Apparatus and method which saves call related information when the status of recorded voice message is changed remotely

• US 6,292,543 B1
• Filed: 01/16/1998
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: McDowell, Richard Lawrence, Johanson, James A., Cannon, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US09/007,771
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/74, 379/88.01, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 379/88.21, 379/92.04, 379/93.09, 379/93.12, 379/93.13, 379/93.27, 379/100.01, 379/102.01, 379/102.03, 379/93.02, 379/112-114, 379/68, 379/93.24, 379/127, 379/142, 379/201.01, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/88.24
• US Class Current: 379/67.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/652 Means for playing back the recorded messages by remote control over a telephone line H04M1/658 takes precedence

Abstract

A voice messaging system and method includes a receiver to receive information relating to an incoming telephone call and memory to store the information relating to the incoming call. A processor initiates an outgoing announcing message in response to the incoming call. A voice recorder records in the memory a voice message corresponding to the incoming call. A detector, is operatively associated with the processor, to detect a remote log-in such that the processor is remotely controlled to access a recorded voice message. An indicator visibly or audibly indicates an occurrence of the remote log-in. The processor permits a status of the voice message to be affected in memory while information relating to the voice message and/or information relating to the remote log-in which had affected the voice message is maintained.

Claims

1. A voice messaging system comprising:

a processor in customer premises equipment to initiate an outgoing announcing voice message in response to an incoming call;

a voice recorder/playback circuit in said customer premises equipment to record and playback a voice message;

a detector in said customer premises equipment, operatively associated with said processor, to detect a remote log-in request to access voice messages recorded in said customer premises equipment; and

an indicator, in said customer premises equipment, to indicate that a remote log-in request had previously changed a status of a voice message.

2. The voice messaging system according to claim 1, wherein:

said change of said status of said voice message is a deletion of said voice message.

3. The voice messaging system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a display, said indicator being visible on said display.

4. The voice messaging system according to claim 1, wherein:

said indicator is a voice signal emitted from said voice messaging system pursuant to a message playback mode of operation.

5. The voice messaging system according to claim 1, wherein:

said indicator is a voice signal emitted during a subsequent remote log-in.

6. A voice messaging system comprising:

initiating means in said customer premises equipment for initiating an outgoing announcing voice message in response to an incoming call;

voice recorder/playback means in said customer premises equipment for recording and playing back of a voice message;

detecting means in said customer premises equipment, operatively associated with said initiating means, for detecting a remote log-in request to access voice messages recorded at said voice messaging system; and

indicating means in said customer premises equipment for indicating that a remote log-in request had previously changed a status of a voice message.

7. The voice messaging system according to claim 6, wherein:

said change of said status of said voice message is a deletion of said voice message.

8. The voice messaging system according to claim 6, further comprising:

a display, said indicating means being visible on said display.

9. The voice messaging system according to claim 6, wherein:

said indicating means is a voice signal emitted from said voice messaging system pursuant to a message playback mode of operation.

10. A method of indicating a remote log-in to a voice messaging system comprising:

allowing a remote log-in request to access remotely a voice message recorded in customer premises equipment;

allowing said remote log-in to affect a status of said voice message in said customer premises equipment; and

indicating in said customer premises equipment that said remote log-in had previously affected said status of said voice message.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein:

said remote log-in deletes said voice message in said customer premises equipment.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein:

said allowance of said previous remote log-in request is indicated by a display on said voice messaging system.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein:

said allowance of said previous remote log-in request is indicated by a voice signal emitted from said voice messaging system.

14. A method of remotely operating a voice messaging system comprising:

receiving a remote log-in request to access a voice message in customer premises equipment;

deleting by said remote log-in said voice message from memory in said customer premises equipment while maintaining in said customer premises equipment call information relating to said voice message;

maintaining information relating to said remote log-in which had deleted said voice message; and

indicating in said customer premises equipment that said remote log-in had occurred.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

displaying on said customer premises equipment said call information relating to said deleted voice message, after said voice message has been deleted.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein:

indicating in said customer premises equipment that said remote log-in had occurred includes displaying an indicator on said voice messaging system.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein:

indicating in said customer premises equipment that said remote log-in had occurred includes emitting a voice signal from said customer premises equipment.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein:

said information relating to said deleted voice message is a telephone number.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein:

said information relating to said deleted voice message further comprises a household name associated with said telephone number.

20. A telephone answering device comprising:

a receiver to receive caller ID information relating to an incoming telephone call;

memory to store said caller ID information relating to said incoming call;

a processor to initiate an outgoing announcing message in response to said incoming call;

a voice recorder to record in said memory a voice message corresponding to said incoming call;

a detector, operatively associated with said processor, to detect a remote log-in wherein said processor is remotely controlled to access a recorded voice message; and

an indicator on said telephone answering device to visibly indicate an occurrence of said remote log-in until said visible indication is erased by a user of said telephone answering device;

wherein said processor permits a deletion of said voice message by said remote log-in while caller ID information relating to said voice message is maintained.

21. The telephone answering device according to claim 20, wherein said processor comprises:

a digital signal processor.

22. The telephone answering device according to claim 20, further comprising:

an alpha-numeric keypad; and

telephone handset.

23. The telephone answering device according to claim 20, wherein:

said detector is constructed and arranged to receive DTMF tones.

24. The telephone answering device according to claim 20, further comprising:

a display to display said caller ID information relating to said incoming call.

25. The telephone answering device according to claim 20, wherein said processor ensures that caller ID information relating to said remote log-in is maintained.