Telephone recycling system

• US 5,796,807 A
• Filed: 01/19/1996
• Issued: 08/18/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: E-Tec Corporation
• Original Assignee: E-Tec Corporation
• Inventors: Costello, Matthew W., McNabb, Gerald V., Carpenter, Dan B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan S.
• Application Number:
  US08/588,835
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 379/74, 379/75, 379/76
• US Class Current: 379/88.18
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/642 storing speech in digital form

Abstract

A telephone recycling system answers an incoming telephone call placed by a user, prompts the user to enter a ZIP Code via the user'"'"'s touchtone telephone keys, and provides the user with a recycling voice message that varies according to the ZIP Code entered by the user. The recycling message is provided directly in response to the ZIP Code without the user having to provide additional input.

Claims

1. A telephone recycling system, comprising:

answering means for answering an incoming telephone call placed by a user;

prompting means, coupled to said answering means, for prompting the user to enter a ZIP Code via the user'"'"'s touchtone telephone keys;

first messaging means, for providing the user with a recycling voice message that varies according to the ZIP Code entered by the user, wherein the recycling message is provided directly in response to the ZIP Code, without the user having to provide additional input;

second messaging means for providing an alternative message is the recycling message is now available; and

means for detecting a signal for updating the recycling message while the recycling message is provided to the user and for updating the alternative message while the alternative message is provided to the user.

2. A telephone recycling system, according to claim 1, further comprising:

message storing means, coupled to said answering means, for allowing authorized users to telephone the system and modify one or more of the recycling messages.

3. A telephone recycling system, according to claim 2, wherein said message storing means is also coupled to said messaging means and wherein the user accesses said message storing means by pressing a predefined key of the user'"'"'s touchtone telephone while the user is being provided with the recycling message.

4. A telephone recycling system, according to claim 3, wherein said predefined key is the asterisk key.

5. A telephone recycling system, comprising;

storing means for storing a plurality of recycling voice messages associated with a plurality of ZIP Codes, wherein at least one of the stored recycling voice messages is associated with at least two ZIP Codes;

answering means for answering an incoming telephone call placed by a user;

,

prompting means, coupled to said answering means, for prompting the user to enter a ZIP Code via the user'"'"'s touchtone telephone keys;

first messaging means for providing the user with the recycling voice message associated with the ZIP Code entered by the user;

second messaging means for providing an alternative message if the recycling message is not available; and

means for detecting a signal for updating the recycling message while the recycling message is provided to the user and for updating the alternative message while the alternative message is provided to the user.

6. A telephone recycling system, according to claim 5, further comprising:

message storing means, coupled to said answering means, for allowing authorized users to telephone the system and modify one or more of the recycling messages.

7. A telephone recycling system, according to claim 6, wherein said message storing means is also coupled to said messaging means and wherein the user accesses said message storing means by pressing a predefined key of the user'"'"'s touchtone telephone while the user is being provided with the recycling message.

8. A telephone recycling system, according to claim 7, wherein said predefined key is the asterisk key.

9. A telephone recycling system, according to claim 5, wherein said first messaging means provides the user with the recycling voice message immediately without the user having to provide additional input and without the user being placed in a queue.

10. A telephone recycling system, according to claim 5, wherein said first messaging means provides the user with the recycling voice message immediately without the user having to provide additional input and without the user having to wait for time to expire.

11. A telephone recycling system according to claim 5, wherein said first messaging means provides the user with the recycling voice message immediately without the user having to provide additional input and without the user having to wait for additional users to access the system.

12. A telephone recycling system, according to claim 5, wherein said first messaging means provides the user with the recycling voice message independently of other users.

13. A telephone recycling system, according to claim 5, wherein said storing means stores at least one recycling voice message associated with at least two ZIP Codes from the same town and wherein the stored recycling voice message includes information about the location of a single recycling facility located within the town.

14. A telephone recycling system, according to claim 5, wherein said storing means stores a plurality of recycling voice messages associated with a plurality of ZIP Codes within a single state.

15. A method of providing telephone recycling messages, comprising

storing a plurality of recycling voice messages associated with a plurality of ZIP Codes, wherein at least one of the stored recycling voice messages is associated with at least two ZIP Codes;

answering an incoming telephone call placed by a user,

prompting the user to enter a ZIP Code via the uses touchtone telephone keys;

providing the user with the recycling voice message associated with the ZIP Code entered by the user directly without the user having to provide additional input;

providing an alternative message if the recycling voice message is not available; and

detecting a signal for updating the recycling message while the recycling voice message is provided to the user and for updating the alternative message while the alternative message is provided to the user.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein storing includes storing a recycling voice message associated with a plurality of related ZIP Codes.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein storing includes storing a recycling voice message associated with a plurality of ZIP Codes from a single town.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein storing includes storing a recycling voice message that includes information identifying the location of a single recycling facility within a town and wherein the recycling voice message is associated with a plurality of ZIP Codes from the town.

19. A method according to claim 15, wherein detecting a signal includes allowing authorized users to modify one or more of the recycling voice messages by telephone.

20. A method according to claim 15, wherein providing the user with the recycling voice message includes providing the user with information that includes the location and hours of operation for a recycling center in the area corresponding to the ZIP Code entered by the user.