Message delivery using a voice mail system

• US 8,130,919 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Tel-Link Corporation
• Original Assignee: Verizon Laboratories Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Kalbag, Rohit Satish
• Primary Examiner(s): SING, SIMON P
• Application Number:
  US12/347,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20090110159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.12, 379 8822- 8825, 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 379/114.13
• US Class Current: 379/88.22
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5335 Message type or catagory, e.g. priority, indication

Abstract

Voicemail systems and methods can provide a user with means for receiving categorized messages from parties. The categories can be independent of the intended recipients of the messages, such that multiple users can receive the same message. A user can subscribe to receive categorized messages within selected categories or from selected parties. A registered party, including a merchant, an organization, a government agency and/or another party, can input messages to selected categories and can input distribution parameters for the messages. Expiration dates can be associated with the messages such that messages can be deleted once expired.

Claims

1. A voice mail system comprising:

at least one subscriber database;

at least one voice mail message in the at least one subscriber database associated with at least one category;

at least one user database, wherein the at least one user database is configured to store the message retrieved from the at least one subscriber database;

an access controller configured to present an indication that the message is available in the at least one subscriber database, wherein the indication is presented based on predefined preferences for allowing indications related to messages in the subscriber database;

wherein the access controller is further configured to receive a request to retrieve the message from the at least one subscriber database; and

wherein the access controller is further configured to deliver the message, formatted for visual display.

2. The voice mail system of claim 1, wherein the request to retrieve the message is received through at least a partially wireless mechanism.

3. The voice mail system of claim 1, wherein the message includes distribution parameters, and wherein the distribution parameters include at least one of phone exchange and zip code.

4. The voice mail system of claim 1, wherein the message includes distribution parameters, and wherein the distribution parameters include ranges of at least one of one of phone exchange and zip code.

5. The voice mail system of claim 1, wherein the message includes expiration parameters.

6. The voice mail system of claim 1, wherein the at least one user database is configured with designations of message storage categories and wherein the designations of message storage categories include at least one excluded category such that a categorized voice mail message including the excluded category is not retrieved from the at least one subscriber database.

7. The voice mail system of claim 1, wherein the predefined preferences include a message expiration time such that an indication of an expired message is not presented.

8. The voice mail system of claim 1, wherein the access controller is configured to receive a selection of deleting the message in the at least one user database, and wherein deleting the message from the at least one user database removes user access to the message without limiting the providing of the message to an alternative user database.

9. The voice mail system of claim 1, wherein the preferences include a subscription to receive messages from at least one of selected categories and selected message providers.

10. The voice mail system of claim 1, wherein the at least one subscriber database includes categories and subcategories.

11. The voice mail system of claim 1, wherein the message is an announcement from a government authority.

12. The voice mail system of claim 1, wherein the preferences include a selection of a dial tone indicator indicating receipt of a new message.

13. The voice mail system of claim 1, wherein the access controller attaches an identifier tag to a retrieved message, indicating that the message was retrieved.

14. The voice mail system of claim 1, wherein an input controller is configured to verify the authority of a message provider to input messages to a subscriber database.

15. The voice mail system of claim 14, further comprising at least one of an interactive voice response module and a dual tone multi frequency module in communication with at least one of the access controller and the input controller.

16. The voice mail system of claim 14, wherein one of the access controller and the input controller is configured to provide a count of the number of times that the message has been retrieved.

17. The voice mail system of claim 14, wherein the access controller and the input controller are one controller, and the controller determines whether to operate in access mode or input mode based on a code used to connect to the voice mail system.

18. A method for selection of preferences in a voice mail system comprising:

providing to a user an at least partially wireless access to the voice mail system;

receiving from the user a designation of at least one subscriber category of at least one database in the voice mail system from which to receive messages;

receiving from the user a designation of expiration time periods for categorized messages indicating that expired messages should not be presented;

receiving from the user a designation of storage areas for received messages; and

receiving from the user a selection of whether to indicate the availability of a new voice mail message.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving a designation of at least one subscriber category from which not to receive messages.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving a designation of message providers from which to receive messages.

21. A method for providing voice mail to a plurality of users, comprising:

providing voice mail system access to at least one user, configuring at least one subscriber database with at least one category;

registering a plurality of users, wherein registering a user includes receiving a user profile with user preferences associated with each user, the preferences including at least one of a designation of database categories from which to receive messages and a designation of database categories from which to not receive messages;

storing at least one message in at least one category in a subscriber database;

indicating to a user accessing the voice mail system that a voice mail message is available in the subscriber database, wherein the indication is provided according to the user preferences; and

formatting the voice mail message for visual display.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

providing voice mail access to at least one message provider; and

registering the at least one message provider including receiving of a provider profile with provider preferences associated with the at least one provider.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising configuring the access for accommodating wired and wireless access.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising delivering the message upon request;

providing the option to delete the message; and

retaining the message for access by other users after deletion by one user.