Voice message delivery method and system

• US 20020086662A1
• Filed: 01/02/2001
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Soundbite Communications Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Culliss, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 6,785,363 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/413
• 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 2203/2027 Live party detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53383 Message registering commands or announcements; Greetings

Abstract

A voice message delivery method and system for delivering voice messages from a Sender to a Receiver, where neither the Sender nor the Receiver are required to be Subscribers to the system. The invention allows voice messages to be delivered to non-Subscribers and, if they are not how, to be recorded into the existing answering machine or voicemail system of the Recipient. Advertisements played during either the process of sending or receiving a message provide revenue for a company providing the service of the present invention without requiring users to become Subscribers.

Claims

1. A method for delivering voice messages comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving an inbound call from a Sender, wherein the Sender is not required to be a Subscriber of a voice messaging system;

(b) recording an original audio message from the Sender intended for a Recipient;

(c) receiving a phone number from the Sender corresponding to a telephone number of the Recipient;

(d) placing an outbound call to Recipient;

(e) playing the audio message for the Recipient.

2. The method for delivering voice messages of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises:

(c-1) receiving a telephone number from the Sender corresponding to a telephone number of the Recipient, and receiving a reply number corresponding to a telephone number of the Sender.

3. The method for delivering voice messages of claim 2, and further comprising the steps of:

(f) allowing the Recipient to reply to the original audio message;

(g) recording a reply audio message from the Recipient intended for the Sender;

(h) placing an outbound call to the Sender by calling the telephone number of the Sender;

(i) playing the reply audio message for the Sender.

4. The method for delivering voice messages of claim 1, and further comprising the steps of:

(f) allowing the Recipient to forward the audio message.

5. The method for delivering voice messages of claim 4, and further comprising the steps of:

(g) receiving a telephone number from the Recipient corresponding to a telephone number of a Forward Recipient;

(h) placing an outbound call to the Forward Recipient by calling the telephone number of the Forward Recipient;

(i) playing the original audio message for the Forward Recipient.

6. The method for delivering voice messages of claim 4, and further comprising the steps of:

(g) recording a forward audio message from the Recipient;

(h) receiving a telephone number from the Recipient corresponding to a telephone number of a Forward Recipient;

(i) placing an outbound call to the Forward Recipient by calling the telephone number of the Forward Recipient;

(j) playing the forward audio message and the original audio message for the Forward Recipient.

7. The method for delivering voice messages of claim 1, and further comprising the steps of:

(f) allowing the Recipient to save the audio message.

8. The method for delivering voice messages of claim 7, and further comprising the steps of:

(g) instructing the Recipient to not answer the phone on the next call;

(h) terminating the outbound call to the Recipient;

(i) placing another outbound call to Recipient;

(j) playing the audio message for the Recipient, whereby the audio message is recorded into an answering machine of the Recipient when the Recipient follows the instructions not to answer the phone.

9. The method for delivering voice messages of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises:

(b-1) recording an original audio message from the Sender intended for a Recipient;

(b-2) playing an audio advertisement for the Sender.

10. The method for delivering voice messages of claim 9, wherein step (e) comprises:

(e-1) playing the audio message for the Recipient;

(e-2) playing an audio advertisement for the Recipient.

11. The method for delivering voice messages of claim 10, wherein the audio advertisement played for the Sender is different than the audio advertisement played for the Recipient.

12. The method for delivering voice messages of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises:

(d-1) placing up to a predetermined number of outbound calls to a telephone number of the Recipient until there is an answer;

(d-2) alerting the Sender that the message was not delivered to the Recipient;

(d-3) allowing the Sender to direct the message to at least one of the group consisting of;

the telephone number of the Recipient, and a different telephone number.

14. The apparatus for delivering voice messages of claim 13, wherein the TeleMail Server operates to:

(c-1) receive a telephone number from the Sender corresponding to a telephone number of the Recipient, and receive a reply number corresponding to the telephone number of the Sender;

15. The apparatus for delivering voice messages of claim 13, wherein the TeleMail Server additionally operates to:

(f) allow the Recipient to reply to the original audio message;

(g) record a reply audio message from the Recipient intended for the Sender;

(h) place an outbound call to the Sender by calling the telephone number of the Sender;

(i) play the reply audio message for the Sender.

16. The apparatus for delivering voice messages of claim 13, wherein the TeleMail Server additionally operates to:

(f) allow the Recipient to forward the audio message.

17. The apparatus for delivering voice messages of claim 16, wherein the TeleMail Server additionally operates to:

(g) receive a telephone number from the Recipient corresponding to a telephone number of a Forward Recipient;

(h) place an outbound call to the Forward Recipient by calling the telephone number of the Forward Recipient;

(i) play the original audio message for the Forward Recipient.

18. The apparatus for delivering voice messages of claim 16, wherein the TeleMail Server operates to:

(g) record a forward audio message from the Recipient;

(h) receive a telephone number from the Recipient corresponding to a telephone number of a Forward Recipient;

(i) place an outbound call to the Forward Recipient by calling the telephone number of the Forward Recipient;

(j) play the forward audio message and the original audio message for the Forward Recipient.

19. The apparatus for delivering voice messages of claim 13, wherein the TeleMail Server additionally operates to:

(f) allow the Recipient to save the audio message.

20. The apparatus for delivering voice messages of claim 19, wherein the TeleMail Server additionally operates to:

(g) instruct the Recipient to not answer the phone on the next call;

(h) terminate the outbound call to the Recipient;

(i) place another outbound call to Recipient;

(j) play the audio message for the Recipient, whereby the audio message is recorded into an answering machine of the Recipient when the Recipient follows the instructions not to answer the phone.

21. The apparatus for delivering voice messages of claim 13, wherein the TeleMail Server additionally operates to:

(b-1) record an original audio message from the Sender intended for a Recipient;

(b-2) play an audio advertisement for the Sender.

22. The apparatus for delivering voice messages of claim 21, wherein the TeleMail Server additionally operates to:

(e-1) play the audio message for the Recipient;

(e-2) play an audio advertisement for the Recipient.

23. The apparatus for delivering voice messages of claim 22, wherein the TeleMail Server plays an audio advertisement played for the Sender that is different than the audio advertisement played for the Recipient.

24. The apparatus for delivering voice messages of claim 22, wherein the TeleMail Server additionally operates to:

(d-1) place up to a predetermined number of outbound calls to a telephone number of the Recipient until there is an answer;

(d-2) alert the Sender that the message was not delivered to the Recipient;

(d-3) allow the Sender to direct the message to at least one of the group consisting of;

the telephone number of the Recipient, and a different telephone number.

25. The method for delivering voice messages of claim 1, and further comprising the step of:

(f) playing an audio advertisement to one of the group consisting of the Sender and the Recipient, whereby a company providing a service based on the method for delivering voice messages can do so in a commercially reasonable fashion without establishing a billing relationship with one of the group consisting of the Sender and Recipient.

26. The method for delivering voice messages of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises:

(a) receiving an inbound call from a Sender, wherein the Sender is not required to have a mailbox within a voice messaging system.

27. The method for delivering voice messages of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises:

(a) receiving an inbound call from a Sender, wherein the Sender is not required to have a mailbox within a voice messaging system;

and further wherein step (d) comprises;

(d) placing an outbound call to Recipient, wherein the Recipient is not required to have a mailbox within a voice messaging system.

13. An apparatus for delivering voice messages including a TeleMail Server (TMS), wherein the TeleMail Server operates to:

(a) receive an inbound call from a Sender, wherein the Sender is not required to be a Subscriber of a voice messaging system;

(b) record an original audio message from the Sender intended for a Recipient;

(c) receive a phone number from the Sender corresponding to a telephone number of the Recipient;

(d) place an outbound call to Recipient;

(e) play the audio message for the Recipient.