Dynamic Voicemail Receptionist System

• US 20090022285A1
• Filed: 03/21/2008
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Swanburg, Scott, Hanson, Paul, Young, Chris, Okada, Andre
• Granted Patent: US 9,350,842 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.110
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3329 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/205 Parsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/221 Parsing markup language streams streaming G06F40/149
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4547 for personal communications, i.e. using a personal identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/705 Account settings, e.g. limits or numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 : Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 : Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 : including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 : where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 : where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 : where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 : Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 : Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 : for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 : Message receiving aspects
• 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 7/0033 : Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 : Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A voicemail receptionist system includes a memory and a processor. The memory can store data relating to one or more users. An incoming communication can be handled by the voicemail receptionist system and provided with functionality based upon a user'"'"'s preferences, for example. The data stored by the voicemail receptionist system can be updated at any time, or automatically updated upon updating of the data, or upon occurrence of a trigger event. Voicemail receptionist functionality can include standard voicemail system functionality as well as functionality relating to email, text messaging, MMS messaging, calendar features, schedule announcements, location data, as well as other features.

Claims

1. A voicemail receptionist system, comprising:

a memory configured to store user data associated with at least one user and to store instructions for handling a communication; and

a processor operably connected to the memory, the processor being configured to determine how to handle a communication based upon the user data and the instructions stored in the memory.

2. The voicemail receptionist system of claim 1, wherein the user data comprises at least user preferences and calendar data.

3. The voicemail receptionist system of claim 2, wherein the user data further comprises audio data.

4. The voicemail receptionist system of claim 2, wherein the user data further comprises location data.

5. The voicemail receptionist system of claim 4, wherein the user data further comprises audio data, network data, and data relating to device and account characteristics of the at least one user.

6. The voicemail receptionist system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to handle the communication based upon data relating to the communication that is passed to the processor.

7. The voicemail receptionist system of claim 6, further comprising a communications network interface.

8. The voicemail receptionist system of claim 6, wherein the voicemail receptionist system resides on a mobile communications device.

9. The voicemail receptionist system of claim 7, wherein the voicemail receptionist system resides on a mobile communications device and the communications network interface is a device antenna.

10. A method for handling a call with a voicemail receptionist system, the method comprising:

obtaining user data associated with at least one user;

receiving, from a calling party, a call for the at least one user;

analyzing the user data and data relating to the call to determine menu options for presentation to the calling party;

presenting the menu options to the calling party;

receiving a menu option selection from the calling party; and

executing the selected menu option.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising storing in a memory the user data associated with at least one user.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein presenting the menu options comprises presenting audio to the calling party.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving the menu option selection comprises receiving a DTMF tone or a spoken command from the calling party.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein presenting the menu options comprises transmitting data to the calling party device with instructions for formatting and displaying a menu to the calling party.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiving the menu option selection comprises receiving data from the calling party device indicating the menu option selection.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining, upon receiving the menu option selection, if an additional menu option selection is possible.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising presenting additional menu options to the calling party.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving the additional menu option selection.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising executing the received additional menu option selection.

20. The method of claim 10, further comprising validating the received menu option selection to determine if the menu option selected is available, wherein:

if the menu option is available, executing the selected menu option; and

if the menu option is not available, presenting menu options to the calling party.

21. A mobile device with a voicemail receptionist system, comprising:

a memory configured to store menu data associated with at least one menu option and to store instructions for presenting a menu; and

a processor operably connected to the memory, the processor being configured to determine how to present, to a calling party, at least one menu option based upon the instructions and the menu data.

22. The mobile device of claim 21, wherein the at least one menu option is based upon user data associated with a called user, the at least one menu option comprising:

an option to send a text message;

an option to send a voicemail message;

an option to listen to a schedule associated with the called user; and

an option to send contact information relating to the calling party to the called user.

23. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein the user data associated with the called user is received over a communications network.