System and method for an outbound greeting

• US 20090003555A1
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Emerson, David, Lafreniere, Gary, Rondeau, David E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,077,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.230
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

A system and method for sending an outbound greeting. User input is received specifying a recipient, a date, and a time for delivery of the outbound greeting. The outbound greeting is received. The outbound greeting is stored for future delivery. A call is initiated to the recipient in response to the date and the time specified by the user input being met.

Claims

1. A method for sending an outbound greeting, said method comprising:

receiving user input specifying a recipient, a date, and a time for delivery of the outbound greeting;

receiving the outbound greeting;

storing the outbound greeting for future delivery; and

initiating a call to the recipient in response to the date and the time specified by the user input being met.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

playing the outbound greeting to the recipient.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

performing a call response based on feedback from the recipient.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the outbound greeting is only played if the call is answered personally by the recipient.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transferring the outbound greeting to a voicemail system of the recipient in response to the recipient not personally answering the call.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving further comprises:

receiving user input specifying one or more phone numbers of the recipient to call in a specified order.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the initiating is performed a plurality of times at an interval until the call is answered personally by the recipient for delivery of the outbound greeting.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

prompting the user to speak the outbound greeting to be recorded.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the call response initiates a secondary call from the recipient to the user.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein expenses associated with the secondary call are billed to the user.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the call response transfers the recipient to a voicemail system of the user.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the call response terminates the call and the outbound greeting.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the person answering the call is the recipient in order to determine whether the call is personally answered by the recipient.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the outbound greeting is recorded from any of a telephone, a wireless device, or a computing device.

21. The voicemail server according to claim 11, wherein the set of instructions specifies a call response as any of transferring the call to a messaging inbox of the user, initiating a secondary call to the user from the recipient at the expense of the user, and ending the call.

15. A voicemail system for processing an outbound greeting, said system comprising:

a function trigger for initiating an outbound greeting feature in response to receiving user input specifying a recipient, a date, and a time for delivery of the outbound greeting; and

outbound greeting logic configured to store the outbound greeting received from a user for future delivery and initiate a call to the recipient in response to the date and the time specified by the user input being met.

16. The voicemail system according to claim 15, wherein the outbound greeting logic is configured to play the outbound greeting to the recipient and perform a call response based on feedback from the recipient.

17. The voicemail system according to claim 15, further comprising:

a graphical user interface in communication with the outbound greeting logic for receiving user input from a client accessible by the user.

18. The voicemail system according to claim 15, wherein the voicemail system is integrated with any of a digital packet network, wireless network and a plain old telephone service network.

19. A voicemail server comprising:

a processor for executing a set of instructions; and

a memory for storing the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions are configured to receive user input specifying a recipient, a date, and a time for delivery of the outbound greeting, record the outbound greeting for future delivery, and initiate a call to the recipient in response to determining the date and the time specified by the user input are met.

20. The voicemail server according to claim 19, wherein the recipient is identified by one or more phone numbers specified in an order of calling priority.

22. The voicemail server according to claim 19, wherein the set of instruction plays the outbound greeting to the recipient, and performs a call response in response to verifying that a party answering the call is the recipient based on feedback from the recipient.