Managing voicemail greeting based on location of wireless communication device

• US 8,447,274 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2008
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hadinata, Martinianus B., Lingafelt, Steven C., Moore, John E., O'Connell, Brian M., Walker, Keith R.
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER, BRANDON J
• Application Number:
  US12/186,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20100035584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,749 Days
• Field of Search: 455/413, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/414.1, 455417-420, 455/432.1, 455/433, 379/88.18, 379/70, 379/88.22, 379/374.02
• US Class Current: 455/413
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53383 Message registering commands or announcements; Greetings

Abstract

Disclosed are a method, system and computer program product for managing voicemail greetings on a wireless communication device based on the device'"'"'s location. A user records location-specific voicemail greetings on the user'"'"'s wireless communication device, and associates the greetings with specific locations. When an authorized caller calls the user'"'"'s wireless communication device, the location of the user'"'"'s wireless communication device is detected, and location information of the user'"'"'s device is sent to a call switching component. The call switching component presents the caller with the voicemail greeting associated with the location of the user'"'"'s wireless communication device. The date and time the user'"'"'s wireless communication device entered the location can be provided via a timestamp and presented to the caller along with the location-specific voicemail greeting, to enable the caller to determine when the user may be available to communicate, based on the combination of the information in the greeting and the timestamp information.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a bus;

a processor coupled to the bus;

a memory coupled to the bus; and

a computer readable tangible storage device coupled to the bus, the computer readable tangible storage device containing instructions that, when carried out by the processor via the memory, implement a method for managing voicemail greetings of a wireless communication device based on a location of the wireless communication device, the method comprising the steps of;

the processor recording one or more location-specific voicemail greetings for the wireless communication device, wherein each of the one or more location-specific voicemail greetings is a different greeting from a general voicemail greeting that is not dependent on a location of the wireless communication device;

the processor associating each of the one or more location-specific voicemail greetings with a specific location of a plurality of specific locations to which the wireless communication device can be moved, wherein each of the one or more location-specific voicemail greetings is associated with a different specific location;

the processor periodically receiving current locations of the wireless communication device in response to receipt of a call by the wireless communication device from a caller device;

the processor determining that the wireless communication device is stationary when the periodically received current locations are a same current location for a predefined period of time; and

in response to the determination that the wireless communication device is stationary and the same current location being one of the specific locations associated with a recorded location-specific voicemail greeting, the processor presenting the recorded location-specific voicemail greeting associated with the same current location of the wireless communication device to the caller device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

the processor receiving identifying information corresponding to at least one authorized caller to receive the recorded location-specific voicemail greeting;

the processor creating an authorized caller list for the recorded location-specific voicemail greeting by storing the identifying information received;

the processor determining whether a caller using the caller device is an authorized caller to receive the recorded location-specific voicemail greeting by comparing an identifier (ID) of the caller device with a list of authorized caller IDs of authorized callers corresponding to the same current location, wherein the determining whether the caller is an authorized caller comprises detecting an identity of the caller through at least one of;

Caller ID, voice pattern recognition, spoken password or passphrase converted via a speech-to-text module, a dialed code, and interaction with a service provider; and

the processor presenting the recorded location-specific voicemail greeting only if the caller is authorized or the processor presenting the general voicemail greeting if the caller is not authorized.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

the processor detecting a date and time the wireless communication device entered a location;

the processor calculating an amount of time the wireless communication device has been at the location;

the processor automatically inserting the detected date and time into the recorded location-specific voicemail greeting; and

the processor presenting the detected date and time with the recorded location-specific voicemail greeting.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

the processor assigning call answering protocols for implementation based on a location of a caller'"'"'s wireless communication device at a time a call is received from the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device;

the processor receiving an entry of one or more call answering protocols via the wireless communication device;

the processor detecting a location of the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device when a call is received;

the processor receiving location information regarding the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device at a call switching component; and

the processor processing the call at the call switching component based on a call answering protocol for handling a caller'"'"'s call received from the location of the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device when the call is received.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the call answering protocols are at least one of recording a caller'"'"'s voicemail message in a different voicemail mailbox other than a voicemail mailbox of the wireless communication device, converting the caller'"'"'s voicemail message to text and emailing the text to one or more parties, transferring the caller'"'"'s voicemail message to more than one phone system, and changing priority of voicemail messages in the voicemail mailbox of the wireless communication device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is enabled within the wireless communication device.

7. A method for managing voicemail greetings of a wireless communication device based on a location of the wireless communication device, said method comprising:

a computer recording one or more location-specific voicemail greetings for the wireless communication device, wherein each of the one or more location-specific voicemail greetings is a different greeting from a general voicemail greeting that is not dependent on a location of the wireless communication device;

the computer associating the one or more location-specific voicemail greetings with specific locations;

the computer periodically receiving current locations of the wireless communication device in response to receipt of a call by the wireless communication device from a caller device;

the computer determining that the wireless communication device is stationary when the periodically received current locations are a same current location for a predefined period of time; and

in response to the determination that the wireless communication device is stationary and the same current location being one of the specific locations, the computer presenting the location-specific voicemail greeting associated with the same current location of the wireless communication device to the caller device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

the computer receiving identifying information corresponding to at least one authorized caller to receive the location-specific voicemail greeting;

the computer creating an authorized caller list for the location-specific voicemail greeting by storing the identifying information received;

the computer determining whether a caller using the calling device is an authorized caller to receive the location-specific voicemail greeting by comparing an identifier (ID) of the caller device with a list of authorized caller IDs of authorized callers corresponding to the same current location;

wherein the determining whether the caller is an authorized caller comprises detecting an identity of the caller through at least one of;

Caller ID, voice pattern recognition, spoken password or passphrase converted via a speech-to-text module, a dialed code, and interaction with a service provider; and

the computer presenting the location-specific voicemail greeting only if the caller is authorized or the computer presenting the general voicemail greeting if the caller is not authorized.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

the computer detecting a date and time the wireless communication device entered a location;

the computer calculating an amount of time the wireless communication device has been at the location;

the computer automatically inserting the detected date and time into the location-specific voicemail greeting; and

the computer presenting the detected date and time with the location-specific voicemail greeting.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

the computer assigning call answering protocols for implementation based on a location of a caller'"'"'s wireless communication device at a time a call is received from the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device;

the computer receiving an entry of one or more call answering protocols via the wireless communication device;

the computer detecting a location of the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device when a call is received;

the computer receiving location information regarding the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device at a call switching component; and

the computer processing the call at the call switching component based on a call answering protocol for handling a caller'"'"'s call received from the location of the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device when the call is received;

wherein the call answering protocols are at least one of recording a caller'"'"'s voicemail message in a different voicemail mailbox other than a voicemail mailbox of the wireless communication device, converting the caller'"'"'s voicemail message to text and emailing the text to one or more parties, transferring the caller'"'"'s voicemail message to more than one phone system, and changing priority of voicemail messages in the user'"'"'s wireless communication device voicemail mailbox.

11. A computer program product having a computer readable tangible storage device having computer code stored therein that when executed by a processor, implements a method for managing voicemail greetings of a wireless communication device based on a location of the device, the method comprising the steps of:

the processor recording one or more location-specific voicemail greetings for the wireless communication device, wherein each of the one or more location-specific voicemail greetings is a different greeting from a general voicemail greeting that is not dependent on a location of the wireless communication device;

the processor associating the one or more location-specific voicemail greetings with specific locations;

the processor periodically receiving current locations of the wireless communication device in response to receipt of a call by the wireless communication device from a caller device;

the processor determining that the wireless communication device is stationary when the periodically received current locations are a same current location for a predefined period of time; and

in response to the determination that the wireless communication device is stationary and the same current location being one of the specific locations, the processor presenting the location-specific voicemail greeting associated with the same current location of the wireless communication device to the caller device.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

the processor receiving identifying information corresponding to at least one authorized caller to receive the location-specific voicemail greeting;

the processor creating an authorized caller list for the location-specific voicemail greeting by storing the identifying information received;

the processor determining whether a caller using the caller device is an authorized caller to receive the location-specific voicemail greeting by comparing an identifier (ID) of the caller device with a list of authorized caller IDs of authorized callers corresponding to the same current location, wherein the determining whether the caller is an authorized caller comprises detecting an identity of the caller through at least one of;

Caller ID, voice pattern recognition, spoken password or passphrase converted via a speech-to-text module, a dialed code, and interaction with a service provider; and

the processor presenting the location-specific voicemail greeting only if the caller is authorized or the processor presenting the general voicemail greeting if the caller is not authorized.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

the processor detecting a date and time the wireless communication device entered a location;

the processor calculating an amount of time the wireless communication device has been at the location;

the processor automatically inserting the detected date and time into the location-specific voicemail greeting; and

the processor presenting the detected date and time with the location-specific voicemail greeting.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

the processor assigning call answering protocols for implementation based on a location of a caller'"'"'s wireless communication device at a time a call is received from the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device;

the processor receiving an entry of one or more call answering protocols via the wireless communication device;

the processor detecting a location of the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device when a call is received;

the processor receiving location information regarding the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device at a call switching component; and

the processor processing the call at the call switching component based on a call answering protocol for handling a caller'"'"'s call received from the location of the caller'"'"'s wireless communication device when the call is received;

wherein the call answering protocols are at least one of recording a caller'"'"'s voicemail message in a different voicemail mailbox other than a voicemail mailbox of the wireless communication device, converting the caller'"'"'s voicemail message to text and emailing the text to one or more parties, transferring the caller'"'"'s voicemail message to more than one phone system, and changing priority of voicemail messages in the user'"'"'s wireless communication device voicemail mailbox.