Automated telephone voice service system

• US 4,625,081 A
• Filed: 11/30/1982
• Issued: 11/25/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Inventors: Huxford, Teresa D., Donaldson, Ann L., Lotito, Lawrence A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Thomas W.
• Application Number:
  US06/445,651
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 179/18 B, 179/18 D, 179/18 DA, 179/5 P, 179/6.02, 179/6.17, 179/6.18, 179/6.09, 179/6.11, 360/32, 360/12, 364/513.5, 364/513, 381/36, 381/51, 370/60, 370/61, 370/62
• US Class Current: 379/88.26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53316 Messaging centre selected by message originator

Abstract

An automated telephone voice service system includes a data store having a plurality of addressable voice storage message baskets defined therein and a control system coupled between the store and a large plurality of telephone lines of a telephone network. An incoming cable may address a particular message basket by entering a code through the telephone keyboard or by a predetermined association with a particular call in line. Upon identification of the message basket the caller is greeted by a client'"'"'s own voice and invited to leave a voice message which will be recorded in the message basket or given other client information. Upon entry of a personal identification code a caller is granted access to user account functions which include retrieval of voice messages, forwarding of messages to other message baskets or telephone lines, and administrative functions such as the changing of greetings or account operating criteria. Editing commands may be utilized during the recording of voice messages.

Claims

1. An automated telephone voice service system comprising:

a store having defined therein a plurality of individually addressable message baskets which each include an inbasket portion and an outbasket portion coupled to store and retrieve digital representation of voice messages at each of the plurality of individually addressable message baskets therein; and

a control system providing a selective coupling between the store and each of a predetermined plurality of telephone lines of a telephone network, the control system being responsive to different data signals received over a particular one of the telephone lines to associate the particular telephone line with a particular message basket, to store in the particular message basket a representation of a voice message received over the particular telephone line, and to forward a representation of a voice message stored in the particular message basket to at least one other of the individually addressable message baskets, the control system responding to receipt of data signals over the particular telephone line including a personal identification number associated with an owner of the particular message basket by enabling account activities including retrieval of voice messages from the inbasket of the particular message basket and storage of messages to be forwarded in the outbasket of the particular message basket and blocking account activities until a personal identification number has been received.

2. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 1 wherein the store stores a representation of a voice prompting message explaining which combinations of data signals actuate particular services provided by the service system and wherein the control system responds to activation of a particular telephone line by retrieving the voice prompting message from the store and communicating the voice prompting message over the particular telephone line.

5. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 1 wherein at least a subplurality of the predetermined plurality of telephone lines are direct inward dial telephone lines including first and second groups of lines having respectively first and second groups of mutually exclusive telephone numbers associated therewith, with each first and second group of lines being associated with a different common account and with each telephone line of the subplurality having a message basket associated therewith which message basket has an address including a group field identifying the group of telephone lines to which the message basket is associated and an individual field uniquely identifying the message basket within a group of message baskets which are associated with the group of telephone lines.

6. The telephone voice service system according to claim 5 wherein the particular telephone line is one of the subplurality of telephone lines and wherein the particular message basket associated by the control system with the particular telephone line is, in response to data signals defining only an individual field, a message basket identified thereby within the same group as the particular telephone line, and in response to data signals defining both a group field and an individual field, a message basket indicated by the defined individual field within a group indicated by the defined group field.

8. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 1 wherein the data signals are telephone keyboard activated signals defining predetermined commands and data groups and wherein the control system responds to a command only if it is preceded by an ATTENTION signal.

9. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 8 wherein the control system responds to a data group upon entry of a TERMINATION signal.

10. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 9 wherein the ATTENTION signal is a tone signal generated by actuating a star key on a standard telephone keyboard and the TERMINATION signal is a tone signal generated by actuating a number sign key on a standard telephone keyboard.

11. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 10 wherein the control system operates to initiate a predetermined time period upon receipt of the ATTENTION signal from a particular telephone line and responds to a subsequently received command only if a first data signal of the command is received within the predetermined time period.

13. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 1 wherein the control system includes a plurality of line interface circuits which are selectively coupled to activated ones of the plurality of telephone lines and include codecs converting analog voice signals received over an activated telephone line to corresponding digital voice signals and converting digital voice signals generated by the voice service system to corresponding analog voice signals for communication over an activated line and the control system includes a digital switch coupled for communication with the line interface circuits and the store and selectively intercoupling digital representations of voice signals being communicated over different ones of the plurality of telephone lines with corresponding message baskets stored by the store.

14. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 1 above wherein the control system responds to data signals appearing on the particular telephone line defining a CHANGE command by suspending a current operating mode thereof and enabling response to data signals appearing on the particular telephone line which define a new operating mode.

15. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 14 above wherein the control system responds to a CHANGE MESSAGE BASKET command and a message basket identification received over the particular telephone line following receipt of a CHANGE command over the particular telephone line by disassociating the particular message basket from the particular telephone line and associating the particular telephone line with a second particular message basket indicated by the message basket identification.

19. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined plurality of telephone lines includes a general access line with the control system including means for detecting that the particular telephone line is a general access line and responding to such detection by associating the particular telephone line with a particular message basket indicated by a message basket indication received over the particular telephone line as a data signal.

20. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 19 wherein the message basket indication is alternatively a message basket code or a personal identification code having a predetermined association with the particular message basket and wherein the control system responds to the message basket code by enabling a voice message recording with respect to the particular message basket or responds to the personal identification code by enabling account ownership activities with respect to the particular message basket and further responds to commands received as data signals over the particular telephone line by executing any activity commanded thereby.

21. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 20 wherein the account ownership activities include voice message retrieval and voice message sending.

22. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 1 wherein the control system responds to a LISTEN command received over the particular telephone line by retrieving from the particular message basket and communicating over the particular telephone line any voice message whose representation is contained within the message basket and to a LISTEN command followed by a TALK command received over the particular telephone line by forwarding to any message basket from which a voice message representation retrieved in response to the LISTEN command has been forwarded a representation of a voice message received over the particular telephone line following the TALK command.

23. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 1 wherein commands defined by the data signals received over the particular telephone line include an ATTENTION command and wherein the control system responds to an ATTENTION command received over the particular telephone line by entering a pause mode and enabling a response to additional commands received over the particular telephone line for a predetermined period of time following receipt of each ATTENTION command.

24. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 1 wherein the store stores a client voice greeting that is uniquely associated with the particular message basket and wherein the control system responds to at least one type of access to the message basket by retrieving from the store and communicating over the particular telephone line the client voice greeting.

25. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 24 wherein the data signals include a CHANGE GREETING command and wherein the control system responds to a CHANGE GREETING command received over the particular telephone line by storing in the store in place of any previously stored client voice greeting a new client voice greeting subsequently received over the particular telephone line.

26. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 1 wherein the control system responds to data signals received over a particular telephone line commanding modification of a voice message which has previously been received by forwarding a representation of the received voice message to another message basket or attempting to forward the received voice message to another telephone line until the voice message has actually been communicated over a telephone line.

27. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 1 above, wherein the control system forwards a representation of a voice message to at least one other message basket by retaining in the particular message basket a single copy of the voice message representation and storing in at least one of said other message baskets a pointer identifying the particular message basket and the voice message representation therein which is to be forwarded.

28. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 2 wherein the store stores a plurality of different voice prompting messages which provide detailed explanations of voice service system usage for different status conditions of the voice service system and wherein the control system responds to data signals defining a PROMPT command by determining a current status condition of the voice service system and retrieving from the store and communicating over the particular telephone line a voice prompting message that is appropriate for the current status condition of the voice service system.

30. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 1 wherein the control system is further responsive to data signals received over the particular one of the telephone lines to forward a voice message whose representation is stored in the particular message basket to at least one telephone line different from the particular line.

3. An automated telephone voice service system comprising:

a store having defined therein a plurality of individually addressable message baskets which each have an inbasket portion and an outbasket portion, the store being coupled to store and retrieve representations of voice messages at each of the plurality of individually addressable message baskets therein; and

a control system providing a selective coupling between the store and each of a predetermined plurality of telephone lines of a telephone network, the control system being responsive to different data signals received over a particular one of the telephone lines to associate the particular telephone line with a particular message basket, to store in the particular message basket a representation of a voice message received over the particular telephone line, and to forward a representation of a voice message stored in the particular message basket to at least one other of the individually addressable message baskets, the control system storing in the inbasket portion of the particular message basket representations of voice messages directed to the particular message basket, storing in the outbasket portion of the particular message basket a representation of a voice message that is to be forwarded, and storing in the inbasket of each message basket to which a representation of a voice message is to be forwarded a vector pointer identifying the particular message outbasket and the voice message representation which is to be forwarded thereto.

4. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 3 wherein the control system returns to a state of a newly activated telephone line upon receipt of data signals over the particular telephone line indicating a change function command.

7. An automated telephone voice service system comprising:

a store having defined therein a plurality of individually addressable message baskets, the store being coupled to store and retrieve representations of voice messages at each of the plurality of individually addressable message baskets therein, the store further storing a representation of a voice prompting message explaining which combinations of data signals actuate particular services provided by the service system; and

a control system providing a selective coupling between the store and each of a predetermined plurality of telephone lines of a telephone network, the control system being responsive to different data signals received over a particular one of the telephone lines to associate the particular telephone line with a particular message basket, to store in the particular message basket a representation of a voice message received over the particular telephone line, and to forward a representation of a voice message stored in the particular message basket to at least one other of the individually addressable message baskets, the control system responding to activation of a particular telephone line by retrieving the voice prompting message representation from the store and communicating the voice prompting message over the particular telephone line, the control system operating in an absence of data signals received over the particular line to select as the particular message basket a message basket having a predetermined association with the line, to retrieve from the store and communicate over the line a voice prompting message indicating that a voice message may be received and stored and to store in the particular message basket a representation of any voice message subsequently received over the particular line.

12. An automated telephone voice service system comprising:

a store having defined therein a plurality of individually addressable message baskets, the store being coupled to store and retrieve representations of voice messages at each of the plurality of individually addressable message baskets therein;

a control system providing a selective coupling between the store and each of a predetermined plurality of telephone lines of a telephone network, the control system being responsive to different data signals received over a particular one of the telephone lines to associate the particular telephone line with a particular message basket, to store in the particular message basket a representation of a voice message received over the particular telephone line, and to forward a voice message representation stored in the particular message basket to at least one other of the individually addressable message baskets;

an operator console for providing communication with a human operator and generating operator initiated data signals which are coupled to the control system; and

wherein the control system responds to data signals received over the particular telephone line indicating that a telephone calling the particular telephone line is a dial type of telephone by coupling the particular telephone line to the operator console and responding to data signals generated by the operator console as if the console generated data signals had been received over the particular telephone line.

16. An automated telephone voice service system comprising:

a store having defined therein a plurality of individually addressable message baskets, the store being coupled to store and retrieve representations of voice messages at each of the plurality of individually addressable message baskets therein;

a control system providing a selective coupling between the store and each of a predetermined plurality of telephone lines of a telephone network, with the telephone lines including at least on direct incall line, the control system being responsive to different data signals received over a particular one of the telephone lines to associate the particular telephone line with a particular message basket, to store in the particular message basket a representation of a voice message received over the particular telephone line, and to forward a voice message representation stored in the particular message basket to at least one other of the individually addressable message baskets; and

the control system including means for detecting when the particular telephone line is a direct incall line and responding to such detection by association the particular telephone line with a predetermined particular message basket and precluding association of the particular telephone line with any other message basket, the control system being operable to enable only the message basket activity of recording a voice message received over the particular telephone line when the particular telephone line is a direct incall line.

17. An automated telephone voice service system comprising:

a store having defined therein a plurality of individually addressable message baskets, the store being coupled to store and retrieve representations of voice messages at each of the plurality of individually addressable message baskets therein; and

a control system providing a selective coupling between the store and each of a predetermined plurality of telephone lines of a telephone network, with the telephone lines including a direct incall line, the control system being responsive to different data signals received over a particular one of the telephone lines to associate the particular telephone line with a particular message basket, to store in the particular message basket a representation of a voice message received over the particular telephone line, and to forward a voice message representation stored in the particular message basket to at least one other of the individually addressable message baskets, and

the control system including means for detecting when the particular telephone line is a direct recall line and responding to such detection by associating the particular telephone line with a predetermined particular message basket and precluding association of the particular telephone line with any other message basket, the control system being operable to enable an activity affecting the particular message basket only upon receipt over the particular telephone line of a predetermined personal identification code associated with the particular message basket when the particular telephone line is a direct recall line.

18. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 17 above, wherein the predetermined personal identification code includes a first portion which cannot be changed in response to data signals received over the particular telephone line and a second portion which can be changed in response to data signals received over the particular telephone line.

29. An automated telephone voice service system comprising:

a store having defined therein a plurality of individually addressable message baskets, the store being coupled to store and retrieve representations of voice messages at each of the plurality of individually addressable message baskets therein;

a control system providing a selective coupling between the store and each of a predetermined plurality of telephone lines of a telephone network, the control system being responsive to different data signals received over a particular one of the telephone lines to associate the particular telephone line with a particular message basket, to store in the particular message basket a representation of a voice message received over the particular telephone line, and to forward a voice message representation stored in the particular message basket to at least one other of the individual addressable message baskets;

an operator console coupled for communication with the control system; and

wherein the control system stores in the store each data signal received over the particular telephone line to provide a stored data signal audit trail and responds to data signals defining an OPERATOR ASSISTANCE command by providing to the particular telephone line a voice connection to the operator console and retrieving from the store and communicating to the console for display thereby the stored data signal audit trail.

31. An automated telephone voice service system comprising:

a store coupled to store and retrieve representations of voice messages at each of a plurality of individually addressable message baskets therein; and

a control system providing a selective coupling between the store and each of a given plurality of telephone lines of a telephone network, with a particular message basket being coupled to a particular telephone line in response to a set of message basket control signals received over the particular telephone line for storing in the particular message basket representations of a voice message received over the particular telephone line, responsive to a second set of message basket control signals for retrieving from the particular message basket and communicating over the particular telephone line a voice message whose representation has been previously stored in the particular message basket, responsive to a third set of message basket control signals which include an address of a forwarding message basket for forwarding a representation of a voice message that has been previously stored in the particular message basket to a forwarding message basket, and responsive to a fourth set of message basket control signals for forwarding a voice message whose representation has been previously stored in the particular message basket to a telephone line selected by the fourth set of message basket control signals.

32. The automated voice service system according to claim 31 above further comprising a voice prompting system coupled to communicate a voice message prompt explaining how to use the automated telephone voice service system upon activation of selected ones of the given plurality of telephone lines.

33. The method of providing a telephone voice service system response to an incoming telephone call from a caller on a telephone line comprising the steps of:

communicating over the telephone line a prerecorded voice message prompting the caller to enter alternatively a message basket code or a personal identification code;

determining the type of code entered by the caller;

if a message basket code is entered, prompting the caller to communicate a voice message whose representation is forwarded to a message basket identified by the code and storing in a message basket portion of a store indicated by the message basket code a representation of any voice message communicated by the caller;

if a personal identification code is entered, enabling account ownership functions for an account associated with the personal identification code including retrieval of messages from a message basket associated with the account and forwarding of message representations from the associated message basket to another message basket identified by signals communicated over the telephone line in accordance with a predetermined code.

34. In a voice message service system having means for storing a plurality of telephone voice messages and making such messages available to a plurality of calling parties on a real time basis, the combination comprising:

means providing a plurality of telephone lines for carrying voice data and command data;

means for processing data including means for storing digital representations of a plurality of voice messages with each message being addressably retrievable in response to an account identifier code corresponding thereto, including means responsive to a first command indicated by said command data for selectively retrieving a voice message identified by the command data and communicating the retrieved voice message over a telephone line from which the command data is received, including means responsive to a second command indicated by said command data for selectively retrieving a voice message identified by the command data and communicating the retrieved message over a telephone line indicated by the command data, which telephone line is not the telephone line from which the command data is received, including means for providing routine prestored prompting messages to a calling party, means for storing numeric data and command sequences in response to calls received over the telephone lines, means for recognizing invalid and inappropriate command sequences, means for initiating an operator assisted mode on the occurrence of an invalid or inappropriate command sequence, and means for generating data describing the status of messages pertaining to a given telephone number; and

at least one operator station responsive to the message status data from the data processing means and the initiation of the operator assisted mode for providing informed intervention in response to an occurrence of an invalid or inappropriate command sequence.

35. A system for storing and forwarding telephone calls comprising:

first interconnect means for subscribers, the first interconnect means being accessible in response to a number in a first group of numbers, each of which identifies a subscriber;

second interconnect means for non-subscribers, the second interconnect means being accessible in response to a number in a second group of numbers, each of which identifies a subscriber;

a central station including inbasket means for storing representations of voice messages intended for subscribers and outbasket means for storing representations of subscriber originated voice messages intended for conversion and transmission from the outbasket means to a telephone;

and means at the central station responsive to the first and second interconnect means and coupled to control the inbasket means and outbasket means to permit subscribers to access the inbasket means and control the outbasket means through the first interconnect means while permitting non-subscribers access only to the inbasket means through the second interconnect means for the purpose of recording a voice message for later retrieval by a particular subscriber identified by a number in the second group which is used to access the second interconnect means.

36. A voice message service system comprising:

data processing means for monitoring the status of subscriber messages and subscriber dialing operations, said date processing means including means for providing routine prestored prompting messages to a party calling the system, means for storing representations of voice messages, numeric data and command sequences in response to calls, means for recognizing invalid and inappropriate command sequences, means for initiating an operator assisted mode on the occurrence of an invalid or inappropriate command sequence and means for generating data describing the status of messages pertaining to a given telephone number; and

at least one operator station including display means responsive to the message status data from the data processing means and the initiation of the operator assisted mode for providing informed intervention on the occurrence of an invalid or inappropriate command sequence.

37. The voice message service system as set forth in claim 36 above, wherein the data processing means includes means responsive to a direct operator request command from a subscriber for providing message status data to the operator station and switching the call to the operator station.

38. The voice message service system as set forth in claim 37 above, wherein the data processing means comprises means for communicating to the display means for displaying thereon, data indicating a command sequence entered by a subscriber.

39. A telephone subscriber service system comprising:

a telephone line concentrator connected at a central office of a telephone network to a line of each service system subscriber and operable upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition on a subscriber line to connect the subscriber line to a trunk line;

at least one trunk line connected between the concentrator and a trunk interface circuit;

a trunk interface circuit connected between the at least one trunk line and a computer and communications system, the trunk interface circuit being operable to couple to the computer and communications system digital data representative of analog signals appearing on the trunk line and to couple to the trunk line analog signals representative of digital data received from the computer and communications system;

a line interface circuit coupled between a telephone company telephone line and the computer and communications system, the line interface circuit being operable to couple to the computer and communications system digital data representative of analog signals appearing on the telephone line and to couple to the telephone line analog signals representative of digital data received from the computer and communications system;

the computer and communications system coupled for bidirectional communication with the trunk interface circuit and line interface circuit, the computer and communications system having established therein means for storing providing an inbasket and an outbasket associated with and controlled by each service system subscriber, with each inbasket providing storage for representations of messages received from a calling party for the associated subscriber and each outbasket proving storage for representations of messages received from the associated subscriber for delivery to another party.

40. The telephone subscriber service system according to claim 39 above, wherein the computer and communications system includes means for controlling coupled to control the communication of voice messages between the storing means and a telephone network user, the controlling means including means for detecting the occurrence of tone signals indicative of the actuation of corresponding keyboard keys and means responsive to detection of a tone signal corresponding to actuation of a predetermined keyboard key for enabling the controlling means to control the operation of the subscriber service system in response to the detection of at least one additional tone signal corresponding to actuation of a keyboard key.

41. The telephone subscriber service system according to claim 39 above, wherein the computer and communcations system includes means for controlling coupled to control the communication of voice messages between the storing means and a telephone within the telephone network, the controlling means including means for detecting the occurrence of tone signals indicative of the actuation of corresponding keyboard keys and means responsive to a predetermined combination of a plurality of different ones of said tone signals including a combination of tone signals identifying a user of the telephone as a particular system subscriber and including at least one tone signal indicating a talk command, for storing in an outbasket associated with said particular system subscriber a representation of a voice message received from said telephone.

42. A telephone subscriber service system comprising:

an interface circuit coupled to provide bidirectional communication between a telephone network including tone signal producing keyboard telephones and a digital data processing system, with information being communicated between the interface circuit and the data processing system in digital form and between the interface circuit and the telephone network in a form compatible with the operation of the telephone network;

the digital data processing system coupled to the interface circuit and including;

means for providing communication of voice messages with telephone system users,

means for storing voice messages in digital form for each different subscriber to the subscriber service system, and

means for controlling coupled to control the communication of voice messages between the storing means and a telephone network user, the controlling means including means for detecting the occurrence of tone signals indicative of the actuation of corresponding keyboard keys and means responsive to detection of a tone signal corresponding to actuation of a predetermined keyboard key for enabling the controlling means to control the operation of the subscriber service system in response to the detection of at least one additional tone signal corresponding to actuation of a keyboard key, means for limiting all functions by a non-account caller to the storage of a voice message and editing of a voice message being stored during the course of a single call, and means responsive to receipt of a data code over a telephone line of the telephone network identifying a caller as an account owner for enabling access by the caller to and execution of account ownership functions including (1) retrieval of account messages, (2) digital recording of account messages for delivery to one or more other accounts and (3) automatic storage and delivery of a voice reply to a caller originating a message in response to an ATTENTION, TALK command sequence during operation in a message retrieval mode in which a message from another account is retrieved.

43. An automated telephone voice service system comprising a data processing system coupled to receive, store and retrieve representations of voice messages received over a telephone line and to respond to tone commands received over the telephone line, the data processing system being operative to limit call functions by a non-account owner caller to the storage of representations of a voice message and editing of the voice message during the course of a single call and including means operative in response to a data code received over the telephone line identifying a caller as an account owner for executing account ownership functions including retrieval of account messages, recording of account messages for delivery to one or more other accounts, and in a message retrieval mode in which a message from another account owner is retrieved, automatic storage and delivery of a voice message reply in response to an ATTENTION, TALK command sequence.

44. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 43 above wherein the data processing system includes means for executing account ownership functions which include in a message retrieval mode, the saving of a current message for later recall in response to an ATTENTION, SAVE command sequence.

45. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 43 above, wherein the data processing system includes means for granting a caller having access to a given account access to another account in response to a command sequence ATTENTION, CHANGE, CHANGE.

46. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 43 above, wherein the data processing system includes means for processing an account address either in the form of an account number identifying a third party account, or a code identifying a preestablished address list having at least the third party account identified thereon.

47. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 43 above, wherein the data processing system includes means for processing a received data code which includes a first code identifying the owned account and a second, personal identification, code preceded by an ATTENTION command identifying the caller as the owner of the owned account.

48. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 43 above, wherein the data processing system includes means operable in any mode in any mode for enabling a caller to leave a voice message with another account in response to a command sequence including ATTENTION, CHANGE, TALK, ACCOUNT NUMBER of the account which is to receive the message.

49. An automated telephone voice service system comprising:

a store coupled to store and retrieve representations of voice messages at each of a plurality of individually addressable message baskets therein; and

a control system providing selective coupling between the store and each of a plurality of telephone lines of a telephone network with at least one of the lines being a general access line over which a plurality of different message baskets may be accessed for either message storing or account ownership functions, with a message storing function being enabled in response to entry of a code identifying one of the plurality of message baskets and account ownership functions being enabled in respone to entry of a code identifying one of the plurality of message baskets and a personal identification code identifying the owner of the one message basket.

50. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 49 above, wherein the control system is operative to respond to a command series ATTENTION, CHANGE, CHANGE by enabling receipt of a different message basket identification code identifying a message basket different from a currently accessed message basket and granting access to the different message basket in response to the different code.

51. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 49 above, wherein the control system includes means for receiving and responding to account ownership administrative commands after said administrative commands are enabled by a command sequence including ATTENTION, CHANGE, ADMINISTRATION.

52. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 51 above wherein the control system includes means for distinguishing a given code for at least one administrative command which may be entered after administrative commands are enabled from the same given code for a nonadministrative command which may be entered when administrative commands are not enabled.

53. An automated telephone voice service system comprising:

a store coupled to store and retrieve representations of voice messages at each of a plurality of individually addressable voice message baskets therein, the message baskets being arranged in at least first and second groups with each message basket address having first and second fields, the message baskets of the first group having a first group first field address and mutually exclusive second field addresses, and the message baskets of the second group having a second group first field address and mutually exclusive second field addresses; and

a control system providing a selective coupling between the store and each of a plurality of telephone lines which provide a signal at the beginning of each incoming call which identifies a telephone number of a telephone from which the call is being placed, the control system being operative to associate a first group of telephone numbers with the first group of message baskets and upon receiving a second field message basket address from a telephone having a first group telephone number to couple the call to the addressed message basket within the first group of message baskets and upon receiving a second field message basket address from a telephone having a second group telephone number to couple the call to the addressed message basket within the second group of message baskets, the control system being further operative to store and retrieve voice messages communicated between a coupled message basket and a calling telephone.

54. The automated telephone voice service system according to claim 53 above, wherein the control system is further responsive to a message basket address received from a telephone line, which message basket address contains both a first field address and a second field address, by coupling the telephone line to a message basket indicated thereby.

55. A telephone voice message service system comprising:

an information processing system operative to receive, store and retrieve digital samples representing voice messages and to command the selective interconnection of channels carrying sequences of digital samples which each represent a voice message; and

a real time subsystem coupled for communication with a plurality of bidirectional voice communication channels carrying sequences of digital samples with each sequence representing a voice messages, the real time subsystem being responsive to information processing system commands to selectively couple data samples received from any channel or from the information processing system to any channel or from any channel to the information processing system to provide commanded interconnection of the voice communication channels.

56. The telephone voice message service system according to claim 55 above, wherein the real time subsystem includes a time division multiplexed real time bus and selectively interconnects the bidirectional voice communication channels and the information processing system by placing incoming digital samples on the bus at commanded periodic sample data time intervals for each channel and taking outgoing digital samples off the bus at commanded periodic sample data time intervals for each channel.

57. The telephone voice message service system according to claim 56 above, wherein the real time subsystem further includes at least one real time processor coupled between and communicating digital samples between the real time bus and the information processing system, the real time processor being operative to process the digital samples communicated thereby to provide at least one real time processing function including silence detection and compression.

58. The method of telephone voice message communication comprising the steps of:

answering a telephone line;

receiving over the answered telephone line an identification code which identifies the caller as a subscriber having a subscriber message basket for storing data which includes representations of voice messages, the message basket having an inbasket portion and an outbasket portion;

receiving over the answered telephone line a first signal indicating at least one command including a talk command;

receiving over the answered telephone line and storing in the outbasket portion of the subscriber message basket in response to the talk command a representation of a voice message generated by the caller;

receiving over the answered telephone line a second signal including information identifying at least one designated recipient of the voice message; and

for each designated recipient;

calling the designated recipient by dialing a designated recipient telephone line corresponding to the designated recipient,

when the designated recipient telephone line is answered, communicating over the designated recipient telephone line a voice message delivery greeting including an explanation that a recorded voice message is being delivered,

retrieving from the outbasket portion of the subscriber message basket and communicating over the recipient telephone line the voice message, and

terminating the call to the designated recipient.

59. The method of telephone voice message communication according to claim 58 above, further comprising between the step of retrieving and communicating and the step of terminating, the step of receiving a reply message to the communicated voice message.

60. The method of telephone voice message communication according to claim 59 above, wherein the step of receiving a reply message includes the steps of:

communicating over the designated recipient telephone line a reply invitation voice message;

storing in the voice message store a representation of a voice reply message received over the designated recipient telephone line; and

communicating over the designated recipient telephone lines a voice delivery closure message.

61. The method of telephone voice message communication according to claim 60 above, wherein the step of receiving and storing includes the step of receiving editing commands communicated over the designated recipient telephone line and editing the voice reply message in accordance with received editing commands.

62. The method of telephone voice message communication according to claim 61 above, wherein the reply invitation voice message includes an indication that editing commands may be used in creating the reply voice message.

63. The method of telephone voice message communication according to claim 58 above, wherein the voice message delivery greeting is a voice message having a representation thereof previously stored and is automatically retrieved and automatically communicated over the designated recipient telephone line without human intervention.

64. The method of telephone voice message communication according to claim 63 above, wherein the second signal includes information identifying at least one predetermined list of designated recipients and a predetermined set of delivery instructions.

65. The method of telephone voice message communication according to claim 64 above, wherein the predetermined set of delivery instructions includes information indicating at least one period of time during which a designated recipient telephone line is to be dialed and wherein the step of calling includes the steps of automatically dialing without human intervention the designated recipient telephone line during a period of time indicated by the predetermined set of delivery instructions.

66. The method of telephone voice message communication according to claim 65 above, wherein the predetermined set of delivery instructions includes information indicating a retry time interval and a maximum number of retry attempts when a dialed call is not completed and further comprising a step of automatically redialing the designated recipient telephone line in accordance with the set of delivery instructions when a dialed call is not completed.

67. The method of telephone voice message communication according to claim 58 wherein the at least one designated recipient includes a subscriber having an identification code and an associated message basket having an inbasket portion and an outbasket portion and further comprising the step of storing in the inbasket portion of the message basket of the designated recipient subscriber information identifying the voice message and the location at which a representation of the voice message is stored.

68. The method of providing a telephone voice service comprising the steps of:

answering incoming calls and accepting and responding to caller originated commands for voice message operation including commands to record or retrieve voice messages or in the absence of receiving a caller originated command within a predetermined time period,

generating a voice message salutation which invites the caller to leave a voice message following a tone signal;

pausing after generating the saluation;

generating a tone after pausing; and

recording a representation of any voice message communicated after the tone is generated.

69. The method of providing a telephone voice service according to claim 68 above wherein a caller originated command is recognized as a conmand only when preceded by a predetermined ATTENTION code signal.

70. The method of providing a telephone voice service according to claim 68 above, further comprising the step of interrupting any current voice service activity related to a given call upon receipt of an ATTENTION code signal from the caller and awaiting receipt of a further command signal from the caller.

71. The method of providing a telephone voice messaging service through a telephone voice service system comprising the steps of:

providing for each client a message basket for storing client related information including representations of voice messages that may be edited by the client while being stored in a client message basket, each message basket having an inbasket portion and an outbasket portion;

receiving and recording in a sending client outbasket portion of the client message basket, a single copy of a representation of a voice message;

receiving and storing an indication of a plurality of destinations to which the voice message is to be delivered;

delivering the voice message to each indicated destination by retrieving the single copy of the representation of the voice message from the outbasket portion of the client message basket for each delivery and communicating the voice message to one of the plurality of indicated destinations.

72. The method of providing a telephone voice messaging service according to claim 71 above, wherein the delivering step includes, when the voice message is to be delivered to a system inbasket of a recipient person who is a system client, the steps of placing in the inbasket of the recipient person a cross reference address to the storage location of the single voice message representation copy in the outbasket, and accessing the single voice message representation copy using the address cross reference to retrieve the voice message representation for delivery of the voice message to the system client recipient person.

73. The method of providing a telephone voice messaging service according to claim 71 above further comprising the steps of maintaining for each recipient person an indication of whether or not the voice message has been delivered to the recipient person and enabling a sending client to edit the voice message at any time until the voice message has been delivered to every recipient person.

74. The method of providing a telephone voice messaging service through a telephone voice service system comprising the steps of:

providing for each client a message basket for storing client related messages, each message basket including an addressable outbasket;

receiving and recording in a sending client outbasket a single copy of a representation of a voice message;

receiving and storing an indication of a plurality of destinations to which the voice message is to be delivered;

delivering the voice message to each indicated destination by retrieving the single copy of the representation of the voice message from the outbasket of the client message basket for each delivery and communicating the voice message to one of the plurality of indicated destinations; and

temporarily spacing the delivery of the voice message to each different recipient person by a predetermined time interval to avoid congestion of the telephone voice service system.