Dynamic voicemail receptionist system

• US 9,800,729 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2016
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Swanburg, Scott, Okada, Andre, Hanson, Paul, Young, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAHEED, KHALID W
• Application Number:
  US15/161,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20160269558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3329 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/205 Parsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/221 Parsing markup language streams streaming G06F40/149
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4547 for personal communications, i.e. using a personal identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/705 Account settings, e.g. limits or numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 : Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 : Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 : including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 : where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 : where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 : where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 : Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 : Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 : for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 : Message receiving 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: H04M 7/0033 : Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 : Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A voicemail receptionist system includes a memory and a processor. The memory can store data relating to one or more users. An incoming communication can be handled by the voicemail receptionist system and provided with functionality based upon a user'"'"'s preferences, for example. The data stored by the voicemail receptionist system can be updated at any time, or automatically updated upon updating of the data, or upon occurrence of a trigger event. Voicemail receptionist functionality can include standard voicemail system functionality as well as functionality relating to email, text messaging, MMS messaging, calendar features, schedule announcements, location data, as well as other features.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a system comprising a processor, a communication from a wireless communications device associated with a calling party, the communication directed to a user;

receiving, by the system, call data associated with the calling party;

retrieving, by the system, user data associated with the user, wherein the user data comprises preference data;

determining, by the system, based at least in part on the preference data and the call data, that the calling party is authorized to send a text message to the user;

determining, by the system, based on the calling party being authorized to send a text message to the user, to generate a menu including a first menu option allowing the calling party to send a text message to the user;

receiving, by the system, account status information indicating that a text message count associated with the user is nearing a limit;

in response to receiving the account status information, determining, by the system, to disable an ability of the calling party to send a text message to the user;

based at least on the user data associated with the user, the call data associated with the calling party, and the account status information, generating, by the system, the menu for the calling party without including the first menu option allowing the calling party to send a text message to the user; and

transmitting, by the system, the menu to the wireless communications device associated with the calling party for display at the wireless communications device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user data further comprises calendar data associated with the user, and wherein the menu comprises a second menu option allowing the calling party to access the calendar data associated with the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the calendar data comprises data indicating at least one of an appointment associated with the user, free time associated with the user, busy time associated with the user, or vacation time associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user data further comprises location data, and wherein the menu comprises a second menu option allowing the calling party to access location information associated with the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication from the calling party to the user is a voice communication, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining, based at least on the call data associated with the calling party, that the wireless communications device associated with the calling party does not support simultaneous voice and data communications; and

in response to determining that the wireless communications device associated with the calling party does not support simultaneous voice and data communications,

terminating the voice communication,

initiating a data session with the wireless communications device of the calling party, and

transmitting the menu to the wireless communications device of the calling party using the data session.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the menu further comprises a second menu option allowing the calling party to provide contact information associated with the calling party to the user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a response from the calling party;

determining whether the response from the calling party corresponds to a menu option of the menu transmitted to the wireless communications device associated with the calling party; and

if the response does not correspond to a menu option transmitted to the wireless communications device associated with the calling party, informing the calling party that the response is unavailable.

8. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a communication from a wireless communications device associated with a calling party, the communication directed to a user,

receiving call data associated with the calling party,

retrieving user data associated with the user, wherein the user data comprises preference data,

determining, based at least in part on the preference data and the call data, that the calling party is authorized to send a text message to the user,

determining, based on the calling party being authorized to send a text message to the user, to generate a menu including a first menu option allowing the calling party to send a text message to the user,

receiving account status information indicating that a text message count associated with the user is nearing a limit,

in response to receiving the account status information, determining to disable an ability of the calling party to send a text message to the user,

based at least on the user data associated with the user, the call data associated with the calling party, and the account status information, generating the menu for the calling party without including the first menu option allowing the calling party to send a text message to the user, and

transmitting the menu to the wireless communications device associated with the calling party for display at the wireless communications device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the user data further comprises calendar data associated with the user, and wherein the menu comprises a second menu option allowing the calling party to access the calendar data associated with the user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the calendar data comprises data indicating at least one of an appointment associated with the user, free time associated with the user, busy time associated with the user, or vacation time associated with the user.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the user data further comprises location data, and wherein the menu comprises a second menu option allowing the calling party to access location information associated with the user.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the communication from the calling party to the user is a voice communication, and wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, based at least on the call data associated with the calling party, that the wireless communications device associated with the calling party does not support simultaneous voice and data communications; and

in response to determining that the wireless communications device associated with the calling party does not support simultaneous voice and data communications,

terminating the voice communication,

initiating a data session with the wireless communications device of the calling party, and

transmitting the menu to the wireless communications device of the calling party using the data session.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the menu further comprises a second menu option allowing the calling party to provide contact information associated with the calling party to the user.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a response from the calling party;

determining whether the response from the calling party corresponds to a menu option of the menu transmitted to the wireless communications device associated with the calling party; and

if the response does not correspond to a menu option transmitted to the wireless communications device associated with the calling party, informing the calling party that the response is unavailable.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a system, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a communication from a wireless communications device associated with a calling party, the communication directed to a user;

receiving call data associated with the calling party;

retrieving user data associated with the user, wherein the user data comprises preference data;

determining, based at least in part on the preference data and the call data, that the calling party is authorized to send a text message to the user;

determining, based on the calling party being authorized to send a text message to the user, to generate a menu including a first menu option allowing the calling party to send a text message to the user;

receiving account status information indicating that a text message count associated with the user is nearing a limit;

in response to receiving the account status information, determining to disable an ability of the calling party to send a text message to the user;

based at least on the user data associated with the user, the call data associated with the calling party, and the account status information, generating the menu for the calling party without including the first menu option allowing the calling party to send a text message to the user; and

transmitting the menu to the wireless communications device associated with the calling party for display at the wireless communications device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the user data further comprises calendar data associated with the user, and wherein the menu comprises a second menu option allowing the calling party to access the calendar data associated with the user.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the calendar data comprises data indicating at least one of an appointment associated with the user, free time associated with the user, busy time associated with the user, or vacation time associated with the user.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the user data further comprises location data, and wherein the menu comprises a second menu option allowing the calling party to access location information associated with the user.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the communication from the calling party to the user is a voice communication, and wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, based at least on the call data associated with the calling party, that the wireless communications device associated with the calling party does not support simultaneous voice and data communications; and

in response to determining that the wireless communications device associated with the calling party does not support simultaneous voice and data communications,

terminating the voice communication,

initiating a data session with the wireless communications device of the calling party, and

transmitting the menu to the wireless communications device of the calling party using the data session.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a response from the calling party;

determining whether the response from the calling party corresponds to a menu option of the menu transmitted to the wireless communications device associated with the calling party; and

if the response does not correspond to a menu option transmitted to the wireless communications device associated with the calling party, informing the calling party that the response is unavailable.