Dynamic voice response messages

• US 8,626,127 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2009
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kuiken, David P., Patschke, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimesh
• Application Number:
  US12/647,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20100100387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,471 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.2, 455/416, 370/331, 370/328, 370/260, 348/14.08, 348/14.1, 348/211.12
• US Class Current: 455/412.2
• 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 2203/651 Text message transmission triggered by call automatic reactions in messaging within packet-switching networks H04L51/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A computing device implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product to generate dynamic voice response messages in a mobile computing device. In response to receiving an incoming call from a caller, the process displays a list of response messages in a set of response messages. In response to receiving a selection of a response message from the list of response messages, the process sends the selected response message to the caller.

Claims

1. A method for generating dynamic voice response messages in a mobile computing device, the method comprising:

responsive to receiving, at the mobile computing device, an incoming phone call from a caller, identifying, at the mobile computing device, a category of callers associated with the caller based on the identity of the caller;

selecting, at the mobile computing device, a set of response messages for display from a plurality of response messages based on the identified category of callers, wherein each of the set of response messages is a customized response message created by a user for association with a particular caller and with a content particularized to a particular caller;

displaying, at the mobile computing device, the set of response messages;

responsive to receiving a selection of a response message from the set of response messages from one of a control button and a touch screen interface of the mobile computing device, sending the selected response message to the caller;

responsive to not receiving a selection of a response message from the set of response messages within a specified period of time, sending a default response message; and

sending a default response message response to a caller, responsive to failure to determine a category of callers.

2. The computing device method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an activity selection; and

selecting the set of response messages based on the activity selection.

3. The computing device method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a selection of a return call time, wherein the return call time indicates a time when a user will return calls.

4. The computing device method of claim 3 wherein each response in the set of response messages includes a time duration until the user will return a call.

5. The computing device method of claim 4 further comprising:

identifying a response message in the set of response messages that includes a time duration corresponding to an estimated time difference between a time the call is received and the return call time; and

sending the identified response message to the caller.

6. The computing device method of claim 1 wherein each response message in the set of response messages is presented to the user in a menu.

7. The computing device method of claim 1 further comprising:

adding a new response message; and

linking the new response message to a set of response messages associated with a category of callers.

8. The computing device method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, at the mobile computing device, a selection of a return call time, wherein the return call time indicates a time when a user will return calls, wherein each response in the set of response messages includes a time duration until the user will return a call;

identify a response message in the set of response messages that includes a time duration corresponding to an estimated time difference between a time the call is received and the return call time; and

send the identified response message to the caller.

9. The computing device method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to receiving an indicator indicating that a user affirmatively declines to send a customized response message, sending a default message.

16. The computing device method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to receiving, at the mobile computing device, a second incoming phone call from a second caller, automatically associating the second caller with at least one category of the category of callers.

10. A computer program product for generating dynamic voice response messages in a mobile computing device, the computer program product comprising:

one or more non-transitory computer readable storage devices;

computer executable program code stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage devices for identifying, at the mobile computing device, a category of callers associated with the caller based on the caller identity in response to receiving an incoming phone call from a caller;

computer executable program code stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage devices for selecting, at the mobile computing device, the set of response messages from a plurality of response messages based on the category for the caller, wherein each of the set of response messages is a customized response message created by a user for association with a particular caller and with a content particularized to a particular caller;

computer executable program code stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage devices for displaying, at the mobile computing device, the set of response messages on the mobile computing device;

computer executable program code stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage devices for sending, by the mobile computing device, a selected response message to the caller, in response to receiving a selection of a response message from the set of response messages from one of a control button and a touch screen interface of the mobile computing device;

computer executable program code stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage devices for, responsive to not receiving a selection of a response message from the set of response messages within a specified period of time, sending, by the mobile computing device, a default response message; and

computer executable program code stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage devices for, sending a default response message response to a caller, responsive to failure to determine a category of callers.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 further comprising:

computer executable program code stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage devices for receiving an activity selection; and

computer executable program code stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage devices for selecting the set of response messages for display based on the activity selection.

12. The computer program product of claim 10 further comprising:

computer executable program code stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage devices for receiving a selection of a return call time, wherein the return call time indicates a time when a user will return calls.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein each response in the set of response messages includes a time duration until the user will return a call.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising:

computer executable program code stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage devices for identifying a response message in the set of response messages that includes a time duration corresponding to an estimated time difference between a time the call is received and the return call time; and

computer executable program code stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage devices for sending the identified response message to the caller.

17. The computer program product of claim 10 further comprising:

responsive to receiving, at the mobile computing device, a second incoming phone call from a second caller, automatically associating the second caller with at least one category of the category of callers.

15. An apparatus for generating dynamic voice response messages in a mobile computing device, the apparatus comprising:

a bus in the mobile computing device;

a storage device in the mobile computing device and connected to the bus, wherein the storage device contains computer executable program code;

a processor unit in a mobile computing device, wherein the processor unit executes the computer executable program code to;

identify a category of callers associated with the caller based on the caller identity, in response to receiving an incoming phone call from a caller;

select the set of response messages from a plurality of response messages based on the category for the caller, wherein each of the set of response messages is a customized response message created by a user for association with a particular caller and with a content particularized to a particular caller;

display at least one of the response messages in the set of response messages;

send a selected response message to the caller;

in response to receiving a selection of a response message from the set of response messages from one of a control button and a touch screen interface of the mobile computing device;

responsive to not receiving a selection of a response message from the set of response messages within a specified period of time, sending a default response message; and

sending a default response message response to a caller, responsive to failure to determine a category of callers.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the processor unit executes the computer executable program code to:

responsive to receiving, at the mobile computing device, a second incoming phone call from a second caller, automatically associating the second caller with at least one category of the category of callers.