System and method for communicating with an out of service telephone number

• US 20050152518A1
• Filed: 03/03/2005
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Book, Nancy Ann, McBlain, Thomas Joseph, Gruchala, Carol Shifrin, Moy, William M., Neuwald, Peter Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,822,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/93.240
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/12 Marking faulty circuits "busy"; Enabling equipment to disengage itself from faulty circuits ; Using redundant circuits; Response of a circuit, apparatus or system to an error
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53308 Message originator indirectly connected to the message centre, e.g. after detection of busy or absent state of a called party
• 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

Abstract

A method for communicating with a subscriber having a first telephone number that is out-of-service comprises providing a database that is accessible at least through a second telephone number, and allowing the subscriber to access the database to post a message. The message is made available to an interested party. A system for a subscriber to communicate with an interested party is also provided.

Claims

1-22. -22. (canceled)

23. A system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing instructions operable with the at least one processor, the instructions being executed for;

posting a message to a database in response to receiving the message from a subscriber of the system; and

making the message available to an interested party in response to a telephone number of the subscriber being out-of-service.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the system is a service management system.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the system is an application server.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the message is a voice message.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the message is a text message.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein posting the message to the database in response to receiving the message from the subscriber of the system includes facilitating telephone access to the database by the subscriber.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein posting the message to the database in response to receiving the message from the subscriber of the system includes facilitating Internet access to the database by the subscriber.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein making the message available to the interested party in response to the telephone number of the subscriber being out-of-service includes a telephone distribution of the message to the interested party.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein making the message available to the interested party in response to the telephone number of the subscriber being out-of-service includes an e-mail distribution of the message to the interested party.

32. The system of claim 23, wherein making the message available to the interested party in response to the telephone number of the subscriber being out-of-service includes an Internet distribution of the message to the interested party.

33. The system of claim 23, wherein making the message available to the interested party in response to the telephone number of the subscriber being out-of-service includes a telephone retrieval of the message by the interested party.

34. The system of claim 23, wherein making the message available to the interested party in response to the telephone number of the subscriber being out-of-service includes an e-mail retrieval of the message by the interested party.

35. The system of claim 23, wherein making the message available to the interested party in response to the telephone number of the subscriber being out-of-service includes an Internet retrieval of the message by the interested party.

36. The system of claim 23, wherein the instructions are further executed for:

communicating with an e-mail server.

37. The system of claim 23, wherein the instructions are further executed for:

communicating with a web server.

38. The system of claim 23, wherein the instructions are further executed for:

communicating with an interactive voice recognition unit.

39. The system of claim 23, wherein the instructions are further executed for:

communicating with an intelligent peripheral.

40. The system of claim 23, wherein the instructions are further executed for:

notifying the interested party of the posting of the message to the database in response to a notification registration by the interested party.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein notifying the interested party of the posting of the message to the database in response to a notification registration by the interested party includes an email notification to the interested party of the posting of the message

42. The system of claim 40, wherein notifying the interested party of the posting of the message to the database in response to a notification registration by the interested party includes a telematic notification to the interested party of the posting of the message.