Voicemail pausing

• US 9,106,751 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2008
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: O'Connell, Brian M., Lingafelt, Charles Steven, Walker, Keith R., Moore, John E., Hadinata, Martinianus BudiTjahja
• Primary Examiner(s): Hashem, Lisa
• Application Number:
  US12/034,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20090207982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,729 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/413, 455/415, 455/416, 455/456.3, 455/466, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53383 Message registering commands or announcements; Greetings
• 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 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A method and system for automatically pausing a remote voicemail recording to answer an incoming call and to notify an incoming caller of a user voicemail interaction. A command to pause the voicemail recording can be determined by the user prior to establishing the voicemail recording. Upon receiving an incoming call the user can be notified of the incoming call prior to terminating the voicemail recording. The command for pausing voicemail recording can be sent to a voicemail system to pause the voicemail recording if the user opts to receive the incoming call. When the call is concluded, the user can be returned to the voicemail system with options such as resume recording, playback, delete, or cancel the message.

Claims

1. A method, said method comprising:

determining, by a processor of a computer system comprising a voicemail system, that a first telephone device communicatively connected to the voicemail system is receiving a call from a second telephone device while a process for recording a voicemail message being spoken by a user using the first telephone device is in progress in the voicemail system;

said processor inquiring with the user of the first telephone device

whether to accept the call from the second telephone device before the process for recording the voicemail message is complete;

after said inquiring, said processor receiving from the first telephone device a command for the voicemail system to pause the process for recording the voicemail message, wherein the command comprises keytones required for pausing the voicemail system, said keytones having been transmitted prior to said recording the voicemail message to the first telephone device by the user'"'"'s service provider;

in response to said receiving the command for the voicemail system to pause the process for recording the voicemail message, said processor directing the voicemail system to pause the process for recording the voicemail message, which results in the recording of the voicemail message being paused by a remote pause/resume invocation system;

after said pausing the process for recording the voicemail message, said processor connecting the call from the second telephone device to the first telephone device;

in response to the call ending, said processor communicatively re-connecting the first telephone device to the voicemail system so that the user of the first telephone device can act upon the paused voicemail message; and

after said communicatively re-connecting the first telephone device to the voicemail system, said processor resuming the process for recording the voicemail message.

2. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising:

after said resuming the process for recording the voicemail message, said processor determining that the first telephone device is receiving a new call from a third telephone device while the process for recording the voicemail message is in progress; and

after said determining that the first telephone device is receiving the new call, said processor sending a new message to the third telephone device, the new message indicating that the user is recording the voicemail message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the new message is a computer synthesized message.

4. The method of claim 2, said method further comprising:

said processor sending the new message to each user of a plurality of users whose address is stored in an address book in the first telephone device.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

said processor instructing the third telephone device to hold until said recording the voicemail message has been completed.

6. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising

after said resuming the process for recording the voicemail message, said processor completing said recording the voicemail message;

and

after said completing said recording the voicemail message, said processor normalizing an audio level of the recorded voicemail message, said normalizing consisting of normalizing the audio level of the resumed portion of the recorded voicemail message to minimize a disparity in voice and background noise in the resumed portion of the recorded voicemail message.

7. A computer system, comprising a processor, a memory, a computer readable hardware storage device, and a voicemail system, said storage device containing program code configured to be executed by the processor via the memory to implement a method, said method comprising:

said processor determining that a first telephone device communicatively connected to the voicemail system is receiving a call from a second telephone device while a process for recording a voicemail message being spoken by a user using the first telephone device is in progress in the voicemail system;

said processor inquiring with the user of the first telephone device whether to accept the call from the second telephone device before the process for recording the voicemail message is complete;

after said inquiring, said processor receiving from the first telephone device a command for the voicemail system to pause the process for recording the voicemail message, wherein the command comprises keytones required for pausing the voicemail system, said keytones having been transmitted prior to said recording the voicemail message to the first telephone device by the user'"'"'s service provider;

in response to said receiving the command for the voicemail system to pause the process for recording the voicemail message, said processor directing the voicemail system to pause the process for recording the voicemail message, which results in the recording of the voicemail message being paused by a remote pause/resume invocation system;

after said pausing the process for recording the voicemail message, said processor connecting the call from the second telephone device to the first telephone device;

in response to the call ending, said processor communicatively re-connecting the first telephone device to the voicemail system so that the user of the first telephone device can act upon the paused voicemail message; and

after said communicatively re-connecting the first telephone device to the voicemail system, said processor resuming the process for recording the voicemail message.

8. The computer system of claim 7, said method further comprising

after said resuming the process for recording the voicemail message, said processor completing said recording the voicemail message;

and

after said completing said recording the voicemail message, said processor normalizing an audio level of the recorded voicemail message, said normalizing consisting of normalizing the audio level of the resumed portion of the recorded voicemail message to minimize a disparity in voice and background noise in the resumed portion of the recorded voicemail message.

9. The computer system of claim 7, said method further comprising:

after said resuming the process for recording the voicemail message, said processor determining that the first telephone device is receiving a new call from a third telephone device while the process for recording the voicemail message is in progress; and

after said determining that the first telephone device is receiving the new call, said processor sending a new message to the third telephone device, the new message indicating that the user is recording the voicemail message.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the new message is a computer synthesized message.

11. The computer system of claim 9, said method further comprising:

said processor sending the new message to each user of a plurality of users whose address is stored in an address book in the first telephone device.

12. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising:

said processor instructing the third telephone device to hold until said recording the voicemail message has been completed.

13. A hardware storage device, comprising computer readable program code stored therein, said program code configured to be executed by a processor of a computer system to implement a method, said method comprising:

said processor determining that a first telephone device communicatively connected to a voicemail system of the computer system is receiving a call from a second telephone device while a process for recording a voicemail message being spoken by a user using the first telephone device is in progress in the voicemail system;

said processor inquiring with the user of the first telephone device whether to accept the call from the second telephone device before the process for recording the voicemail message is complete;

after said inquiring, said processor receiving from the first telephone device a command for the voicemail system to pause the process for recording the voicemail message, wherein the command comprises keytones required for pausing the voicemail system, said keytones having been transmitted prior to said recording the voicemail message to the first telephone device by the user'"'"'s service provider;

in response to said receiving the command for the voicemail system to pause the process for recording the voicemail message, said processor directing the voicemail system to pause the process for recording the voicemail message, which results in the recording of the voicemail message being paused by a remote pause/resume invocation system;

after said pausing the process for recording the voicemail message, said processor connecting the call from the second telephone device to the first telephone device;

in response to the call ending, said processor communicatively re-connecting the first telephone device to the voicemail system so that the user of the first telephone device can act upon the paused voicemail message; and

after said communicatively re-connecting the first telephone device to the voicemail system, said processor resuming the process for recording the voicemail message.

14. The storage device of claim 13, said method further comprising

after said resuming the process for recording the voicemail message, said processor completing said recording the voicemail message;

and

after said completing said recording the voicemail message, said processor normalizing an audio level of the recorded voicemail message, said normalizing consisting of normalizing the audio level of the resumed portion of the recorded voicemail message to minimize a disparity in voice and background noise in the resumed portion of the recorded voicemail message.

15. The storage device of claim 13, said method further comprising:

after said resuming the process for recording the voicemail message, said processor determining that the first telephone device is receiving a new call from a third telephone device while the process for recording the voicemail message is in progress; and

after said determining that the first telephone device is receiving the new call, said processor sending a new message to the third telephone device, the new message indicating that the user is recording the voicemail message.

16. The storage device of claim 15, wherein the new message is a computer synthesized message.

17. The storage device of claim 15, said method further comprising:

said processor sending the new message to each user of a plurality of users whose address is stored in an address book in the first telephone device.

18. The storage device of claim 15, further comprising:

said processor instructing the third telephone device to hold until said recording the voicemail message has been completed.