"'s address;

retrieving an audible message associated with the sender'"'"'s address; and

sending the audible message to a server that stores messages associated with the sender.

9. A system according to claim 8, the memory further storing instructions for querying for an address of a voicemail server that stores the sender'"'"'s voicemail messages.

10. A system according to claim 9, the memory further storing instructions for sending the audible message to the voicemail server so that the audible message is queued with the voicemail messages.

11. A system according to claim 8, the memory further storing instructions for automatically initiating a call to the sender and playing the audible message in response to receiving the communication.

12. A system according to claim 11, the memory further storing instructions for automatically initiating the call to the sender'"'"'s address.

13. A system according to claim 11, the memory further storing instructions for querying for a telephone number associated with the sender'"'"'s address such that the call is automatically initiated to the telephone number.

14. A system according to claim 11, the memory further storing instructions for when the sender'"'"'s address is incompatible with a dialing plan, then querying for an alternative communications address that is formatted according to the dialing plan.

15. A computer program product storing computer-readable instructions for:

receiving a communication from a sender'"'"'s address, the communication destined for a recipient'"'"'s address;

retrieving an audible message associated with the sender'"'"'s address; and

sending the audible message to a server that stores messages associated with the sender.

16. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising instructions for query for an address of a voicemail server that stores the sender'"'"'s voicemail messages.

17. A computer program product according to claim 16, further comprising instructions for sending the audible message to the voicemail server so that the audible message is queued with the voicemail messages.

18. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising instructions for automatically initiating a call to the sender and playing the audible message in response to receiving the communication.

19. A computer program product according to claim 18, further comprising instructions for automatically initiating the call to the sender'"'"'s address.

20. A computer program product according to claim 18, further comprising instructions for querying for a telephone number associated with the sender'"'"'s address such that the call is automatically initiated to the telephone number.