Enhanced scheduled messaging system

• US 6,950,502 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2002
• Issued: 09/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jenkins, Kelly
• Primary Examiner(s): Foster, Roland G.
• Application Number:
  US10/227,375
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 379 8811- 8818, 379 8822- 8827
• US Class Current: 379/88.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4554 Sender-side editing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects

Abstract

Systems and techniques for communicating by receiving data and instructions from a sender, the instructions including at least a delivery time of a scheduled voicemail message intended for a recipient and contact information associated with the recipient; generating a scheduled voicemail message according to the data and instructions received from the sender; storing the scheduled voicemail message; and processing the scheduled voicemail message according to the data and instructions received from the sender.

Claims

1. A communications method, comprising:

receiving data and instructions from a sender, the instructions including at least a delivery time of a scheduled voicemail message intended for a recipient and contact information associated with the recipient;

generating a scheduled voicemail message according to the data and instructions received from the sender;

storing the scheduled voicemail message;

processing the scheduled voicemail message according to the data and instructions received from the sender; and

sending a reminder to the sender as the scheduled delivery time for a particular scheduled voicemail message approaches.

2. The communications method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises at least one of voice data and audio data.

3. The communications method of claim 1, wherein the instructions indicate at least one of standard content and marketing content to be included with the scheduled voicemail message.

4. The communications method of claim 3, wherein the standard content comprises a greeting.

5. The communications method of claim 4, wherein the greeting comprises one or more of a prerecorded voice message and sounds specified by the sender.

6. The communications method of claim 5, wherein the prerecorded voice message comprises a voice of a celebrity.

7. The communications method of claim 5, wherein the prerecorded voice message comprises a voice of a character.

8. The communications method of claim 5, wherein the sounds comprise one or more of music, songs, and sound effects.

9. The communications method of claim 3, wherein the marketing content comprises a message associated with at least one of a service provider and a merchandiser.

10. The communications method of claim 3, wherein the marketing content comprises a gift message.

11. The communications method of claim 3, wherein the marketing content comprises an advertising message.

12. The communications method of claim 1, wherein the data and instructions are received from at least one of a mobile phone, a landline telephone, and a Web-enabled device.

13. The communications method of claim 1, wherein the generated scheduled voicemail message comprises one or more of data, content, and identifiers.

14. The communications method of claim 13, wherein the content comprises one or more of standard content and marketing content.

15. The communications method of claim 13, wherein the identifiers comprise one or more of a message identifier a standard content identifier, and a marketing content identifier.

16. The communications method of claim 1, wherein the scheduled voicemail message is stored until the scheduled delivery time.

17. The communications method of claim 1, wherein the scheduled voicemail message is stored in a designated area of a sender'"'"'s voice mailbox.

18. The communications method of claim 1, wherein the scheduled voicemail message is stored in a designated area of a recipient'"'"'s voice mailbox.

19. The communications method of claim 1, wherein processing the scheduled voicemail message comprises storing one or more of the scheduled voicemail message and attributes of the scheduled voicemail message in a designated area of a recipient'"'"'s voice mailbox.

20. The communications method of claim 1, wherein the reminder enables the sender to perform one or more of reviewing, editing, updating, and deleting a scheduled voicemail message.

21. The communications method of claim 1, further comprising sending a notification of the scheduled voicemail message to the recipient.

22. The communications method of claim 21, wherein the notification does not identify the voicemail message as being scheduled.

23. The communications method of claim 1, further comprising delivering the scheduled voicemail message to the recipient.

24. The communications method of claim 1, further comprising sending a notification to the sender that the scheduled voicemail message was delivered.

25. The communications method of claim 24, wherein the notification enables the sender to perform one or more of reviewing, editing, updating and rescheduling the voicemail message.

26. The communications method of claim 24, wherein the notification enables the sender to create a new scheduled voicemail message.

27. A communications system, comprising a network apparatus configured to:

receive data and instructions from a sender, the instructions including at least a delivery time of a scheduled voicemail message intended fur a recipient and contact information associated with the recipient;

generate a scheduled voicemail message according to the data and instructions received from the sender;

store the scheduled voicemail message;

process the scheduled voicemail message according to the data and instructions received from the sender to store the voicemail message in an area of the voice mailbox of the recipient that is designated for scheduled voicemail messages and to provide a notification to the recipient at the time the voicemail message is scheduled for delivery;

receive a request from the recipient to render the voicemail in response to the recipient receiving the notification; and

deliver the voicemail message from the designated area of the voice mailbox of the recipient to the recipient upon receiving the request from the recipient.