Apparatus and method for transmitting information in voicemail

• US 9,014,674 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2013
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Howard, Nath, Papiya
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Chuong A
• Application Number:
  US13/744,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20140199974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 455/413, 455/412.1, 379 671- 72, 379 80- 85, 379/88.16, 379/88.25
• US Class Current: 455/413
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/303 Marking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects

Abstract

An apparatus and method for transmitting a voicemail from a mobile terminal are provided. The method includes transmitting a voicemail header comprising predefined voicemail information, receiving a voicemail message content from a user of the mobile terminal, and transmitting the voicemail message content.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting a voicemail from a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

storing, by the mobile terminal, a voicemail header comprising predefined voicemail information;

transmitting, by the mobile terminal, the voicemail header;

receiving a voicemail message content from a user of the mobile terminal; and

transmitting the voicemail message content,

wherein the voicemail header is configurable by the user of the mobile terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a voicemail footer.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, from the user of the mobile terminal, an indication of an end of the voicemail message content,

wherein the mobile terminal transmits the voicemail footer after the mobile terminal has received the indication of the end of the voicemail message content.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the user of the mobile terminal is prompted to speak the voicemail message content after the mobile terminal has completed transmitting the voicemail header.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile terminal begins transmitting the voicemail message content after the mobile terminal has completed transmission of the voicemail header.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile terminal buffers the voicemail message content while the voicemail header is being transmitted.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the mobile terminal begins transmitting the buffered voicemail message content after the mobile terminal has completed transmission of the voicemail header.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the mobile terminal begins transmission of the buffered voicemail message content even if the mobile terminal is still buffering the voicemail message content.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein, after the user of the mobile terminal provides an indication for disconnecting the call, the mobile terminal continues to transmit at least one of the buffered voicemail message content and the voicemail footer until transmission of the voicemail footer is completed.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined voicemail information comprises the user'"'"'s name and the user'"'"'s callback number.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the voicemail header to be transmitted may be selected among a plurality of predefined voicemail headers.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the voicemail header to be transmitted may be selected by the user at the time of transmission of the voicemail.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the voicemail header to be transmitted may be automatically selected by the mobile terminal based on a context.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of predefined voicemail headers may be defined so as to correspond to a predefined context.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the predefined context may be based at least in part on at least one of a contact, a contact group, a time of day, an environment in which the mobile terminal is present, data stored on the mobile terminal, data stored on a server, and user selection.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined voicemail information comprises at least one of date, time, and location.

17. A mobile terminal for transmitting a voicemail, the mobile terminal comprising:

an input unit;

an audio processing unit;

a communication unit configured to transmit information to at least one of a recipient mobile terminal and a voicemail server; and

at least one controller configured to store a voicemail header comprising predefined voicemail information, to transmit the voicemail header, to receive a voicemail message content from a user of the mobile terminal, and to transmit the voicemail message content,

wherein the voicemail header is configurable by the user of the mobile terminal.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to transmit a voicemail footer.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 18, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to receive, from the user of the mobile terminal, an indication of an end of the voicemail message content, to transmit the voicemail footer after the mobile terminal has received the indication of the end of the voicemail message content.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 18, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to prompt the user of the mobile terminal to speak the voicemail message content after the mobile terminal has completed transmitting the voicemail header.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 18, wherein the at least one controller is configured to begin transmitting the voicemail message content after the mobile terminal has completed transmission of the voicemail header.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 18, wherein the at least one controller is configured to operatively buffer the voicemail message content while the voicemail header is being transmitted.

23. The mobile terminal of claim 22, wherein the at least one controller is configured to begin transmitting the buffered voicemail message content after the mobile terminal has completed transmission of the voicemail header.

24. The mobile terminal of claim 23, wherein the at least one controller is configured to begin transmission of the buffered voicemail message content even if the at least one controller is still buffering the voicemail message content.

25. The mobile terminal of claim 22, wherein the at least one controller is configured to continue transmission of at least one of the buffered voicemail message content and the voicemail footer until transmission of the voicemail footer is completed, after receiving from the user of the mobile terminal an indication for disconnecting the call.

26. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the predefined voicemail information comprises the user'"'"'s name and the user'"'"'s callback number.

27. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the voicemail header to be transmitted may be selected among a plurality of predefined voicemail headers.

28. The mobile terminal of claim 27, wherein the voicemail header to be transmitted may be selected by the user at the time of transmission of the voicemail.

29. The mobile terminal of claim 27, wherein the voicemail header to be transmitted may be automatically selected by the mobile terminal based on a context.

30. The mobile terminal of claim 29, wherein the plurality of predefined voicemail headers may be defined so as to correspond to a predefined context.

31. The mobile terminal of claim 30, wherein the predefined context may be based at least in part on at least one of a contact, a contact group, a time of day, an environment in which the mobile terminal is present, data stored on the mobile terminal, data stored on a server, and user selection.

32. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the predefined voicemail information comprises at least one of date, time, and location.

33. A method for transmitting a voicemail from a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

storing, by the mobile terminal, a voicemail footer comprising predefined voicemail information;

transmitting the voicemail footer;

receiving a voicemail message content from a user of the mobile terminal; and

transmitting the voicemail message content,

wherein the voicemail footer is configurable by the user of the mobile terminal.

34. A method for transmitting a voicemail from a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

transmitting a voicemail message comprising predefined voicemail information,

wherein the voicemail message is entirely composed of predefined voicemail information such that a user of a mobile terminal is not required to record any portion of the voicemail message.

35. A method for transmitting a voicemail from a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

transmitting a voicemail message based on at least one predefined voicemail template configured by a user of the mobile terminal before an originating call from which transmission of the voicemail arises.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the predefined voicemail template comprises at least one of a voicemail header and a voicemail footer.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein predefined voicemail template is configured so as to interleave the at least one of the voicemail header and the voicemail footer with a received voicemail message content that is spoken by the user of the mobile terminal.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the predefined voicemail template comprises at least one portion that includes predefined voicemail information, and

wherein the predefined voicemail template is configured such that the voicemail message comprises the at least one portion including predefined voicemail information, and at least one portion including a received voicemail message content that is spoken by the user of the mobile terminal.