Systems and methods for registration and retrieval of voice mail contact information

• US 7,864,930 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Inventors: Murray, Sean M., Johnston, David Edward, Clark, David William
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, HEMANT SHANTILAL
• Application Number:
  US11/289,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20060159242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,861 Days
• Field of Search: 370351-356, 379 671- 8828, 379/142.06, 379/142.15, 379/201.01, 4554121-413, 709201-203, 709/206, 709227-229
• US Class Current: 379/88.18
• 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 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

Methods, apparatus and computer-readable media for registering and retrieving contact information associated with a potential calling party. The registration method comprises receiving an originating address associated with the potential calling party, receiving contact information associated with the potential calling party and storing the originating address associated with the potential calling party in an originating address field of a record associated with the potential calling party and storing the contact information associated with the potential calling party in a contact information field of the record associated with the potential calling party. This increases the variety of contact information that can be left by the potential calling party, contributes to a greater efficiency with which the eventual called party may retrieve contact information associated with a voice mail message and also accelerates the process by which an actual calling party can leave contact information for the called party.

Claims

1. A method for execution by a system comprising a voice message taking entity (VMTE) and a contact information server (CIS), the method comprising:

one of the VMTE and the CIS taking a voice message from a calling party for an owner of a mailbox;

one of the VMTE and the CIS receiving an originating address associated with the calling party;

one of the VMTE and the CIS accessing a database of records associated with respective potential calling parties, each of the records in the database comprising a respective originating address field and a respective contact information field, the originating address field of the record associated with a given potential calling party containing an originating address associated with the given potential calling party and the contact information field of the record associated with the given potential calling party containing an alternative address at which the given potential calling party is contactable, the alternative address being different from the originating address associated with the given potential calling party, the alternative address having been obtained during a prior registration phase involving the given potential calling party;

wherein accessing the database of records comprises attempting to identify a particular record in the database for which the originating address contained in the respective originating address field corresponds to the originating address associated with the calling party;

responsive to successful identification of a particular record in the database for which the originating address contained in the respective originating address field matches the originating address associated with the calling party, one of the VMTE and the CIS retrieving the alternative address contained in the contact information field of the particular record;

one of the VMTE and the CIS delivering the retrieved alternative address to the owner of the mailbox;

wherein delivering the retrieved alternative address to the owner of the mailbox comprises sending a message indicative of the alternative address to a particular address learned during interaction with the owner of the mailbox.

2. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said originating address associated with the calling party is received by the CIS from the VMTE during interaction with the calling party.

3. The method defined in claim 2, further comprising returning the retrieved alternative address to the voice message taking entity.

4. The method defined in claim 3, further comprising authenticating the calling party prior to returning the retrieved alternative address to the voice message taking entity.

5. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said originating address associated with the calling party is passively determined based on information obtained during communication with the calling party.

6. The method defined in claim 5, wherein said information obtained during communication with the calling party comprises a directory number associated with the calling party.

7. The method defined in claim 5, wherein said information obtained during communication with the calling party comprises an IP address associated with the calling party.

8. The method defined in claim 2, wherein said originating address associated with the calling party is passively determined by the voice message taking entity during interaction with the calling party.

9. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said originating address associated with the calling party is determined by interacting with the calling party to elicit input from the calling party specifying the originating address associated with the calling party.

10. The method defined in claim 9, wherein said input from the calling party comprises a code.

11. The method defined in claim 2, wherein said originating address is determined by the voice message taking entity interacting with the calling party to elicit input from the calling party specifying the originating address associated with the calling party.

13. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said alternative address includes a telephone number.

14. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said alternative address includes a fax number.

15. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said alternative address includes an email address.

16. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said alternative address includes a web page address.

17. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said alternative address includes a hyperlink.

18. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising determining the particular address based on a directory number of a device used by the owner of the mailbox to access the mailbox.

12. A system, comprising:

a contact information server comprising a database of records, each of the records being associated with a respective potential calling party and including (I) an originating field containing an originating address associated with the respective potential calling party; and

(II) a contact information field containing an alternative address at which the respective potential calling party is contactable, the alternative address being different from the originating address associated with the respective calling party, the alternative address having been obtained during a prior registration phase involving the respective calling party;

a voice message taking entity comprising a plurality of mailboxes associated with respective mailbox owners, the voice message taking entity being operable for executing a reconnaissance process to (I) determine an originating address associated with a particular calling party attempting to reach an owner of a particular mailbox; and

(II) supply the originating address associated with the particular calling party to the contact information server;

the contact information server being adapted for;

responsive to receipt of the originating address associated with the particular calling party from the voice message taking entity, accessing the database of records in an attempt to identify a particular record in the database for which the originating address contained in the respective originating address field corresponds to the originating address associated with the particular calling party;

responsive to successful identification of a particular record in the database for which the originating address contained in the respective originating address field matches the originating address associated with the particular calling party, retrieving the alternative address contained in the contact information field of the particular record;

returning the retrieved alternative address to the voice message taking entity for delivery to the owner of the particular mailbox;

wherein delivery of the retrieved alternative address to the owner of the mailbox comprises transmission of a message indicative of the alternative address to a particular address learned during interaction with the owner of the mailbox.

19. A method for execution by a system comprising a voice message taking entity (VMTE) and a contact information server (CIS), the method comprising:

one of the VMTE and the CIS taking a voice message from a calling party for an owner of a mailbox;

one of the VMTE and the CIS receiving an originating address associated with the calling party;

one of the VMTE and the CIS accessing a database of records associated with respective potential calling parties, each of the records in the database comprising a respective originating address field and a respective contact information field, the originating address field of the record associated with a given potential calling party containing an originating address associated with the given potential calling party and the contact information field of the record associated with the given potential calling party containing an alternative address at which the given potential calling party is contactable, the alternative address being different from the originating address associated with the given potential calling party, the alternative address having been obtained during a prior registration phase involving the given potential calling party;

wherein accessing the database of records comprises attempting to identify a particular record in the database for which the originating address contained in the respective originating address field corresponds to the originating address associated with the calling party;

responsive to successful identification of a particular record in the database for which the originating address contained in the respective originating address field matches the originating address associated with the calling party, one of the VMTE and the CIS retrieving the alternative address contained in the contact information field of the particular record;

one of the VMTE and the CIS delivering the retrieved alternative address to the owner of the mailbox;

wherein delivering the retrieved alternative address to the owner of the mailbox comprises sending a message indicative of the alternative address to an address associated with the mailbox.

20. The method defined in claim 19, wherein said originating address associated with the calling party is received by the CIS from the VMTE during interaction with the calling party.

21. The method defined in claim 20, further comprising returning the retrieved alternative address to the voice message taking entity.

22. The method defined in claim 21, further comprising authenticating the calling party prior to returning the retrieved alternative address to the voice message taking entity.

23. The method defined in claim 19, wherein said originating address associated with the calling party is passively determined based on information obtained during communication with the calling party.

24. The method defined in claim 23, wherein said information obtained during communication with the calling party comprises a directory number associated with the calling party.

25. The method defined in claim 23, wherein said information obtained during communication with the calling party comprises an IP address associated with the calling party.

26. The method defined in claim 20, wherein said originating address associated with the calling party is passively determined by the voice message taking entity during interaction with the calling party.

27. The method defined in claim 19, wherein said originating address associated with the calling party is determined by interacting with the calling party to elicit input from the calling party specifying the originating address associated with the calling party.

28. The method defined in claim 27, wherein said input from the calling party comprises a code.

29. The method defined in claim 20, wherein said originating address is determined by the voice message taking entity interacting with the calling party to elicit input from the calling party specifying the originating address associated with the calling party.

30. The method defined in claim 19, the message being a first message, the address associated with the mailbox being a first address, the method further comprising sending a second message to a second address associated with the mailbox, the second message notifying of the first message.

31. The method defined in claim 30, wherein the second message is one of a real-time text message and an instant message.

32. The method defined in claim 31, wherein the first message is an email message.

33. A system, comprising:

a contact information server comprising a database of records, each of the records being associated with a respective potential calling party and including (I) an originating field containing an originating address associated with the respective potential calling party; and

(II) a contact information field containing an alternative address at which the respective potential calling party is contactable, the alternative address being different from the originating address associated with the respective calling party, the alternative address having been obtained during a prior registration phase involving the respective calling party;

a voice message taking entity comprising a plurality of mailboxes associated with respective mailbox owners, the voice message taking entity being operable for executing a reconnaissance process to (I) determine an originating address associated with a particular calling party attempting to reach an owner of a particular mailbox; and

(II) supply the originating address associated with the particular calling party to the contact information server;

the contact information server being adapted for;

responsive to receipt of the originating address associated with the particular calling party from the voice message taking entity, accessing the database of records in an attempt to identify a particular record in the database for which the originating address contained in the respective originating address field corresponds to the originating address associated with the particular calling party;

responsive to successful identification of a particular record in the database for which the originating address contained in the respective originating address field matches the originating address associated with the particular calling party, retrieving the alternative address contained in the contact information field of the particular record;

returning the retrieved alternative address to the voice message taking entity for delivery to the owner of the particular mailbox;

wherein delivery of the retrieved alternative address to the owner of the mailbox comprises transmission of a message indicative of the alternative address to an address associated with the mailbox.