Managing Voicemail Messages Based On Location of Caller's Wireless Communication Device

• US 20100035585A1
• Filed: 08/06/2008
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Moore, John E. JR., Hadinata, Martinianus B., O'Connell, Brian M., Lingafelt, Charles S., Walker, Keith R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,160,551 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/413
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53391 dependent on calling party

Abstract

Disclosed are a method, system and computer program product for processing voicemail messages to a user'"'"'s wireless communication device based on a location of a caller'"'"'s wireless communication device. Call answering protocols are assigned for implementation based on the location of the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device at a time a call is received from the caller'"'"'s device. Call answering protocol entries are received via a wireless communication device. When a call is received, a location of the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device is detected. Location information regarding the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device is received at a call switching component. The call is processed at the call switching component based on the call answering protocol for handling a caller'"'"'s call received from the location of the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device.

Claims

1. A system for managing voicemail greetings of a wireless communication device based on a location of the device, said system comprising:

a processor;

a voicemail storage facility that stores voicemail greetings for the wireless communication device;

a memory having stored thereon a utility which executes on the processor to provide the functions of;

assigning call answering protocols for implementation based on a location of a caller'"'"'s wireless communication device at a time a call is received from the caller'"'"'s device;

receiving an entry of one or more call answering selection protocols via a wireless communication device;

detecting a location of the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device when a call is received;

receiving location information regarding the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device at a call switching component; and

processing the call at the call switching component based on the call answering protocol for handling a caller'"'"'s call received from the location of the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said utility further comprises executable code for:

recording location-specific voicemail greetings for the wireless communication device;

associating the location-specific voicemail greetings with specific locations; and

determining a current location of the wireless communication device when a call is received by the wireless communication device from a caller device;

in response to the current location being one of the specific locations, presenting the location-specific voicemail greeting associated with the current location of the wireless communication device to the caller device; and

determining whether the caller is an authorized caller to receive the location-specific voicemail greeting by comparing the identifier (ID) of the caller device with a list of authorized caller IDs of authorized callers corresponding to the current location;

wherein determining in relation to the wireless communication device the current location of the wireless communication device is based on detecting one or more of GPS location, closest tower location, signal triangulation, and known location of a wireless access point detectable by the wireless communication device;

wherein the function of determining whether the caller is an authorized caller is based on detection of the caller'"'"'s identity through at least one of;

Caller ID, voice pattern recognition, spoken password or passphrase converted via a speech-to-text module, a dialed code, and interacting with a service provider.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said utility further comprises executable code for:

receiving periodic location information utilized to indicate when the wireless communication device is stationary;

enabling location-specific voicemail greeting when the wireless communication device is stationary for a predefined period of time;

detecting the date and time the wireless communication device entered a location;

calculating an amount of time the wireless communication device has been at the location;

automatically inserting the date and time information into the location-specific voicemail greeting; and

presenting the date and time information with the location-specific voicemail greeting.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said utility further comprises executable code for assigning a call answering protocol associated with a location when the location is a first location at which the caller'"'"'s voicemail message should be re-routed to a second voicemail mailbox other than the user'"'"'s wireless communication device voicemail mailbox.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said utility further comprises executable code for assigning a call answering protocol associated with a location when the location is a first location at which the caller'"'"'s voicemail message should be converted to text and the voicemail message presented in text form to one or more parties.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein said utility further comprises executable code for assigning a call answering protocol associated with a location when the location is a first location at which the caller'"'"'s voicemail message should be transferred to more than one phone system.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein said utility further comprises executable code for assigning a call answering protocol associated with a location when the location is a first location at which the priority of voicemail messages should be changed to a higher priority than existing voicemail messages in the user'"'"'s wireless communication device voicemail mailbox.

8. A wireless communication device comprising:

a processor;

a storage component;

a voicemail system for managing voicemail greetings of the wireless communication device based on a location of the device, the voicemail system configured with logic that executes on the processor to provide the functions of;

storing location-specific voicemail locally;

detecting receipt of a call;

when the received call is not answered within a pre-specified time period;

automatically detecting a current location of the wireless communication device;

determining whether the wireless communication device has been stationary for a predefined period of time;

playing a location-specific voicemail greeting for the second device;

assigning call answering protocols for implementation based on a location of a caller'"'"'s wireless communication device at a time a call is received from the caller'"'"'s device;

receiving an entry of one or more call answering selection protocols via a wireless communication device;

detecting a location of the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device when a call is received;

receiving location information regarding the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device at a call switching component; and

processing the call at the call switching component based on the call answering protocol for handling a caller'"'"'s call received from the location of the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device.

9. A method for processing voicemail messages to a wireless communication device based on a location of a caller'"'"'s wireless communication device, said method comprising:

assigning call answering protocols for implementation based on a location of a caller'"'"'s wireless communication device at a time a call is received from the caller'"'"'s device;

receiving an entry of one or more call answering selection protocols via a wireless communication device;

detecting a location of the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device when a call is received;

receiving location information regarding the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device at a call switching component; and

processing the call at the call switching component based on the call answering protocol for handling a caller'"'"'s call received from the location of the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining whether the caller is an authorized caller to receive the location-specific voicemail greeting by comparing the identifier (ID) of the caller device with a list of authorized caller IDs of authorized callers corresponding to the current location;

wherein detection of the location of the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device is determined based on one or more of GPS location, closest tower location, signal triangulation, and known location of a wireless access point detectable by the wireless communication device;

wherein the function of determining whether the caller is an authorized caller is based on detection of the caller'"'"'s identity through at least one of;

Caller ID, voice pattern recognition, spoken password or passphrase converted via a speech-to-text module, a dialed code, and interacting with a service provider.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising assigning a call answering protocol associated with a location when the location is a first location at which the caller'"'"'s voicemail message should be re-routed to a second voicemail mailbox other than the user'"'"'s wireless communication device voicemail mailbox.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising assigning a call answering protocol associated with a location when the location is a first location at which the caller'"'"'s voicemail message should be converted to text and the voicemail message presented in text form to one or more parties.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising assigning a call answering protocol associated with a location when the location is a first location at which the caller'"'"'s voicemail message should be transferred to more than one phone system.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising assigning a call answering protocol associated with a location when the location is a first location at which the priority of voicemail messages should be changed to a higher priority than existing voicemail messages in the user'"'"'s wireless communication device voicemail mailbox.

15. A computer program product having code recorded on a computer readable medium for processing voicemail messages to a wireless communication device based on a location of a caller'"'"'s wireless communication device, said program product comprising code for:

assigning call answering protocols for implementation based on a location of a caller'"'"'s wireless communication device at a time a call is received from the caller'"'"'s device;

receiving an entry of one or more call answering selection protocols via a wireless communication device;

detecting a location of the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device when a call is received;

receiving location information regarding the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device at a call switching component; and

processing the call at the call switching component based on the call answering protocol for handling a caller'"'"'s call received from the location of the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising code for:

determining whether the caller is an authorized caller to receive the location-specific voicemail greeting by comparing the identifier (ID) of the caller device with a list of authorized caller IDs of authorized callers corresponding to the current location;

wherein detection of the location of the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device is determined based on one or more of GPS location, closest tower location, signal triangulation, and known location of a wireless access point detectable by the wireless communication device;

wherein the function of determining whether the caller is an authorized caller is based on detection of the caller'"'"'s identity through at least one of;

Caller ID, voice pattern recognition, spoken password or passphrase converted via a speech-to-text module, a dialed code, and interacting with a service provider.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising code for assigning a call answering protocol associated with a location when the location is a first location at which the caller'"'"'s voicemail message should be re-routed to a second voicemail mailbox other than the user'"'"'s wireless communication device voicemail mailbox.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising code for assigning a call answering protocol associated with a location when the location is a first location at which the caller'"'"'s voicemail message should be converted to text and the voicemail message presented in text form to one or more parties.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising code for assigning a call answering protocol associated with a location when the location is a first location at which the caller'"'"'s voicemail message should be transferred to more than one phone system.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising code for assigning a call answering protocol associated with a location when the location is a first location at which the priority of voicemail messages should be changed to a higher priority than existing voicemail messages in the user'"'"'s wireless communication device voicemail mailbox.