Three turn interactive voice messaging system

• US 7,577,455 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2005
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Thornton, James D., Woodruff, Allison G., Szymanski, Margaret H., Aoki, Paul M.
• Primary Examiner(s): GESESSE, TILAHUN
• Application Number:
  US11/136,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20060270361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• Field of Search: 455/518, 455/519, 455/521, 455/517, 455/416, 455/412.1, 379/88.16, 379/88.17, 379/88.22, 379/88.12
• US Class Current: 455/519
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

A system for interactive communication among lightweight audio communication devices over a communication network in which an application is stored and executed for use by network devices. The system includes a session management module for management of communication sessions among the audio communication devices. Session management includes receiving an initial message as an audio stream through an audio channel from a first audio communication device, producing a response message within the network devices, and determining whether the first communication device is responsively engaging the response message. The system also includes an audio processing module for storage, retrieval, and transmission of audio communication streams, including sending a response message to the first audio communication device and recording a reply message as an audio stream through the audio channel from a first communication device if the first communication device indicates responsive engagement with the response message.

Claims

1. A system for interactive communication among audio communication devices, comprising:

a network device to facilitate communication between a first audio communication device and a second audio communication device over a network, comprising;

network status module to determine a status of the network with respect to the second audio communication device;

a state assessment module to receive device data comprising at least one of manual state data and context state data from the second audio communication device and the network status from the network status module, and to determine an availability of the second audio communication device to receive a communication request based on the device data and the network status;

a session management module to receive an initial message from the first audio communication device that is directed to the second audio communication device, to produce a response message to the initial message that is tailored to one of the device data and the network status when the second audio communication device is unavailable to receive the communication request, and to determine whether the first audio communication device initiates a reply to the response message by recording a reply message that is directed to the second audio communication device; and

an audio processing module to send the response message to the first audio communication device, and to send the reply message when the first audio communication device initiates the reply to the response message.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the state assessment module evaluates state assessment data comprising at least one of the network status, the context state data, and the manual state data.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the manual state data is determined by an input control component located on the second audio communication device and the context state data is determined by a context sensor included in the second audio communication device.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the state assessment data is received on the first audio communication device.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein the initial message is processed comprising at least one of being transmitted through a communication network to the second audio communication device and being recorded for later retrieval, based on the state assessment.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the network status indicates whether the second audio communication device is present on the network.

7. The system according to claim 2, wherein the session management module directs transmission of the initial message when the state assessment data indicates that the second audio communication device is present on a communication network and capable of receiving the initial message.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the context state data is determined from context sensor data comprising at least one of proximity, location, and environment data.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the context sensor data is provided by at least one member selected from the group consisting of proximity sensors, location sensors, environment sensors, and microphones.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the manual state data indicates whether the second audio communication device is set to accept the initial message.

11. The system according to claim 2, wherein the state assessment data is retrieved following receipt of an acknowledgment message from the second audio communication device, wherein the acknowledgment message indicates that the initial message has been played.

12. The system according to claim 2, wherein the state assessment data is retrieved prior to receipt of an acknowledgment message from the second audio communication device, wherein the acknowledgment message indicates that the initial message has been played.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the session management module terminates communication between the first audio communication device and the second audio communication device when the first audio communication device does not initiate the reply to the response message.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the response message is received by the first audio communication device as an audio stream through an audio channel and the reply message is recorded as a further audio stream through the audio channel, and further wherein the audio stream and the further audio stream are buffered.

15. The system claim 14, wherein the audio channel is monitored for at least one of the response message and the reply message.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein a pause is generated for a specified period of time after the response message is transmitted to the first audio communication device.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein the response message is generated by determining at least one of full content and partial content.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein the response message indicates that the second audio communication device is not capable of receiving the initial message.

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein the response message indicates that the second audio communication device is in an inappropriate context for receiving the initial message.

20. The system according to claim 1, wherein the response message indicates that the second audio communication device is not set to accept the initial message.

21. The system according to claim 1, wherein the audio processing module further transmits additional audio messages between the first audio communication device and the second audio communication device.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein at least one of the additional audio messages is transmitted to the first audio communication device when the second audio communication device initiates a response to the reply message.

23. A system for interactive communication among audio communication devices, comprising:

a server to facilitate communication between a first audio communication device and a second audio communication device over a network, comprising;

a network status module to determine a status of the network with respect to the second audio communication device;

a state assessment module to receive device data comprising at least one of manual state data and context state data from the second audio communication device and the network status from the network status module, and to determine an availability of the second audio communication device to receive a communication request based on the device data and the network status;

a session management module to receive an initial message from the first audio communication device that is directed to the second audio communication device, to produce a response message to the initial message that is tailored to one of the device data and the network status when the second audio communication device is unavailable to receive the communication request, and to determine whether the first audio communication device initiates a reply to the response message by recording a reply message that is directed to the second audio communication device; and

an audio processing module to send the response message to the first audio communication device, and to send the reply message when the first audio communication device initiates the reply to the response message.

24. A system for interactive communication among audio communication devices, comprising:

an audio communication device to facilitate communication with another audio communication device over a network, comprising;

a network status module to determine a status of the network with respect to the other audio communication device;

a state assessment module to receive device data comprising at least one of manual state data and context state data from the second audio communication device and the network status from the network status module, and to determine an availability of the second audio communication device to receive a communication request based on the device data and the network status;

a session management module to receive an initial message from the audio communication device that is directed to the other audio communication device, to produce a response message to the initial message that is tailored to one of the device data and the network status when the other audio communication device is unavailable to receive the communication request, and to determine whether the audio communication device initiates a reply to the response message by recording a reply message that is directed to the other audio communication device; and

an audio processing module to send the response message to the audio communication device, and to send the reply message when the audio communication device initiates the reply to the response message.

25. A system for interactive communication among audio communication devices, comprising:

means for maintaining a network device to facilitate a communication between a first audio communication device and a second audio communication device over a network, comprising;

means for determining a status of the network with respect to the second audio communication device;

means for receiving device data comprising at least one of manual state data and context state data from the second audio communication device and for receiving the network status, and further means for determining an availability of the second audio communication device to receive a communication request based on the device data and the network status;

means for receiving an initial message from the first audio communication device that is directed to the second audio communication device;

means for producing a response message to the initial message that is tailored to one of the device data and the network status when the second audio communication device is unavailable to receive the communication request;

means for sending the response message to the first audio communication device;

means for determining whether the first audio communication device initiates a reply to the response message by recording a reply message that is directed to the second audio communication device; and

means for recording the reply message when the first audio communication device initiates the reply to the response message.

26. A system for interactive communication among audio communication devices, comprising:

a state assessment module to determine an availability of a second audio communication device to accept a communication request from a first audio communication device based on at least one of network status data, manual state monitoring data, and context-based state monitoring data;

a network status monitoring module to receive the network status data for the second audio communication device;

a manual state monitoring module to monitor activity of at least one control input device, wherein the at least one control input device comprises a component of the second audio communication device, and to determine the manual state monitoring data retrieved from the control input device;

a context-based state monitoring module to monitor at least one context sensor included in the second audio communication device and to receive the context-based state monitoring data from the context sensor;

a session management module to manage a communication over a network among the first audio communication device and the second audio communication device, to receive an initial message from the first audio communication device that is directed to the second audio communication device, to produce a response message to the initial message that is tailored to at least one of the network status data, the manual state monitor data, and the context-based state monitoring data when the second audio communication device is unavailable to receive the communication request, and to determine whether the first audio communication device initiates a reply to the response message by recording a reply message that is directed to the second audio communication device; and

an audio processing module to transmit the response message to the first audio communication device, and to send the reply message when the first audio communication device initiates the reply to the response message.