Video phone interactive corporate menu answering machine announcement

• US 6,226,362 B1
• Filed: 12/31/1997
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gerszberg, Irwin, Walker, Hopeton S., Martin, Jeffrey S.
• Primary Examiner(s): WEAVER, SCOTT LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US09/001,575
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.01, 348/15, 348/16, 348/14.06, 379/67.1, 379/88.13, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/88.21
• US Class Current: 379/88.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/247 Telephone sets including user guidance or feature selection means facilitating their use user interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2478 Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/50 Telephonic communication in combination with video communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/60 Semi-automatic systems, i.e. in which the numerical selection of the outgoing line is under the control of an operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal

Abstract

A video enable answering machine having many new features including customized video announcement messages, caller ID based video announcement messages, and time based video announcement messages.

Claims

1. A method for providing multimedia answering services, comprising:

receiving an incoming call from a caller who is placing said incoming call from a video-enabled device;

determining the video capabilities of said video-enabled device;

selecting an interactive multimedia message according to the video capabilities of said video-enabled device; and

selecting said interactive multimedia message according to the current time of day.

2. A method for providing multimedia answering services, comprising:

receiving an incoming call from a caller who is placing said incoming call from a video-enabled device;

determining the video capabilities of said video-enabled device;

selecting an interactive multimedia message according to the video capabilities of said video-enabled device;

determining the identity of said caller; and

selecting said interactive multimedia message according to the identity of said caller.

3. A method for providing multimedia answering services, comprising:

receiving an incoming call from a caller who is placing said incoming call from a video-enabled device;

determining the video capabilities of said video-enabled device; and

selecting an interactive multimedia message according to the video capabilities of said video-enabled device;

wherein said determining step comprises the steps of;

determining the telephone number of said video-enabled device; and

consulting a database containing information identifying the video capabilities of devices associated with said telephone number.

4. A method for providing multimedia answering services, comprising:

receiving an incoming call from a caller who is placing said incoming call from a video-enabled device;

determining the video capabilities of said video-enabled device;

selecting an interactive multimedia message according to the video capabilities of said video-enabled device; and

transmitting, to said video-enabled device, a code identifying a predefined visual image which is to be displayed on said video-enabled device.

5. The method of claim 4, where said predefined visual image is a graphical button for performing a predetermined function when selected by a user.

6. A method for providing multimedia answering services, comprising the steps of:

receiving an incoming call from a caller who is placing said incoming call from a video-enabled device;

transmitting an interactive multimedia message to said video-enabled device;

where said interactive multimedia message includes one or more graphical buttons for obtaining additional information about the called party.

7. The method of claim 6, where one of said graphical buttons is an alternate contact button for providing the caller with alternate contact information.

8. The method of claim 6, where one of said graphical buttons is a stock message button for providing the caller with a stock message.