Call waiting messaging

• US 6,735,295 B1
• Filed: 06/27/2000
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Groen, Pieter, Brennan, Paul M., Myers, John C., Williamson, Robert A., Grosman, Anne
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, KAREN L
• Application Number:
  US09/604,659
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.13, 379/215.01, 379/88.23
• US Class Current: 379/215.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

When a caller calls a call busy called station, the caller may request that a message be provided to the called station while the caller waits. In such instance, the called station receives the message while busy with the other call. The message may be speech indications provided by the caller which are received by the called station at a volume normally associated with a whisper. The speech indications may be recorded from the caller and the caller given an opportunity to edit same before they are sent. The message may also be a text message where the called station supports text or has an associated text-based telephone appliance.

Claims

1. A method for voice call management comprising, where a communications link terminated by a first station is busy with a call and a new call is waiting for said first station, responsive to a request from a calling station for said new call, determining whether said calling station desires to (i) record a message for said called station and disconnect or (ii) engage in instant messaging, and if determined to engage in instant messaging, then roceiving a message from said calling station and providing the message on said call busy communications link based on input from said calling station, said message comprising speech indications superimposed on a path of said communications link outbound to said first station and not superimposed on a path of said communications link inbound from said first station.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said speech indications relating to said waiting call have an average volume different than an average volume of speech indications of an existing call on said communication link.

3. The method of claim 1 farther comprising:

on receipt of said new call, prompting for said message.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said message is recorded and said recording is superimposed on said outbound path.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein a signal level of said recording is attenuated by between 3 dB to 9 dB prior to being superimposed on said outbound path.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising permitting editing of said recording based on input from said calling station prior to superimposing said recording on said outbound path.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising providing message delivery indications to said calling station while superimposing said recording on said outbound path.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein said message is superimposed on said outbound path while said input from said calling station is received.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein said message is simultaneously recorded as it is superimposed on said outbound path in real time.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said inbound path is muted while said speech indications are superimposed on said outbound path.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein echo cancellation is employed on said inbound path to cancel said whispered speech indications from said inbound path.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising responsive to said request from said calling station, prompting said calling station for information;

synthesizing speech indications based on any said information received; and

wherein said synthesized speech indications are said superimposed speech indications.

13. A method for facilitating voice call management, comprising:

while a call path terminated with a first station is busy with a call, on receipt of another call for said first station from a calling station, querying whether said calling station desires to (i) record a message for said first station and disconnect or (ii) engage in instant messaging, and in response to an indication from said calling station to engage in instant messaging, then receiving speech indications from said calling station and superimposing on any signal on a path of said call path outbound to said first station, speech indications related to said another call at a volume normally associated with a whisper.

14. Apparatus for facilitating voice call management, comprising:

means for, where a communications link terminated by a first station is busy with a call and a new call is waiting for said first station, receiving input from a calling station for said new call;

means for, responsive to said input, determining whether said calling station desires to (i) record a message for said called station and disconnect or (ii) engage in instant messaging, and if determined to engage in instant messaging, then receiving a message from said calling station and providing the message on said call busy communications link based on input from said calling station, said message comprising speech indications superimposed on a path of said communications link outbound to said first station and not superimposed on a path of said communications link inbound from said first station.

15. A personal agent adapted to:

where a communications link terminated by a first station is busy with a call and a new call is waiting for said fist station, responsive to a request from a calling station for said new call, determine whether said calling station desires to (i) record a message for said called station and disconnect or (ii) engage in instant messaging, and if determined to engage in instant messaging, then receive a message from said calling station and provide the message on said call busy communications link based on input from said calling station, said message comprising speech indications superimposed on a path of said communications link outbound to said first station and not superimposed on a path of said communications link inbound from said first station.

16. A voice mail system adapted to:

where a communications link terminated by a first station is busy with a call and a new call is waiting for said first station, responsive to a request from a calling station for said new call, determine whether said calling station desires to (i) record a message for said called station and disconnect or (ii) engage in instant messaging, and if determined to engage in instant messaging, then receive a message from said calling station and provide the message on said call busy communications link based on input from said calling station, said message comprising speech indications superimposed on a path of said communications link outbound to said first station and not superimposed on a path of said communications link inbound from said first station.

17. A telephone switch adapted to:

where a communications link terminated by a first station is busy with a call and a new call is waiting for said first station, responsive to a request from a calling station for said new call, determine whether said calling station desires to (i) record a message for said called station and disconnect or (ii) engage in instant messaging, and if determined to engage in instant messaging, then receive a message from said calling station and provide the message on said call busy communications link based on input from said calling station, said message comprising speech indications superimposed on a path of said communications link outbound to said first station and not superimposed on a path of said communications link inbound from said first station.

18. A computer readable medium which, when loaded into a processor of a communications system, adapts said communications system to:

where a communications link terminated by a first station is busy with a call and a new call is waiting for said first station, receive input from a calling station for said new call;

determine whether said calling station desires to (i) record a message for said called station and disconnect or (ii) engage in instant messaging, and if determined to engage in instant messaging, then receive a message from said calling station and provide the message on said call busy communications link based on said input, said message comprising speech indications superimposed on a path of said communications link outbound to said first station and not superimposed on a path of said communications link inbound from said first station.