Methods and systems for confirming message delivery

• US 8,731,147 B1
• Filed: 06/25/2012
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Inventors: McClintock, David C., Trandal, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): SING, SIMON P
• Application Number:
  US13/532,450
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.25, 379/88.12, 455/413
• US Class Current: 379/88.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/642 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/658 Means for redirecting recorded messages to other extensions or equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2083 Confirmation by serviced party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4554 Sender-side editing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Methods and systems for processing messages and providing notifications regarding the same are described. An optional embodiment includes a telecommunications interface, a data network interface, and an answering system coupled to the telecommunications interface and the data network interface, the call processing system configured to receive a first call from a caller via the telecommunications interface, store a message from the caller, transmit a message notification using the data network to the intended recipient of the call via which the intended recipient can access the message, and transmit information related to the intended recipient'"'"'s receipt of the message.

Claims

1. A method of providing a message receipt notification, comprising:

receiving at a first system, comprising hardware, a call from a communication device of a caller intended for a called party;

receiving, in call signaling information associated with the call, an address of the caller;

receiving a caller message during the call and an instruction from the caller requesting a notification be provided indicating that the called party has accessed the caller message;

determining, by the first system, if the communication device of the caller is a mobile device by querying one or more data stores, wherein the query is based at least in part on the address; and

at least partly in response to receiving a first indication that the called party is aware of the message, and

at least partly in response to determining the communication device of the caller is a mobile device from the querying of one or more data stores,

transmitting a corresponding notification, wherein the notification is automatically addressed to the mobile device associated with the caller and the notification is a short message service notification or a multimedia message service notification.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising providing a user interface via which the caller can specify if the notification is to be provided to the caller.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the notification provides the caller with access to at least a portion of the message.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the message received at the first system is a fax transmission.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the message received at the first system is a voice message.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first system records a voice transmission as a voice message and converts a fax transmission into a fax message.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising:

converting by the first system an audio message into a text message, wherein the notification includes at least a portion of the text message.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the message is a voice message, and the first indication that the called party is aware of the message is the called party having the voice message played back.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the message is a fax message and the first indication that the called party is aware of the message is the called party having the fax message displayed.

10. A method of providing a message receipt notification, comprising:

receiving at a first system, comprising hardware, a call from a caller intended for a called party;

receiving, in call signaling information associated with the call, an address associated with a communication device of the caller;

receiving;

a caller message during the call, and

an instruction from the caller requesting a notification be provided to the caller indicating that the called party has accessed the caller message; and

at least partly in response to receiving a first indication that the called party is aware of the message;

accessing, by the first system, a contact record of the caller based at least in part on the address associated with the communication device of the caller, determining, by the first system, a notification message type specified in the caller contact record, wherein the notification message type specified in the caller contact record is at least one of;

email message,

instant message,

SMS message,

MMS message; and

transmitting the notification indicating that the called party has accessed the caller message using the message type specified in the caller contact record.

11. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the notification provides the caller with access to at least a portion of the message.

12. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the message received at the first system is a fax transmission.

13. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the message received at the first system is a voice message.

14. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the first system records a voice transmission as a voice message and converts a fax transmission into a fax message.

15. The method as defined in claim 10, the method further comprising:

converting by the first system an audio message into a text message and wherein the notification includes at least a portion of the text message.

16. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the message is a voice message, and the first indication that the called party is aware of the message is the called party having the voice message played back.

17. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the message is a fax message, and the first indication that the called party is aware of the message is the called party having the fax message displayed.

18. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the contact record of the caller is stored on a computing device of the called party.

19. The method as defined in claim 10, the method further comprising prompting the caller to select the notification message type.

20. A system, comprising:

a telecommunications interface;

a data network interface; and

an answering system, comprising hardware, coupled to the telecommunications interface and the data network interface, the answering system configured to;

receive a first call from a communication device of a caller via the telecommunications interface, wherein call signaling information associated with the first call includes an address,

store a message from the caller,

receive an instruction from the caller requesting a notification be provided indicating that a first person has accessed the caller message,

determine if the first call originated from a mobile device by querying one or more data stores, the query based at least in part on the address; and

at least partly in response to determining the communication device of the caller is a mobile device from the querying one or more data stores, transmit information related to an intended recipient accessing the stored message,

wherein the information related to the intended recipient accessing the stored message is automatically transmitted to the mobile device from which the first call originated as a short message service message or a multi-media message.

21. The system as defined in claim 20, wherein the system is configured to provide a user interface via which the caller can specify if the notification is to be provided to the caller.

22. The system as defined in claim 20, wherein the notification provides the caller with access to at least a portion of the message.

23. The system as defined in claim 20, wherein the message comprises a fax transmission.

24. The system as defined in claim 20, wherein the message comprises a voice message.

25. The system as defined in claim 20, wherein the system is configured to record a voice transmission as a voice message and to convert a fax transmission into a fax message.

26. The system as defined in claim 20, wherein the system is configured to convert an audio message into a text message, wherein the notification includes at least a portion of the text message.

27. The system as defined in claim 20, wherein the message comprises a voice message, and the first indication that the called party is aware of the message is the called party having the voice message played back.

28. The system as defined in claim 20, wherein the message comprises a fax message and the first indication that the called party is aware of the message is the called party having the fax message displayed.

29. The system as defined in claim 20, wherein the system is configured to determine a notification message type specified in a caller record, wherein the notification message type specified in the caller record comprises:

an email message,

an instant message,

an SMS message, or

an MMS message.