Patents Examined by Chan Wing
  • Patent number: 6724872
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for delivering personalized messages to a calling party who calls a called party who is engaged in an Internet session over a telephone line not capable of receiving telephone calls without interrupting the Internet connection. The called party receives a notification on her computer screen of an incoming telephone call from a calling party. A drop box on the called party's computer temporarily interrupts the called party and identifies the calling party. The called party may answer the call, forward the call to a separate telephone number, place the call on hold, send the call to voice mail, or type, select or record a personalized message that is delivered to the calling party without interrupting the Internet session. The personalized message may be a text message or a voice message. Text messages are converted from text to speech before delivery to the calling party.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: BellSouth Intellectual Property Corporation
    Inventors: Darryl Cynthia Moore, Linda A. Roberts, Anita Hogans Simpson