Offline voicemail

• US 8,903,057 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2012
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Seetharaman, Shivakumar, Higashi, Michael K., Nalliah, Selvaraj, Flint, Joseph T., Zafar, Salman, Balducci, Juan V. Esteve
• Primary Examiner(s): ISLAM, MOHAMMAD K
• Application Number:
  US13/647,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20130035075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 379 8812- 8823, 704/235, 704/251, 704/270, 704/260, 704/275, 704/277, 709/206, 4554121-466
• US Class Current: 379/88.22
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/253 where a visual mode is used instead of a voice mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4509 Unified messaging with single point of access to voicemail and other mail or messaging systems unified messaging in packet switching networks H04L51/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A method for accessing offline voicemail messages within a mobile messaging application may be provided. First, a voice mail message may be received and the voicemail message may be transcribed to text. Next, the voicemail message and the text transcription may be stored. The recipient may then be presented with a list of voicemail messages and the voicemail message may be retrieved in response to the recipient. The recipient may read or listen to the voicemail message or both. The recipient may also annotate the voicemail message.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage device that stores a set of instructions which when executed causes a computing device to perform a method for accessing voicemail messages, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

receiving a voicemail message generated from a call made to a recipient;

transcribing the voicemail message to text, wherein transcribing the voicemail message to text comprises denoting unrecognized voicemail speech by modifying text corresponding to the unrecognized voicemail speech, wherein the modified text is different from text corresponding to recognized voicemail speech; and

displaying the transcribed voicemail message with the modified text corresponding to the unrecognized voicemail speech.

2. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a point in the transcribed voicemail message, wherein the selected point is not a first word of the transcribed voicemail message; and

playing the voicemail message from the selected point in the transcribed voicemail message.

3. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a list of voicemail messages; and

providing an interface that displays actions for selection.

4. The computer-readable storage device of claim 3, wherein the actions for selection comprise one or more of:

annotating the voicemail message;

playing the voicemail message;

deleting the voicemail message;

replying to the voicemail message;

flagging the voicemail message; and

calling back a number from the voicemail message.

5. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein modifying the text corresponding to the unrecognized voicemail speech comprises modifying one or more of font, color or size.

6. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein receiving the voicemail message comprises:

recognizing at least one of a telephone number and a sender; and

generating information comprising at least one of;

an electronic mail address, a physical address, a website link, the telephone number, and a name of the sender.

7. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the voicemail message;

receiving an annotation associated with the selected voicemail message, the annotation including text notes; and

storing the annotation with the selected voicemail message.

8. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, further comprising providing a notification of at least one missed call.

9. A system for accessing voicemail messages, the system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to;

receive a voicemail message generated from a call made to a recipient;

transcribe the voicemail message to text, wherein transcribing the voicemail message to text comprises denoting unrecognized voicemail speech by modifying text corresponding to the unrecognized voicemail speech, wherein the modified text is different from text corresponding to recognized voicemail speech; and

display the transcribed voicemail message with the modified text corresponding to the unrecognized voicemail speech.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a point in the transcribed voicemail message, wherein the selected point is not a first word of the transcribed voicemail message; and

playing the voicemail message from the selected point in the transcribed voicemail message.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

displaying a list of voicemail messages; and

providing an interface that displays actions for selection.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the actions for selection comprise one or more of:

annotating the voicemail message;

playing the voicemail message;

deleting the voicemail message;

replying to the voicemail message;

flagging the voicemail message; and

calling back a number from the voicemail message.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein modifying the text corresponding to the unrecognized voicemail speech comprises modifying one or more of font, color or size.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein receiving the voicemail message comprises:

recognizing at least one of a telephone number and a sender; and

generating information comprising at least one of;

an electronic mail address, a physical address, a website link, the telephone number, and a name of the sender.

15. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the voicemail message;

receiving an annotation associated with the selected voicemail message, the annotation including text notes; and

storing the annotation with the selected voicemail message.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising providing a notification of at least one missed call.

17. A method executed by a computing system for accessing voicemail messages, the method comprising:

receiving a voicemail message;

transcribing the voicemail message from speech to a text transcription;

denoting unrecognized voicemail speech in the text transcription of the voicemail message by modifying text corresponding to the unrecognized speech, wherein the modified text is different from text corresponding to recognized voicemail speech;

receiving an annotation associated with the voicemail message, the annotation including text notes; and

storing the annotation with the voicemail message.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving the voicemail message comprises:

recognizing at least one of a telephone number and a sender; and

generating information comprising at least one of;

an electronic mail address, a physical address, a website link, the telephone number, and a name of the sender.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein modifying the text corresponding to the unrecognized voicemail speech comprises modifying one or more of font, color or size.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing an interface displaying actions for selection comprising one or more of:

playing the voicemail message;

deleting the voicemail message;

replying to the voicemail message;

flagging the voicemail message; and

calling back a number from the voicemail message.