Enhanced messaging with language translation feature

• US 8,442,496 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zubas, Michael Robert, Rainer, Brian Keith, Sigmund, William Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Faragalla, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Au, Scott
• Application Number:
  US13/616,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20130012173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 242 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/413, 379/88.06, 709/206, 704/8
• US Class Current: 455/413
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/58 Use of machine translation, e.g. for multi-lingual retrieval, for server-side translation for client devices or for real-time translation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/50 Telephonic communication in combination with video communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4518 Attachments to voicemail messages including annexed information, e.g. Attachments, in packet switching networks H04L51/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4545 Message forwarding selective message forwarding in packet switching networks H04L51/214
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42051 where the notification is included in the ringing tone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53325 Interconnection arrangements between voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53383 Message registering commands or announcements; Greetings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A method for creating and managing a distribution list can include creating a distribution list at a voicemail system. The distribution list can include at least one recipient and at least one language preference for one or more of the at least one recipients. The method can further include selecting the created distribution list and recording an audio message to be sent to the at least one recipient. Translating the audio message into the at least one language preference for one or more of the at least one recipients thereby creating at least one translated audio message and sending the at least one translated audio message to the at least one recipient.

Claims

1. A method, for operating a voicemail system, comprising:

receiving a call for a called party at the voicemail system, the voicemail system comprising a stored language preference for the called party;

prompting a calling party to leave a message;

creating the message;

providing a plurality of calling-party-selected language preferences;

prompting the calling party to select, from the plurality of calling-party-selected language preferences, a calling-party-selected language preference for the message;

in response to prompting the calling party to select, from the plurality of calling-party-selected language preferences, the calling-party-selected language preference for the message, receiving the calling-party-selected language preference for the message;

overriding the stored language preference for the called party with the calling-party-selected language preference;

determining whether the message is in the calling-party-selected language preference; and

in response to overriding the stored language preference with the calling-party-selected language preference, and if the message is not in the calling-party-selected preferred language identified by the language preference, translating the message into a preferred language of the calling-party-selected preferred language preference, thereby creating a translated message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the call at the voicemail system is performed at a network voicemail system comprising a plain old voicemail system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the call at the voicemail system is performed at a network voicemail system comprising a visual voicemail system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the call at the voicemail system comprises receiving the call at a voice mail application stored in a memory of a user device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the message comprises creating the message having a message type selected from a group of message types consisting of:

a video message;

a text message; and

a voicemail message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein overriding the stored language preference for the called party with the calling-party-selected language preference comprises overriding the stored language preference for the called party with the calling-party-selected language preference in response to a trigger initiated by the calling party to perform the override.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein overriding the stored language preference for the called party with the calling-party-selected language preference comprises overriding the stored language preference for the called party with the calling-party-selected language preference in response to a trigger initiated by the called party to perform the override.

8. A voicemail system comprising:

a tangible computer processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

receiving a call for a called party at the voicemail system, the voicemail system comprising a stored language preference for the called party,

prompting a calling party to leave a message,

creating the message,

providing a plurality of calling-party-selected language preferences;

prompting the calling party to select, from the plurality of calling-party-selected language preferences, a calling-party-selected language preference for the message,

in response to prompting the calling party to select, from the plurality of calling-party-selected language preferences, the calling-party-selected language preference for the message, receiving the calling-party-selected language preference for the message,

overriding the stored language preference for the called party with the calling-party-selected language preference,

determining whether the message is in the calling-party-selected language preference, and

in response to overriding the stored language preference with the calling-party-selected language preference, and if the message is not in the calling-party-selected preferred language identified by the language preference, translating the message into a preferred language of the calling-party-selected preferred language preference, thereby creating a translated message.

9. The voicemail system of claim 8, wherein the voicemail system comprises a plain old voicemail system.

10. The voicemail system of claim 8, wherein the voicemail system comprises a visual voicemail system.

11. The voicemail system of claim 8, wherein the voicemail system comprises a voice mail application stored in a memory of a user device.

12. The voicemail system of claim 8, wherein the message is a message type selected from a group of message types consisting of:

a video message;

a text message; and

a voicemail message.

13. The voicemail system claim 8, wherein the instructions for overriding the stored language preference for the called party with the calling-party-selected language preference comprise instructions for overriding the stored language preference for the called party with the calling-party-selected language preference in response to a trigger initiated by the calling party to perform the override.

14. The voicemail system claim 8, wherein the instructions for overriding the stored language preference for the called party with the calling-party-selected language preference comprise instructions for overriding the stored language preference for the called party with the calling-party-selected language preference in response to a trigger initiated by the called party to perform the override.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a call for a called party at the voicemail system, the voicemail system comprising a stored language preference for the called party;

prompting a calling party to leave a message;

creating the message;

providing a plurality of calling-party-selected language preferences;

prompting the calling party to select, from the plurality of calling-party-selected language preferences, a calling-party-selected language preference for the message;

in response to prompting the calling party to select, from the plurality of calling-party-selected language preferences, the calling-party-selected language preference for the message, receiving the calling-party-selected language preference for the message;

overriding the stored language preference for the called party with the calling-party-selected language preference;

determining whether the message is in the calling-party-selected language preference; and

in response to overriding the stored language preference with the calling-party-selected language preference, and if the message is not in the calling-party-selected preferred language identified by the language preference, translating the message into a preferred language of the calling-party-selected preferred language preference, thereby creating a translated message.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the medium is a component of a system selected from a group of systems consisting of:

a plain old voicemail system; and

a visual voicemail system.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the medium is a component of a user device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the message is a message type selected from a group of message types consisting of:

a video message;

a text message; and

a voicemail message.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium claim 15, wherein the instructions for overriding the stored language preference for the called party with the calling-party-selected language preference comprise instructions for overriding the stored language preference for the called party with the calling-party-selected language preference in response to a trigger initiated by the calling party to perform the override.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium claim 15, wherein the instructions for overriding the stored language preference for the called party with the calling-party-selected language preference comprise instructions for overriding the stored language preference for the called party with the calling-party-selected language preference in response to a trigger initiated by the called party to perform the override.