Visual answering machine

• US 8,000,457 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2006
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Harper, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahee; Md S
• Application Number:
  US11/534,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20080084970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,786 Days
• Field of Search: 379/100.01, 379/412.1, 379/67.1, 379/88.11, 379/88.23, 379/144.08, 340/7.43, 340/7.55, 348/14.01, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/550.1, 455/567, 709/217
• US Class Current: 379/100.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form

Abstract

An answering machine tool is described which, when a message is received, accesses caller identification data associated with the message and from this data identifies an image for the message. Data is then output to cause an icon comprising this image to be displayed. This icon, in turn, may be manipulated and interacted with by a user, by touching the icon on a touch sensitive screen or by other means, such as mouse pointer or stylus. This causes the message to be replayed, moved, deleted or be subject to any other course of action that the visual rendering of the message affords the user.

Claims

1. An answering machine tool comprising:

a communications engine arranged to receive and store a plurality of messages from one or more callers; and

a file management engine arranged to;

access caller identification data associated with each of the plurality of messages,

link a graphical image to the caller identification data associated with each of the plurality of messages,

combine the graphical image with a graphical representation of each message of the plurality of messages, and

output data to cause rendering of said graphical image and the graphical representation of each message of the plurality of messages on a display concurrently, for each of the one or more callers, the graphical representation of each message having a user-configurable shape,

wherein graphical representations of messages received from a single caller, and wherein the graphical representation of a message is automatically deleted when the graphical representation of the message is displayed at a predetermined portion of the display and after a preset time since the message is received, unless the message has been saved are rendered on the display joined to a graphical image representing the single caller.

2. The answering machine tool according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of messages is a voice message.

3. The answering machine tool according to claim 1, wherein said file management engine is further arranged to:

identify a default image where no image is associated with said caller identification data.

4. The answering machine tool according to claim 1, wherein said file management engine is further arranged to:

identify a default image where no caller identification data is associated with said message.

5. The answering machine tool according to claim 1, wherein said file management engine is further arranged to:

receive an input from a user indicative of a dragging operation on said graphical representation from a first region of the display to a second region of the display; and

in response to receipt of said input, change a status of said message.

6. The answering machine tool according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image selection engine arranged to associate caller identification data and images.

7. A method comprising:

in response to receipt of a message from a caller, accessing caller identification data associated with said message;

identifying a graphical image associated with said caller identification data and said message;

linking the graphical image to the message; and

outputting data to cause rendering of an icon having a user-configurable shape, comprising said graphical image on a display, the rendering being time-dependent, wherein the graphical image is rendered at a first portion of the display when the message is received and the graphical image is rendered progressively closer to a second portion of the display as time since the message was received increases and wherein the graphical image is automatically deleted when the graphical image reaches the second portion of the display and the message has not been saved.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said message is a voice message.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein identifying a graphical image associated with said caller identification data comprises:

identifying a graphical image associated with said caller identification data; and

where no image is associated with said caller identification data, identifying a default image.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the identifying a graphical image associated with said caller identification data further comprises:

where no caller identification data is associated with said message, identifying a default image.

11. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

receiving an input from a user indicative of a dragging operation on said icon; and

in response to receipt of said input, changing a status of said message.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

outputting data to cause rendering of a modified icon comprising said graphical image on said display.

13. The method according to claim 7, said icon having a size dependent upon a size of said message.

14. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

in response to receipt of an input from a user, initiating playback of said message.

15. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

outputting data to cause rendering of a modified icon comprising said graphical image on said display, said modified icon indicating a change in status of said message.

16. One or more machine-readable storage media with machine-executable instructions for performing acts comprising:

in response to receipt of a message from a caller, accessing caller identification data associated with said message;

identifying a graphical image associated with said caller identification data and said message;

linking the graphical image to the message; and

outputting data to cause rendering of an icon having a user-configurable shape, comprising said graphical image on a display, the rendering being dependent on a length of the message,

wherein the graphical image is rendered on the display smaller in size than another graphical image when the length of the message is shorter than the length of another message associated with the other graphical image and the graphical image is rendered larger in size than the other graphical image when the length of the message is longer than the length of the other message associated with the other graphical image, and wherein the graphical image is automatically deleted when the graphical image is displayed at a predetermined portion of the display and after a preset time since the message is received from the caller, unless the message has been saved.

17. The one or more machine-readable storage media according to claim 16, wherein said message is a voice message.

18. The one or more machine-readable storage media according to claim 16, further comprising machine-executable instructions for performing acts comprising:

receiving an input from a user indicative of a dragging operation on said icon; and

in response to receipt of said input, changing a status of said message.

19. The one or more machine-readable storage media according to claim 16, wherein the graphical image is rendered on the display in a size that is dependent on a length of speech within the message.