Telephonic communications – Audio message storage – retrieval – or synthesis
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-16
2001-09-18
Hoosain, Allan (Department: 2645)
Telephonic communications
Audio message storage, retrieval, or synthesis
C379S074000, C379S088110, C379S088120, C379S088220, C379S102010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06292543
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a voice messaging system capable of receiving and storing call related information and more particulary, to a voice messaging system which indicates to the user that a remote log-in has occurred, which retains that call related information associated with the remote log-in that has deleted or otherwise affected a particular voice message and/or the call information relating to the deleted or affected voice message.
2. Description of Related Art
Voice messaging systems have become an essential part of our society. For instance, voice mail type systems installed with private branch exchanges (PBXs) are found in most businesses, while home usage of telephone answering devices is ever-increasing.
Many telephone companies offer a special service which transmits call related information to a called party. One such service is called Caller ID. Using Type I Caller ID which is transmitted while the telephone is on-hook, typically a caller's telephone number and/or household name is transmitted by the telephone company to the called party generally during the silent interval between the first two rings. Type II caller ID receives caller ID information in an off-hook condition.
When an incoming call is answered by the voice messaging system, and if the caller leaves a voice message, the voice message and call related information associated therewith may be stored in the voice messaging system to be retrieved by the user during playback of the voice message. Many voice messaging systems may be accessed remotely to playback and/or delete recorded voice messages from a remote location. However, when a voice mailbox of a voice mail system, or a particular telephone answering device (TAD) is shared by a number of users, e.g., a large family, it may be undesirable for one user to delete voice messages remotely, particularly if they were intended for another user, and particularly if the other users are unaware of the remote deletion of the voice message. In addition, with voice messaging systems which are accessible for playback from a remote location, security issues may arise when unknown remote users access, playback, and/or delete voice messages. There is no record of an unauthorized remote deletion of a voice message.
One conventional Type I/Type II Caller ID system is shown in FIG.
4
and includes customer premises equipment
111
having a call information detector/receiver
112
which displays the telephone number or other call related information of a calling party received from the central office
113
over the telephone line
114
. For Type I functionality, when the customer premises equipment
111
is on-hook, the telephone number or other call related information of the calling party is detected by the call information detector
112
during the silent interval between the first and second rings and is compared with telephone numbers or other call related information stored in a call related information directory
116
by a controller
118
. For Type II functionality, i.e., while in a call waiting mode, the call related information follows a caller ID alerting signal sequence (CAS tones). Controller
118
is a processor, e.g., a microprocessor, a digital signal processor, or a microcontroller. The call related information directory
116
is stored in Random Access Memory (RAM). When the incoming telephone number or other call related information from a calling party matches a telephone number or other call information in the call related information directory
116
, that telephone number and/or the calling party's household name associated with that telephone number are displayed on a display device
128
. Alternatively, the call information directory is located at the central office and household name or other call related information is transmitted to the customer premises equipment
111
in the known manner. The TAD includes a voice recorder/playback circuit
120
having a standard microphone
122
and speaker
124
electrically connected thereto. An alpha-numeric keypad
126
is also provided for programing functions.
There is a need, however, to add flexibility to a voice messaging system so as to not only receive and store call related information but, in addition, to indicate to the user that a remote log-in has occurred and to retain call related information associated with the remote log-in which is responsible for remotely deleting or otherwise affecting the status of a received voice message and/or call information relating to the deleted or affected voice message.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a voice messaging system and method includes a receiver to receive information relating to an incoming telephone call and memory to store the information relating to the incoming call. A processor initiates an outgoing announcing message in response to the incoming call. A voice recorder records in the memory a voice message corresponding to the incoming call. A detector detects a remote log-in such that the processor is remotely controlled to access a recorded voice message. An indicator visibly or audibly indicates an occurrence of the remote log-in. The processor permits a status of the voice message to be affected in memory while information relating to the voice message and/or information relating to the remote log-in which had affected the voice message is maintained.
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patent: 5220657 (1993-06-01), Bly et al.
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patent: 5400393 (1995-03-01), Knuth et al.
patent: 5483577 (1996-01-01), Gulick
patent: 5524140 (1996-06-01), Klausner et al.
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Cannon Joseph M.
Johanson James A.
McDowell Richard Lawrence
Bollman William H.
Hoosain Allan
Lucent Technologies - Inc.
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