Voice mail interface

• US 6,826,264 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2002
• Issued: 11/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Packebush, Sherrill J., Beans, John Payton, Valco, Larry Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US10/166,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20020191753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/70, 379/74, 379/76, 379/77, 379/87, 379/88.04, 379/88.06, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/88.22, 379/88.24
• US Class Current: 379/67.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/355 Interactive dialogue design tools, features or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53383 Message registering commands or announcements; Greetings

Abstract

A method for interfacing a subscriber to a voice mail component of a telecommunications system is provided. The method includes playing messages to the subscriber when the subscriber is in a message review area and providing a plurality of functions to the subscriber while the messages are playing and including an option of accessing a settings area. The method further includes placing the subscriber in a settings area in response to a subscriber'"'"'s command and sequentially listing a series of persistent settings features when the subscriber is in the settings area.

Claims

1. A method for interfacing a subscriber to a voice mail component of a telecommunications system, comprising:

playing voicemail messages to the subscriber when the subscriber is in a voicemail message review area;

providing a plurality of functions to the subscriber, the functions being available while the voicemail messages are playing and including an option of accessing a settings area;

placing the subscriber in a settings area in response to a subscriber'"'"'s command;

sequentially prompting the subscriber to select a persistent settings feature by sequentially playing a series of persistent settings features when the subscriber is in the settings area, the persistent settings features being maintained in a defined state through at least one subscriber session and until changed by the subscriber; and

changing one of the persistent settings features in response to a subscriber'"'"'s command to change the persistent settings feature.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the playing voicemail messages further comprises playing a subsequent voicemail message a predetermined time period after a current voicemail message finishes playing, in the event that the subscriber does not enter a command.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the sequentially listing a series of persistent settings features further comprises playing a prompt listing the title of each persistent settings feature and, when a command to select the persistent settings feature has not been entered, playing a second prompt describing each persistent settings feature and, when the command to select the persistent settings feature has still not been entered, again playing the first and second prompts describing the persistent settings feature, and when the command to select the persistent settings feature has still not been entered, playing prompts associated with a subsequent persistent settings feature.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the sequentially listing a series of persistent settings features further comprises skipping to a next persistent settings feature when receiving a skip command from the subscriber.

5. The method of claim 4, in which the sequentially listing a series of persistent settings features further comprises repeating a previous persistent settings feature when receiving a repeat command from the subscriber.

6. The method of claim 1, in which the sequentially listing a series of persistent settings features further comprises returning to the voicemail message review area when the subscriber enters a return command.

7. The method of claim 1, in which the changing one of the persistent settings features further comprises immediately returning to the voicemail message review area after the persistent settings feature has been changed.

8. The method of claim 1, in which the sequentially listing a series of persistent settings features further comprises initially listing a greetings persistent settings feature.

9. The method of claim 8 in which the sequentially listing a series of persistent settings features further comprises listing persistent settings features in a priority order.

10. The method of claim 1, in which the changing one of the persistent settings features further comprises sequentially listing parameters for changing the persistent settings feature.

11. An interface to a subscriber-based voice mail component of a telecommunications system embodied on a computer readable storage medium, comprising:

a voicemail message review area from where voicemail messages are played to a subscriber;

a settings area accessed from the voicemail message review area when the subscriber enters a predetermined command;

a plurality of persistent voice mail settings features that can all be sequentially listed from the settings area to prompt the subscriber to select a persistent voice mail settings feature, the persistent settings features being maintained in a defined state through at least one subscriber session and until changed by the subscriber; and

a plurality of functions directly available from the voicemail message review area including an option of accessing the settings area;

wherein the subscriber is enabled to review all persistent voice mail settings features of the voice mail component of the telecommunications system without taking any action once the subscriber is in the settings area.

12. The interface of claim 11, in which the voicemail message review area plays a subsequent voicemail message a predetermined time period after a current voicemail message finishes playing, in the event that the subscriber does not enter a command.

13. The interface of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of prompts associated with each persistent voice mail settings feature, a first prompt being played to identify the title of each persistent voice mail settings feature and, when a command to select the persistent voice mail settings feature has not been entered, a second prompt is played describing the persistent voice mail settings feature and, when the command to select the persistent voice mail settings feature has still not been entered, the first and second prompts are again played, and when the command to select the persistent voice mail settings feature has still not been entered, a first prompt associated with a next persistent voice mail settings feature is played.

14. The interface of claim 11, in which a next persistent voice mail settings feature is skipped to upon receiving a skip command from the subscriber.

15. The interface of claim 14, in which a previous persistent voice mail settings feature is repeated when receiving a repeat command from the subscriber.

16. The interface of claim 11, in which when the subscriber enters a return command the subscriber returns to the voicemail message review area.

17. The interface of claim 11, in which the subscriber immediately returns to the voicemail message review area after a persistent voice mail settings feature has been changed.

18. The interface of claim 11, in which the plurality of persistent voice mail settings features further comprise a greetings settings feature, which is listed first.

19. The interface of claim 18, in which the plurality of persistent voice mail settings features further comprise persistent voice mail settings features listed in a priority order.

20. The interface of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of sequentially listed parameters for each persistent voice mail settings feature, the parameters being for changing the settings feature.