Voice messaging system using information from incoming telephone call to respond to a call

• US 6,665,379 B1
• Filed: 05/31/2000
• Issued: 12/16/2003
• 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): WEAVER, SCOTT LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US09/584,243
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.16, 379/88.18, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/88.24, 379/88.25, 379/207.15, 379/207.11, 379/207.12, 379/207.14
• US Class Current: 379/88.18
• 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 method of storing messages, the method comprising:

in a voice messaging system that has a plurality of voice mail boxes associated with a plurality of subscribers;

wherein the voice messaging system includes a set of devices distributed in various geographic locations, and the method includes storing voice messages in a subscriber'"'"'s voice mail box in a device at an appropriate location that is selected based on a prediction of where a subscriber will likely access his messages, the device from among the set of devices;

receiving an incoming call that was originally directed to a subscriber'"'"'s telephone number and that was redirected to the voice messaging system, the incoming call including a data field identifying the subscriber'"'"'s telephone number;

responding to the incoming call based on the data field; and

playing an advertisement to a subscriber while said voice messaging system is accessing a stored message for the subscriber.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein responding based on the data field to the incoming call comprises:

based on the data field, associating the telephone call with the subscriber'"'"'s voice mail box; and

storing a message from the incoming call in the voice mail box.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the voice mail box comprises electronic storage for data, voice and text associated with the subscriber.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein responding to the incoming call based on the data field comprises selecting and playing an outgoing message associated with the subscriber based on the data field.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice messaging system comprises a computer system with a processor for controlling receipt of incoming calls and a plurality of storage devices in which messages are stored, the storage devices and processor being coupled via a local interface bus.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice messaging system has a plurality of voice mail boxes associated with the subscriber, and the method includes, based on the data field, storing a message from the incoming call in at least one voice mail box from among the plurality of voice mail boxes.

7. The method of claim 6, including selecting the at least one voice mail box based on a caller ID of the incoming call.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice messaging system has voice mail boxes, some of which each having a plurality of subscribers.

9. The method of claim 1, including:

receiving a second incoming call that was originally directed to a second subscriber'"'"'s telephone number and that was redirected to the voice messaging system, the second incoming call not having a data field identifying the second subscriber'"'"'s telephone number; and

prompting the caller to input an identifier of the second subscriber.

10. A method of storing messages, the method comprising:

in a voice messaging system that has a plurality of subscribers and a plurality of voice mail boxes associated with respective subscribers;

wherein the voice messaging system includes a set of devices distributed in various geographic locations, and the method includes storing voice messages in a subscriber'"'"'s voice mail box in a device at an appropriate location that is selected based on a prediction of where a subscriber will likely access his messages, the device from among the set of devices;

receiving an incoming call that was originally directed to a subscriber'"'"'s telephone number and that was redirected to the voice messaging system, the incoming call including an identifier of the subscriber'"'"'s telephone number;

based on the identifier, storing a message from the incoming call in a voice mail box associated with the subscriber; and

playing an advertisement to a subscriber while said voice messaging system is accessing a stored message for the subscriber.

11. The method of claim 10, including selecting and playing an outgoing message associated with the subscriber based on the identifier of the subscriber'"'"'s telephone number.

12. The method of claim 10, including:

receiving a second incoming call that was originally directed to a second subscriber'"'"'s telephone number and that was redirected to the voice messaging system, the second incoming call not having a data field identifying the second subscriber'"'"'s telephone number; and

prompting the caller to input an identifier of the second subscriber.

13. The method of claim 10 including receiving the incoming call via an integrated services digital network (ISDN) interface, and obtaining the identifier from an original called number (OCN) field from the ISDN interface.

14. The method of claim 10 including receiving the incoming call via a switching system seven (SS7) interface, and obtaining the identifier from an original called number (OCN) field from the SS7 interface.

15. A method of storing messages, the method comprising:

in a voice messaging system that has a plurality of voice mail boxes associated with a plurality of subscribers and a set of devices distributed in various geographic locations;

storing voice messages in a subscriber'"'"'s voice mail box in a device in a location that is selected based on a prediction of where a subscriber will likely access his messages, the device from among the set of devices;

receiving an incoming call that was originally directed to a subscriber'"'"'s telephone number and that was redirected to the voice messaging system, the incoming call including a data field identifying the subscriber'"'"'s telephone number;

responding to the incoming call based on the data field; and

playing an advertisement to a subscriber while a stored message is being accessed for the subscriber.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein responding based on the data field to the incoming call comprises:

based on the data field, associating the telephone call with the subscriber'"'"'s voice mail box; and

storing a message from the incoming call in the voice mail box.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the voice mail box comprises electronic storage distributed among more than one of the devices in the set of devices.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein responding to the incoming call based on the data field comprises selecting and playing an outgoing message associated with the subscriber based on the data field.

19. A voice messaging system comprising:

a plurality of voice mail boxes associated with respective subscribers from among a plurality of subscribers;

a set of devices distributed in various geographic locations, and wherein a logic stores voice messages in a subscriber'"'"'s voice mail box in a device at an appropriate location that is selected based on a prediction of where a subscriber will likely access his messages, the device from among the set of devices; and

logic that;

receives an incoming call that was originally directed to a subscriber'"'"'s telephone number and that was redirected to the voice messaging system, the incoming call including a data field identifying the subscriber'"'"'s telephone number;

responds to the incoming call based on the data field; and

plays an advertisement to a subscriber while a stored message is being accessed for the subscriber.

20. The voice messaging system of claim 19, wherein the logic:

based on the data field, associates the call with the subscriber'"'"'s voice mail box; and

stores a message from the incoming call in the voice mail box.

21. The voice messaging system of claim 19, wherein the logic selects and plays an outgoing message associated with the subscriber based on the data field.

22. The voice messaging system of claim 19, including a computer system with a processor for controlling receipt of incoming calls and a plurality of storage devices in which messages are stored, the storage devices and processor being coupled via a local interface bus.

23. The voice messaging system of claim 19, including a plurality of voice mail boxes associated with the subscriber, and wherein the logic, based on the data field, stores a message from the incoming call in at least one voice mail box from among the plurality of voice mail boxes.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the logic comprises computer software.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the logic comprises electronic circuitry.

26. A voice messaging comprising:

a plurality of voice mail box means;

means for storing voice messages in a subscriber'"'"'s voice mail box in a device at an appropriate location that is selected based on a prediction of where a subscriber will likely access his messages;

means for receiving an incoming call that was originally directed to a subscriber'"'"'s telephone number and that was redirected to the voice messaging system, the incoming call including a data field identifying the subscriber'"'"'s telephone number;

means for responding to the incoming call based on the data field; and

means for playing an advertisement to a subscriber while said voice messaging system is accessing a stored message for the subscriber.

27. A telecommunications system comprising:

a plurality of local facilities each including telecommunication switching equipment, the local facilities coupled through a telecommunications network; and

a voice messaging system coupled with at least one of the local facilities, the voice massaging system comprising;

a plurality of voice mail boxes associated with respective subscribers from among a plurality of subscribers;

a set of device distributed in various geographic locations, and wherein a logic stores voice messages in a subscriber'"'"'s voice mall box in a device at an appropriate location that is selected based on a prediction of where a subscriber will likely access his messages, the device from among the set of devices; and

logic that;

receives an incoming call that was originally directed to a subscriber'"'"'s telephone number and that was redirected to the voice messaging system by at least a facility from among the plurality of facilities, the incoming call including a data field identifying the subscriber'"'"'s telephone number;

responds to the incoming call based on the data field; and

plays an advertisement to a subscriber while a stored message is being accessed for the subscriber.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the logic:

based on the data field, associates the telephone call with the subscriber'"'"'s voice mail box; and

stores a message from the incoming call in the voice mail box.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the logic selects and plays an outgoing message associated with the subscriber based on the data field.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the plurality of local facilities comprises a plurality of public switched telephone network central offices.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein the incoming call is rerouted by a call forwarding feature provided by the public switched telephone network.

32. The system of claim 27, wherein the voice messaging system is located at a facility geographically separated from the at least one of the local facilities to which the voice messaging system is coupled.

33. The system of claim 27, wherein the voice messaging system is coupled to at least one of the local facilities via an ISDN interface and the data field includes an original called number (OCN) field from the interface.