System and method for communicating with an out of service telephone number

• US 7,822,182 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2005
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moy, William M., Book, Nancy Ann, McBlain, Thomas Joseph, Gruchala, Carol Shifrin, Neuwald, Peter Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah; Melur
• Application Number:
  US11/074,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20050152518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,063 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.24, 379/90.01, 379/88.17, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.23, 379/67, 709/204, 709/206, 709/207, 709/227, 709/228
• US Class Current: 379/93.24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/12 Marking faulty circuits "busy"; Enabling equipment to disengage itself from faulty circuits ; Using redundant circuits; Response of a circuit, apparatus or system to an error
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53308 Message originator indirectly connected to the message centre, e.g. after detection of busy or absent state of a called party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message

Abstract

A method for communicating with a subscriber having a first telephone number that is out-of-service comprises providing a database that is accessible at least through a second telephone number, and allowing the subscriber to access the database to post a message. The message is made available to an interested party. A system for a subscriber to communicate with an interested party is also provided.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing instructions operable with the at least one processor, the instructions being executed for;

posting a message to a database in response to receiving the message from a subscriber of the system;

providing a distribution list to the subscriber of the system, wherein the distribution list includes a first plurality of interested parties to receive the message;

modifying the distribution list in response to an action by the subscriber;

disabling additional interested parties from registering to receive the message in response to a request from the subscriber;

making the message available to a second plurality of interested parties in the modified distribution list in response to a telephone number of the subscriber being out-of-service; and

providing the second plurality of interested parties with an ability to obtain information about the subscriber in an event of an emergency or disaster.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is a service management system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is an application server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the message is a voice message.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein posting the message to the database in response to receiving the message from the subscriber of the system includes facilitating telephone access to the database by the subscriber.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein posting the message to the database in response to receiving the message from the subscriber of the system includes facilitating Internet access to the database by the subscriber.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein making the message available to the second plurality of interested parties in response to the telephone number of the subscriber being out-of-service includes a telephone distribution of the message to the second plurality of interested parties.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein making the message available to the second plurality of interested parties in response to the telephone number of the subscriber being out-of-service includes an e-mail distribution of the message to the second plurality of interested parties.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein making the message available to the second plurality of interested parties in response to the telephone number of the subscriber being out-of-service includes an Internet distribution of the message to the second plurality of interested parties.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein making the message available to the second plurality of interested parties in response to the telephone number of the subscriber being out-of-service includes a telephone retrieval of the message by the second plurality of interested parties.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein making the message available to the second plurality of interested parties in response to the telephone number of the subscriber being out-of-service includes an e-mail retrieval of the message by the second plurality of interested parties.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein making the message available to the second plurality of interested parties in response to the telephone number of the subscriber being out-of-service includes an Internet retrieval of the message by the second plurality of interested parties.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executed for:

communicating with an e-mail server.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executed for:

communicating with a web server.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executed for:

communicating with an interactive voice recognition unit.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executed for:

communicating with an intelligent peripheral.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executed for:

notifying the second plurality of interested parties of the posting of the message to the database in response to a notification registration by the second plurality of interested parties.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein notifying the second plurality of interested parties of the posting of the message to the database in response to a notification registration by the second plurality of interested parties includes an email notification to the second plurality of interested parties of the posting of the message.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein notifying the second plurality of interested parties of the posting of the message to the database in response to a notification registration by the second plurality of interested parties includes a telematic notification to the second plurality of interested parties of the posting of the message.

20. A system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing instructions operable with the at least one processor, the instructions being executed for;

posting a message to a database in response to receiving the message from a subscriber of the system;

providing a distribution list to the subscriber of the system, wherein the distribution list includes a first plurality of interested parties to receive the message;

modifying the distribution list in response to an action by the subscriber;

disabling additional interested parties from registering to receive the message in response to a request from the subscriber; and

making the message available to a second plurality of interested parties in the modified distribution list registered to receive the message in response to a telephone number of the subscriber being out-of-service.