Telephonic communications – Audio message storage – retrieval – or synthesis – Interacting voice message systems
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-09
2004-02-24
Weaver, Scott L. (Department: 2645)
Telephonic communications
Audio message storage, retrieval, or synthesis
Interacting voice message systems
C379S088080, C379S088140
Reexamination Certificate
active
06697459
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to telephonic voice message systems, sometimes referred to as Voice Mail systems and, in particular, to a method of controlling transmission of telephonic voice message data in such systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electronic interpersonal communication may be conducted in a variety of formats including direct telephonic voice communication, facsimile document communication, electronic mail communication. Facsimile document communication and electronic mail communication may be characterized as document-based, and the other two formats as voice-based.
Direct telephonic voice communication is unique among these formats in that it requires contemporaneous participation by all parties. In many business situations, the requirement for contemporaneous participation is unnecessary, disruptive, and time-consuming. As a consequence, the noncontemporaneous communication formats of facsimile document communication, electronic mail communication, and telephonic voice message communication are becoming preferred over direct telephonic voice communication for many situations.
With increasing volumes of information being transmitted by the different noncontemporaneous communication formats, recipients of the information can be burdened by the effort of sorting through and reviewing the information. In this regard, the document basis of facsimile and electronic mail communication formats allow a recipient to visually sort through large amounts of information relatively quickly.
In contrast, voice-based information or messages on telephonic voice message systems are reviewed aurally, which requires that the recipient review telephonic voice messages serially. With increasing numbers of telephonic voice messages, the review of messages by a recipient can become excessively time-consuming and burdensome.
This burden can be exacerbated because conventional telephonic voice message systems provide the recipient with little control over which information is received over the system. In contrast, some conventional communication systems other than telephonic voice message systems provide the recipient of the information with at least minor control over the information received. For example, some direct telephonic communication systems include features such as call forwarding. Some electronic mail systems include message notification prioritization based on the identity of the sending party.
EP-A-0 588 101 discloses a message storage and retrieval system employing selected caller processing which uses automatic number identification (ANI) to implement several voice message instruction features such as message forwarding, message priority, customized greetings and single digit call-back to the voice message originator. The instructions are executed on voice messages that have already been transmitted and stored by a sender in the recipient's voice message system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a method of controlling transmission of telephonic voice message information.
Another object of this invention is to provide such a method in which the recipient controls the telephonic voice message data to be received.
A further object of this invention is to provide such a method in which the telephonic voice message data to be received is controlled according to the voice message system address of the sender.
The present invention is directed to a method of controlling transmission of voice messages or information via telephonic voice message systems. In a preferred embodiment, a person speaks into a telephone to create or originate a voice message to be sent to another person. The recipient of the message has an assigned address or “mailbox” on the telephonic voice message system analogous to a telephone number and referred to as the destination voice message address. The sender may have an assigned address on and be a system user of the voice message system or may be a system visitor without a permanent system address and who, for example, accesses the system after an unsuccessful direct telephone call to the recipient.
After the sender has originated the voice message, the sender directs the voice message to the recipient by sending the voice message and the destination address to the telephonic voice message system. In many systems, the originator keys the destination address number into a DTMF telephone keypad. Other voice message systems include voice recognition subsystems that allow the originator to enter the destination address merely by stating it. Upon receipt of the voice message and the destination address, the telephonic voice message system determines whether the destination voice message address is valid and whether it has a specified voice message transmission instruction previously selected by the recipient for controlling voice messages directed to the destination address.
Preferably, a variety of voice message transmission instructions can be selected by the recipient. The selectable voice message transmission instructions can include, for example, transmitting the telephonic voice message data to an alternate or additional voice message destination having a voice message address different from the destination voice message address, determining whether the origination address is included in a list of at least one acceptable origin address and transmitting the voice message to the destination only if the origination address is included in the preselected set, or determining whether the origination address is included in a list of at least one unacceptable origin address and blocking transmission of the voice message to the destination address whenever the origination address is included in the list.
The selectable voice message transmission instructions also can include assigning voice messages from a specified origination address with a delivery priority (e.g., high or low) that determines the sequence in which messages are retrieved by the recipient, or designating voice messages from a specified origination address as being private so the messages cannot be copied or forwarded. If the voice message system includes a voice recognition and conversion subsystem, the selectable voice message transmission instructions can include converting voice messages to electronic mail or facsimile documents and delivering them to a selected electronic mailbox or facsimile device, respectively.
Whenever the destination address has a specified voice message transmission instruction for controlling transmission of the telephonic voice message data, the voice message system processes the voice message according to the instruction. Whenever the destination address has no specified voice message transmission instruction for controlling transmission of the telephonic voice message data, the voice message is transmitted to the destination address and stored for retrieval by the recipient, as in conventional operation of voice message systems.
Additional objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.
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Steel Rives LLP
Weaver Scott L.
WorldVoice Licensing, Inc.
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