System, method and computer program product for conveying presence information via voice mail

• US 8,824,643 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2011
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PalTalk Holdings Incorporated (Paltalk, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PalTalk Holdings Incorporated (Paltalk, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sahai, Shankar
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEZUAYEHU, SOLOMON G
• Application Number:
  US13/155,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20110299667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.01, 379/211.01, 379/88.12, 709/203, 709/206, 709/225
• US Class Current: 379/88.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for conveying availability information of a calling party to a called party. A PBX serving the telephones of the calling and called parties is connected to a presence server. In an embodiment of the invention, the presence server is also connected to a computer and/or other information device (such as a personal data assistant or telephone) of the calling party. After the calling party has left a voice mail message for the called party, the called party will subsequently retrieve the message. In an embodiment of the invention, the PBX then queries the presence server as to the availability of the calling party. The presence server senses whether the calling party has indicated his or her presence; if so, it is inferred that the calling party is probably present and available for a return call. If the presence server detects no such indication by the calling party, it is inferred that the calling party is likely to be absent. The presence server responds to the query of the PBX by indicating the calling party'"'"'s likely availability (or absence) to the PBX. Based on this information, the PBX modifies the voice mail message to include a statement that the calling party is either available or unavailable.

Claims

1. A system for providing presence information of a first party to a second party, said system comprising:

a first device of or associated with the first party and adapted to be in communication with a communications network;

a second device of or associated with the second party and adapted to be in communication with the communications network, wherein the first device is adapted to receive a first message from the first party for retrieval by the second party after a communication attempt between the first device and the second device was unsuccessful, wherein the communication attempt with the second device is initiated by the first party at the first device;

a presence server connected to the first device, via the communications network, and adapted to detect presence of the first party by receiving a second message from the first device comprising presence information of the first party;

a memory for associating and storing the first message with the presence information; and

a communications path between the presence server and the second device, allowing the presence information regarding the first party to be sent from the presence server to the second device upon retrieval of said first message by said second party.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the presence server comprises:

a presence detection module that can receive a presence indication from the first device; and

a database that maintains availability information regarding the first party, wherein the availability information is updated by the presence detection module.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the presence server comprises:

a presence detection module that can receive a presence indication from the first device;

a database that maintains availability information regarding the first party, wherein the availability information is updated by the presence detection module; and

a timing module that measures the time elapsed since the most recent availability information is received from the presence detection module.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the presence indication is generated through deliberate action by the first party to indicate presence of the first party.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first party is a calling party.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second party is a called party.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device and second device are selected from the group consisting of an information device, a computer, a telephone, and a PDA.

8. A messaging system, comprising:

means for receiving a first message from a first party of or associated with a first device for retrieval by a second party of or associated with a second device after a communication attempt between the first device and the second device was unsuccessful, wherein the communication attempt with the second device is initiated by the first party at the first device;

means for receiving a second message comprising presence information about a first party detected by a presence server from a first device of or associated with the first party;

means for associating and storing the detected presence information of the first party with the first message;

means for retrieving said first message by the second party; and

means for transmitting the first message and the presence information regarding the first party to the second device upon receipt of a request by said second party to retrieve said first message.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the presence information is provided from the first device automatically or when requested by the second party.

10. A method of providing availability information of a first party to a second party, the availability information indicating whether (i) the first party is currently present at a first device and (ii) the first device is available, the method comprising the following steps:

receiving a first message from the first party of or associated with the first device for retrieval by the second party of or associated with a second device after a communication attempt between the first device and the second device was unsuccessful, wherein the communication attempt with the second device is initiated by the first party at the first device;

receiving from a presence server a second message comprising availability information detected by the presence server regarding the first party;

associating and storing the first message with the availability information; and

transmitting the first message and the availability information regarding the first party to the second device upon receipt of a request by said second party to retrieve said first message.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising determining the presence of the first party.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining the presence of the first party comprises detecting a deliberate action by the first party, wherein the action explicitly indicates presence.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising querying the presence server regarding the availability of the first party.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising associating the first party with the first message.

15. A method for conveying presence information, the presence information indicating that a first party is currently present at a first device of or associated with the first party, the method comprising:

receiving a first message from the first party of or associated with the first device for retrieval by a second party of or associated with a second device after a communication attempt between the first device and the second device was unsuccessful, wherein the communication attempt with the second device is initiated by the first party at the first device;

receiving a second message comprising presence information detected by a presence server regarding the first party from the first device;

associating and storing the presence information regarding the first party with the first message; and

transmitting the first message and the presence information regarding the first party to the second device upon receipt of a request by said second party to retrieve said first message.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of associating the presence information regarding the first party with the first message comprises:

including the presence information in the message.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising querying the first device for presence information.

18. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium for causing an application program to execute on a computer that provides availability information of a first party to a second party through a first message, the computer readable program code comprising:

first computer readable program code adapted to cause a communications network to receive the first message from the first party of or associated with the first device for retrieval by the second party of or associated with a second device after a communication attempt between the first device and the second device was unsuccessful, wherein the communication attempt with the second device is initiated by the first party at the first device;

second computer readable program code adapted to cause a communications network to receive, from a presence server, a second message comprising availability information detected by the presence server;

third computer readable program code adapted to cause the communications network to associate and store the received availability information with the first message; and

fourth computer readable program code adapted to cause the communications network to transmit the first message and the availability information regarding the first party to the second device upon receipt of a request by said second party to retrieve said first message.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 and further comprising:

fifth computer readable program code adapted to cause the communications network to query the presence server regarding the availability of the first party.