Patent EP0455912A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0455912A2
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EP
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Electronic messaging system with multiple personal greetings
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1990-12-14
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-12-14
Abstract
Abstract An electronic messaging system allows a system subscriber to record a plurality of "customized" personal greetings which are played in response to incoming calls to the messaging system. Each of these greetings is placed in a message "pool" and a message system subscriber can specify the greeting that is to be played for each of a variety of call types. Each call type serves to differentiate between incoming communications based on one or more predetermined characteristics. Such call types, for example, may differentiate between incoming communications which are answered due to the called party not answering, or the called party being busy, or the call is received after normal working hours, or the call is an internal call, i.e., one that has originated on a local PBX or network of interconnected PBXs as compared to an "external" call which is of different origin. In addition, in a communications environment where an identification of the calling party is available, e.g., the telephone number of the communications device used by the calling party, each of a predetermined number of call types may be associated with one or more calling party identifications.
Inventors
- 👤 Laurence I. Fink
- 👤 John R. Lothrop
- 👤 Ricky L. Overmyer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 13:53
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/50; H04M3/53; H04M3/533; H04M2242/00; H04M2242/22; H04M3/42025; H04M3/42034; H04M3/42042; H04M3/42059; H04M3/42085; H04M3/42102; H04M3/487; H04Q; H04Q3/00; H04Q3/58; H04Q3/62; H04Q3/625; H04Q3/70; H04Q3/72
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
121 words
Apparatus for use in an electronic messaging system (201) which interfaces with a communications network, said system providing announcement messages for incoming communications from calling parties to at least one system subscriber, each of said incoming communications corresponding to one of a plurality of different call types (511-519), said apparatus CHARACTERIZED BY means (201, 707) for assigning any one of a plurality of stored announcement messages (501-509) to any one of said plurality of call types wherein each call type is defined by at least one predetermined characteristic of said incoming communications; and means (201, 604), responsive to an indication of the call type corresponding to each of said incoming communications, for retrieving the announcement message assigned to that call type.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of call types includes one call type for incoming communications arriving within a predetermined time period and another for calls arriving outside of said predetermined time period.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of call types includes one call type for incoming communications originating from a predetermined portion of said communications network and another for incoming communications originating outside of said predetermined portion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of said call types includes incoming communications having any one of a predetermined number of calling party identifications.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said assigning means is responsive to input signals from said subscriber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein certain ones of said call types have no announcement messages assigned thereto and said apparatus further includes means (201, 510) for providing a default announcement message in response to each incoming communication whose corresponding call type has no assigned announcement message.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further including means (403) for converting said retrieved announcement message to a voice signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electronic messaging system is a telephone answering machine.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electronic messaging system is a facsimile messaging system.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electronic messaging system is a text messaging system.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electronic messaging system is a video messaging system.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said assignment of any announcement message to any call type by said assigning means is immediately utilized by said retrieving means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said assignment of any announcement message to any call type by said assigning means is only utilized by said retrieving means at a future time.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said assigning means can alter a previous assignment of any one of said plurality of stored announcement messages to any one of said call types.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further including means (407) for storing said stored announcement messages.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further including means (403) for forming said stored announcement messages from received voice signals.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said received voice signals are supplied by said subscriber.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said incoming communications is first received by a communication device which is coupled to said network and is then redirected to said apparatus upon a predetermined condition.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of claim 18 wherein one of said call types corresponds to said predetermined condition.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 18 wherein one of said plurality of call types indicates that said incoming communication was redirected because one said subscriber was using said communications device.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 18 wherein one of said plurality of call types indicates that said incoming communication was redirected because one said subscriber did not respond to signals from said communications device.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electronic messaging system is a voice messaging system.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said voice messaging system is responsive to incoming communications to subscribers connected to a private branch exchange.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
115 words
A method for use in an electronic messaging system which interfaces with a communications network, said system providing announcement messages for incoming communications from calling parties to at least one system subscriber, each of said incoming communications corresponding to one of a plurality of different call types, said method CHARACTERIZED BY the steps of assigning any one of a plurality of stored announcement messages to any one of said plurality of call types wherein each call type is defined by at least one predetermined characteristic of said incoming communications; and retrieving, in response to an indication of the call type corresponding to each of said incoming communications, any announcement message assigned to that call type.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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