System and method for urgent phone message delivery

• US 6,580,784 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2000
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Spinac, Clifford Jay, Rodriguez, Herman, Smith, Newton James Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US09/730,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20020067806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.15, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/88.21, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/142.01, 379/142.06, 379/142.08, 379/211.02, 379/211.03, 379/211.04, 455/432, 455/433, 455/435
• US Class Current: 379/88.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/658 Means for redirecting recorded messages to other extensions or equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/06 Lines and connections with preferential service
• 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 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/46 Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5335 Message type or catagory, e.g. priority, indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53358 Message preview
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message

Abstract

A system and method for notifying a user of urgent phone messages is provided. When a telephone or text message is received by the phone answering system, a priority is determined for the message. If the telephone call is identified as an urgent telephone call, the system repeatedly dials the subscriber'"'"'s phone in order to notify the user of the urgent message. In one embodiment, multiple locations, such as pagers, email addresses, and alternate phone numbers are contacted in order to inform the user of the urgent message. When the user is contacted, the urgent messages are played for the user. In a mobile telephone system environment, determinations are made as to whether the user is operating in roam mode before messages are delivered. A caller id function can further be included to selectively allow messages to be identified as urgent based upon the identification of the caller.

Claims

1. A method of notifying a user of voicemail messages, said method comprising:

receiving a message from a caller;

dialing a telephone number corresponding with the user in response to the receiving and in response to determining whether a mobile telephone corresponding with the telephone number is not operating in a roam mode; and

informing the user of the message in response to the user answering the mobile telephone.

2. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

identifying the message as urgent or non-urgent;

wherein the dialing is performed in response to identifying the message as urgent.

3. The method as described in claim 2 wherein the identifying further includes receiving a caller id corresponding with the caller;

and

matching the received caller id with a list of caller identifications.

4. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an authorization code from the user;

authenticating the user based on the receiving;

wherein the informing is performed in response to the authenticating.

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the informing further includes playing the message to the user.

6. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

determining one or more forwarding locations corresponding to the user;

wherein the forwarding locations include at least one of an email address, a pager number, and a forwarding telephone number;

sending a message waiting notification to at least one of the forwarding locations.

7. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

repeatedly dialing the telephone number in response to the user not answering.

8. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the received message includes a digital text message, the method further comprising:

converting the digital text message into an audible message;

wherein the informing includes playing the audible message to the user.

9. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the received message includes a digital text message, and the informing further includes displaying the digital text message on a display attached to the user'"'"'s telephone.

10. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a priority from the caller, the priority identifying whether the caller'"'"'s message is urgent.

11. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

a nonvolatile storage device accessible by the processors; and

a voicemail notification tool, the voicemail notification tool including;

means for receiving a message from a caller;

means for dialing a telephone number corresponding with the user in response to the received message and in response to determining whether a mobile telephone corresponding with the telephone number is not operating in a roam mode; and

means for informing the user of the message in response to the user answering the mobile telephone.

12. The information handling system as described in claim 11 further comprising:

means for identifying the message as urgent or non-urgent;

wherein the means for dialing is performed in response to identifying the message as urgent.

13. The information handling system as described in claim 12 wherein the means for identifying further includes means for receiving a caller id corresponding with the caller;

and

means for matching the received caller id with a list of caller identifications.

14. The information handling system as described in claim 11 wherein the means for informing further includes playing the message to the user.

15. The information handling system as described in claim 11 further comprising:

means for determining one or more forwarding locations corresponding to the user, wherein the forwarding locations include at least one of an email address, a pager number, and a forwarding telephone number; and

means for sending a message waiting notification to at least one of the forwarding locations.

16. The information handling system as described in claim 11 further comprising:

means for repeatedly dialing the telephone number in response to the user not answering.

17. The information handling system as described in claim 11 wherein the received message includes a digital text message, the information handling system further comprising:

a speech synthesis software tool for converting digital text into an audible message;

means for converting the digital text message into an audible message;

wherein the means for informing includes means for playing the audible message to the user.

18. The information handling system as described in claim 11 wherein the received message includes a digital text message, the information handling system further comprising:

a display attached to the user'"'"'s telephone; and

wherein the voicemail notification tool includes means for displaying the digital text message on the display.

19. The information handling system as described in claim 11 further comprising:

means for receiving a priority from the caller, the priority identifying whether the caller'"'"'s message is urgent.

20. A computer program product stored in a computer operable media for notifying a user of voicemail messages, said computer program product comprising:

means for receiving a message from a caller;

means for dialing a telephone number corresponding with the user in response to the means for receiving and in response to determining whether a mobile telephone corresponding with the telephone number is not operating in a roam mode; and

means for informing the user of the message in response to the user answering the mobile telephone.

21. The computer program product as described in claim 20 further comprising:

means for identifying the message as urgent or non-urgent;

wherein the means for dialing is performed in response to identifying the message as urgent.

22. The computer program product as described in claim 21 wherein the means for identifying further includes means for receiving a caller id corresponding with the caller;

and

means for matching the received caller id with a list of caller identifications.

23. The computer program product as described in claim 21 wherein the means for informing further includes playing the message to the user.

24. The computer program product as described in claim 21 further comprising:

means for determining one or more forwarding locations corresponding to the user, wherein the forwarding locations include at least one of an email address, a pager number, and a forwarding telephone number; and

means for sending a message waiting notification to at least one of the forwarding locations.

25. The computer program product as described in claim 20 further comprising:

means for repeatedly dialing the telephone number in response to the user not answering.

26. The computer program product as described in claim 20 wherein the received message includes a digital text message, the computer program product further comprising:

means for converting the digital text message into an audible message;

wherein the means for informing includes means for playing the audible message to the user.

27. The computer program product as described in claim 20 wherein the received message includes a digital text message, and the means for informing further includes means for displaying the digital text message on a display attached to the user'"'"'s telephone.

28. The computer program product as described in claim 20 further comprising:

means for receiving a priority from the caller, the priority identifying whether the caller'"'"'s message is urgent.