System and method for processing voicemail

• US 10,652,394 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Van Os, Marcel, Novick, Gregory B., Herz, Scott M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean A
• Application Number:
  US14/213,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20140273979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,251 Days
• Field of Search: 4554121, 4554122, 455413, 4554141, 4555561, 4555562
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects

Abstract

In one example, a recorded voicemail is first converted from speech to text, and a proposed action to be performed by the user is extracted from the voice message. For example, in the voicemail “this is John, call me at 650.987.0987 at 9 am tomorrow,” the action is to call John. At least one action parameter for undertaking the action is determined. For example, the action parameters may include the 650.987.0987 telephone number and the 9 am time the following morning, The at least one action parameter may be extracted from the voicemail message or it may be determined by other means, e.g., from a user'"'"'s contact book. Finally, the user is presented with a prompt to facilitate undertaking the action using the at least one the parameter. For example, the user may be given the option to set a reminder to call John the following morning at 9 am.

Claims

1. A method of operating a digital assistant, comprising:

at a device having one or more processors and memory;

providing a recorded voice message from a caller to a user; and

automatically, without user input;

extracting from the voice message a proposed action to be performed by the user, wherein extracting the proposed action comprises determining the proposed action from a plurality of proposed actions, wherein the proposed actions include at least one of;

calling back the caller, calling a person other than the caller, storing contact details in a contact book of the user, sending an email to the caller, sending a text message to the caller, visiting a webpage, watching an online video, recommending to download or purchase a software application, reminding to perform a task, performing a task, entering a calendar entry, attending a meeting, and navigating to a geographic location;

determining at least one action parameter for undertaking the action; and

presenting the user with a prompt to facilitate undertaking the action using the at least one parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the extracting further comprises:

converting the recorded voice message from speech to text; and

extracting the action from the text.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the extracting further comprises extracting the action parameter from the text.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the action parameter is a source telephone number associated with the caller.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the source telephone number is obtained from a contact book of the user.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the source telephone number is obtained from caller identification.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the action is for the user to call back the caller, and the at least one action parameter comprises the name or telephone number of the caller, and wherein the prompt asks the user if they would like to call back the caller.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the action is for the user to call a person other than the caller, and the at least one action parameter comprises the name and telephone number of the person, and wherein the prompt asks the user if they would like to call back the person.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter includes a specific time period, and the presenting of the prompt occurs at or before the specific time period.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the action is to store contact details in a contact book of the user, and the at least one parameter comprises contact details.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the action is to check on the user'"'"'s availability, and the at least one parameter is retrieved from a calendar of the user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the action is send an email to the caller, and the at least one parameter is an email address of the caller, and wherein the prompt presents the user with an option to send an email message to the email address.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein presenting the prompt further comprises:

in a voice mail retrieval user interface, requesting user confirmation regarding whether to prepare an email to the email address; and

upon user confirmation, presenting a draft email including the email address as a destination address and a transcript of the recorded voice message in a body of the draft email on the user device.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

identifying an existing contact in a contact list associated with the user based on at least one of a source telephone number from which the recorded voice message originated and a name extracted from the recorded voice message, wherein the prompt offers to the user an option to store the email address extracted from the recorded voice message in association with the identified existing contact in the contact list.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein presenting the prompt further comprises:

in a voice mail retrieval user interface, requesting user confirmation regarding whether to prepare a reply email to an incoming email mentioned in the recorded voice message; and

upon user confirmation, presenting a draft reply email to the incoming email mentioned in the recorded voice message.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the action is to send the caller certain information in a text message, and the at least one parameter is an telephone number or email address of the caller, and wherein the prompt presents the user with an option to send a text message to the telephone number.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the prompt further comprises:

in a voicemail retrieval user interface, presenting a user interface clement for initiating a telephone call to a telephone number extracted from the recorded voice message, in addition to a user interface element for initiating a telephone call to a source telephone number from which the recorded voice message originated.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the extracting further comprises:

identifying an existing contact in a contact list associated with the user based on at least one of a source telephone number from which the recorded voice message originated and a name extracted from the recorded voice message; and

in accordance with a determination that the recorded voice message contains a telephone number that is different from an existing telephone number associated with the identified existing contact, offering to the user an option to store the telephone number extracted from the recorded voice message in association with the identified existing contact in the contact list.

19. A method of operating a digital assistant, comprising:

at a device having one or more processors and memory;

providing a recorded voice message from a caller to a user; and

without user input;

extracting from the voice message a proposed action to be performed by the user;

determining at least one action parameter for undertaking the action; and

presenting the user with a prompt to facilitate undertaking the action using the at least one parameter, wherein presenting the prompt further comprises presenting the user with an option to store the specified geographic location as a reminder or calendar entry, wherein the action is to meet at a specified geographic location, and the at least one action parameter comprises a name or an address of the geographic location, and wherein the at least one action parameter also includes a time period and the prompt presents the user with an option to store a reminder or calendar entry for meeting at the specified geographic location at the time period.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein presenting the prompt further comprises presenting an option to the user to provide navigation to the specified geographic location.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

providing a recorded voice message from a caller to a user; and

without user input;

extracting from the recorded voice message a proposed action to be performed by the user, wherein extracting the proposed action comprises determining the proposed action from a plurality of proposed actions, wherein the proposed actions include at least one of;

calling back the caller, calling a person other than the caller, storing contact details in a contact book of the user, sending an email to the caller, sending a text message to the caller, visiting a webpage, watching an online video, recommending to download or purchase a software application, reminding to perform a task, performing a task, entering a calendar entry, attending a meeting, and navigating to a geographic location;

determining at least one action parameter for undertaking the action; and

presenting a prompt to the user to perform the action in accordance with the parameter.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the extracting further comprises:

converting the recorded voice message from speech to text; and

extracting the action from the text.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the extracting further comprises extracting the action parameter from the text.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the action parameter is a source telephone number associated with the caller.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the source telephone number is obtained from a contact book of the user.

26. A cellular telephone comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising instructions for;

receiving a voice message from a caller to a user of the telephone; and

automatically, without user input;

extracting from the recorded voice message a proposed action to be performed by the user, wherein extracting the proposed action comprises determining the proposed action from a plurality of proposed actions, wherein the proposed actions include at least one of;

calling back the caller, calling a person other than the caller, storing contact details in a contact book of the user, sending an email to the caller, sending a text message to the caller, visiting a webpage, watching an online video, recommending to download or purchase a software application, reminding to perform a task, performing a task, entering a calendar entry, attending a meeting, and navigating to a geographic location;

determining at least one action parameter for undertaking the action; and

presenting a prompt to the user to perform the action in accordance with the parameter.

27. The cellular telephone of claim 26, wherein the extracting further comprises:

converting the recorded voice message from speech to text; and

extracting the action from the text.

28. The cellular telephone of claim 26, wherein the extracting further comprises extracting the action parameter from the text.

29. The cellular telephone of claim 26, wherein the action parameter is a source telephone number associated with the caller.