System and method for interfacing a privacy management service with a voice mail system

• US 6,816,581 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2003
• Issued: 11/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mullis, Karen, Vincent, James, Holt, Scott, Regas, Iris, Simpson, Anita Hogans
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US10/424,890
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.22, 379/211.02, 379/207.02, 379/142.05, 379/196, 379/229, 379/219, 379/220.01, 379/201.01
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2005 Temporarily overriding a service configuration
• 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 2203/2027 Live party detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

A privacy screening service in an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) includes a service node which records a caller'"'"'s name when a call directed to a subscriber of the service originates at an unknown number. The service node, in turn, places a call to the subscriber and transmits the recorded name together with a signal which is recognizable by a voice mail system. Following the transmission, the service node waits for the subscriber either to accept or reject a call from the caller. When the subscriber'"'"'s line is answered by a voice mail system, the voice mail system recognizes and acknowledges the signal so that the voice mail system and service node may determine that their call is between two machines and may take appropriate action. One such action is to connect the caller to the subscriber'"'"'s voice mail and to restart the subscriber'"'"'s outgoing voice mail greeting.

Claims

1. A method of providing a voice message recording service comprising:

answering a telephone call;

receiving, by way of said telephone call, a first audio message and a first signal;

recognizing said first signal;

in response to the recognizing of said first signal, performing at least one action that the voice message recording service would not have performed in the absence of recognizing said first signal, or omitting at least one action that the voice message recording service would have performed in the absence of recognizing said first signal;

receiving a second audio message different from said first audio message; and

recording said second audio message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice message recording service is provided by a voice mail server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first audio message comprises spoken words that inquire whether the recipient of the first audio message desires to accept or reject an attempted connection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first signal comprises an audible tone.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first signal comprises a dual tone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receipt of said first signal in said receiving act temporally precedes receipt of said first audio message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said method comprises performing at least one action that the voice message recording service would not have performed in the absence of recognizing said first signal, and wherein said action comprises sending a second signal.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a third audio message different from said second audio message.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said method comprises performing at least one action that the voice message recording service would not have performed in the absence of recognizing said first signal, and wherein said action comprises restarting the sending of said third audio message.

10. A method of communicating with a voice message recording service comprising:

connecting to said voice message recording service;

sending an audio message and a first signal to said voice message recording service;

receiving a second signal from said voice message recording service, said second signal being different from said first signal; and

in response to the receiving of said second signal, connecting a caller to said voice message recording service.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of said first signal or said second signal comprises an audible tone.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of said first signal or said second signal comprises a dual tone.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said audio message comprises spoken words inquiring as to whether a recipient of said first audio message desires to accept a call.

14. A voice message recording service comprising:

means for receiving a telephone connection;

means for receiving a first audio message and a first signal by way of said telephone connection;

means for recognizing said first signal;

means for recording a second audio message different from said first audio message; and

means for conditionally taking or omitting an action based on whether said first signal has or has not been recognized.

15. The voice message recording service of claim 14, further comprising:

means for rendering a third audio message different from said second audio message.

16. The voice message recording service of claim 15, wherein said means for conditionally taking or omitting an action cause rendering of said third audio message to be restarted based on recognition of said first signal.

17. The voice message recording service of claim 15, wherein said means for conditionally taking or omitting an action cause a second signal different from said first signal to be rendered based on recognition of said first signal.