Broadcasting voicemail replies
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- storing, via a voicemail system, a plurality of messages, each of the plurality of messages being received from one of a plurality of parties and being associated with a subscriber of the voicemail system;
providing, via the voicemail system and to the subscriber, information about one of the plurality of stored messages;
receiving, via the voicemail system, a reply message, from the subscriber, in response to the one of the plurality of stored messages and the information;
receiving, via the voicemail system, an input from the subscriber, the input representing two or more of the plurality of parties;
sending, via the voicemail system and as a broadcast message, the reply message to the two or more of the plurality of parties, where sending the reply message includes;
identifying, based on information associated with the stored plurality of messages, a first format associated with one of the plurality of parties and a second format associated with another of the plurality of parties, where the first and second formats differ,sending the reply message to the one of the plurality of parties in the first format, andsending the reply message to another of the plurality of parties in the second format;
determining, via the voicemail system, that the one of the plurality of parties did not confirm, within a particular time period, receipt of the reply message in the first format; and
automatically resending, via the voicemail system, the reply message to the one of the plurality of parties in a third format, that differs from the first format, in response to determining that the one of the plurality of parties did not confirm, within the particular time period, receipt of the reply message in the first format.
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Abstract
A messaging device may include a memory configured to store a first message from a first caller and intended for a called party and to store information identifying a group that includes a number of broadcast parties that include the first caller. The messaging device may include a processor configured to receive a reply message from the called party and to broadcast the reply message to at least a subset of the group.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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storing, via a voicemail system, a plurality of messages, each of the plurality of messages being received from one of a plurality of parties and being associated with a subscriber of the voicemail system; providing, via the voicemail system and to the subscriber, information about one of the plurality of stored messages; receiving, via the voicemail system, a reply message, from the subscriber, in response to the one of the plurality of stored messages and the information; receiving, via the voicemail system, an input from the subscriber, the input representing two or more of the plurality of parties; sending, via the voicemail system and as a broadcast message, the reply message to the two or more of the plurality of parties, where sending the reply message includes; identifying, based on information associated with the stored plurality of messages, a first format associated with one of the plurality of parties and a second format associated with another of the plurality of parties, where the first and second formats differ, sending the reply message to the one of the plurality of parties in the first format, and sending the reply message to another of the plurality of parties in the second format; determining, via the voicemail system, that the one of the plurality of parties did not confirm, within a particular time period, receipt of the reply message in the first format; and automatically resending, via the voicemail system, the reply message to the one of the plurality of parties in a third format, that differs from the first format, in response to determining that the one of the plurality of parties did not confirm, within the particular time period, receipt of the reply message in the first format. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method, comprising:
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notifying, via a voicemail system, a called party about a plurality of stored messages received from a plurality of calling parties; making, via the voicemail system, information about at least one of the plurality of messages available to the called party in response to a first input from the called party; forming a reply message, including one of; recording, via the voicemail system, a new broadcast message, or retrieving a stored broadcast on behalf of the called party in response to a second input from the called party; sending, via the voicemail system, the reply message to at least two of the plurality of calling parties on behalf of the called party based on a third input from the called party, where the sending includes; identifying, based on information associated with the plurality of stored messages, a first format associated with one of the plurality of calling parties and a second format associated with another of the plurality of calling parties, where the first and second formats differ, sending the reply message to the one of the plurality of calling parties in the first format, and sending the reply message to another of the plurality of calling parties in the second format; determining, via the voicemail system, that the one of the plurality of parties did not confirm within a particular time period, receipt of the reply message in the first format; and automatically resending, via the voicemail system, the reply message to the one of the plurality of parties in a third format, that differs from the first format, in response to determining that the one of the plurality of parties did not confirm, within the particular time period, receipt of the reply message in the first format. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A device comprising:
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memory to store instructions; and a processor to implement the instructions to; store a plurality of messages, each of the plurality of messages being received from one of a plurality of parties and being associated with a subscriber of a voicemail system, provide, to the subscriber, information about one of the plurality of stored messages, receive a reply message, from the subscriber, in response to the one of the plurality of stored messages and the information, receive an input from the subscriber, the input representing two or more of the plurality of parties, and send, as a broadcast message, the reply message to the two or more of the plurality of parties, where the processor, when sending the reply message is further configured to; identify, based on information associated with the stored plurality of messages, a first format associated with one of the plurality of parties and a second format associated with another of the plurality of parties, where the first and second formats differ, send the reply message to the one of the plurality of parties in the first format, and send the reply message to another of the plurality of parties in the second format, determine that the one of the plurality of parties did not confirm, within a particular time period, receipt of the reply message in the first format; and resend the reply message to the one of the plurality of parties in a third format, that differs from the first format, in response to determining that the one of the plurality of parties did not confirm, within the particular time period, receipt of the reply message in the first format. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification