System, method and apparatus for acknowledging an incoming phone call

• US 8,457,286 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lesher, Charles M., Howarter, Jamie Christopher, Hull, Heather Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): ISLAM, MOHAMMAD K
• Application Number:
  US12/241,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20100080363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,708 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.23, 379/201.02, 379/201.12, 455/412.2, 455/413, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 379/88.23
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/642 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 Non-interactive information services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53308 Message originator indirectly connected to the message centre, e.g. after detection of busy or absent state of a called party

Abstract

An embodiment of a method, system, and apparatus for acknowledging an incoming call includes receiving an incoming call request addressed to a first communication device from a second communication device, and forwarding the incoming call request to the first communication device. The method further includes receiving an acknowledgment indication from the first communication device that the incoming call request has been received by a user of the first communication device. The method still further includes connecting a call between the second communication device and a media server in response to receiving the acknowledgment indication. In at least one embodiment, the media server is configured to play an acknowledgment voice message to the second communication device. A further embodiment includes sending a reminder message to the first communication device if the user of the first communication device has not initiated a return call to the second communication device within a predetermined time period.

Claims

1. A method for acknowledging an incoming call comprising:

receiving an incoming call request addressed to a first communication device from a second communication device utilized by a caller;

forwarding the incoming call request to the first communication device utilized by a user;

receiving an acknowledgment indication from the first communication device that the incoming call request has been received by the user of the first communication device; and

connecting a call between the second communication device and a media server in response to receiving the acknowledgment indication from the first communication device utilized by the user, wherein the media server is configured to send at least one acknowledgment message which is not a voice message to the second communication device utilized by the caller, wherein the acknowledgement message is associated with the acknowledgement indication, and wherein the acknowledgement indication is selectable by the user from a plurality of acknowledgement indications including at least default indications and user entered text indications;

wherein the media server is further configured to prompt the caller associated with the second communication device to leave a voicemail message after playing the acknowledgement message; and

wherein the media server is further configured to record a voicemail message from the caller.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a reminder message to the first communication device if the user of the first communication device has not initiated a return call to the second communication device within a predetermined time period.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

setting the predetermined time period and repetition of the predetermined time period in response to a selection by the user of the first communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the acknowledgment message by the user; and

associating the acknowledgment message with a caller identifier, wherein the caller identifier is associated with the second communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting the user of the first communication device to acknowledge the incoming call request;

receiving an input from the user of the first communication device; and

sending the acknowledgment indication in response to receiving the user input.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the media server is configured to send a plurality of acknowledgement messages to the second communications device, and wherein the plurality of acknowledgement messages are of differing message formats.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein at least one of the plurality of acknowledgement messages is sent in an audio message format.

8. A system for acknowledging an incoming call comprising:

a media server; and

a switch, the switch configured to;

receive an incoming call request addressed to a first communication device from a second communication device utilized by a caller;

forward the incoming call request to the first communication device utilized by a user;

receive an acknowledgment indication from the first communication device that the incoming call request has been received by the user of the first communication device; and

connect a call between the second communication device and a media server in response to receiving the acknowledgment indication from the first communication device utilized by the user, wherein the media server is configured to send an acknowledgment message which is not a voice message to the second communication device utilized by the caller, wherein the acknowledgement message is associated with the acknowledgement indication, and wherein the acknowledgement indication is selectable by the user from a plurality of acknowledgement indications including at least default indications and user entered text indications;

wherein the media server is further configured to prompt the caller associated with the second communication device to leave a voicemail message after sending the acknowledgement message; and

wherein the media server is further configured to record a voicemail message from the caller.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the media server is configured to:

send a reminder message to the first communication device if the user of the first communication device has not initiated a return call to the second communication device within a predetermined time period.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the predetermined time period and repetition of the predetermined time period in is set by the user of the first communication device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the acknowledgement message comprises a text message.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the acknowledgment voice message is generated by the user and associated with a caller identifier utilizing a user interface, and wherein the caller identifier is associated with the second communication device.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the acknowledgment indication is received in response to a user selection from a menu of the plurality of acknowledgement indications.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the media server is configured to send a plurality of acknowledgement messages to the second communications device, and wherein the plurality of acknowledgement messages are of differing message formats.

15. The system of claim 8 wherein at least one of the plurality of acknowledgement messages is sent in an audio message format.