method for handling telephonic messages

USOO5717741A

United States Patent [19] [11] Patent Number: 5,717,741 Yue et al. [45] Date of Patent: Feb. 10, 1998

[54] METHOD FOR HANDLING TELEPHONIC 0 451 695 4/1991 European Pal’ O? - MESSAGES 3315884 5/1983 Germany.

1449650 6/1989 Japan.

[75] Inventors: Drina C. Yue; Raymond J. Smets. PCT/G590’ both of Atlanta; Thomas Joseph 01328 8/1990 WIPO '

Moqum. Roswell; Evan Kraus. 06729 “[1990 WIPO _

Atlanta. all Of Ga. . 00483 1/1991 WIPO .

[73] Assignee: BellSouth Corp.. Atlanta. Ga. PCT/F192, 00036 2/1992 WIPO.

[21] Appl. No.: 623,121

[22] Filed: Mar. 28, 1996 OF HER PUBLICATIONS

Inbound/Outbound Magazine. Automatic Call Distribution. Related US. Application Data May 1990. pp. 36-42.

[60] C ‘in a“ fse N 368 088 J 3 1995 band ed British Telecommunications Engineering. vol. 4. Apr. 1985 on u 0110 L o. , , an. , ,a on , ‘i - ~ - w _

which is a division of Ser. NO. 936,384, Aug. 26, 1992, Menu‘ V°f°e Ma“ ‘M600 by Nawsm“ PP‘ 32 35' abandoned. Popular Science. Jun. 1992. p. 15 “Smart Phone”.

[51] Int. Cl.6 ......................................... .. H04M 3/50 cellular Telepmnes 3 “WW5 Gum- "Y CmmP JY- Oct

[52] us. c1. ............................ .. 379/67; 379/89; 379/215; 1981p?‘ {18-121 _ 379/142; 379/199 Bell Atlantic Service Advertisement for Return Call. Caller

[58] Field of Search ................................... .. 379/142. 127. ID (Feb' 1990) and Answer can “"1" 1992) 379/265. 266. 309. 67. 88. 89. 201. 215. v _ Primary Exammer-—-Ahmad Matar

Attorney Agent, or Firm-Jones & Askew

[56] References Cited [57] ABSTRACT

U'S' Pm DOCUMENTS A method for taking a message for a subscriber. including

2,957,047 10/1960 Wennemer ............................ .. 379/211 the steps of: receiving a communication on a calling line 3,609,245 9/1971 Richter et a1. . from a som'ce. identifying the calling line number associated 4,277,649 7/1981 Sheinbein .............................. .. 379/201 with the calling line. identifying lh? Source Of lh? 4,313,035 1,1982 Jordan e‘ 31 379/207 communication. recording the message from the source. and 4’371’752 2/1983 Mauhews. ‘it al' "" " 379189 recording the calling line number and the source identity in 4,518,824 5/1985 Mondardim ........................... .. 379/144 association with the m?ssaga whcrcby thc message is taken

(List continued on next page”) for the subscriber including identi?cation of the source and the calling line number.

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

0 420 527 9/1990 European Pat. Off. , 9 Claims, 50 Drawing Sheets

‘vwmvr/xjzmE/rr r-W yes 15:15?‘ mmwm m ‘5

~ 59‘ W592

~J1B

' Yll/ MVE Ml IEW MEWS [KI MESSAGES YUHL '

av or m CONTIH/E 115mm: r17 men J42 ‘97F PMS usssmssulossw mac/11. m I ,_ m )

1 . ‘u. ‘LASTSTOP

7W .115 241i

FAN ‘

no as)

5,717,741

US. PATENT DOCUMENTS 5,029,200 7/1991 Haas et a1. .. 379/89

4,625,081 11/1986 1.0616 6161. ............................ .. 379/88 g‘mzgz 32:; gigs“ 3:352; 4,680,785 7/1987 Akiyama e181. .. 379/57 1 1 a. ‘ we‘ - ------ -'

4,740,783 4/1988 Kolmeker ____ n . 3.79/2“ 5,185,782 2/1993 Snmvasan . . . . . . . . . . . .. 379/266

4,752,951 6/1988 Konneker , 379/211 5,197,096 311993 Sakumaet a1. ....................... .. 379/211

4,759,056 7/1988 Akiyama ..... .. .. 379/197 5,241,586 8/1993 Wilson 8181. .......................... .. 379/89

4,769,834 9/1988 Billinger 9t =11- 379/112 5,282,243 1/1994 Dabbaghi et a1. .................... .. 379/142 417901003 ‘M988 KePlcY "t “L -- 379'“ 5,283,818 2/1994 1(131181161'613]. ....................... .. 379/89 4,791,665 12/1988 BogartetaL. 379/207 5309 05 5/1994 S2] a] 379,88 4,853,952 8/1989 Jackmann 61 a1. .. 379/89 1 5 we‘ - 4,899,358 2/1990 Blakley ................................. .. 379/215 5529573 “994 3m“ “a1 - 379'“ 4,399,373 2/1990 Lee e131. _ 5,329,583 7/1994 Iurgensen el al. .. 379/266 5,029,196 7/1991 Morganslcin ........................... ,. 379/67 5,434,909 7/1995 Pn'ce e141. ------------------------------ .. 379/88

US. Patent Feb. 10, 1998 Sheet 1 of 50 5,717,741

44 13

MTSOII MTSOI

PSTN M5 TANDEM OFFICE

N6 END

OFFICE

42 NETWORK

PNCS PLATFORM

N f\/ 40 4 4

FIG 1

US. Patent Feb. 10, 1998 Sheet 2 0f 50 5,717,741

RECEIVE 20 V

PERSONAL NUMBER CWMUNICATILW

YES no 2 seuomswsn SUPERVISION

26 25

YES 24 YES Aummsrmrlav FAX SERVICE AWINISTRATI' Fla 7

FIG. 4

N0 27

YES PRIORITY CALL

31 32

SETPRIORITY N0 ANSVl/E "0 . SENDANSWER

SYSTEM STATUS PERVISION supsnwswom SENT

YES 33

SENDANSMR muznnsawsrso SUPERWSION ronsconomus

FOR IDENTIFICATION

41

CALLER FEARS NU SLBSCRIBER PERmL

03 31mm ->\' T0 FIG. 3 ) GREETMG T0 I'DLD

SET PRIORITY YES SYSTEM STATUS FAST CODE

ENTERED


m GE 222cm Q98. 55 Q2

359$. .53 H29.

so: E Egg; @5: 5.3% E. SE: 5.: 5 .“SG E qmruemm QQEES m3:

2 ‘Q


CD FIG. 3A 70 H

PHONE NUMBER RETRIEVED FROM LOCA T0‘? UST

AUTONOM 7’ YES REGISTRATION ran

MOBILE NUMBER

' 6O 72 N N

SERVICE CIRCUIT SERVICE CALLS MNDLER FOR susscmssn

LOOKUP 0N MOBILE REGISTRATION

73 NO

v ES [M74 ssnwcs FIG 3B

SUBSCRIBE ’

F ORMALLY ACCEPTS 0R REJECTS

REJECT CALL

63 ACCEPT CALL

PARTIES ARE


56 (J

7-: PRCMPT CALLER F OR RETURN

PHONE NUMBER

57

DATABASE LOOKUP FOR OVERRIDE NUMBER

64“

RELEASE THE CALLER

FIG 3C SERVICE CALLS

SUBSCRIBER

I A,

66

LAST STOP ROUTING FIG. 5

FORMAT MESSAGE FOR SUBSCRIBER

I N GENERATE CALL

TO PACER SERVICE CIRCUIT HANDLER

SERVICE ANNCXJNCES CALLER

I /V OUT PULSE

MESSQGE T0 PACER SERVICE CIRCUIT

MNDLER

61

62

U.S. Patent

FAX SERVICE

RECEIVED

STORE FAX IN SYSTEM UNDER

SUBSCRIBER RECORD

Feb. 10, 1998 Sheet 6 of 50 5,717,741

DELIVERY

FOR FAX STORAGE R DELIVERY

STORAGE

SYSTEM SETS FAX PROTOCOL AND

RECEIVES FAX SUBSCRIBER 'S FAX MACHINE

FAX SUCCESSFUL

FIG 4

100 W FORMAT MESSAGES WITH COL/D, TIME, SUBSCRIBER

CODE AND FAX CODE

10! GENERATE CALL

‘02 OUTPULSE MESSAGE TO PAGER SERVICE CIRCUIT HANDLER

<———-

PNS COMPLETE

US. Patent Sheet 7 of 50 Feb. 10, 1998

LAST STOP ROUTING

GENERATE CALL 407 O SUBSCRIBER'S

~ CHOICE OF VMS 0R DEFAULT

PNS VOICE MAIL SYSTEM YES

TO LEAVE RETuR/v PHONE NUMBER

R 444 ,F Norma ELEASE CALL

INTERFACE OUTPULSE SUBSCRIBERS MAILBOX &

IF ms 4 4 5 m FORMAT MESSAGE

WITH csuo, TIME, SUBSRIBER CODE

442 COMPLETE AND sTA Tus CONNECTION

WITH TRANSFER 446 COMPLETE

PNS SERVICE COMPLETE 447

FIG 5

5,717,741

443

PROMPT CALLER

8

GENERATE CALL TO PACER SERVICE CIRCUIT HANDLER

OUTPULSE MESSAGE TO

PACER SERVICE CIRCUIT HANDLER

PNS SERVICE COMPLETE


PNS VOICE MAIL SYSTEM

ROUTING

426 421

PROMPT CALLER LEAVE T0 ENTERA 10 YES ALTERNATE pPAgfR N0 orsrr NUMBER NUMBER EA “RE

123 \/ FORMAT MESSAGE

HG‘ 6” MESSAGE sufi?’iifrigof

424 430

PROMPT CALLER ' GENERATE CALL TO IF MESSAGE 1s PAGER SERVICE

cmcun HANDLER

425 43% OUT PULSE MESSA GE r0

PA GER SERVICE cmcuzr HANDLER

YES zsr NEWMESSAGE on TIME EXPIRED FOR CALL

NOTIFICATION

N0

PNS COMPLETE


4341

SCHEDULE NEXT FIG 6B RETRY (1 MINUTE) r0 CHECK MOBILE

433

N0 susscmssn's YES MOBILE PHGVE 0N

N0 SUBSCRIBER ANSWERS

CALL

FROM FIG. 6A

437

AIWOUNCE T0 SUBSCRIBER MESSAGES ARE

PRESENT IN PNS VMS

SCHEDULE NEXT REJECTS uonnmnm r0 CALL suascmasn FOR pus VMS

PRESS '1' TO ACCEPT CALL AND

442 ACCEPTS CALI. 443

NEW CALL TO MOBILE GENERAIED WI'EN CALI.

IS ANSWERED THE AIRTIME IS CHARGED

VOICE MESSAGE RETRIEVAL

FIG. 13


_ 45o

MAINMENU

EXITMENU

45 l 4 4 1 Y I" 3 {V5 VOICE MAIL FAX MESSAGES

RETRIEVAL FIG. 13

RETRIEVAL FIG. 14

USER OPTIOVS FIG. 12

ADMINISTMTIOIII COMPLETE

FIG 7


CALL ROUTING 163 MENU OVERRIDE CALL ROUTING

OPTION MENU FIG. 9

OVERRIDE

LOCATOR UST

CALL FAX ROUTING MENU FIG. 10

765 766 N AFTER HOURS F’

MODIFY LOCATORLIST LOCATO” LOCATOR usr MODIFY AFTER LOCATOR “STOMFTER HOURS LOCATOR HST HOURSLOCATOR HST

usr

167

suascmasn ENTERS A NUMBER r0 MODIFY

—_____, THE LOCATOR usron masses : TO HEAR

-----—---> me cunnsnrusr

YES SUBSCRIBER N0 ENTERSA PHONE

NUMBER

FROM FA 0M H6 88 FIG. as


+

AIWOUNCE PHONE NUMBER AND PLACE

‘ IN LOCA TOR UST

176 182 \ '1

PROMPT PROMPT SUBSCRIBER TO CONTINUE on

SUBSRIBER T0 DELETE ENTRY DELETE ENTRY

177

SUBSCRIBER “0 "0 MUST FIRST '

DELETE A PHONE NUMBER YES

\d?

173 CONFIRM

SUBSRIBER To DELETE ENTRY /~)

1 a0

PROMPT SUBSCRIBER 174 F OR LGL'ATIGV IN UST

ARRANGE PHOAE NUMBER IN UST ACCORDMG TO REQUEST

175

FIG BB


?éfér’iaio FIG 9A

NO YES 791 207

SUBSCRIBER IS SUBSCRIBER IS PROMPTED TO SET AN PROWPTEDIO CANCEL OVERRIDE 0R SIPPLY OVERRIDE 0R SUPPLY

MORE OPTIOAS MORE OPTIONS

ssr 0mm ovenmos was opnavs avsnnms

I 193 SUBSCRIBER 15 Panama rossr OVERRIDE

CGUD AN aye-mm Fm £04 LOCA TION IS AVA'MBLE mesa 05mm, on CANCELLED

MOTHER woman

YES

v 1/94 19; E E suascmssn 1s susscnmsn :s momma r0 nsxso TO

LEAVE mzcsuo mruravsnnms AS ovsnnms amass

mom FIG. 9a


CONFIRM THAT OVERRIDE NUMBER

IS CORMCT

SUBSCRIBER IS PROMPTED TO SET OVERRIDE FOR ALL CALLS 0R GVLY

PRIORITY CALLERS

FIG 9B

US. Patent

CONFIGURATION DATA SET TO STORAGE

ANNOUNCE CURRENT CONFIGURATION TO

SUBSCRIBER THAT FAX ROUTING IS SET FOR

STORAGE

PROMPT SUBSCRIBER TO SET FAXES FOR F ORWARDING

TO FAX MACHINE

SET FAXES TO

Feb. 10, 1998

ROUTING MENU

FORWARD

FAX CALI.

Sheet 15 0f 50

STORE FAXES

CONFIGURATION DATA SET TO F ORWARO TO FAX MACHINE

225

F)

5,717,741

ANNOUNCE CURRENT CONFIGURATION TO

SUBSCRIBER THAT FAX ROUTING IS SET FOR

DEUVERY

PROMPT SUBSCRIBER TO SET FAXES F OR STORA GE

ON SYSTEM

SETFAXES TO

FIG 10

FORWARD on our STORAGE 0R sx/r

EXIT MENU 224 MENU

CHANGE FAX cmues FAX comrraumnou CONFIGURATIO‘V T0 FORWARD TO STORAGE

MAIN MENU FIG. 7

US. Patent Feb. 10, 1998 Sheet 16 of 50

CALL

MENU

EXIT MENU

MODIFY PRIORITY USEOREXIT

2J1, ANNOIMICE cunnsur 23o comsumnouar

CALL AMUUNCEMENT CALL A'Ww‘m'm ENABLED on DISABLED

25% PROMPT SUBSCRIBER TO

TOGGLE TIE FUTURE

OPTIOV FOR CALL - AMUUNCEMENT

234 2

SUBSCRIBER MIST FIRST MLEIE A

PHOIIE MMBER

IN

PRIORITY LIST

PROMPT SUBSCRIBER TO RECORD AN

IDENTIFYMB MME

STORE ENTRY

PRIORITY LIST

5,717,741

FROM ' FIG. 11B

243


FIG 14E PRIORITY LIST

FROM FIG. 11A

235

--> T0 sum-‘m uwazn r0 ¢ FROM MODIFYORSCANTI-E

' PRIORITY usr

PROMPT SUBSCRIBER 4*

k

AMUUNCE PHONE NUMBER AND RECORD

)1 NAME 247 l

PROMPT SUBSCRIBER T0

SUBSCRIBER TO CONTINUE 0R DELETE ENTRY DELETE ENTRY

COI'IFIRM SUBSCRIBER T0 DELETE ENTRY

/ 246


ussn m OPTIONS F'G- '23

EXITMENU

255 256

RECORD SUBSCRIBER'S

MME

CI-IMGE ‘

SUBSCRIBER'S PAS-SCOOE

264 PROMPT PROMPT

SUBSCRIBERTO SIBSCRIBERTO RECORDAMME ENTER/1W4 FORTIEIRCALLS OIGITPASSCODE

CONFIRM RECORDED NAME

CONFIRM PASSCOOE

260 263 SETRECORDIM? INTOSUBSCRIBER'S

DATA

SETPAS9COOE INTOSUBSCRIBER'S

DATA

MAINMENU FIG 7

FROM FIG. 128

F ‘6 12A

method for handling telephonic messages

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