System and method for managing voicemails using metadata

• US 7,260,190 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2002
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Seaman, James Wesley, Gusler, Carl Phillip, Hamilton, Rick Allen II, Fellenstein, Craig William
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang; Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan; Joseph T
• Application Number:
  US10/256,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20040062367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,790 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 379/88.24
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/301 Management of recordings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects

Abstract

A system and method for managing voicemails using metadata is presented. The metadata includes an audible introduction which a user records and associates the audible introduction to a voicemail. The user is also able to associate other types of metadata to a voicemail, such as a description data flag, a reminder flag, and a retention flag. Once the user associates the metadata with a voicemail, the user is able to retrieve the audible introduction and the voicemail in a sequential manner or through search criteria. The user is able to customize metadata based upon the user'"'"'s requirements.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for handling voice mail messages, said method comprising:

receiving, at a voicemail manager system, a message retrieval request from a user, the message retrieval request corresponding to a voice mail message generated by a caller;

retrieving, by the voicemail manager system, the voice mail message in response to the receiving;

playing at least a portion of the voice mail message to the user;

playing a description data flag identifier to the user, wherein the description data flag identifier describes an indexing option to associate to the voicemail message;

receiving, at the voicemail manager system, metadata generated by the user corresponding to the voice mail message wherein the metadata includes an audible introduction and a description data flag, the audible introduction generated by the user regarding the corresponding voice mail message and the description data flag corresponding to the description data flag identifier and used to index the voicemail message;

associating, by the voicemail manager system, the metadata with the voice mail message; and

storing, by the voicemail manager system, the associated metadata in a non-volatile storage area.

2. The computer-implemented method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, at the voicemail manager system, a new description data request from the user wherein the new description data request includes a new description data flag identifier;

creating, by the voicemail manager system, a new description data flag wherein the new description data flag corresponds to the new description data flag identifier; and

storing, by the voicemail manager system, the new description data flag and the new description data flag identifier in the non-volatile storage area.

3. The computer-implemented method as described in claim 1 wherein the metadata corresponds to a metadata format and wherein the metadata format is selected from the group consisting of a DTMF tone and a speech pattern.

4. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

one or more nonvolatile storage devices accessible by the processors; and

a voicemail handling tool to handle voicemails, the voicemail handling tool including;

means for receiving a message retrieval request from a user, the message retrieval request corresponding to a voice mail message generated by a caller;

means for retrieving the voice mail message in response to the receiving;

means for playing at least a portion of the voice mail message to the user;

means for playing a description data flag identifier to the user, wherein the description data flag identifier describes an indexing option to associate to the voicemail message;

means for receiving metadata generated by the user corresponding to the voice mail message wherein the metadata includes an audible introduction and a description data flag, the audible introduction generated by the user regarding the corresponding voice mail message and the description data flag corresponding to the description data flag identifier and used to index the voicemail message;

means for associating the metadata with the voice mail message; and

means for storing the associated metadata in a non-volatile storage area.

5. The information handling system as described in claim 4 further comprising:

means for receiving a new description data request from the user wherein the new description data request includes a new description data flag identifier;

means for creating a new description data flag wherein the new description data flag corresponds to the new description data flag identifier; and

means for storing the new description data flag and the new description data flag identifier in the non-volatile storage area.

6. The information handling system as described in claim 4 wherein the metadata corresponds to a metadata format and wherein the metadata format is selected from the group consisting of a DTMF tone and a speech pattern.

7. A computer program product stored on a computer operable media for handling voicemail messages, said computer program product comprising:

means for receiving a message retrieval request from a user, the message retrieval request corresponding to a voice mail message generated by a caller;

means for retrieving the voice mail message in response to the receiving;

means for playing at least a portion of the voice mail message to the user;

means for playing a description data flag identifier to the user, wherein the description data flag identifier describes an indexing option to associate to the voicemail message;

means for receiving metadata generated by the user corresponding to the voice mail message wherein the metadata includes an audible introduction and a description data flag, the audible introduction generated by the user regarding the corresponding voice mail message and the description data flag corresponding to the description data flag identifier and used to index the voicemail message;

means for associating the metadata with the voice mail message; and

means for storing the associated metadata in a non-volatile storage area.

8. The computer program product as described in claim 7 further comprising:

means for receiving a new description data request from the user wherein the new description data request includes a new description data flag identifier;

means for creating a new description data flag wherein the new description data flag corresponds to the new description data flag identifier; and

means for storing the new description data flag and the new description data flag identifier in the non-volatile storage area.

9. The computer program product as described in claim 7 wherein the metadata corresponds to a metadata format and wherein the metadata format is selected from the group consisting of a DTMF tone and a speech pattern.