System and apparatus for managing calls

• US 8,451,991 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2012
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Scott, Charles V.
• Primary Examiner(s): ZENATI, AMAL S
• Application Number:
  US13/677,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20130072166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 194 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.22, 379/88.23
• US Class Current: 379/88.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/658 Means for redirecting recorded messages to other extensions or equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53316 Messaging centre selected by message originator
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A system and apparatus for managing calls to voice mail is disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a voicemail system having a controller element that receives a call redirected away from a targeted communication device without providing the targeted communication device notice of the call responsive to a voicemail redirection request supplied by signaling information associated with the call. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

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

detecting a call directed to a communication device according to signaling information comprising an identifier of the communication device and a voicemail redirection request, wherein the call is initiated by a caller'"'"'s communication device, and wherein the voicemail redirection request comprises a code entered at the caller'"'"'s communication device along with the identifier;

determining whether a voicemail account is available for the communication device according to the redirection request;

redirecting the call to a voicemail system responsive to determining that the voicemail account is available, wherein the call is redirected to the voicemail system without transmitting a notice of the call to the communication device, wherein the voicemail redirection request comprises a voicemail account identifier for selectively identifying one among a plurality of voicemail accounts in the voicemail system;

transmitting a voicemail notice to the communication device of the called party responsive to recording a voicemail message wherein the voicemail notice indicates whether the voicemail message is a result of a redirection request or a missed call; and

preventing redirection of the call to the voicemail system and transmitting an error message from a network proxy to the caller'"'"'s communication device responsive to determining that the voicemail account is not available and when the voicemail redirection request is detected, wherein the error message includes an option for re-dialing the communication device,

wherein the signaling information conforms to a session initiation protocol, and wherein the identifier of the communication device comprises one of a session initiation protocol uniform resource identifier, a telephone uniform resource identifier, or an E.164 number.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions which when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising determining according to the identifier of the communication device a redirection number to access the voicemail system.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 2, comprising computer instructions which when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising redirecting the call to the redirection number.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions which when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising detecting a sequence of dual tone multi-frequency signals corresponding to the identifier of the communication device and the voicemail redirection request.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the redirecting comprises redirecting the call to the voicemail account and recording in the voicemail account a voicemail message supplied by the caller'"'"'s communication device responsive to determining that the voicemail account is available.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the voicemail redirection request comprises a voicemail account identifier for selectively identifying one among a plurality of voicemail accounts in the voicemail system.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions which when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising presenting an interactive voicemail service at the caller'"'"'s communication device.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the voicemail system comprises an interactive voice response system.

9. A voicemail system, comprising:

a memory comprising computer instructions; and

a controller element coupled to the memory, wherein the controller when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising;

receiving a call redirected away from a targeted communication device without providing the targeted communication device notice of the call responsive to a voicemail redirection request supplied by signaling information associated with the call, wherein the call is initiated by a caller'"'"'s communication device, wherein the voicemail redirection request comprises a code entered at the caller'"'"'s communication device in addition to an identifier of the targeted communication device, and wherein the call is redirected to the controller element responsive to a detection of the code;

determining whether a voicemail account is available for the communication device wherein the voicemail redirection request comprises a voicemail account identifier for selectively identifying one among a plurality of voicemail accounts in the voicemail system;

transmitting a voicemail notice to the communication device of the called party responsive to recording a voicemail message wherein the voicemail notice indicates whether the voicemail message is a result of a redirection request or a missed call; and

preventing redirection of the call to the voicemail account and transmitting an error message to the caller'"'"'s communication device responsive to determining that the voicemail account is not available and when the voicemail redirection request is detected, wherein the error message includes an option for re-dialing the communication device,

wherein the signaling information conforms to a session initiation protocol, and wherein the identifier of the targeted communication device comprises one of a session initiation protocol uniform resource identifier, a telephone uniform resource identifier, or an E.164 number.

10. The voicemail system of claim 9, wherein the controller element when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising determining according to the identifier of the communication device a redirection number to access the voicemail system.

11. The voicemail system of claim 10, wherein the controller element when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising redirecting the call to the redirection number.

12. The voicemail system of claim 9, wherein the controller element when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising detecting a sequence of dual tone multi-frequency signals corresponding to the identifier of the communication device and the voicemail redirection request.

13. The voicemail system of claim 9, wherein the redirecting comprises redirecting the call to the voicemail account and recording in the voicemail account a voicemail message supplied by the caller'"'"'s communication device responsive to determining that the voicemail account is available.

14. The voicemail system of claim 9, wherein the voicemail redirection request comprises a voicemail account identifier for selectively identifying one among a plurality of voicemail accounts in the voicemail system.

15. The voicemail system of claim 9, wherein the controller element when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising presenting an interactive voicemail service at the caller'"'"'s communication device.

16. The voicemail system of claim 9, wherein the voicemail system comprises an interactive voice response system.

17. A communication device, comprising:

a memory comprising computer instructions; and

a controller element coupled to the memory, wherein the controller element when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising;

initiating a call comprising signaling information comprising an identifier of a targeted communication device and a voicemail redirection request that requests redirection of the call to a voicemail system without a notice supplied to the targeted communication device wherein the voicemail redirection request comprises a voicemail account identifier for selectively identifying one among a plurality of voicemail accounts in the voicemail system and wherein a voicemail notice to the targeted communication device is transmitted responsive to recording a voicemail message wherein the voicemail notice indicates whether the voicemail message is a result of a redirection request or a missed call; and

receiving an error message preventing redirection of the call to the voicemail system in response to the voicemail system failing to detect an availability of a voicemail account associated with the identifier of the targeted communication device when the redirection request is detected by entering a code, wherein the error message includes an option for re-dialing the communication device,

wherein the signaling information conforms to a session initiation protocol and wherein the identifier of the targeted communication device comprises one of a session initiation protocol uniform resource identifier, a telephone uniform resource identifier, or an E.164 number.

18. The communication device of claim 17, wherein the call corresponds to a voice over internet protocol call.

19. The communication device of claim 17, wherein the call is processed by one or more network elements of an IP multimedia subsystem communication system.

20. The communication device of claim 17, wherein the voicemail redirection request comprises a voicemail account identifier for selectively identifying one of a plurality of voicemail accounts in the voicemail system.