Call message delivery system and method
First Claim
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1. A method of operating a call delivery system for use with a common carrier network for serving stations connectable to said network, comprising the steps of:
- enabling a caller, at a station calling a called station to bill, to a billing code of the caller, a call request to deliver a voice message from said calling station;
establishing, in response to said request, a status memory location identifiable using said caller'"'"'s billing code and storing therein a status message indicating a status of said request; and
in response to a subsequent call from the caller, checking said status memory location using the caller'"'"'s billing code and outputting the status message to the caller.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A call delivery service (CDS) apparatus and method are disclosed which enable non-subscriber callers to a common carrier network to bill a voice message delivery to their billing code, and to check the delivery status of the message from the network during a subsequent call. Optionally, at the caller'"'"'s request, CDS can deliver the message status to the caller at a predesignated station. In one embodiment the caller can optionally request a response from the message recipient or answering party at the called station.
187 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of operating a call delivery system for use with a common carrier network for serving stations connectable to said network, comprising the steps of:
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enabling a caller, at a station calling a called station to bill, to a billing code of the caller, a call request to deliver a voice message from said calling station; establishing, in response to said request, a status memory location identifiable using said caller'"'"'s billing code and storing therein a status message indicating a status of said request; and in response to a subsequent call from the caller, checking said status memory location using the caller'"'"'s billing code and outputting the status message to the caller. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A call delivery system, for use with a common carrier network for delivering voice messages to stations connectable to said network;
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means for receiving a call from a caller requesting to bill to a caller'"'"'s billing code a voice message call to a called station; data base means responsive to said received voice message call for storing in a status memory location, identifiable using said caller'"'"'s billing code, a status message indicating the status of a voice message call and for storing said voice message in a voice file identifiable using said caller'"'"'s billing code; and processor means responsive to a subsequent call inquiry from said caller for checking said status memory location using the caller'"'"'s billing code and outputting the status message to the caller. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A call processing method for a common carrier network arrangement including a call delivery system for serving stations connectable to said network, the method comprising the steps of:
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enabling a caller, who is not a subscriber of said network, at a station calling a called station to bill to a credit card number a request to deliver a voice message receivable from said calling station; establishing, in response to receipt of said request, a memory location identifiable using said credit card number for storing said voice message and the status of said request; attempting a subsequent delivery of said message to said called station; recording a status of said attempting delivery step in said status memory location; and in response to a subsequent call from the caller using said credit card number, checking said memory location and outputting the status to the caller. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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Specification