System and method for quick note messaging

• US 8,825,013 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2012
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rondeau, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimesh
• Application Number:
  US13/674,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20130129059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.26, 379/68, 379/208.01, 379/210.02, 379/194, 379/88.12, 455/413, 455/567
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/025 Extracting rules from data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2472 with programmable function keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/578 associated with a synthesized vocal announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/82 Line monitoring circuits for call progress or status discrimination for detecting caller identity H04M1/573
• 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 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/004 in the uplink, i.e. towards network

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments include a system and method for quick note messaging. In one embodiment, a call from a calling party to the communication device is intercepted by a network system. The network system is configured to receive a calling party selection to record a quick note message for a user of the communication device prior to connecting the call. The network system monitors for at least one of a termination of the call by the calling party or a time-out threshold. The network system indicates at the communication device if a quick note message has been received. If the calling party selection to record a quick note message is not received, then the network system is configured to handle call processing normally.

Claims

1. A method for recording a quick note message for a communication device, the method comprising:

intercepting, at a system, a call from a calling party to the communication device, wherein the communication device includes one of a telephone device, a cordless telephone device, and a wireless telephone device;

issuing, during a ring back period of the call prior to connecting the call, a messaging prompt to a calling party indicating an option to the calling party to record the quick note message;

receiving a selection from the calling party to record the quick note message for a user of the communication device during the ring back period;

recording the quick note message in response to the calling party selection;

monitoring for at least one of a termination of the call by the calling party or a time-out threshold;

indicating at the communication device that the quick note message has been received; and

in response to not receiving the calling party selection to record the quick note message, ringing the communication device normally and handling call processing normally.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the messaging prompt is only issued for specified callers indicated by a set of user preferences, and wherein one or more identifiers associated with (i) the calling party, or (ii) one or more devices of the calling party are stored in the set of user preferences indicating whether the messaging prompt is issued to the calling party.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising playing a recording alert in response to receiving the calling party selection to record the quick note message.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the calling party selection to record the quick note message is initiated by the calling party sending a pass code to initiate recording of the quick note message.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising establishing a maximum time period for recording the quick note message.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the messaging prompt is one of an audio, video, verbal, or tactile prompt.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the calling party selection is activation of a button.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the issuing occurs in response to intercepting an incoming call from the calling party.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input that enables or disables a capability of the communication device to receive quick note messages.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

setting a do-not-disturb preference for disabling the step of indicating at the communication device that the quick note message has been received.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

rejecting quick note messages in response to exceeding a threshold for stored quick note messages.

12. A quick note messaging system comprising:

a processor operable to execute a set of instructions,

a memory for storing the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions include;

a function trigger for intercepting an incoming call from a first communication device destined for a second communication device, the first communication device including one of a telephone device, a cordless telephone device, and a wireless telephone device, the second communication device including one of a telephone device, a cordless telephone device, and a wireless telephone device, and the function trigger configured to issue, during a ring back period of the call prior to connecting the call, a quick note messaging prompt indicating an option to a calling party using the first communication device to record a quick note message; and

quick note message logic configured to;

receive a selection from the calling party using the first communication device indicating whether to record the quick note message during the ring back period for a user of the second communication device;

record the quick note message as received from the calling party in the memory;

monitor for at least one of a termination of the call by the calling party or a time-out threshold;

activate a message waiting indicator for the second communication device in response to recording the quick note message; and

ring the communication device normally in response to not receiving the calling party selection to record the quick note message and handle call processing normally.

13. The quick note messaging system of claim 12, wherein the quick note message logic is further configured to issue the messaging prompt for specified callers listed in a set of user preferences, and wherein the function trigger plays a recording prompt informing the calling party to leave the quick note message.

14. A messaging system comprising:

a communication device operable to receive an incoming call from a calling party, the communication device including one of a telephone device, a cordless telephone device, and a wireless telephone device; and

a quick note messaging server in communication with the calling party, the quick note messaging server configured to;

intercept the incoming call prior to the call being connected to the communication device, issue, during a ring back period of the call prior to connecting the call, a messaging prompt to a calling party indicating an option to the calling party to record a quick note message, receive a selection from the calling party to record the quick note message during the ring back period of the call, wherein the quick note messaging server records the quick note message from the calling party in response to the calling party entering the calling party selection, wherein the quick note messaging server monitors for at least one of a termination of the call by the calling party or a time-out threshold, and sends a message indicator to the communication device in response to recording the quick note message, and wherein the quick note messaging server is configured to handle call processing normally and ring the communication device in response to not receiving the calling party selection to record the quick note message.

15. The messaging system of claim 14, wherein the quick note messaging server is further configured to issue the messaging prompt to specified callers listed in a set of user preferences, wherein the communication device plays the messaging prompt to the calling party, and wherein the quick note messaging device plays a recording alert to the calling party indicating that the quick note messaging device is recording the quick note message.

16. The messaging system of claim 14, wherein quick note messages are given priority over voicemail messages by presenting the quick note messages to a user prominently on the communication device.

17. The messaging system of claim 14, wherein the quick note message is sent from the quick note messaging server to the communication device for local storage on the communication device.

18. The messaging system of claim 14, wherein the quick note message is converted to a text format configured to be displayed on the communication device.

19. The messaging system of claim 14, wherein the quick note messaging server is further configured to receive a pass code from the calling party to initiate recording of the quick note message.