Voice mail witness

• US 6,690,774 B1
• Filed: 09/17/2001
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, E-Lee, Silver, Edward Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chow, Ming
• Application Number:
  US09/953,997
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.18, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/88.21, 379/74, 379/75, 379/37, 379/38, 379/39, 379/40, 379/41, 379/42, 379/44
• US Class Current: 379/88.23
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

A method for recording an audible event includes receiving an incoming call from a calling party on a first calling line. The incoming call is connected to a voice mailbox associated with a voicemail witness service. An extended timeout period associated with the incoming call. Telecommunications data associated with an audible event is received over the first calling line for up to the extended timeout period. A voicemail witness record is generated by storing a representation of the received telecommunications data and associating the stored representation with the calling party.

Claims

1. A method for recording an audible event, the method comprising:

receiving on a first calling line of a system comprising a first timeout period associated, with a mailbox of a voice mail service;

an incoming call from a calling party;

connecting the incoming call to a voice mailbox associated with a voicemail witness service;

associating a extended timeout period with the incoming call, wherein said extended timeout period is greater than said first timeout period;

receiving over the incoming call, for up to the extended timeout period, telecommunications data associated with an audible event;

generating a voicemail witness record by storing a representation of the received telecommunications data and associating the stored representation with the calling party;

associating a minimum record retention period with the voicemail witness record;

receiving a first passcode from the calling party;

comparing the first passcode to a stored passcode associated with the voicemail witness record; and

determining whether the minimum record retention period has expired, deleting the voicemail witness record from the voice mailbox if the minimum record retention period has expired and the first passcode matches the stored passcode; and

providing a notification to an emergency service if the minimum record retention period has not expired.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an authorized deletion request associated with a subscriber and the voicemail witness record; and

deleting the voicemail witness record from the voice mailbox.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

providing a notification to an emergency service if the first passcode does not match the stored passcode.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a confirmation passcode from the calling party;

comparing the confirmation passcode to the stored passcode; and

providing a notification to an emergency service if neither the first passcode nor the confirmation passcode matches the stored passcode.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein generating the voicemail witness record comprises storing a representation of the location of the calling party.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

determining the calling line number;

determining from the calling line number whether the calling party is a subscriber to the voice mail witness service; and

generating the voicemail witness record only if the calling party is a subscriber.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

associating a maximum record retention period with the voicemail witness record;

determining whether the maximum record retention period has expired; and

deleting the voicemail witness record if the maximum record retention period has expired.

8. A method in accordance with claim 3, further comprising:

receiving an authorized deletion request associated with a subscriber and the voicemail witness record; and

deleting the voicemail witness record from the voice mailbox.

9. A method in accordance with claim 3, further comprising:

comparing the first passcode to the stored passcode associated with a subscriber; and

deleting the voicemail witness record from the voice mailbox if the first passcode matches the stored passcode.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9, further comprising:

providing a notification to an emergency service if the first passcode does not match the stored passcode.

11. A method in accordance with claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a confirmation passcode from the calling party;

comparing the confirmation passcode to the stored passcode; and

providing a notification to an emergency service if neither the first passcode nor the confirmation passcode matches the stored passcode.

12. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein generating the voicemail witness record comprises storing a representation of the location of the calling party.

13. A method in accordance with claim 3, further comprising:

determining the calling line number;

determining from the calling line number whether the calling party is a subscriber to the voice mail witness service; and

generating the voicemail witness record only if the calling party is a subscriber.

14. A method in accordance with claim 3, further comprising:

associating a maximum record retention period with the voicemail witness record;

determining whether the maximum record retention period has expired; and

deleting the voicemail witness record from the voice mailbox if the maximum record retention period has expired.

15. A method in accordance with claim 5, further comprising:

providing a notification to an emergency service if the first passcode does not match the stored passcode.

16. A method in accordance with claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a confirmation passcode from the calling party;

comparing the confirmation passcode to the stored passcode; and

providing a notification to an emergency service if neither the first passcode nor the confirmation passcode matches the stored passcode.

17. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein generating the voicemail witness record comprises storing a representation of a location of the calling party.

18. A method in accordance with claim 5, further comprising:

determining the calling line number;

determining from the calling line number whether the calling party is a subscriber to the voice mail witness service; and

generating the voicemail witness record only if the calling party is a subscriber.

19. A method in accordance with claim 5, further comprising:

associating a maximum record retention period with the voicemail witness record;

determining whether the maximum record retention period has expired; and

deleting the voicemail witness record from the voice mailbox if the maximum record retention period has expired.

20. A method for recording an audible event, the method comprising:

receiving on a first calling line, an incoming call from a calling party;

connecting the incoming call to a voice mailbox associated with a voicemail witness service;

associating an predetermined timeout period with the incoming call;

receiving over the first calling line, for up to the predetermined timeout period, telecommunications data associated with an audible event;

generating a voicemail witness record by storing a representation of the received telecommunications data and associating the stored representation with the calling party;

associating a maximum record retention period with the voicemail witness record;

receiving a passcode from a calling party;

comparing the received passcode to a stored passcode associated with the voicemail witness record;

determining whether the maximum record retention period has expired, providing a notification to an emergency service if a minimum record retention period has not expired; and

if the received passcode matches the stored passcode, retaining the voicemail witness record beyond the maximum record retention period.

21. A method for recording an audible event, the method comprising:

receiving on a first calling line, an incoming call from a calling party;

connecting the incoming call to a voice mailbox associated with a voicemail witness service;

associating a notification timeout period with the incoming call;

receiving over the first calling line, telecommunications data associated with the audible event;

generating a voicemail witness record by storing a representation of the received telecommunications data and associating the stored representation with a subscriber to the voicemail witness service;

providing a notification to an emergency service if the notification timeout period expires before the call is terminated,

associating a minimum record retention period with the voicemail witness record;

receiving a first passcode from a calling party;

comparing the first passcode to a stored passcode associated with the voicemail witness record;

determining whether the minimum record retention period has expired;

deleting the voicemail witness record from the voice mailbox if the minimum record retention period has expired and the first passcode matches the stored passcode; and

providing a notification to an emergency service if the minimum record retention period has not expired.

22. A method for recording an audible event, the method comprising:

receiving on a first calling line, an incoming call from a calling party;

connecting the incoming call to a voice mailbox associated with a voicemail witness service;

associating a notification timeout period with the incoming call;

receiving over the first calling line, telecommunications data associated with the audible event;

generating a voicemail witness record by storing a representation of the received telecommunications data and associating the stored representation with a subscriber to the voicemail witness service;

providing a notification to an emergency service if the notification timeout period expires before the call is terminated and a minimum record retention period of said record has not expired;

associating a maximum record retention period with the voicemail witness record;

receiving a passcode from a calling party;

comparing the received passcode to a stored passcode associated with the voicemail witness record;

determining whether the maximum record retention period has expired; and

if the received passcode matches the stored passcode, retaining the voicemail witness record beyond the maximum record retention period.

23. A method for recording an audible event, the method comprising:

receiving on a first calling line, an incoming call from a calling party;

connecting the incoming call to a voice mailbox associated with a voicemail witness service;

receiving over the first calling line, telecommunications data associated with the audible event;

generating a voicemail witness record by storing a representation of the received telecommunications data and associating the stored representation with a subscriber to the voicemail witness service;

associating a minimum record retention period with the voicemail witness record;

receiving a first passcode from a calling party;

comparing the first passcode to a stored passcode associated with the voicemail witness record; and

determining whether the minimum record retention period has expired;

deleting the voicemail witness record from the voice mailbox if the minimum record retention period has expired and the first passcode matches the stored passcode, and

providing a notification to an emergency service if the minimum record retention period has not expired.

24. A method for recording an audible event, the method comprising:

receiving on a first calling line, an incoming call from a calling party;

connecting the incoming call to a voice mailbox associated with a voicemail witness service;

receiving over the first calling line, telecommunications data from the incoming call associated with the audible event;

generating a voicemail witness record by storing a representation of the received telecommunications data and associating the stored representation with a subscriber to the voicemail witness service;

associating a minimum record retention period with the voicemail witness record;

receiving a first passcode from a calling party;

comparing the first passcode to a stored passcode associated with the voicemail witness record;

determining whether the minimum record retention period has expired;

deleting the voicemail witness record from the voice mailbox if the minimum record retention period has expired and the first passcode matches the stored passcode; and

associating a maximum record retention period with the voicemail witness record;

receiving a retention passcode from a calling party;

comparing the retention passcode to a stored passcode associated with the voicemail witness record;

determining whether the maximum record retention period has expired; and

if the retention passcode matches the stored passcode, retaining the voicemail record beyond the maximum record retention period.