Saving information from information retrieval systems

• US 6,888,930 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2002
• Issued: 05/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Short, Shannon M., Hartselle, William A.
• Primary Examiner(s): WEAVER, SCOTT LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US10/112,663
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 379/88.16, 379/88.17, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/201.1, 379/213.01, 379/218.01, 709/245, 709/246, 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 455/414.4
• US Class Current: 379/88.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements

Abstract

A method and system are provided for allowing a calling party to save for subsequent retrieval and review information obtained from an information retrieval system. A calling party places a call to either an interactive voice information retrieval system or to a telephone directory number that is associated with a telecommunications network-based voice mail system that provides interactive information to calling parties. The call is either routed directly to the general information retrieval system or via the telecommunications network to the network-based voice mail system. Once the calling party receives desired information, the calling party may select a number of options to save the information to a memory location from which the calling party may subsequently retrieve and review the information. The information may be sent to and stored at the calling party'"'"'s own network-based voice mail system, or the calling party may have the information sent to and stored at a temporary voice mail box provided by the information provider. The information may be saved to an Internet-based website from which the calling party may subsequently retrieve the information. The information may be forwarded to a separate telephone directory number for receipt by a third person or for storing on a remote voice mail system. Additionally, the information may be electronically mailed to the calling party'"'"'s electronic mail address for subsequent retrieval.

Claims

1. A method of saving to a designated memory location information obtained from a telephony-based information retrieval system, comprising the steps of:

placing a call to a called party for obtaining information;

obtaining information from an information retrieval system associated with the called party;

providing information saving options to the calling party;

saving the information to a memory location designated by the calling party for subsequent retrieval by the calling party;

accessing the memory location to retrieve the saved information;

retrieving the saved information;

wherein the step of providing information saving options to the calling party further includes allowing the calling party to save the information obtained from the information retrieval system to a calling party'"'"'s voice mailbox at the information retrieval system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of saving the information to the calling party'"'"'s voice mailbox.

3. The method of claim 2, whereby the step of accessing the saved information includes accessing the calling party'"'"'s voice mailbox at the information retrieval system to retrieve the saved information.

4. The method of claim 2, whereby the step of allowing the calling party to save the information obtained from the information retrieval system to the calling party'"'"'s voice mailbox further comprises allowing the calling party to save the information to a temporary voice mailbox established by the information retrieval system.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of establishing at the information retrieval system a memory location for saving the information.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of providing the calling party a temporary telephone directory number for accessing the temporary voice mailbox.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of providing the calling party a temporary password for accessing the temporary voice mailbox.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of saving the information to the temporary voice mailbox.

9. The method of claim 8, whereby the step of accessing the saved information includes accessing the temporary voice mailbox to retrieve the saved information.

10. A method of saving to a designated memory location information obtained from a telephony-based information retrieval system, comprising the steps of:

placing a call to a called party for obtaining information;

obtaining information from an information retrieval system associated with the called party;

providing information saving options to the calling party;

saving the information to a memory location designated by the calling party for subsequent retrieval by the calling party;

accessing the memory location to retrieve the saved information;

retrieving the saved information;

wherein the step of providing information saving options to the calling party further comprises the step of allowing the calling party to save the information obtained from the information retrieval system to an Internet-based website; and

further comprising the step of;

providing the calling party a website address and password for retrieving the saved information from the website.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

converting the information to a digital audio format; and

sending the information from the information retrieval system to the Internet-based website.

12. The method of claim 11, whereby the step of converting the information to a digital audio format includes converting the information to a WAV formatted audio file.

13. The method of claim 11, whereby the step of converting the information to a digital audio format includes converting the information to an MP3 formatted audio file.

14. A method of saving to a designated memory location information obtained from a telephony-based information retrieval system, comprising the steps of:

placing a call to a called party for obtaining information;

obtaining information from an information retrieval system associated with the called party;

providing information saving options to the calling party;

saving the information to a memory location designated by the calling party for subsequent retrieval by the calling party;

accessing the memory location to retrieve the saved information;

retrieving the saved information;

wherein the step of providing information saving options to the calling party, further comprises the step of allowing the calling party to electronically mail the information to a designated electronic mail address; and

further comprising the steps of;

receiving an electronic mail address from the calling party;

saving the information as a digital audio formatted file; and

electronically mailing the information to the designated electronic mail address.

15. The method of claim 14, whereby the step of saving the information as a digital audio formatted file includes saving the information as a WAV audio formatted file.

16. The method of claim 14, whereby the step of saving the information as a digital audio formatted file further comprises the step of saving the information as an MP3 audio formatted file.

17. A method of saving to a designated memory location information obtained from a telephony-based information retrieval system, comprising the steps of:

placing a call to a called party for obtaining information;

obtaining information from an information retrieval system associated with the called party;

providing information saving options to the calling party;

saving the information to a memory location designated by the calling party for subsequent retrieval by the calling party;

accessing the memory location to retrieve the saved information; and

retrieving the saved information;

wherein the step of obtaining the information from an information retrieval system includes obtaining the information from a network-based voice mail system subscribed to by the called party.

18. The method of claim 17, prior to the step of obtaining the information from a network-based voice mail system, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the call at a called party'"'"'s switch; and

querying a service control point to determine whether the call is to be routed to the voice mail system.

19. A method of saving to a designated memory location information obtained from a telephony-based information retrieval system comprising the steps of:

placing a call to a called party for obtaining information;

obtaining information from an information retrieval system associated with the called party;

providing information saving Options to the calling party;

saving the information to a memory location designated by the calling party for subsequent retrieval by the calling party;

accessing the memory location to retrieve the saved information; and

retrieving the saved information;

wherein the information retrieval system is operatively connected to a called party'"'"'s telephone, and wherein the step of obtaining the information from an information retrieval system further comprises;

receiving the call at a called party'"'"'s switch;

routing the call to the called party'"'"'s telephone; and

routing the call from the called party'"'"'s telephone to the information retrieval system via a computer telephony interface.

20. A system for saving to a designated memory location information obtained from a telephony-based information retrieval system, comprising:

an information retrieval system associated with a called party operative

to receive call to from a calling party for obtaining information;

to provide information to the calling party;

to provide information saving options to the calling party;

to save the information to a memory location designated by the calling party for subsequent retrieval by the calling party;

to allow the calling party access the memory location to retrieve the saved information;

to allow retrieval of the saved information; and

wherein

the information retrieval system is further operative;

to save the information at a memory location at the information retrieval system associated with the calling party;

to save the information to a temporary voice mailbox established by the information retrieval system;

to save the information to an Internet-based website;

to forward the information to a forwarding telephone directory number; and

to electronically mail the information to a designated electronic mail address.

21. The system of claim 20, whereby the information retrieval system is further operative

to provide the calling party a temporary telephone directory number for accessing the temporary voice mailbox;

to provide the calling party a temporary password for accessing the temporary voice mailbox;

to provide the calling party a website address and website password for retrieving the saved information from the website;

to convert the information to a digital audio format; and

to play the information as an audio file to the calling party after saving the information to the memory location.

22. A system for saving to a designated memory location information obtained from a telephony-based information retrieval system comprising:

an information retrieval system associated with a called party operative to receive call to from a calling party for obtaining information;

to provide information to the calling party;

to provide information saving options to the calling party;

to save the information to a memory location designated by the calling party for subsequent retrieval by the calling party;

to allow the calling party access the memory location to retrieve the saved information; and

to allow retrieval of the saved information; and

wherein the information retrieval system includes a network-based voice mail system; and

further comprising;

a called party'"'"'s switch operative

to receive the call from the calling party;

to query a service control point to determine whether the call is to be routed to the voice mail system; and

the service control point operative

to perform a database look-up to determine whether the call from the calling party is to be routed to the voice mail system; and

to route the call to the voice mail system to provide information to the calling party.

23. A system for saving to a designated memory location information obtained from a telephony-based information retrieval system, comprising:

an information retrieval system associated with a called party operative

to receive call to from a calling party for obtaining information;

to provide information to the calling party;

to provide information saving options to the calling party;

to save the information to a memory location designated by the calling party for subsequent retrieval by the calling party;

to allow the calling party access the memory location to retrieve the saved information; and

to allow retrieval of the saved information;

wherein

the information retrieval system is operatively connected to a called party'"'"'s telephone via a called party'"'"'s switch; and

further comprising;

the called party'"'"'s switch operative

to receive the call from the calling party;

to route the call to the called party'"'"'s telephone;

the called party'"'"'s telephone operative

to route the call to the information retrieval system via a computer telephony interface.