Pre-recorded voice responses for portable communication devices

• US 8,611,883 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Online LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Online LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Selby, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US13/174,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20110263228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/413, 455/419, 379/202.01, 379/67.1
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/642 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/10 with dictation recording and playback systems

Abstract

A portable communication device may be used so that, in place of speaking into the portable communication device during a telephone call, users may initiate playback of pre-recorded messages to the party with whom the user is communicating. In one implementation, a device may receive, during a telephone call between a first party and a second party, a command from the first party to transmit a pre-recorded message to the second party. The pre-recorded message may be an audible message that was pre-recorded by the first party. The device may transmit the pre-recorded message to the second party in response to the command.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a device and during a telephone call established between a first party and a second party, a command from the first party to transmit a pre-recorded message to the second party,

the pre-recorded message being an audible message;

switching, by the device and during the established telephone call, a mode of the device from a first mode to a pre-recorded message mode;

transmitting, by the device and while the device is in the pre-recorded message mode, the pre-recorded message to the second party based on the command; and

transferring, by the device and based on another command from the first party, a device associated with the second party into a voice mail system.

2. The method of claim 1, where the command is received and transmitted from a portable communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, where the device, while in the first mode, is operable to transmit real-time speech of the first party to the second party.

4. The method of claim 1, where the command is received by a network device and where the method further includes:

substituting the pre-recorded message for the command before transmitting the pre-recorded message to the second party.

5. The method of claim 1, where the command includes one or more dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signals.

6. The method of claim 1, where the command is entered by the first party via one or more keypad buttons on a portable communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, where the pre-recorded message is previously recorded by the first party.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions, executable by a processor of a device, to cause the processor to;

receive, during a telephone call established between a first party and a second party, a command from the first party to transmit a pre-recorded message to the second party,

the pre-recorded message being an audible message;

switch, during the established telephone call, a mode of the device from a first mode to a pre-recorded message mode;

transmit, while the device is in the pre-recorded message mode, the pre-recorded message to the second party based on the command; and

transfer, based on another command from the first party, a device associated with the second party into a voice mail system.

9. The medium of claim 8, where the command is received and transmitted from a portable communication device.

10. The medium of claim 8, where the first mode is associated with transmitting real-time speech of the first party to the second party.

11. The medium of claim 8, where the command is received by a network device and the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions to substitute the pre-recorded message for the command before transmitting the pre-recorded message to the second party.

12. The medium of claim 8, where the command includes one or more dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signals.

13. The medium of claim 8, where the command is entered by the first party via one or more keypad buttons on a portable communication device.

14. The medium of claim 8, where the pre-recorded message is previously recorded by the first party.

15. A device comprising:

a processor to;

receive commands from a first communication device,

each command identifying a different pre-recorded audible message that is to be forwarded to a second communication device;

store the different pre-recorded audible messages;

switch, during an established telephone call between the first communication device and the second communication device, a mode of the device from a first mode to a pre-recorded message mode;

transmit, while the device is in the pre-recorded message mode, at least one of the different pre-recorded audible messages to the second communication device during a telephone call between the first communication device and the second communication device; and

transfer, based on another command from the first communication device, the second communication device into a voice mail system.

16. The device of claim 15, where the first communication device is a portable telephone.

17. The device of claim 15, where the commands are received as dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signals from the first communication device.

18. The device of claim 15, where at least one of the different pre-recorded audible messages is previously recorded by a user of the first communication device.

19. The device of claim 15, where at least one of the different pre-recorded audible messages is recorded in at least one of a standard voice or a voice of a user of the first communication device.

20. The device of claim 15, where the device, while in the first mode, is operable to transmit real-time speech.