Electronic audio communications system with user accessible message groups

• US 4,581,486 A
• Filed: 09/29/1982
• Issued: 04/08/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: VMX, Inc. (Innospec Incorporated)
• Inventors: Matthews, Gordon H., Fannin, Michael L., Tansil, Thomas B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Thomas W.
• Application Number:
  US06/427,532
• Time in Patent Office: 1,287 Days
• Field of Search: 179/18 B, 179/6.02, 179/6.17, 179/6.18, 179/6.09, 179/6.03, 179/6.01, 179/27 D, 179/5 P, 360/32, 360/12, 364/513.5, 364/513, 381/36, 370/60, 370/61, 370/62
• US Class Current: 379/88.26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53325 Interconnection arrangements between voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53375 Message broadcasting

Abstract

An advanced electronic telecommunications system is provided for the deposit, storage and delivery of audio messages to both user and non-users with limited access provided to the non-user under the control of the user. A Voice Message System (10) interconnects multiple private exchanges (12) of a subscriber with a central telephone office (22). Individual subscriber users may access the Voice Message System (10) through ON NET telephones (18) or OFF NET telephones (24). Selected non-users may be allowed access through the OFF NET telephones (24), the scope of the access of the selected non-users determined by a subscriber user. The Voice Message System (10) includes an administrative subsystem (60), call processor subsystem (62) and a data storage subsystem (64). The Voice Message System (10) enables the user to deposit a message in data storage subsystem (64) for automatic delivery to other addresses connected to the system. The user is also able to deposit a message for transmission to addressees of a unique group who are able to reply to all addressees in the group. The Voice Message System (10) also enables a user to access the system to determine if any messages have been in data storage subsystem (64) for him. Prerecorded instructional messages are deposited in the data storage subsystem (64) for instructing a user or a selected non-user on their progress in using the system.

Claims

1. An electronic communication message system for connection to a private branch exchange telephone facility for use in facilitating communication between users of the private branch exchange, comprising:

an electronic digital signal processing means for controlling operation of the message system;

means for enabling an audio message originator to access the message system through said signal processing means from a telephone unit of the private branch exchange;

digital memory means for storing digital representations of an audio message originating from the telephone unit of the private branch exchange;

means for selecting a pre-stored unique group of message addresses from said digital memory means to receive the audio message from said message originator, each of the message addressees having a telephone unit associated therewith;

means for transmitting the audio message from said message originator to all of the message addressees in said unique group;

reply means for each of said message addressees in said unique group to allow the message addressee to reply to the audio message; and

means for transmitting a reply from any one of said message addressees to at least one of the other message addressees in said unique group in response to signals transmitted from the telephone unit of the one of said message addressees in said unique group that originates the reply.

2. The message system of claim 1 further comprising:

means for storing in said digital memory means a digital representation of an audible name for each of the message addressees in said unique group in association with each of the message addressees'"'"' addresses;

means for accessing the digital representations of said names stored in said digital memory means;

means for reproducing said names in analog format in conjunction with the address of a particular message addressee from the stored digital representation; and

means for sequentially transmitting each of the audible names of each of said message addressees in said unique group.

3. The message system of claim 2 further comprising means for deleting the address of a selected one of said message addressees from said unique group after each of said audible names is transmitted to said telephone unit.

4. The message system of claim 3 further comprising means for adding message addresses to said unique group in conjunction with associated audible names.

5. An electronic communication message system for connection to a private branch exchange telephone facility for use in facilitating communication between users of the private branch exchange, comprising:

an electronic digital signal processing means for controlling operation of the message system;

means for enabling an audio message originator to access the message system through said signal processing means from a telephone unit of the private branch exchange;

digital memory means for storing digital representations of an audio message originating from the telephone unit of said message originator of the private branch exchange;

means for selecting a unique group of message addressees to receive the audio message;

said message addressees in said unique group each having associated therewith a telephone unit accessible through the private branch exchange, each of the message addressee'"'"'s telephone units having a unique message addressee address, the addresses of said message addressees in said unique group arranged in a predetermined queue;

means for accessing the associated telephone unit of said message addressee associated with the address at the top of said queue;

answer means for determining if the accessed telephone unit has been answered;

means for transmitting the audio message stored by said message originator from the message system to the accessed telephone unit;

means for deleting said message addressee at the top of said queue and moving the next of the addresses of said message addressees in said queue to the top of said queue when a predetermined event occurs, said predetermined event comprising an accessed telephone unit not being answered or transmission of said audio message;

response means for receiving a predetermined response from the accessed telephone unit of said message addressee; and

means for deleting the remaining addresses in said queue in response to receiving a predetermined number of said predetermined responses.

6. The message system of claim 5 wherein said deleting means comprises means for deleting the address of said message addressee at the top of said queue and moving the next of the addresses of said message addressees in said queue to the top of said queue in response to said answer means determining that the accessed telephone unit of said message addressee has been unanswered over a predetermined interval of time after accessing the telephone unit of said message addressee associated with the address at the top of said queue.

7. The message system of claim 5 wherein said deleting means comprises means of deleting the address of said message addressee at the top of said queue and moving the next of the addressees of said message addressees in said queue to the top of said queue in response to the absence of confirmation signals input from said originator'"'"'s telephone unit and received by said response means for a predetermined interval of time.

8. The message system of claim 5 wherein said predetermined response comprises a positive analog response from said message addressee associated with the address at the top of said queue.

9. A method for receiving, storing and forwarding audio messages from a user'"'"'s telephone facility, comprising:

transmitting audio messages and associated route data from the user'"'"'s telephone facility to a storage location;

storing digital representations of the audio messages and route data received from the user'"'"'s telephone facility;

selecting a unique group of message addressees to receive the audio messages from a message originator, each of the message addressees having a telephone unit associated therewith;

reproducing the audio messages from the stored digital representations;

transmitting the reproduced audio messages to all of the message addressees in the unique group;

enabling each of the message addressees in the unique group to reply to the audio message, the reply stored at the storage location; and

transmitting a stored reply from any one of said message addressees to at least one of the other message addresses in the unique group in response to signals transmitted from the telephone unit of the transmitting one of the message addressees in the unique group that originates the reply.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of transmitting the reply comprises transmitting the reply to all of the message addressees in the group and the message originator.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

storing a digital representation of an audible name for each of the message addressees in the unique group;

accessing the digital representations of the stored names;

reproducing the names in analog format; and

sequentially transmitting each of the audible names of each of the message addressees in the unique group.

12. A method for receiving, storing and forwarding audio messages from a user'"'"'s telephone facility, comprising:

transmitting audio messages and route data from the user'"'"'s telephone facility to a storage location;

storing digital representations of the audion messages and route data received from the user'"'"'s telephone facility;

selecting a unique group of message addressees each having a unique address to receive audio messages input by a message originator;

each of the message addressees having associated therewith a telephone facility;

arranging the adresses of the message addressees in the unique group in a predetermined queue;

reproducing the stored digital representations of the audio messages received from the message originator in analog format;

accessing the telephone facility of the message addressee associated with the address in the top of the queue;

determining if the accessed telephone facility has been answered;

transmitting the reproduced audio messages to the accessed telephone facility if answered;

deleting the address at the top of the queue if the accessed telephone facility is unanswered or the reproduced audio messages are transmitted thereto;

receiving a predetermined response from the accessed telephone facility after the reproduced audio messages have been received; and

deleting the remaining addresses in the queue after a predetermined number of predetermined responses have been received.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the predetermined response is determined to be unreceived if it is not received after a predtermined interval of time has elapsed since delivery of the reproduced audio messages to the telephone facility of the message addressee associated with the address in the top of the queue.