System, method and computer program product for conveying presence information via voice mail

• US 20110299667A1
• Filed: 06/07/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PalTalk Holdings Incorporated (Paltalk, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PalTalk Holdings Incorporated (Paltalk, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sahai, Shankar
• Granted Patent: US 8,824,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/67.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• 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

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for conveying availability information of a calling party to a called party. A PBX serving the telephones of the calling and called parties is connected to a presence server. In an embodiment of the invention, the presence server is also connected to a computer and/or other information device (such as a personal data assistant or telephone) of the calling party. After the calling party has left a voice mail message for the called party, the called party will subsequently retrieve the message. In an embodiment of the invention, the PBX then queries the presence server as to the availability of the calling party. The presence server senses whether the calling party has indicated his or her presence; if so, it is inferred that the calling party is probably present and available for a return call. If the presence server detects no such indication by the calling party, it is inferred that the calling party is likely to be absent. The presence server responds to the query of the PBX by indicating the calling party'"'"'s likely availability (or absence) to the PBX. Based on this information, the PBX modifies the voice mail message to include a statement that the calling party is either available or unavailable.

Claims

1-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A system for providing presence information of a first party to a second party, said system comprising:

a first device of or associated with the first party and adapted to be in communication with a communications network;

a second device of or associated with the second party and adapted to be in communication with the communications network;

a presence server connected to the first device, via the communications network, to detect presence of the first party;

a communications path between the presence server and the second device, allowing presence information regarding the first party to be sent from the presence server to the second device; and

a memory associating the presence information with a message.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the presence server comprises:

a presence detection module that can receive a presence indication from the first device; and

a database that maintains availability information regarding the first party, wherein the availability information is updated by the presence detection module.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the presence server comprises:

a presence detection module that can receive a presence indication from the first device;

a database that maintains availability information regarding the first party, wherein the availability information is updated by the presence detection module; and

a timing module that measures the time elapsed since the most recent availability information is received from the presence detection module.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the presence indication is generated through deliberate action by the first party to indicate presence of the first party.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the first party is a calling party.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the second party is a called party.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein the first device and second device are selected from the group consisting of a computer, a telephone, and a PDA.

31. A messaging system, comprising:

means for receiving presence information about a first party from a first device of or associated with the first party;

means for associating the presence information with a message; and

means for providing the presence information to a second device of or associated with a second party via the message.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the presence information is provided from the first device automatically or when requested by the second party.

33. A method of providing availability information of a first party to a second party, the availability information indicating whether (i) the first party is currently present at a first device and (ii) the first device is available, the method comprising the following steps:

(a) receiving availability information regarding the first party from a presence server; and

(b) including the availability information in a message.

34. The method of claim 33 and further comprising (c) determining the presence of the first party.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein step (c) comprises detecting a deliberate action by the first party, wherein the action explicitly indicates presence.

36. The method of claim 33 and further comprising (c) querying the presence server regarding the availability of the first party.

37. The method of claim 33 and further comprising (c) associating the first party with the message.

38. A method for conveying presence information, the presence information indicating that a first party is currently present at a first device of or associated with the first party, the method comprising:

(a) receiving presence information regarding the first party from the first device; and

(b) associating the presence information with a message.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein step (b) comprises:

including the presence information in the message.

40. The method of claim 39 and further comprising (c) providing the message to a second device of or associated with a second party.

41. The method of claim 38 and further comprising (c) querying the first device for presence information.

42. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium for causing an application program to execute on a computer that provides availability information of a first party to a second party through a message, the computer readable program code comprising:

first computer readable program code adapted to cause a communications network to receive availability information from a presence server; and

second computer readable program code adapted to cause the communications network to include the received availability information in the message.

43. The computer program product of claim 42 and further comprising:

third computer readable program code adapted to cause the communications network to query the presence server regarding the availability of the first party.