SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CLOUD VOICEMAIL AND TWO WAY COMMUNICATION

• US 20140370856A1
• Filed: 06/23/2014
• Published: 12/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Appforest LLC
• Original Assignee: Appforest LLC
• Inventors: Strunk, Jeffrey L., Ellis, Urchie Bertram, Anderson, Charles Mark
• Application Number:
  US14/312,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20140370856A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/413
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/64 Automatic arrangements for answering calls; Automatic arrangements for recording messages for absent subscribers; Arrangements for recording conversations centralised dictation systems H04M11/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

In some embodiments, a method for providing answering service via an answering device comprises associating an answering service for a target telephone number of a user with the answering device; enabling the answering device to receive a call directed from a caller device to the target telephone number; storing an answering message; and configuring the answering device to send back the answering message to the caller device in response to receiving the call when a condition is satisfied. Moreover, in some embodiments, the condition is based on a date of the call or a time of the day of the call, a status of a business associated with the target telephone number, an origin of the call or a type of the caller device, or the condition is satisfied when the call is received at a specific occasion.

Claims

1. A method for providing answering service via an answering device, the method comprising:

associating an answering service for a target telephone number of a user with the answering device;

enabling the answering device to receive a call directed from a caller device to the target telephone number;

storing an answering message; and

configuring the answering device to send back the answering message to the caller device in response to receiving the call.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the answering device to send back the answering message to the caller device in response to receiving the call when a condition is satisfied.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the condition is based on a date of the call or a time of the day of the call.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the condition is based on a status of a business associated with the target telephone number.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the condition is based on an origin of the call or a type of the caller device.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the condition is satisfied when the call is received at a specific occasion.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the answering message is one of a plurality of answering messages, and wherein the method further comprises enabling each answering message of the plurality of answering messages to be sent back to the caller device in response to receiving the call and when a corresponding condition of a plurality of conditions is satisfied.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of conditions are satisfied at one of a plurality of time ranges.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the answering message is stored in an answering server.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising including in the answering message a pre-recorded message selected from a message library.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the message library includes generic messages configured to be purchased and included in the answering message.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the answering device, an incoming message delivered by the call;

converting, via a converter module, the incoming message to a text message; and

transmitting the text message to a recipient device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the recipient device is a display screen, a fax machine, or a smartphone.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the converter module is included in the answering device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the converter module is included in a server device configured to communicate with the answering device.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the answering device, an incoming message delivered by the call; and

storing the incoming message at an internet location accessible via an internet connection.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the internet location is accessible via a world wide web connection.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein storing the incoming message includes storing one or more of an audio recording of the incoming message and a text rendition of the incoming message.

19-51. -51. (canceled)