System and method for acknowledging incoming communications

• US 8,804,923 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2013
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• 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: Howarter, Jamie Christopher, Hull, Heather Ann, Lesher, Charles M.
• Primary Examiner(s): ISLAM, MOHAMMAD K
• Application Number:
  US13/908,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20130267206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 435 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

A system and method for acknowledging an incoming communication. An incoming communication request destined for a first communication device from a second communication device is received. The incoming communication request is forwarded to the first communication device. An acknowledgment indication is received from the first communications device that the incoming communication request has been received by a user of the first communication device. An acknowledgment communication associated with the acknowledgment indication is sent from the media server to the second communications device in response to receiving the acknowledgment indication. The acknowledgment communication is selectable from a number of acknowledgment communications including at least default communications and user entered communications.

Claims

1. A method for acknowledging an incoming communication comprising:

receiving an incoming communication request destined for a first communication device from a second communication device;

forwarding the incoming communication request to the first communication device;

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

sending an acknowledgment communication associated with the acknowledgment indication from a media server to the second communication device in response to receiving the acknowledgment indication, wherein the acknowledgement communication is selectable from a plurality of acknowledgement communications, wherein the plurality of acknowledgement communications includes at least default communications and user entered communications.

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 communication to the second communication device within a predetermined time period.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

setting the predetermined time period in response to feedback from the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the acknowledgement communication is selected in response to criteria in a user profile associated with the user.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

generating the acknowledgment communication by the user; and

associating the acknowledgment communication with a caller identifier of the second communications device.

6. 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 specifying the acknowledgement indication to send; and

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

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting a caller associated with the second communication device to leave a voicemail message; and

recording a voicemail message from the caller.

8. A system for acknowledging an incoming communication comprising:

one or more communications networks; and

a switch in communication with the one or more communications networks, the switch configured to;

receive an incoming communication request destined for a first communication device from a second communication device;

forward the incoming communication request to the first communication device;

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

send an acknowledgment communication associated with the acknowledgment indication from a media server to the second communication device in response to receiving the acknowledgment indication, wherein the acknowledgement communication is selectable from a plurality of acknowledgement communications, wherein the plurality of acknowledgement communications includes at least default communications and user entered communications.

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 8, wherein the media server is configured to store a user profile associated with the user for the first communications device including criteria for sending the acknowledgment communications.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the user profile includes the predetermined time period, and one or more of the acknowledgment communications associated with caller identification information of the second communication device.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the media server prompts the second communications device to leave a voicemail message for the user.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of acknowledgement communications are presented to the user for selection as information included in the acknowledgment indication.

14. A first communication device for acknowledging an incoming call comprising:

a user interface;

a memory configured to store computer readable instructions; and

a processor, the processor configured to retrieve and execute the computer readable instructions operable to;

receive an incoming call request from a second communication device;

receive an acknowledgment indication from a user through the user interface that the incoming call request has been received by the user of the first communication device, wherein the acknowledgement indication includes a selection from the user of an acknowledgement communication from a plurality of acknowledgement communications, wherein the plurality of acknowledgement communications includes at least default acknowledgment communications and user entered acknowledgement communications; and

connect the incoming call between the second communication device and a media server in response to receiving the acknowledgment indication, wherein the media server is configured to send the acknowledgement communication to the second device.

15. The first communication device of claim 14, wherein the user interface is configured to display the incoming call request to the user, and the plurality of acknowledgement communications.

16. The first communication device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to send the acknowledgment indication to a media server, wherein the media server is configured to send the acknowledgement communication to the second communication device in response to receiving the acknowledgement indication.

17. The first communications device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of acknowledgement communications are enabled to be text messages and audio messages.

18. The first communications device of claim 14, wherein the memory stores a user profile for automatically displaying the plurality of acknowledgment communications to the user during the incoming call.

19. The first communications device of claim 14, wherein the user interfaces presents a reminder message in response to the user not initiating a return communication to the second communications device within a time period.

20. The first communication device of claim 18, wherein the user profile includes a predetermined time period, and one or more acknowledgment communications associated with caller identification information of the second communication device.