System and method for personalized multimedia messaging

• US 6,459,776 B1
• Filed: 09/29/1998
• Issued: 10/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Information And Communication Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Aktas, Christoph A., Guillot, Bernard M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Escalante, Ovidio
• Application Number:
  US09/163,108
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/70, 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/88.11, 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 379/88.15, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/88.21, 379/88.22, 379/142.04, 379/93.15
• US Class Current: 379/88.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53391 dependent on calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A method and system for personalized multimedia messaging include multiple communication mode interfaces which enable the system to communicate with multiple types of communication devices. Caller profiles are configured for preselected callers such that each caller profile includes at least one caller identifier representative of data patterns in incoming. calls received over the communication modes. The caller profiles are selectively configured to include personalized messages intended for a subset of the preselected callers and can also include caller identity verification data. A caller identification subsystem monitors the communication modes for incoming calls which include the data patterns. Upon detecting one of the data patterns, a processor accesses a corresponding caller profile and determines if the caller profile includes a personalized message. If a personalized message includes confidential subject matter, the processor can transmit a caller identity verification request to the incoming caller. The processor compares received caller identity verification data to stored caller identity verification data. If the received verification data matches the stored verification data, the messaging system transmits the personalized message to the caller. If no personalized message is associated with the caller profile, a general message is transmitted to the caller, which might include a greeting that directs the caller to leave a message. In a preferred embodiment, the personalized messaging system is included in an IVR system which enables callers to interface with the IVR system through multiple different communication modes based on the same set of personalized caller preferences.

Claims

1. A method for performing personalized multimedia messaging based on identities of callers comprising the steps of:

assigning caller profiles to selected callers, including configuring each caller profile to include message data intended for transmission to a selected caller, each caller profile further including at least one caller identifier that is indicative of reception of an incoming communication from said selected caller, at least some of said caller identifiers being specific to calling devices and at least some of said calling devices being mutually incompatible with respect to communication modes for operating said calling devices, said communication modes including at least one voice-specific mode and at least one text-specific mode;

receiving incoming communications from said calling devices over said communication modes;

monitoring said incoming communications for data patterns which are indicative of said calling devices;

accessing a selected one of said caller profiles upon detecting a particular data pattern based on a correspondence between said particular data pattern and a caller identifier that is included in said selected caller profile;

selecting one of said communication modes for transmitting said message data included in said selected caller profile, said selecting being based on at least one of said selected call profile and said detecting of said particular data pattern;

converting at least a portion of said message data included in said selected caller profile from a first format to a second format when it is determined that said first format is incompatible with a transmission in said selected communication mode; and

transmitting said at least a portion of said message data included in said selected caller profile, said transmitting being in said selected communication mode.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of configuring a general message to be transmitted as a default message for incoming communications for which there is no stored personalized message.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

determining whether said selected caller profile includes a first personalized message;

transmitting said first personalized message over a communications network if said selected caller profile includes said first personalized message; and

if said selected caller profile does not include said personalized message, transmitting said generalized message over said communications network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of configuring said caller profiles includes configuring first caller identifiers representative of caller e-mail addresses, configuring second caller identifiers representative of automatic number identifiers, configuring third caller identifiers representative of caller IP addresses, and configuring caller identity verification data.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said step of monitoring said incoming communications includes:

monitoring said incoming communications for one of said e-mail addresses, said automatic number identifiers, and said caller IP addresses; and

transmitting requests for said caller identity verification data to verify identities of said preselected callers;

comparing caller identity verification data received over said incoming communications to caller identity verification data in said caller profiles; and

transmitting said personalized messages to said selected callers if said received caller identity verification data matches said caller identity verification data.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said step of transmitting said requests for said caller identity verification data includes one of transmitting requests for voice samples and transmitting requests for access codes.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of storing informational messages and storing menu messages which prompt said selected callers to select from one of multiple menu options or one of said informational messages, said step of configuring each of said caller profiles including formatting presentation of said menu messages to said selected caller.

8. A system for personalized multimedia messaging comprising:

connectivity means for enabling a plurality of alternative communication modes for providing local access to and from remote communication devices;

memory having stored personalized messages which are individually associated with caller identifiers that are specific to anticipated sources of incoming communications, each said personalized message having content intended for a particular caller;

a caller identification subsystem configured to detect said caller identifiers of incoming communications from said remote communication devices over any one of said plurality of communication modes;

means, responsive to said caller identification subsystem, for accessing said memory to select a specific personalized message in response to detection of a specific caller identifier, said specific personalized message being associated with said specific caller identifier in said memory; and

means for transmitting said specific personalized message in a format compatible with a selected one of said communication modes, said means for transmitting being cooperative with said means for accessing to convert said content of said specific personalized message to said format in response to determining that said content is stored in said memory in a format compatible with an unselected one of said communication modes but incompatible with said selected one of said communication modes.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said connectivity means is compatible with receiving said incoming communications in formats that include telephony over a public switch telephone network (PSTN), electronic mail (e-mail), and internet protocol (IP) telephony.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said caller identification subsystem is configured to detect said caller identifiers based on e-mail address recognition, automatic number identification (ANI), and IP address recognition, at least some of said personalized messages being associated with a plurality of said caller identifiers.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein said caller identification subsystem has a first operational state configured to perform preliminary caller identifications of said incoming communications based on identifying a particular one of said remote communication devices and has a second operational state configured to perform a caller identity verification for particular individuals operating said remote communication devices.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said caller identification subsystem includes one of a speech verification processor configured to compare received voice samples with stored voice samples and a code verification processor configured to compare a received verification code to a stored verification code, said speech verification processor and said code verification processor being selectively enabled during said second operational mode.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein said memory further includes a stored general message, said means for accessing being configured to access said general message in response to an incoming communication for which said caller identification subsystem detects no caller identifier for which there is a stored personalized message.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein said memory includes menu option prompts associated with particular ones of said caller identifiers such that accessing said menu option prompts is at least partially dependent upon detecting said particular ones of said caller identifiers.

15. A multimedia interactive voice response (IVR) system comprising:

a plurality of IVR mailboxes, including first mailboxes having stored personalized greetings to preselected callers, second mailboxes having stored menu selection messages, third mailboxes having stored informational messages, and a general mailbox having a stored generalized greeting;

a plurality of caller profiles having;

a) a plurality of caller identifiers representative of data patterns associated with incoming calls from said preselected callers, said caller identifiers being associated with a plurality of alternative means for establishing connectivity; and

b) caller preferences indicative of preferences of said preselected callers for particular ones of said IVR mailboxes;

a caller identification subsystem configured to monitor said plurality of means for establishing connectivity for said incoming calls which include said data patterns;

a processor configured to access particular ones of said IVR mailboxes according to said caller preferences in response to detection of specific said data patterns; and

means for transmitting data from said plurality of mailboxes over each of said means for establishing connectivity.

16. The multimedia IVR system of claim 15 wherein one of said plurality of IVR mailboxes includes a request for caller identity verification, said caller identification subsystem including means for verifying identities of said preselected callers.

17. The multimedia IVR system of claim 15 wherein said verifying means is configured to verify said identities of said preselected callers based on a comparison of a received authorization code to a stored authorization code and a comparison of a received voice sample to a stored voice sample.

18. The multimedia IVR system of claim 17 wherein said means for verifying said preselected callers includes a code authorization processor and includes a speech analyzer.

19. The multimedia IVR system of claim 15 wherein said processor is configured to access said generalized greeting in the absence of detection of one of said data patterns by said caller identification subsystem.

20. The multimedia IVR system of claim 15 wherein said alternative means for establishing connectivity include IP telephony, PSTN telephony, and communication via pager transmissions.