Synchronization of voice mail greeting and email auto-reply by a wireless communication device

• US 8,406,745 B1
• Filed: 01/28/2010
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Upadhyay, Piyush, Subramanyan, Badri Prasad, Nidraghatta Karanam, Raghava V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/695,712
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 4554121-415, 455/425, 379 8811- 8826
• US Class Current: 455/413
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

A wireless communication device comprises a processing system, a user interface, and a wireless communication interface. The processing system is configured to receive a first email auto-reply instruction through the user interface, direct the wireless communication interface to transfer the first email auto-reply instruction for delivery to an email server, convert the first email auto-reply instruction into a voice mail greeting, and direct the wireless communication interface to transfer a first voice mail greeting instruction for delivery to a voice mail server. The processing system is further configured to receive a second voice mail greeting instruction through the user interface, direct the wireless communication interface to transfer the second voice mail greeting instruction for delivery to the voice mail server, convert the second voice mail greeting instruction into an email auto-reply, and direct the wireless communication interface to transfer a second email auto-reply instruction for delivery to the email server.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

a user interface;

a wireless communication interface;

a processing system configured to receive a first email auto-reply instruction through the user interface, and in response, direct the wireless communication interface to transfer the first email auto-reply instruction for delivery to an email server, wherein the processing system is further configured in response to the first email auto-reply instruction to convert the first email auto-reply instruction into a voice mail greeting and direct the wireless communication interface to transfer a first voice mail greeting instruction for delivery to a voice mail server; and

the processing system configured to receive a second voice mail greeting instruction through the user interface, and in response, direct the wireless communication interface to transfer the second voice mail greeting instruction for delivery to the voice mail server, wherein the processing system is further configured in response to the second voice mail greeting instruction to convert the second voice mail greeting instruction into an email auto-reply and into a Short Message Service (SMS) auto-reply and direct the wireless communication interface to transfer a second email auto-reply instruction for delivery to the email server and transfer an SMS auto-reply instruction for delivery to an SMS server.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the processing system is further configured to receive a selection of a plurality of contacts through the user interface, and in response to the selection, the second email auto-reply instruction directs the email server to only present the email auto-reply in response to email received from the plurality of contacts.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 2 wherein the plurality of contacts comprise a predetermined group of contacts.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 2 wherein the plurality of contacts comprise a predetermined type of contacts.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the processing system is further configured to present the voice mail greeting through the user interface, receive a first user acceptance of the voice mail greeting through the user interface, present the email auto-reply through the user interface, receive a second user acceptance of the email auto-reply through the user interface, and present the SMS auto-reply through the user interface.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 5 wherein the processing system is further configured to receive a third user acceptance of the SMS auto-reply through the user interface, and wherein the processing system configured to direct the wireless communication interface to transfer the SMS auto-reply instruction for delivery to the SMS server comprises the processing system configured to direct the wireless communication interface to transfer the SMS auto-reply instruction for delivery to the SMS server in response to the third user acceptance.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 6 wherein the SMS auto-reply instruction directs the SMS server to only present the SMS auto-reply in response to SMS messages from known contacts.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the processing system is further configured in response to the second voice mail greeting instruction to convert the second voice mail greeting instruction into an Instant Messaging (IM) status update and present the IM status update through the user interface.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 8 wherein the processing system is further configured to receive a third user acceptance of the IM status update through the user interface, and in response to the third user acceptance, direct the wireless communication interface to transfer an IM status update instruction for delivery to an IM server.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 9 wherein the IM status update instruction directs the IM server to only present the IM status update in response to instant messages from known contacts.

11. A method of operating a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

receiving a first email auto-reply instruction through a user interface, and in response, transferring the first email auto-reply instruction for delivery to an email server;

in response to the first email auto-reply instruction, converting the first email auto-reply instruction into a voice mail greeting;

transferring a first voice mail greeting instruction for delivery to a voice mail server;

receiving a second voice mail greeting instruction through the user interface, and in response, transferring the second voice mail greeting instruction for delivery to the voice mail server;

in response to the second voice mail greeting instruction, converting the second voice mail greeting instruction into an email auto-reply and into a Short Message Service (SMS) auto-reply;

transferring a second email auto-reply instruction for delivery to the email server; and

transferring an SMS auto-reply instruction for delivery to an SMS server.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising receiving a selection of a plurality of contacts through the user interface, and in response to the selection, the second email auto-reply instruction directs the email server to only present the email auto-reply in response to email received from the plurality of contacts.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the plurality of contacts comprise a predetermined group of contacts.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the plurality of contacts comprise a predetermined type of contacts.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising presenting the voice mail greeting through the user interface, receiving a first user acceptance of the voice mail greeting through the user interface, presenting the email auto-reply through the user interface, receiving a second user acceptance of the email auto-reply through the user interface, and presenting the SMS auto-reply through the user interface.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising receiving a third user acceptance of the SMS auto-reply through the user interface, and wherein transferring the SMS auto-reply instruction for delivery to the SMS server comprises transferring the SMS auto-reply instruction for delivery to the SMS server in response to the third user acceptance.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the SMS auto-reply instruction directs the SMS server to only present the SMS auto-reply in response to SMS messages from known contacts.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising, in response to the second voice mail greeting instruction, converting the second voice mail greeting instruction into an Instant Messaging (IM) status update and presenting the IM status update through the user interface.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising receiving a third user acceptance of the IM status update through the user interface, and in response to the third user acceptance, transferring an IM status update instruction for delivery to an IM server.

20. A wireless communication device comprising:

a user interface;

a wireless communication interface;

a processing system configured to receive a first email auto-reply instruction through the user interface, and in response, direct the wireless communication interface to transfer the first email auto-reply instruction for delivery to an email server, wherein the processing system is further configured in response to the first email auto-reply instruction to convert the first email auto-reply instruction into a voice mail greeting and present the voice mail greeting through the user interface, wherein the processing system is further configured to receive a first user acceptance of the voice mail greeting through the user interface, and in response to the first user acceptance, to direct the wireless communication interface to transfer a first voice mail greeting instruction for delivery to a voice mail server;

the processing system configured to receive a second voice mail greeting instruction through the user interface, and in response, direct the wireless communication interface to transfer the second voice mail greeting instruction for delivery to the voice mail server, wherein the processing system is further configured in response to the second voice mail greeting instruction to convert the second voice mail greeting instruction into an email auto-reply and present the email auto-reply through the user interface, wherein the processing system is further configured to receive a second user acceptance of the email auto-reply through the user interface, and in response to the second user acceptance, direct the wireless communication interface to transfer a second email auto-reply instruction for delivery to the email server;

the processing system configured in response to the second voice mail greeting instruction to convert the second voice mail greeting instruction into a Short Message Service (SMS) auto-reply and present the SMS auto-reply through the user interface, wherein the processing system is further configured to receive a third user acceptance of the SMS auto-reply through the user interface, and in response to the third user acceptance, direct the wireless communication interface to transfer an SMS auto-reply instruction for delivery to an SMS server; and

the processing system configured in response to the second voice mail greeting instruction to convert the second voice mail greeting instruction into an Instant Messaging (IM) status update and present the IM status update through the user interface, wherein the processing system is further configured to receive a fourth user acceptance of the IM status update through the user interface, and in response to the fourth user acceptance, direct the wireless communication interface to transfer an IM status update instruction for delivery to an IM server.