Patent US3651547A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US6215859B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6215859B1
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Delivery of urgent messages by integrated forced delivery and voice mailbox
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1997-10-02
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Granted: 2001-04-10
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Expires: 2017-10-02
Abstract
Abstract A method for delivering voice mail to an intended recipient in which a voice-mail message is recorded for a recipient of the message, an urgent status is determined for the voice-mail message, a signal is sent for activating a message waiting indicator for the recipient, and a call is generated to the message recipient for delivering the message. A call is generated to the message recipient immediately after a telephone line for the recipient becomes not busy when the telephone line for the message recipient is busy. Similarly, a call is generated to the message recipient based on a predetermined schedule when the call generated to the message recipient is unanswered. The predetermined schedule includes a predetermined call retry interval and a predetermined call retry duration.
Inventors
- 👤 Bruce Lowell Hanson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 10:42
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/50; H04M3/53; H04M3/537; H04M3/533; H04M2203/00; H04M2203/20; H04M2203/2016; H04M2203/2027; H04M2203/2083; H04M3/53333; H04M3/5335
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
150 words
A method of delivering a voice-mail message, comprising the steps of: recording a voice-mail message for a recipient of the message including the step of recording a voice-mail message for a plurality of recipients; determining whether the voice-mail message has an urgent status including the step of determining whether the voice-mail message has an urgent status for at least one of the plurality of recipients; and generating a call to the message recipient for delivering the message, including the steps of: generating a call to each respective message recipient for which the message has an urgent status immediately after a telephone line for the recipient becomes not busy when the telephone line for the message recipient is busy, and generating a call to each respective message recipient for which the message has an urgent status based on a predetermined schedule when the call generated to the message recipient is unanswered.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
150 words
A method of delivering a voice-mail message, comprising the steps of: recording a voice-mail message for a recipient of the message including the step of recording a voice-mail message for a plurality of recipients; determining whether the voice-mail message has an urgent status including the step of determining whether the voice-mail message has an urgent status for at least one of the plurality of recipients; and generating a call to the message recipient for delivering the message, including the steps of: generating a call to each respective message recipient for which the message has an urgent status immediately after a telephone line for the recipient becomes not busy when the telephone line for the message recipient is busy, and generating a call to each respective message recipient for which the message has an urgent status based on a predetermined schedule when the call generated to the message recipient is unanswered.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of generating the call to each respective message recipient includes the step of generating a call to each respective message recipient based on a predetermined schedule.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method according to claim 2 , wherein the predetermined schedule includes a predetermined call retry interval and a predetermined call retry duration, the predetermined retry interval being a predetermined period of time between each call retry and the predetermined call duration being a predetermined period of time for which call retries are attempted.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined schedule includes a predetermined call retry interval and a predetermined call retry duration, the predetermined retry interval being a predetermined period of time between each call retry and the predetermined call duration being a predetermined period of time for which call retries are attempted.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method according to claim 4 , further comprising the step of sending a signal for deactivating each respective message waiting indicator when the call generated to the message recipient is answered.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of sending a message status call to a caller recording the message when each message recipient receives the message.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of sending a signal for activating a message waiting indicator signal for each recipient.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method according to claim 7 , wherein the message waiting indicator for each recipient is a distinctive ringing signal.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
167 words
A method of delivering a voice-mail message, comprising the steps of: receiving a call for accessing a voice-mail system; recording a voice-mail message for a recipient of the message, the recipient having a voice-mailbox within the voice-mail system including the step of recording a voice-mail message for a plurality of recipients; determining whether the voice-mail message has an urgent status including the step of determining whether the voice-mail message has an urgent status for at least one of the plurality of recipients; and generating a call to the message recipient for delivering the message including the steps of: generating a call to each respective message recipient for which the message has an urgent status immediately after a telephone line for the recipient becomes not busy when the telephone line for the message recipient is busy, and generating a call to each respective message recipient for which the message has an urgent status based on a predetermined schedule when the call generated to the message recipient is unanswered.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
167 words
A method of delivering a voice-mail message, comprising the steps of: receiving a call for accessing a voice-mail system; recording a voice-mail message for a recipient of the message, the recipient having a voice-mailbox within the voice-mail system including the step of recording a voice-mail message for a plurality of recipients; determining whether the voice-mail message has an urgent status including the step of determining whether the voice-mail message has an urgent status for at least one of the plurality of recipients; and generating a call to the message recipient for delivering the message including the steps of: generating a call to each respective message recipient for which the message has an urgent status immediately after a telephone line for the recipient becomes not busy when the telephone line for the message recipient is busy, and generating a call to each respective message recipient for which the message has an urgent status based on a predetermined schedule when the call generated to the message recipient is unanswered.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method according to claim 9 , further comprising the step of sending a signal for activating a message waiting indicator signal for each recipient.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method according to claim 10 , wherein the message waiting indicator for each recipient is a distinctive ringing signal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method according to claim 9 , wherein the step of generating the call to each respective message recipient includes the step of generating a call to each respective message recipient based on a predetermined schedule.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method according to claim 12 , wherein the predetermined schedule includes a predetermined call retry interval and a predetermined call retry duration, the predetermined retry interval being a predetermined period of time between each call retry and the predetermined call duration being a predetermined period of time for which call retries are attempted.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method according to claim 9 , wherein the predetermined schedule includes a predetermined call retry interval and a predetermined call retry duration, the predetermined retry interval being a predetermined period of time between each call retry and the predetermined call duration being a predetermined period of time for which call retries are attempted.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method according to claim 14 , further comprising the step of sending a signal for deactivating each respective message waiting indicator when the call generated to the message recipient is answered.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method according to claim 9 , further comprising the step of sending a message status call to caller recording the message when each message recipient receives the message.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-04-09 | 2004-10-09 | 2005-04-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-04-09 | 2008-10-09 | 2009-04-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-04-09 | 2012-10-09 | 2013-04-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |