Apparatus and method for personalized call acknowledgement

• US 7,248,676 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2004
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Voice & Speech Tech Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Voice & Speech Technologies Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Hargrave, Bradley O., Visser, Roger E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier; Gerald
• Application Number:
  US10/932,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20050232400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.03, 379/201.02, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/93.35, 379/67.1, 379/88.19, 379/88.21, 370/356
• US Class Current: 379/88.21
• 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 2203/4527 Voicemail attached to other kind of message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/651 Text message transmission triggered by call automatic reactions in messaging within packet-switching networks H04L51/02
• 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

Abstract

A method of operating a call management system enables a subscriber to acknowledge a call, without taking the call. When the system receives the call, it identifies the called subscriber, obtains caller information, and presents the caller information to the subscriber when notifying the subscriber of the pending call. Caller information is information relating to the caller or to the call, such as the caller'"'"'s name and telephone number. If the subscriber chooses to acknowledge the call, the system records an acknowledgement message from the subscriber. The system then plays the acknowledgement message to the caller. After playing the acknowledgement message, the system offers the caller an opportunity to leave a message for the subscriber. The system may allow such message exchange between the caller and subscriber to continue, enabling the subscriber to acknowledge the caller'"'"'s additional messages, and the caller to leave messages in response to the acknowledgements.

Claims

1. A method of processing a telephone call from a caller, the method comprising:

identifying a person to whom the call is directed;

obtaining caller information;

providing the caller information to the person;

asking the person whether to accept, reject, or acknowledge the call;

receiving from the person an acknowledgement indication signifying that the person wants to acknowledge the call, the acknowledgement indication being provided in response to the step of asking;

recording an acknowledgement message from the person after receiving the acknowledgement indication;

playing the acknowledgement message to the caller; and

recording a message from the caller after the step of playing the acknowledgement message;

wherein the steps of identifying, providing, asking, receiving, recording the acknowledgement message, playing, and recording the message from the caller are performed during the call.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

indicating to the person that the call is pending.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

determining whether the person responds to the step of indicating.

4. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

receiving the call.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the step of identifying comprises:

identifying the person from telephone number dialed by the caller.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein the step of identifying comprises:

requesting the caller to input information identifying the person using telephone keys that generate dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signals;

receiving the DTMF signals; and

decoding the DTMF signals.

7. A method according to claim 4, wherein the step of identifying comprises:

requesting the caller to speak information identifying the person;

receiving the information identifying the person spoken by the caller; and

processing the information spoken by the caller using automatic speech recognition.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein:

the step of requesting comprises asking the caller to pronounce name of the person; and

the step of processing the information comprises matching the information spoken by the caller to stored grammar of the person'"'"'s name.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein the step of obtaining caller information comprises:

comparing the information spoken by the caller to voice prints of known callers; and

determining name of the caller from a stored record associated with a voice print matching the information spoken by the caller.

10. A method according to claim 4, wherein the step of obtaining caller information comprises:

using automatic number identification (ANI) information carried by the call to identify telephone number of the telephone from which the call originated.

11. A method according to claim 4, wherein the step of obtaining caller information comprises:

requesting the caller to speak the caller information; and

receiving the caller information spoken by the caller.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein:

the step of requesting comprises requesting the caller to pronounce name of the caller.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the step of obtaining caller information further comprises:

comparing the caller information spoken by the caller to voice prints of known callers.

14. A method according to claim 4, wherein the step of obtaining caller information comprises:

receiving voice input from the caller;

comparing the voice input to voice prints of known callers; and

determining name of the caller from a stored record associated with a voice print matching the voice input.

15. A method according to claim 4, wherein the step of providing the caller information comprises:

rendering the caller information through a computer associated with the person.

16. A method according to claim 4, wherein the step of providing the caller information comprises:

rendering the caller information through a telephone device associated with the person.

17. A method according to claim 4, wherein the step of indicating and the step of providing the caller information are performed substantially simultaneously.

18. A method according to claim 4, further comprising:

saving the acknowledgment message in a voice mailbox of the person.

27. A call management system, comprising:

a network interface capable of connecting calls between the call management system and a network;

a call switching system coupled to the network interface to route the calls within the call management system;

a memory storing program code; and

at least one processor capable of executing the program code, the at least one processor being capable, under control of the program code, of configuring the call switching system, receiving information from calls, and sending audio information via calls, wherein the processor, under control of the program code, is capable of causing the call management system to perform a method of processing a telephone call according to any one of claims 1-26.

28. An article of manufacture comprising machine-readable storage medium with program code stored in the medium, the program code, when executed by at least one processor of a call management system, being capable of causing the at least one processor to configure the call management system to perform a method of processing a telephone call according to any one of claims 1-26.

19. A method of processing a telephone call from a caller, the method comprising:

receiving the call;

identifying a person to whom the call is directed;

indicating to the person that the call is pending;

obtaining caller information;

providing the caller information to the person;

receiving from the person an acknowledgement indication signifying that the person wants to acknowledge the call;

recording an acknowledgement message from the person after receiving the acknowledgement indication;

playing the acknowledgement message to the caller;

maintaining a flag indicative of whether the acknowledgement message should be saved in a voice mailbox of the person;

checking the flag to determine whether the acknowledgement message should be saved in the voice mailbox; and

if the step of checking determines that the acknowledgement message should be saved in the voice mailbox, saving the acknowledgement message in the voice mailbox.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the step of maintaining a flag comprises:

receiving from the person an indication of whether the acknowledgement message should be saved in the voice mailbox.

21. A method of processing a telephone call from a caller to a subscriber, the method comprising:

(a) identifying the subscriber;

(b) obtaining caller information;

(c) providing the caller information to the subscriber;

(d) asking the subscriber whether to accept, reject, or acknowledge the call;

(e) if in response to the step of asking the subscriber indicates within a predetermined period that the subscriber wants to acknowledge the call,

recording an acknowledgement message from the subscriber,

playing the acknowledgement message from the subscriber to the caller,

offering the caller to leave a message to the subscriber, and

recording the message from the caller to the subscriber if the caller chooses to leave the message to the subscriber;

wherein each step of the steps of asking, recording the acknowledgement message, playing, offering, and recording the message from the caller is performed during the call.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein said step (e) further comprises:

saving the acknowledgment message in a voice mailbox of the subscriber.

23. A method according to claim 22, further comprising:

(f) indicating to the subscriber that the call is pending.

24. A method according to claim 23, further comprising:

(g) if the subscriber rejects the call or does not indicate within the predetermined period that the subscriber wants to take the call or acknowledge the call,

playing a prerecorded greeting to the caller,

offering the caller to leave a message to the subscriber, and

recording the message from the caller to the subscriber if the caller chooses to leave the message to the subscriber.

25. A method according to claim 23, further comprising asking the caller whether the caller wants to be transferred back to the subscriber if the subscriber indicates within the predetermined period that the subscriber wants to acknowledge the call.

26. A method of processing a telephone call from a caller to a subscriber, the method comprising:

(a) identifying the subscriber;

(b) obtaining caller information;

(c) providing the caller information to the subscriber;

(d) if the subscriber indicates within a predetermined period of the caller information being provided to the subscriber that the subscriber wants to take the call, connecting the caller to the subscriber;

(e) if the subscriber indicates within the predetermined period that the subscriber wants to acknowledge the call,

recording an acknowledgement message from the subscriber,

playing the acknowledgement message from the subscriber to the caller,

offering the caller to leave a message to the subscriber,

recording the message from the caller to the subscriber if the caller chooses to leave the message to the subscriber, and

saving the acknowledgment message in a voice mailbox of the subscriber;

(f) indicating to the subscriber that the call is pending;

(g) asking the caller whether the caller wants to be transferred back to the subscriber if the subscriber indicates within the predetermined period that the subscriber wants to acknowledge the call; and

(h) repeating said steps (f), (d), and (e) if the caller indicates that the caller wants to be transferred back to the subscriber.