Realcall message delivery system with echo cancellation

• US 20010017913A1
• Filed: 03/13/2001
• Published: 08/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emergency Communications Network LLC (Onsolve, LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Broadcast Team Incorporated
• Inventors: Tuttle, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,151,821 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2749 Automatic dialling or redialling systems, e.g. on off-hook or redial on busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/65 Recording arrangements for recording a message from the calling party in the exchange H04M3/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2027 Live party detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/002 Applications of echo suppressors or cancellers in telephonic connections in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/08, echo suppressors or cancellers per se H04B3/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26

Abstract

interactive system for responding to conditions after an answering machine has been detected in an automatic telephone number dialing and announcing system so that realistic sounding recorded messages can be delivered without truncation. The system starts by: placing a telephone call to an answering machine; playing a recorded message onto the answering machine: monitoring the machine for echo cancellation sounds (sounds emanating from the answering machine) while simultaneously playing the message; repeating the playing of said message onto the answering machine while monitoring for echo cancellation sounds; and continuing to play the message until there are no echo cancellation sounds whereby the recorded message is launched unto the answering machine and continues playing the message to completion. If there are greater than three occurrences of echo cancellation sounds, then the system avoids further resetting steps and proceeds to play the recorded message onto the answering machine without further interruption.

Claims

1. An automated method of delivering a recorded information message via a telephone dialing system to an automated recorder while simultaneously monitoring the recorder for echo cancellation sounds, comprising the steps of:

(a) placing a telephone call to an answering machine;

(b) playing a recorded information message onto the answering machine;

(c) monitoring the answering machine for echo cancellation sounds while simultaneously playing the recorded message;

(d) repeating step (b) for echo cancellation sounds; and

(e) continuing to play the recorded message if there are no echo cancellation sounds, wherein the method overcomes problems with premature launching of the recorded message so that the recorded message can be launched closer to the time when the answering machine begins recording.

2. The automated method of delivering the recorded information message of

claim 1

, wherein the echo cancellation sounds includes:

sounds being emitted from the answering machine.

3. The automated method of delivering the recorded information message of

claim 1

, wherein step (d) further includes:

repeating step (b) for less than three sound occurrences.

4. The automated method of delivering the recorded information message of

claim 1

, wherein step (e) further includes:

continuing to play the recorded message if there are there are at least three echo cancellation sounds.

5. The automated method of delivering the recorded information message of

claim 1

, further comprising the steps of:

(f) removing echo monitoring and continuing to play the recorded message to completion.

6. The automated system for delivering recorded information messages of

claim 1

, wherein the answering machine of step (a) is chosen from one of:

a tape machine, a digital machine, a pager, a telephone provider voice/memory call machine, and a cellular machine.

7. The automated system for delivering recorded information messages of

claim 1

, wherein step (a) includes:

(a)(i) placing a telephone call to a telephone number selected from a database of telephone numbers;

(a)(ii) monitoring status of the call to determine if the call is connected or not connected, if the call is connected go to step (a)(iv), if the call is not connected go to step(a)(iii);

(a)(iii) disconnecting the call and updating the database to reflect the call being not connected, and go to step (a)(i) select another telephone number from the database; and

(a)(iv) determine if an answering machine noise signal is detected and if so go to step (b); and

(a)(v) determine if a live cadence/voice signal is detected and if so go to step (b); and

(b) playing a recorded information message.