METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENABLING A CALLING PARTY TO LEAVE A VOICE MESSAGE FOR A CALLED PARTY IN RESPONSE TO A COMMAND PROVIDED BY THE CALLING PARTY

• US 20100246783A1
• Filed: 12/27/2007
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Inventors: Nguyen, Luan Cao Tuong, Rose, Matthew, Arsenault, Jonathan Allan, Lessard, Yannick, Archer, Nathan Gerald, Fortin, Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 9,042,526 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.120
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• 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 allowing a calling party to leave a message for a called party. The method comprises: receiving a command provided by the calling party and indicative of a desire of the calling party to leave a message for the called party; obtaining message destination information associated with the called party; receiving a voice message provided by the calling party; generating an electronic message representative of the voice message; and causing transmission of the electronic message based on the message destination information. An apparatus for implementing the method is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for allowing a calling party to leave a message for a called party, said method comprising:

receiving a command provided by the calling party and indicative of a desire of the calling party to leave a message for the called party;

obtaining message destination information associated with the called party;

receiving a voice message provided by the calling party;

generating an electronic message representative of the voice message; and

causing transmission of the electronic message based on the message destination information.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the command is a signal produced by a communication device used by the calling party in response to the calling party pressing on at least one button of the communication device.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the command is a voice command spoken by the calling party.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said obtaining comprises consulting a database containing a plurality of entries to obtain the message destination information, each entry being associated with a potential called party and including message destination information associated with the potential called party.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said obtaining comprises consulting a record associated with the calling party to obtain the message destination information.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the record includes an address book associated with the calling party.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said obtaining comprises:

sending a message inviting the calling party to supply the message destination information; and

receiving the message destination information supplied by the calling party.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said obtaining comprises performing a search on at least one site of a public data network to obtain the message destination information.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one site of the public data network includes a search engine site or a social networking site.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said generating comprises:

generating an audio file representative of the voice message; and

including the audio file in the electronic message.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said generating comprises:

applying a speech-to-text function on the voice message to generate text representative of the voice message; and

including the text in the electronic message.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said generating comprises:

generating an audio file representative of the voice message; and

including in the electronic message a link to access the audio file.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said generating comprises:

applying a speech-to-text function on the voice message to generate text representative of the voice message; and

including in the electronic message a link to access the text.

14. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the message destination information includes an email address associated with the called party and the electronic message is an email message.

15. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the message destination information includes an instant messaging identifier associated with the called party and the electronic message is an instant messaging message.

16. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the message destination information includes an identifier of a wireless communication device associated with the called party and the electronic message is a text message or a multimedia message.

17. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the calling party uses a communication device to call the called party, said receiving the command occurring at any instant after the calling party provides via the communication device information to call the called party.

18. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said receiving the command occurs before a communication path is established to allow voice communication between the calling party and the called party.

19. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said receiving the command occurs while a communication path is established to allow voice communication between the calling party and the called party.

20. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said receiving the command occurs while a communication path is established to allow communication between the calling party and a voicemail system associated with a voicemail service subscribed to by the called party.

21. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said receiving the command occurs while a call attempted to be established between the calling party and the called party faces a busy signal.

22. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising determining whether the calling party subscribes to a messaging service, wherein said obtaining, said generating and said causing transmission of the electronic message are performed if the calling party subscribes to the messaging service.

23. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the calling party uses a communication device to call the called party, said method comprising, prior to receiving the command:

receiving information provided by the calling party via the communication device to call the called party; and

attempting to establish a call between the calling party and the called party based on the information provided by the calling party via the communication device.

24. An apparatus for allowing a calling party to leave a message for a called party, said apparatus comprising:

an interface for communicating over a communications network; and

a processing unit coupled to said interface and operative for;

receiving a command provided by the calling party and indicative of a desire of the calling party to leave a message for the called party;

obtaining message destination information associated with the called party;

receiving a voice message provided by the calling party;

generating an electronic message representative of the voice message; and

causing transmission of the electronic message based on the message destination information.

25. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the command is a signal produced in response to the calling party pressing on at least one button of a communication device used by the calling party to call the called party.

26. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the command is a voice command spoken by the calling party.

27. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein said obtaining comprises consulting a database containing a plurality of entries to obtain the message destination information, each entry being associated with a potential called party and including message destination information associated with the potential called party.

28. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein said obtaining comprises consulting a record associated with the calling party to obtain the message destination information.

29. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the record includes an address book associated with the calling party.

30. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein said obtaining comprises:

sending a message inviting the calling party to supply the message destination information; and

receiving the message destination information supplied by the calling party.

31. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein said obtaining comprises performing a search on at least one site of a public data network to obtain the message destination information.

32. An apparatus as claimed in claim 31, wherein the at least one site of the public data network includes a search engine site or a social networking site.

33. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein said generating comprises:

generating an audio file representative of the voice message; and

including the audio file in the electronic message.

34. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein said generating comprises:

applying a speech-to-text function on the voice message to generate text representative of the voice message; and

including the text in the electronic message.

35. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein said generating comprises:

generating an audio file representative of the voice message; and

including in the electronic message a link to access the audio file.

36. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein said generating comprises:

applying a speech-to-text function on the voice message to generate text representative of the voice message; and

including in the electronic message a link to access the text.

37. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the message destination information includes an email address associated with the called party and the electronic message is an email message.

38. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the message destination information includes an instant messaging identifier associated with the called party and the electronic message is an instant messaging message.

39. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the message destination information includes an identifier of a wireless communication device associated with the called party and the electronic message is a text message or a multimedia message.

40. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the calling party uses a communication device to call the called party, said receiving the command occurring at any instant after the calling party provides via the communication device information to call the called party.

41. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein said receiving the command occurs before a communication path is established to allow voice communication between the calling party and the called party.

42. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein said receiving the command occurs while a communication path is established to allow voice communication between the calling party and the called party.

43. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein said receiving the command occurs while a communication path is established to allow communication between the calling party and a voicemail system associated with a voicemail service subscribed to by the called party.

44. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein said receiving the command occurs while a call attempted to established between the calling party and the called party faces a busy signal.

45. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein said processing unit is operative for:

determining whether the calling party subscribes to a messaging service; and

performing said obtaining, said generating and said causing transmission of the electronic message if the calling party subscribes to the messaging service.

46. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the calling party uses a communication device to call the called party, said processing unit being operative for, prior to receiving the command:

receiving information provided by the calling party via the communication device to call the called party; and

attempting to establish a call between the calling party and the called party based on the information provided by the calling party via the communication device.

47. Computer-readable media storing a program element for execution by a computer system to allow a calling party to leave a message for a called party, said program element comprising:

first program code for causing the computer system to receive a command provided by the calling party and indicative of a desire of the calling party to leave a message for the called party;

second program code for causing the computer system to obtain message destination information associated with the called party;

third program code for causing the computer system to receive a voice message provided by the calling party;

fourth program code for causing the computer system to generate an electronic message representative of the voice message; and

fifth program code for causing the computer system to cause transmission of the electronic message based on the message destination information.