Voice message recovery system and method

• US 5,353,259 A
• Filed: 06/19/1992
• Issued: 10/04/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dictaphone Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dictaphone Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kuhnen, Regina J., Howes, Simon L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DINH, TAN X
• Application Number:
  US07/901,470
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 369/25, 369/26, 369/29, 369/27, 379/75, 379/88, 379/89, 379/76
• US Class Current: 369/25.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

This invention relates to a communication system and method wherein messages are transmitted and stored in voice mail boxes. The system and method provide the ability on the part of an author to recover a message before access to the message by a recipient. This allows the author to recoup a message in case the message is sent accidentally to the wrong recipient or the message has been sent to a recipient who no longer has access to the message.

Claims

1. A voice processing system comprising:

means for generating a voice message,

voice mailbox means having a pending section and an accessible section in communication with said voice message generating means,

means for storing a voice message in said pending section,

means for logging onto said voice mailbox and transferring a voice message in said pending section to said accessible section,

means for deleting a message in said pending section through said voice message generating means if said voice message had not been transferred to said accessible section.

2. The system of claim 1 further including means for deleting a voice message said accessible section.

3. A voice processing system for a plurality of subscribers, comprising:

a) a dictation station,

b) a message analyzer in communication with said dictation station,

c) a voice message store in communication with said message analyzer,

d) a message controller in communication with said voice message store,

e) a subscriber voice message store having a voice mailbox with a pending section and an accessible section, and

f) means for transferring a voice message in said pending section to said accessible section.

4. The voice processing system of claim 3 wherein said means for transferring includes transferring a voice message from a voice message recipient'"'"'s pending section to a voice message recipient'"'"'s voice accessible section.

5. In a method of voice processing using a voice message delivery system having a plurality of voice mailboxes, the steps comprising:

a) creating a recipient'"'"'s pending section in each of said voice mailboxes,

b) generating a voice message,

c) identifying the sender of the voice message,

d) identifying the recipient of the voice message,

e) storing the voice message in a recipient'"'"'s pending section of a voice mailbox,

f) allowing the sender to retrieve a voice message from the recipient'"'"'s pending section,

g) transferring a voice message from the recipient'"'"'s pending section to an accessible section of the recipient'"'"'s voice mailbox upon the recipient accessing his voice mailbox, and

h) denying access of a voice message to the sender after transfer of the voice message to the recipient'"'"'s accessible section.