Apparatus and method for grouping and prioritizing voice messages for convenient playback

• US 6,335,962 B1
• Filed: 03/27/1998
• Issued: 01/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Sopko, Joseph A., Johanson, James A., Cannon, Joseph M., Ali, Syed S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US09/048,841
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/68, 379/70, 379/74, 379/80, 379/82, 379/85, 379/88.01, 379/88.07, 379/88.08, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.2, 379/88.21, 379/88.23, 379/88.26, 379/88.22, 379/88.19, 379/88.04, 369/25, 369/26, 369/27, 369/29
• US Class Current: 379/88.11
• 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 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/652 Means for playing back the recorded messages by remote control over a telephone line H04M1/658 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set

Abstract

A voice messaging system and method includes a voice recorder/playback device to store a plurality of voice messages associated with a respective plurality of incoming calls. A receiver receives call related information associated with each of the respective plurality of incoming calls. A controller is provided to organize the plurality of voice messages for playback by the voice recorder/playback device based on pre-stored groupings of expected call related information irrespective of an order in which voice messages are stored. In one aspect the pre-stored groupings relate to various priority levels for playback sequencing. In another aspect the pre-stored groupings relate to a specific voice mailbox or bin to receive the voice message. In yet another aspect, voice recognition techniques may be utilized to query the voice messaging system, either locally or remotely, for voice messages grouped in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Claims

1. A voice messaging system comprising:

a memory in customer premises equipment;

a Caller ID receiver in customer premises equipment to receive Caller ID information with respect to an incoming call;

a voice recorder and playback circuit in customer premises equipment adapted to record and playback voice messages; and

a processor in customer premises equipment adapted to regroup a playback order of voice messages selectively based on at least one of Caller ID information, a user-compiled call related information grouping directory, subject matter, and language of said incoming call.

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

said playback order of voice messages recorded within said mailbox includes all voice messages from the same received Caller ID information to be played back as a group.

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

said processor is adapted to query a user for other voice messages from a same party based on said received Caller ID information.

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

said Caller ID information includes a telephone number.

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

said Caller ID information includes a household name.

6. A voice messaging system comprising:

a memory in customer premises equipment adapted to store a plurality of Caller ID information associated with any one of a plurality of groups;

a Caller ID receiver in customer premises equipment to receive Caller ID information with respect to an incoming call; and

a processor in customer premises equipment adapted to compare said received Caller ID information with said respective Caller ID information entries stored in said memory to associate one of said plurality of groups with a voice message, and to reorder a playback of voice messages within a at least one mailbox selectively based on at least one of Caller ID information, a user-compiled call related information grouping directory, subject matter, and language of said incoming call.

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

said processor is further adapted to playback voice messages recorded within said mailbox within any of said plurality of groups chronologically.

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

said processor is further adapted to query a user during playback for playback of other messages in said same group as a current voice message.

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

said Caller ID information includes a telephone number.

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

said Caller ID information includes a household name.

11. A voice messaging system comprising:

a memory in a telephone answering device;

a processor in said telephone answering device adapted to query a caller for selection of one of a plurality of groups to be associated with a voice message recorded by said caller, said processor further adapted to assign said voice message to said group selected by said caller and to reorder a playback order of a plurality of voice messages within a mailbox selectively based on at least one of Caller ID information, a user-compiled call related information grouping directory, subject matter, and language of said caller.

12. The voice messaging system according to claim 11, wherein:

said processor is further adapted to playback voice messages recorded within said mailbox within any of said plurality of groups chronologically.

13. The voice messaging system according to claim 11, wherein:

said processor is further adapted to query a user during playback for playback of other messages in said same group as a current voice message.

14. A method of organizing for playback a plurality of voice messages in a voice messaging system, said method comprising:

storing in customer premises equipment a plurality of voice messages within a at least one mailbox and associated with a respective plurality of incoming calls;

receiving in customer premises equipment Caller ID information associated with each of said respective plurality of incoming calls; and

organizing in customer premises equipment said plurality of voice messages recorded within said at least one mailbox for playback selectively based on at least one of Caller ID information, a user-compiled call related information grouping directory, subject matter, and language of said incoming call.

15. The method of organizing for playback a plurality of voice messages in a voice messaging system according to claim 14, wherein:

said Caller ID information includes a telephone number.

16. The method of organizing for playback a plurality of voice messages in a voice messaging system according to claim 14, wherein:

said Caller ID information includes a household name.

17. A method of organizing for playback a plurality of voice messages in a voice messaging system, said method comprising:

providing in customer premises equipment a plurality of pre-stored Caller ID information entries each associated with one of a plurality of playback groups;

storing in customer premises equipment a plurality of voice messages within at least one mailbox and a respective plurality of Caller ID information based on respective incoming calls creating said plurality of voice messages;

comparing in customer premises equipment said stored plurality of Caller ID information with said pre-stored Caller ID information entries to associate one of said plurality of playback groups with each of said stored plurality of voice messages recorded within said at least one mailbox; and

playing back in customer premises equipment said plurality of voice messages recorded within said at least one mailbox selectively based on at least one of Caller ID information, a user-compiled call related information grouping directory, subject matter, and language of a caller.

18. The method of organizing for playback a plurality of voice messages in a voice messaging system according to claim 17, wherein:

voice messages recorded within said mailbox in one of said plurality of playback groups having a higher priority than other voice messages recorded within said mailbox are played back before said other voice messages.

19. The method of organizing for playback a plurality of voice messages in a voice messaging system according to claim 17, wherein:

said Caller ID information includes a telephone number.

20. The method of organizing for playback a plurality of voice messages in a voice messaging system according to claim 17, wherein:

said Caller ID information includes a household name.

21. The method of organizing for playback a plurality of voice messages in a voice messaging system according to claim 17, wherein:

said plurality of voice messages recorded within said mailbox are played back based on control signals input to said voice messaging system.

22. The method of organizing for playback a plurality of voice messages in a voice messaging system according to claim 17, wherein:

said plurality of voice messages recorded within said mailbox are played back based on control signals generated by voice recognition of spoken commands from a user of said voice messaging system.

23. Apparatus for organizing for playback a plurality of voice messages in a voice messaging system, said apparatus comprising:

means in customer premises equipment for storing a plurality of voice messages within a at least one mailbox and associated with a respective plurality of incoming calls;

means in customer premises equipment for receiving Caller ID information associated with each of said respective plurality of incoming calls; and

means in customer premises equipment for organizing said plurality of voice messages recorded within said at least one mailbox for playback selectively based on at least one of Caller ID information, a user-compiled call related information grouping directory, subject matter, and language of a caller.

24. Apparatus for organizing for playback a plurality of voice messages in a voice messaging system, said apparatus comprising:

means in customer premises equipment for providing a plurality of pre-stored Caller ID information entries each associated with one of a plurality of playback groups;

means in customer premises equipment for storing a plurality of voice messages within a single mailbox and a respective plurality of Caller ID information based on respective incoming calls creating said plurality of said voice messages;

means in customer premises equipment for comparing said stored plurality of Caller ID information with said pre-stored Caller ID information entries to associate one of said plurality of playback groups with each of said stored plurality of voice messages recorded within said single mailbox; and

means in customer premises equipment for playing back said plurality of said voice messages selectively based on at least one of Caller ID information, a user-compiled call related information grouping directory, subject matter, and language of said incoming call.