Mobile telephone interactive call disposition system

• US 8,639,276 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sharpe, Timothy David, Etezadi, Cameron Ali
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasraian, Allahyar
• Application Number:
  US11/824,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20090003580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,405 Days
• Field of Search: 379/210.01, 379/76, 379/211.02, 379/212.01, 379/209.01, 379/215.01, 379/82, 455/461, 455/415, 455/417, 455/421
• US Class Current: 455/461
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/006 Call diverting means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/642 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00

Abstract

An interactive call disposition system that may operate on a mobile telephone independently of any remote or network-based information or functionality is provided. Upon receiving an incoming telephone call, the interactive call disposition system may automatically dispose of the call (e.g., call forwarding, voicemail, etc.), or the interactive call disposition system may conduct an interactive exchange with the calling party via an interactive voice response (IVR) system or via dual-tone, multi-frequency (DTMF) key input from the calling party. The interactive exchange between the interactive call disposition system and the calling party may accomplish disposition of the call based on calling party and called party information, such as calendar data, free/busy data, contacts information, and the like.

Claims

1. A method of providing interactive call disposition on a mobile telephone, comprising:

receiving an indication of an incoming telephone call;

determining whether a called party is available to answer the incoming call;

retrieving information about the incoming call;

retrieving information about the called party;

receiving configuration data from the called party, the configuration data comprising instructions for processing calls to the called party based on at least contacts data for a calling party and upon determining, from at least the contacts data, that a return call from the called party will interrupt the calling party;

generating a custom call announcement upon determining, based on at least the contacts data, that the return call from the called party will interrupt the calling party, the custom call announcement comprising at least one of instant messaging and electronic mail, the custom call announcement further notifying the calling party that the called party is not available to answer the incoming call based on information retrieved about the incoming call and based on information retrieved about the called party, the custom call announcement comprising a notification to the calling party that the called party is not available to answer the incoming call at the time of the incoming call, but that the called party will be available to answer a subsequent incoming call at a later prescribed time;

presenting the custom call announcement to the calling party; and

in response to presenting the custom call announcement to the calling party, receiving, by the called party, a responsive communication from the calling party indicating that the calling party will place a subsequent incoming call to the called party at the prescribed time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to generating the custom call announcement that notifies the calling party that the called party is not available to answer the incoming call at the time of the incoming call, but that the called party will be available to answer the subsequent incoming call at the later prescribed time, parsing calendar data for the called party to determine the later prescribed time at which the called party will be available to answer the subsequent incoming call.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising populating calendar data for the called party with information that identifies that the called party will receive an incoming call from the calling party at the prescribed time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the custom call announcement that notifies the calling party that the called party is not available to answer the incoming call based on information retrieved about the incoming call and based on information retrieved about the called party, includes generating the custom call announcement that notifies the calling party that the called party is not available to answer the incoming call at the time of the incoming call, and that the incoming call is being forwarded to another called party who may answer the incoming call.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein prior to generating the custom call announcement that notifies the calling party that the called party is not available to answer the incoming call at the time of the incoming call, and that the incoming call is being forwarded to another called party who may answer the incoming call, parsing a configuration data to obtain instructions for forwarding the incoming call to another called party when the called party is not available to answer the incoming call.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, in response to presenting the custom call announcement to the calling party, allowing a responsive communication from the calling party indicating that the calling party does not desire that the incoming call be forwarded to another called party.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to presenting the custom call announcement to the calling party, receiving a responsive communication from the calling party for furthering a disposition of the incoming call without requiring the called party to answer the incoming call.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving a responsive communication from the calling party for furthering a disposition of the incoming without requiring the called party to answer the incoming call, includes receiving the responsive communication via a dual tone, multi-frequency (DTMF) input from the calling party.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving a responsive communication from the calling party for furthering a disposition of the incoming without requiring the called party to answer the incoming call, includes receiving the responsive communication via an interactive voice response input from the calling party.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising allowing the called party to receive the custom call announcement provided to the calling party and allowing the called party to receive the responsive communication from the calling party for furthering a disposition of the incoming call for allowing the called party to monitor interactive call disposition communications with the calling party without requiring the called party to answer the incoming call.

11. A computer readable storage device containing computer executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method of providing interactive call disposition on a mobile telephone, comprising:

receiving an indication of an incoming telephone call;

determining whether the called party is available to answer the incoming call;

receiving configuration data from the called party, the configuration data comprising instructions for processing calls to the called party based on at least contacts data for a calling party and upon determining, from at least the contacts data, that a return call from the called party will interrupt the calling party;

generating a custom call announcement upon determining, based on at least the contacts data, that the return call from the called party will interrupt the calling party, the custom call announcement comprising at least one of instant messaging, text messaging and electronic mail, the custom call announcement further notifying the calling party that the called party is not available to answer the incoming call based on information retrieved about the incoming call and based on information retrieved about the called party, the custom call announcement comprising a notification to the calling party to communicate with the called party via an alternate communication means;

presenting the custom call announcement to the calling party; and

receiving a call disposition command from the called party for disposing of incoming call without requiring the called party to answer the incoming call.

12. The computer readable storage device of claim 11, further comprising, in response to presenting the custom call announcement to the calling party, receiving a responsive communication from the calling party for furthering a disposition of the incoming call without requiring the called party to answer the incoming call.

13. The computer readable storage device of claim 12, wherein receiving a responsive communication from the calling party for furthering a disposition of the incoming without requiring the called party to answer the incoming call, includes receiving the responsive communication via a dual tone, multi-frequency (DTMF) input from the calling party.

14. A computer readable storage device containing computer executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method of providing interactive call disposition on a mobile telephone, comprising:

receiving an indication of an incoming telephone call;

retrieving information about the incoming call;

retrieving information about a called party;

receiving configuration data from the called party, the configuration data comprising instructions for processing calls to the called party based on at least contacts data for a calling party and upon determining, from at least the contacts data, that a return call from the called party will interrupt the calling party;

generating a custom call announcement upon determining, based on at least the contacts data, that the return call from the called party will interrupt the calling party, the custom call announcement comprising at least one of instant messaging and electronic mail, the custom call announcement further notifying the calling party that the called party is not available to answer the incoming call based on information retrieved about the incoming call and based on information retrieved about the called party by notifying the calling party to communicate with the called party via an alternate communication means;

presenting the custom call announcement to the calling party;

receiving a responsive communication from the calling party; and

allowing the called party to monitor the presentation of the custom call announcement to the calling party and the received responsive communication from the calling party without requiring the called party to answer the incoming call.