Saving information from information retrieval systems

• US 20040213385A1
• Filed: 05/24/2004
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Short, Shannon M., Hartselle, William A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,286,653 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements

Abstract

A method and system are provided for allowing a calling party to save for subsequent retrieval and review information obtained from an information retrieval system. A calling party places a call to either an interactive voice information retrieval system or to a telephone directory number that is associated with a telecommunications network-based voice mail system that provides interactive information to calling parties. The call is either routed directly to the general information retrieval system or via the telecommunications network to the network-based voice mail system. Once the calling party receives desired information, the calling party may select a number of options to save the information to a memory location from which the calling party may subsequently retrieve and review the information. The information may be sent to and stored at the calling party'"'"'s own network-based voice mail system, or the calling party may have the information sent to and stored at a temporary voice mail box provided by the information provider. The information may be saved to an Internet-based website from which the calling party may subsequently retrieve the information. The information may be forwarded to a separate telephone directory number for receipt by a third person or for storing on a remote voice mail system. Additionally, the information may be electronically mailed to the calling party'"'"'s electronic mail address for subsequent retrieval.

Claims

1. A method of saving to a designated memory location information obtained from a telephony-based information retrieval system, comprising the steps of:

placing a call to a called party for obtaining information;

obtaining information from an information retrieval system associated with the called party;

providing information saving options to the calling party;

saving the information to a memory location designated by the calling party for subsequent retrieval by the calling party;

accessing the memory location to retrieve the saved information; and

retrieving the saved information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of playing the information as an audio file to the calling party after the step of saving the information to a memory location designated by the calling party.

3. The method of claim 1, whereby the step of providing information saving options to the calling party further comprises the step of allowing the calling party to save the information obtained from the information retrieval system to an Internet-based website.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

accessing the website to retrieve the saved information.

5. The method of claim 1, whereby the step of providing information saving options to the calling party further comprises allowing the calling party to forward the information to a forwarding telephone directory number.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

receiving the forwarding telephone directory number from the calling party; and

forwarding the information to the forwarding telephone directory number.

7. The method of claim 1, whereby the step of providing information saving options to the calling party, further comprises the step of:

allowing the calling party to electronically mail the information to a designated electronic mail address.

8. A system for saving to a designated memory location information obtained from a telephony-based information retrieval system, comprising:

an information retrieval system associated with a called party operative

to receive call to from a calling party for obtaining information;

to provide information to the calling party;

to provide information saving options to the calling party;

to save the information to a memory location designated by the calling party for subsequent retrieval by the calling party;

to allow the calling party access the memory location to retrieve the saved information; and

to allow retrieval of the saved information.

9. The system of claim 8, whereby the information retrieval system includes a network-based voice mail system.