Direct voicemailing

• US 8,340,646 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2009
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Wang, Winston, Holt, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, David Q
• Application Number:
  US12/434,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20100279663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 455/518, 455/426, 455/413, 455/412.1, 379/88.22, 379/88.11, 379/88.25
• US Class Current: 455/413
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects

Abstract

Various exemplary user interfaces, methods, and computer program products describe directly sending a voicemail message to a voicemail box of a receiving telecommunications device without first initiating a synchronous voice communication to the receiving telecommunications device. A sending telecommunications device can record the voicemail message for sending the voicemail message or for subsequent transmission. In some implementations, the voicemail server sends or subsequently transmits based on whether the sending telecommunications device is capable of engaging in an asynchronous communication session.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

recording on a sending telecommunications device, by the sending telecommunications device, a directed voicemail message for direct voicemailing to a voice mailbox of a receiving telecommunications device, without initiating a synchronous voice communication with the receiving telecommunications device;

sending or subsequently transmitting, by the sending telecommunications device, the directed voicemail message from the sending telecommunications device to the voice mailbox of the receiving telecommunications device;

determining if the sending telecommunications device is capable of engaging in an asynchronous communication session;

in response to determining that the sending telecommunications device is capable of engaging in the asynchronous communication session, recording the directed voicemail message to a remote voicemail server; and

in response to determining that the sending telecommunications device is not capable of engaging in the asynchronous communication session, recording the directed voicemail message on the sending telecommunications device for subsequent transmission.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending or subsequently transmitting comprises sending or subsequently transmitting the directed voicemail to the voice mailbox without sending a notification to the receiving telecommunications device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing a connection strength of the sending telecommunications device to (1) a range comprising a frequency band about 850 to 900 MHz and about 1850 to 1990 MHz or (2) a threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if rules or permissions allow the sending telecommunications device to access an asynchronous communication session.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sending or subsequently transmitting the directed voicemail message from the sending telecommunications device comprises routing or delivering the directed voicemail message to an assigned private telecommunications number for an asynchronous communication session to the voice mailbox of the receiving telecommunications device, and the assigned private telecommunications number for the receiving telecommunications device is different than a telecommunications number for synchronous voice communication with the receiving telecommunications device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein sending or subsequently transmitting the directed voicemail message from the sending telecommunications device comprises scheduling a date and a time to deliver the directed voicemail message to the voice mailbox of the receiving telecommunications device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording and storing a plurality of directed voicemail messages on the sending telecommunications device; and

subsequently transmitting the plurality of directed voicemail messages to a plurality of voice mailboxes of a plurality of receiving telecommunications devices.

8. One or more computer-readable storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed on a processor, are configured to perform acts comprising:

determining if an asynchronous communication session is available for a sending telecommunications device;

in response to determining that the asynchronous communication session is not available for the sending telecommunications device, recording, by the sending telecommunications device, a voicemail message on the sending telecommunications device;

visually displaying a connection strength for the sending telecommunications device prior to recording the voicemail message, to predict when the voicemail message will be delivered to the voice mailbox of the receiving telecommunications device; and

subsequently transmitting, by the sending telecommunications device, the voicemail message from the sending telecommunications device to a voice mailbox of a receiving telecommunications device when the asynchronous communication session becomes available for the sending telecommunications device.

9. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 8, wherein the subsequently transmitting the voicemail message from the sending telecommunications device to the voice mailbox of the receiving telecommunications device comprises scheduling a date and a time to send the voicemail message.

10. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 8, wherein the voice mailbox of the receiving telecommunications device is associated with a private telecommunications number.

11. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 8, further comprising retrieving, by the sending telecommunications device, a voicemail message sent to the sending telecommunications device by calling a direct voice mailbox telecommunications number associated with the sending telecommunications device.

12. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 11, further comprising receiving the voicemail message in a voice mailbox of the sending telecommunications device without the sending telecommunication device first receiving a synchronous voice communication or a notification.

13. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 8, wherein determining if the asynchronous communication session is available further comprises (1) comparing a connection strength of the sending telecommunications device to a range or a threshold or (2) determining whether rules or permissions allow the sending telecommunications device to engage in the asynchronous communication session.

14. A sending telecommunications device comprising:

a processor; and

executable instructions to be operated by the processor to implement a user interface, the user interface enabling a user to;

record a voicemail message on the sending telecommunications device without being able to engage in an asynchronous communication session;

identify a contact for the voicemail message; and

view an indicator of whether the asynchronous communication session is available for the sending telecommunications device for a subsequent transmission of the voicemail message to a voice mailbox of a receiving telecommunications device associated with the contact,

wherein the sending telecommunications device determines whether the asynchronous communication session is available by (1) comparing a connection strength of the sending telecommunications device to a range or a threshold or (2) determining whether rules or permissions allow the sending telecommunications device to engage in the asynchronous communication session.

15. The sending telecommunications device of claim 14, wherein the user interface further displays a message of no service on the sending telecommunications device while displaying an option to leave a voice mail message.

16. The sending telecommunications device of claim 14, wherein the user interface further displays a list of recorded voicemail messages to subsequently transmit from the sending telecommunications device to a plurality of voicemail boxes of a plurality of receiving telecommunications devices, upon a determination that the sending telecommunications device is capable of engaging in the asynchronous communication session.