Telephonic communications – Audio message storage – retrieval – or synthesis – Message management
Utility Patent
1997-10-07
2001-01-02
Zele, Krista (Department: 2748)
Telephonic communications
Audio message storage, retrieval, or synthesis
Message management
C379S069000, C379S209010, C379S214010
Utility Patent
active
06169786
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to telephone services and, more specifically, to a system and method for allowing a called party to leave a message for a calling party when returning the calling party's original call. Presently, there exists a long-distance re-dialing telephone service which automatically re-dials a long-distance telephone call when a calling party receives a busy or ring-no-answer (RNA). One such service is AT&T's WILSON, a subscription based service which allows the calling party to hang up, attempts to complete a domestic long-distance telephone call by periodically re-dialing the called party and then notifying the calling party when the called party answers. The present invention expands the WILSON service by allowing the called party to leave a message for the calling party if the calling party does not answer the called party's return call.
2. Description of Related Art
Referring to
FIG. 1
, there is shown a flow diagram of the sequence of events that occur when using the WILSON service. A provisional patent application for WILSON was filed at the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Feb. 28, 1997 and was assigned a Provisional No. 60/039,658 (now U.S. patent application No. 08/959,383. The '658 provisional patent application is hereby incorporated by reference as to its entire contents. WILSON is an extension of AT&T's Dial 1 service and provides a Call Complete function which attempts to complete a long-distance telephone call by periodically re-dialing the called party and then notifying the calling party when the called party has answered and has elected to return the calling party's original call. More specifically, at step
110
, party A calls party B and receives a busy or ring no answer (RNA) signal. The busy or RNA signal activates the Call Complete function. The Call Complete function will then attempt to reach party B within a time window, for example, a one hour window, as shown in step
120
. At step
130
, if party B has not answered within the time window, for example, one hour, then Call Complete is terminated in step
140
. If party B answers, then party B is offered an option of returning the call from party A at the expense of party A in step
150
. If party B does not elect to return the call from party A, then Call Complete is terminated in step
140
. If party B elects to return the call from party A, then WILSON will attempt to reach party A while party B is on the line as shown at step
160
. If party A answers in step
170
, then both party A and party B are connected as shown in step
180
. If party A does not answer, then Call Complete is terminated in step
140
and party B is asked to try the call later.
There also presently exists another service called “True Messaging SM” which permits a calling party to leave a message for a called party such that when the called party picks up their phone to make a new call, the called party is alerted and receives the message that the calling party has left them. It is proposed in the '658 application describing WILSON to interface a leave-a message option with True Messaging service, presumably so the calling party may leave the called party a message as an alternative to the call-back feature described above.
The current WILSON service, however, does not provide the called party with an option to leave a message for the calling party if the calling party is not home or elects not to answer the called party's return call. Therefore, there is a need for a capability for the called party to leave a message for the calling party if the calling party is not home or elects not to answer the called party's return call.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides for a method for leaving a message for a calling party in an automatic long-&stance re-dialing service where a called party finally answers a call, initially receiving a ring-no-answer or busy indication, from the calling party but the original calling party does not answer the called party's return call. The method comprises the steps of providing the called party an option of returning the call from the calling party; and prompting the called party to leave a message for the calling party if the calling party does not answer the called party's return call or the line is busy. The original calling party may pay for the return call or in an alternative embodiment, the called party may pay for the return call in which event the call may be free to the calling party.
The present invention further provides for an apparatus for leaving a message for a calling party in an automatic long-distance re-dialing service where the called party answers a call from the calling party but the calling party does not answer the called party's return call or the line is busy. The apparatus in accordance with the teachings of the present invention comprises means for providing the called party an option of returning the call from the calling party which may be at the expense of the calling party; and means for prompting the called party to leave a message for the calling party if the calling party does not answer the called party's return call or the line is busy.
These and other features of the present invention will become clear from reading the detailed description of the drawings which follows.
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Dunn Peter
Kemble James
Pulz Gregory
Schwartz Alan Ira
Seip Barry Shawn
AT&T Corp
Foster Roland G.
Zele Krista
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