Voice messaging system with selected messages not left by a caller

• US 6,603,838 B1
• Filed: 05/31/2000
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: America Online Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tu, Edgar Allan, Brown, Wendell, Klein, Mark D.
• Primary Examiner(s): TSANG, FAN S
• Application Number:
  US09/584,242
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/68, 379/88.19, 379/71, 379/72, 379/88.2, 379/88.21, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/88.24, 379/88.25, 379/912, 379/917, 455/412, 455/413, 455/414, 455/415
• US Class Current: 379/88.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53325 Interconnection arrangements between voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308

Abstract

A voice messaging system. The voice messaging system includes a set of geographically distributed devices in which voice messages are stored and logic that causes voice messages to be stored in respective devices in the set of devices from which messages can be efficiently retrieved. The logic may cause voice messages to be stored in a device from the set of devices closest to a location from which the user has retrieved messages. A voice message system comprising logic that receives and stores messages from callers for respective users and logic that selects and plays a message not left by a caller to a user. The message is selected based on information about the user, and the message not left by a caller may comprise an advertisement. A method of storing messages in a voice messaging system that has a plurality of voice mail boxes associated with a plurality of subscribers. An incoming call is received and responded to based on a data field in an incoming call that identifies the subscriber'"'"'s telephone number.

Claims

1. A voice messaging system comprising:

logic that receives and stores a voice message from a caller for a respective user;

logic that selects for the user a non-system message not left by a caller to a user, the non-system message selected based on information about the user; and

logic that plays the non-system message to the user while the stored voice message is retrieved.

2. The voice messaging system of claim 1, wherein the message not left by a caller comprises an advertisement.

3. The voice messaging system of claim 1, wherein the message not left by a caller comprises a message dynamically created.

4. The voice messaging system of claim 3, wherein the message not left by a caller comprises information regarding current weather conditions.

5. The voice messaging system of claim 1, wherein the information about the user comprises demographic information.

6. The voice messaging system of claim 1, wherein the information about the user comprises sex, age, and location of residence.

7. The voice messaging system of claim 1, wherein the information about the user comprises information regarding the current location of the user.

8. The voice messaging system of claim 7, wherein the information regarding the location of the user is obtained by determining the location of the cellular phone from which the user is calling.

9. The voice messaging system of claim 7, wherein the information regarding the location of the user is obtained from input by the user while making the current telephone call to the system.

10. The voice messaging system of claim 1, wherein the information about the user comprises data collected from the user over a telephone keypad.

11. The voice messaging system of claim 1, wherein the information about the user comprises data collected from the user by way of the voice of the user.

12. The voice messaging system of claim 1, wherein the information about the user comprises data collected from the user over a website.

13. The voice messaging system of claim 1, wherein the information about the user comprises information regarding the user'"'"'s use of the system.

14. The voice messaging system of claim 1, wherein the information about the user comprises information regarding the user'"'"'s response to prior messages not left by a caller to the user.

15. The voice messaging system of claim 1, wherein the information about the user comprises information regarding the user'"'"'s response to advertisements.

16. The voice messaging system of claim 1, further comprising logic that allows the user to place a telephone call by making a selection based on a message not left by a caller to the user.

17. The voice messaging system of claim 1, further comprising logic that allows the user to make a selection after play of at least part of the message not left by a caller to the user, the selection controlling later play of the message not left by a caller to the user, or play of subsequent message not left by a caller to the user.

18. The voice messaging system of claim 1, further comprising logic that provides additional information, other than messages left by a caller, to the user in response to a request from the user.

19. The voice messaging system of claim 18, wherein the additional information is selected from among information regarding:

user directory, system product and service information, anniversary reminders, birthdate reminders, time, stock quotes, flowers, hotels, airlines, car rental, reverse telephone lookup, location of the area code, provide caller ID and long distance services.

20. The voice messaging system of claim 18, wherein the additional information comprises information related to a product or service that the user may purchase.

21. The voice messaging system of claim 18, wherein the request comprises a set of keystrokes on a touch-tone telephone keypad that correspond to letters in the name of the respective information.

22. A voice messaging system comprising:

logic that receives and stores a message from a caller for a respective user;

logic that selects an advertisement for the user, the advertisement selected based on information about the user; and

logic that plays the advertisement to the user while the stored message is retrieved.

23. The voice messaging system of claim 22, wherein the information about the user comprises demographic information.

24. The voice messaging system of claim 22, wherein the information about the user comprises sex, age, and location of residence.

25. The voice messaging system of claim 22, wherein the information about the user comprises information regarding the current location of the user.

26. The voice messaging system of claim 25, wherein the information regarding the location of the user is obtained by determining the location of the cellular phone from which the user is calling.

27. The voice messaging system of claim 25, wherein the information regarding the location of the user is obtained from input by the user while making the current telephone call to the system.

28. The voice messaging system of claim 22, wherein the information about the user comprises data collected from the user over a telephone keypad.

29. The voice messaging system of claim 22, wherein the information about the user comprises data collected from the user by way of the voice of the user.

30. The voice messaging system of claim 22, wherein the information about the user comprises data collected from the user over a website.

31. The voice messaging system of claim 22, wherein the information about the user comprises information regarding the user'"'"'s use of the system.

32. The voice messaging system of claim 22, wherein the information about the user comprises information regarding the user'"'"'s response to prior advertisements.

33. The voice messaging system of claim 22, further comprising logic that allows the user to place a telephone call by making a selection based on the advertisement.

34. The voice messaging system of claim 22, further comprising logic that allows the user to place a call to the advertiser by selecting a key on the telephone.

35. The voice messaging system of claim 22, further comprising logic that allows the user to make a selection after play of at least part of an advertisement, the selection controlling later play of the advertisement or other advertisements.

36. The voice messaging system of claim 22, further comprising logic that allows the user to cause a reminder message to be left to the user in the future.

37. The voice messaging system of claim 36, wherein the reminder message is delivered by a telephone call to the user.

38. The voice messaging system of claim 36, wherein the reminder message is delivered to the user by e-mail.

39. The voice messaging system of claim 36, wherein the reminder message includes an offer for a product or service associated with the reminder.

40. The voice messaging system of claim 22, further comprising:

a set of geographically distributed devices in which voice messages are stored; and

logic that causes voice messages to be stored in at least a device in the set of devices, the device one from which messages can be efficiently retrieved by the user who is in a location from which the user is likely to retrieve messages.