Intelligent call screening system

• US 7,003,087 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2003
• Issued: 02/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: America Online Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Trueman, David Webster, Spencer, Bradford Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bing Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/674,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20050053216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 370/352, 379/88.13, 379/88.18, 379/88.26, 379/211.01, 379/88.12, 379/88.17, 379/211.02, 379/215.01
• US Class Current: 379/211.01
• 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 2203/4563 Voicemail monitoring during recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/651 Text message transmission triggered by call
• 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 3/42102 Making use of the called 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: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53383 Message registering commands or announcements; Greetings

Abstract

Screening a traditional telephony call made by a calling party to a called party includes receiving, over a telephone network, the traditional telephony call from the calling party at a messaging service platform, recording an audio message from the calling party as audio data, and transmitting the audio data from the messaging service platform to a computer of the called party while the calling party is leaving the audio message. Before the calling party finishes leaving the audio message, the called party perceives the transmitted audio data and reacts to the traditional telephony call in response to the audio message.

Claims

1. A method for screening a telephony call made by a calling party to a called party, the method comprising:

receiving, over a telephone network, a telephony call from the calling party at a messaging service platform;

receiving an audio message generated by the calling party as a first stream of audio data;

establishing a connection with an online audio server;

sending the first stream of audio data to the online audio server over the established connection;

leveraging an internal resource identifier to enable identification of the first stream of audio data at the online audio server;

relating the internal resource identifier to an external resource identifier;

sending the external resource identifier to a client system;

enabling the client system to establish a connection with the online audio server;

receiving an indication of the external resource identifier from the client;

using the received indication of the external resource identifier and its relationship to the internal resource identifier to enable identification of the first stream of audio data; and

sending the first stream of audio data to the client system over the connection established between the client system and the online audio server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the first stream of audio data to the client system occurs before receipt of the complete audio message at the messaging service platform.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the first stream of audio data to the client system occurs before the call originated by the calling party terminates.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the internal resource identifier arid the external resource identifier is a universal resource locator.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the external resource identifier is a universal resource locator and enabling the client to establish a connection with the online audio server comprises enabling the client to establish a connection with the online audio server by using the universal resource locator.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein relating the internal resource identifier to the external resource identifier comprises relating the internal resource identifier to the external resource identifier at the online audio server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein relating the internal resource identifier to the external resource identifier comprises relating the internal resource identifier to the external resource identifier at an interactive voice response system from which audio data is sent.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein relating the internal resource identifier to the external resource identifier comprises relating the resource identifiers in accordance with a relationship defined by an interactive voice response system.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising copying the first stream of audio data substantially simultaneously to the receiving of the audio message to generate a second stream of audio data.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising storing the second stream of audio data in a message store substantially simultaneously to the receiving of the audio message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an audio message from the calling party comprises recording the audio message at an interactive voice response system that receives the call.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating an internal resource identifier and an external resource identifier at an interactive voice response system that receives the call.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the internal and external resource identifiers are generated in response to receipt of the call.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing a connection with an online audio server comprises:

sending the internal resource identifier from the interactive voice response system to a media gateway; and

using the internal resource identifier to establish a connection between the media gateway and the online audio server.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein sending the first stream of audio data comprises:

sending the first stream of audio data from the interactive voice response system to the media gateway; and

sending the first stream of audio data from the media gateway to the online audio server over the connection established between the media gateway and the online audio server.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising copying, at the media gateway, the first stream of audio data substantially simultaneously to the receiving of the audio message to generate a second stream of audio data.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the media gateway storing the second stream of audio data in a message store substantially simultaneously to the receiving of the audio message.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising transcoding the audio data using an audio compression scheme prior to sending the first stream of transcoded audio data from the online audio server to the client system.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the called party at the client system to react to a perceptible form of the first stream of audio data.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein enabling the called party to react includes enabling presentation of a visual call screening graphical user interface message commensurate with the sending of the first stream of audio data.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the call screening message includes options that may be selected by the called party to react to the telephony call.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the options include sending an outbound audio message to be perceived by the calling party.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the options include sending the call to a call destination.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the call destination is a direct number of a phone of the called party.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the call destination is a direct number that is not a direct number of a phone of the called party.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein enabling the called party to react to the call includes:

determining the online status of an online identity associated with the called party; and

sending the call screening message to the client system of the called party conditioned upon whether the called party is online approximately when the call is received at the messaging service platform.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein enabling the called party to react includes enabling removal of the call screening graphical representation message upon detection that the audio message recording is complete.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein enabling the called party to react includes enabling the options to be selected only while the audio message is being received by the messaging service platform.

29. The method of claim 21 further comprising receiving an option selection from the client system of the called party.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising handling the call in accordance with the received option selection.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein handling the telephony call includes sending an outbound audio message to be perceived by the calling party.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein handling the telephony call includes sending the telephony call to a predetermined call destination.

33. A computer system for screening a telephony call made by a calling party to a called party, the computer system configured to:

receive, over a telephone network, a telephony call from the calling party at a messaging service platform;

receive an audio message generated by the calling party as a first stream of audio data;

establish a connection with an online audio server;

send the first stream of audio data to the online audio server over the established connection;

leverage an internal resource identifier to enable identification of the first stream of audio data at the online audio server;

relate the internal resource identifier to an external resource identifier;

send the external resource identifier to a client system;

enable the client system to establish a connection with the online audio server;

receive an indication of the external resource identifier from the client;

use the received indication of the external resource identifier and its relationship to the internal resource identifier to enable identification of the first stream of audio data; and

send the first stream of audio data to the client system over the connection established between the client system and the online audio server.

34. An apparatus for screening a telephony call made by a calling party to a called party, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving, over a telephone network, a telephony call from the calling party at a messaging service platform;

means for receiving an audio message generated by the calling party as a first stream of audio data;

means for establishing a connection with an online audio server;

means for sending the first stream of audio data to the online audio server over the established connection;

means for leveraging an internal resource identifier to enable identification of the first stream of audio data at the online audio server;

means for relating the internal resource identifier to an external resource identifier;

means for sending the external resource identifier to a client system;

means for enabling the client system to establish a connection with the online audio server;

means for receiving an indication of the external resource identifier from the client;

means for using the received indication of the external resource identifier and its relationship to the internal resource identifier to enable identification of the first stream of audio data; and

means for sending the first stream of audio data to the client system over the connection established between the client system and the online audio server.

35. A method for screening a telephony call made by a calling party to a called party, the method comprising:

receiving, from a messaging service platform, an external resource identifier generated in response to receipt of a call at the messaging service platform;

establishing a connection with an online audio server;

communicating the external resource identifier to the online audio server;

receiving a first stream of audio data over the established online audio server connection in response to communication of the external resource identifier;

enabling perception of an audio message generated by the calling party by converting the first stream of audio data into audio,

wherein the called party is made able to begin to perceive the audio message while the audio message is being deposited as a voicemail at the messaging service platform.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the called party is made able to begin to perceive the audio message before the deposit of the voicemail at the messaging service platform is completed.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the called party is made able to begin to perceive the audio message before the call originated by the calling party terminates.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the external resource identifier is a universal resource locator.

39. The method of claim 35, further comprising enabling the called party to react to a perceptible form of the first stream of audio data.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein enabling the called party to react includes enabling presentation of a visual call screening graphical user interface message commensurate with the sending of the first stream of audio data.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the call screening message includes options that may be selected by the called party to react to the telephony call.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the options include sending an outbound audio message to be perceived by the calling party.

43. The method of claim 41 wherein the options include sending the call to a call destination.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein the call destination is a direct number of a phone of the called party.

45. The method of claim 43 wherein the call destination is a direct number that is not a direct number of a phone of the called party.

46. The method of claim 41 wherein enabling the called party to react to the call includes enabling the options to be selected only while the audio message is being received at the messaging service platform.

47. The method of claim 41 wherein enabling the called party to react to the call includes sending an option selection to the messaging service platform.

48. The method of claim 40 wherein enabling the called party to react to the call includes enabling removal of a display corresponding to the call screening message when the audio message completes.

49. A computer system for screening a telephony call made by a calling party to a called party, the computer system configured to:

receive, from a messaging service platform, an external resource identifier generated in response to receipt of a call at the messaging service platform;

establish a connection with an online audio server;

communicate the external resource identifier to the online audio server;

receive a first stream of audio data over the established online audio server connection in response to communication of the external resource identifier;

enable perception of an audio message generated by the calling party by converting the first stream of audio data into audio,

wherein the called party is made able to begin to perceive the audio message while the audio message is being deposited as a voicemail at the messaging service platform.

50. An apparatus for screening a telephony call made by a calling party to a called party, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving, from a messaging service platform, an external resource identifier generated in response to receipt of a call at the messaging service platform;

means for establishing a connection with an online audio server;

means for communicating the external resource identifier to the online audio server;

means for receiving a first stream of audio data over the established online audio server connection in response to communication of the external resource identifier;

means for enabling perception of an audio message generated by the calling party by converting the first stream of audio data into audio,

wherein the called party is made able to begin to perceive the audio message while the audio message is being deposited as a voicemail at the messaging service platform.