Visual voice mail delivery mechanisms

• US 9,042,527 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2011
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaw, Venson M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Hemant
• Application Number:
  US13/277,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20130101097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 370259-271, 370351-357, 379 671- 8821, 379 8823- 8828, 4554121-4262, 4554561-466, 4555501-560, 4555751-5759, 455 901- 903, 709201-207, 709217-248
• US Class Current: 379/88.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4545 Message forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• 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

Abstract

A method of selecting a distribution list for a voice mail message. The steps include identifying a group of recipients with whom to share the voice mail message, creating a user profile which includes voice mail preferences of a subscriber and the group of recipients, the preferences including an indication as whether to share the voice mail message with the group of recipients and distributing the voice mail message based on the preferences.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a device of a subscriber, a voice mail message;

determining if the subscriber is a member of a group of members;

upon a determination that the subscriber is a member of the group, distributing the voice mail message to remaining members of the group;

upon a determination that the subscriber is not a member of the group, not distributing the voice mail message;

combining the voice mail message with a second voice mail message received by a member of the group other than the subscriber to generate a combined voice mail message; and

providing the combined voice mail message to the members of the group.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

converting the voice mail message to a text message;

upon a determination that the subscriber is a member of the group, distributing the text message to remaining members of the group; and

upon a determination that the subscriber is not a member of the group, not distributing the text mail message.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

upon a determination that the subscriber is a member of the group, distributing the text message and the voice mail message to remaining members of the group.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the members of group are part of a social networking group.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber distributes voice mail message to selected members of the group.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

responsive to receiving the voice mail message, condensing content of the voice mail message to generate a summary; and

upon a determination that the subscriber is a member of the group, distributing the summary to members of the group.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising;

receiving, by a device of a subscriber, a voice mail message;

determining if the subscriber is a member of a group of members;

upon a determination that the subscriber is a member of the group, distributing the voice mail message to remaining members of the group;

upon a determination that the subscriber is not a member of the group, not distributing the voice mail message;

combining the voice mail message with a second voice mail message received by a member of the group other than the subscriber to generate a combined voice mail message; and

providing the combined voice mail message to the members of the group.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, the operations further comprising:

converting the voice mail message to a text message;

upon a determination that the subscriber is a member of the group, distributing the text message to remaining members of the group; and

upon a determination that the subscriber is not a member of the group, not distributing the text mail message to members of the group.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, the operations further comprising:

responsive to receiving the voice mail message, condensing content of the voice mail message to generate a summary; and

upon a determination that the subscriber is a member of the group, distributing the summary to members of the group.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, by a device, a voice mail message for an intended recipient;

determining that the intended recipient is not available to listen to the voice mail message;

responsive to determining that the intended recipient is not available to listen to the voice mail message, converting the voice mail message to a text message;

partitioning the text message into a plurality of segments;

providing, to the intended recipient, access to a first segment of the plurality of segments;

providing the first segment to a second recipient other than the intended recipient;

providing, to the intended recipient, a second segment of the plurality of segments, responsive to receipt of an indication from the intended recipient for another segment; and

providing the second segment to the second recipient independent of whether there is a receipt of an indication from the intended recipient.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the intended recipient and the second recipient are part of a same social network.

12. A computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising:

receiving, by a device of a subscriber, a voice mail message;

determining if the subscriber is a member of a group of members;

upon a determination that the subscriber is a member of the group, distributing the voice mail message to remaining members of the group;

upon a determination that the subscriber is not a member of the group, not distributing the voice mail message;

combining the voice mail message with a second voice message received by a member of the group other than the subscriber to generate a combined voice mail message; and

providing the combined voice mail message to the members of the group.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, the operations further comprising:

converting the voice mail message to a text message;

upon a determination that the subscriber is a member of the group, distributing the text message to remaining members of the group; and

upon a determination that the subscriber is not a member of the group, not distributing the text mail message to members of the group.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, the operations further comprising:

responsive to receiving the voice mail message, condensing content of the voice mail message to generate a summary; and

upon a determination that the subscriber is a member of the group, distributing the summary to members of the group.