Abstract: A method and related apparatus for delivering a message from a calling party at a calling station to a called party at a called station, the method including: in response to an unsuccessful attempt to communicate from the calling station to the called station, storing a message from the calling station, using a messaging system, for later delivery to the called station; obtaining address information, using the messaging system, for the calling party and for the called station, from the calling station; attempting to deliver the message, using the messaging system, to the called station by initiating a communication from the messaging system to the called station using the address information for the called station that was obtained from the calling station; determining, using the messaging system, whether the message delivery attempt was successful; and, in response to successful delivery of the message, attempting to notify the calling party that the message to the called station was successfully delivered.

Abstract: An archival system for voice mail messages includes recording devices, such as cassette recorders, compact disc recorders and DAT recorders. The archival system may be directly connected to one or more voice mail systems, or connectable via the public switched telephone network, so that the archival system can serve several voice mail systems. Voice mail messages identified by users to be archived are stored in a transfer queue in a voice mail system. The voice mail system performs an outdialing operation to connect to the archival system and transmits the voice mail messages, together with message identifying information, such as preferred storage medium and an optional header identifying the message, to a storage queue in the archival system. The archival system instructs an operator to mount a tape or other storage medium in a selected device and then records the voice mail messages on a removable storage medium.

Abstract: A system is provided for routing calls. The system includes a plurality of call centers coupled to a public switched telephone network which supports a caller identification feature and a transfer feature. A trunk interface, coupled via a link to the public switched telephone network, receives a call from the public switched telephone network over the link. A database stores customer profile information and call center information. A processor is coupled to the trunk interface and the database. The processor identifies a customer placing the call utilizing the caller identification feature, retrieves from the database customer profile information associated with the identified customer, and selects one of the call centers in response to the customer profile information and the call center information. The processor routes the call to the selected call center, after which the link is released utilizing the transfer feature.

Abstract: In a speech recognition system, a service processing center performs a service operation upon a speech recognition result and generates a speech response signal in accordance with the speech recognition result. A telephone terminal is connected via a telephone network to the service processing center. The telephone terminal receives a speech signal, recognizes the speech signal in accordance with a speech recognition software module, and acquires the speech recognition result. The speech recognition result is transmitted from the telephone terminal via the telephone network to the service processing center. The speech response signal is transmitted from the service processing center via the telephone network to the telephone terminal. The speech recognition software module is downloaded from the service processing center via the telephone network to the telephone terminal.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to speech recognition systems as applied to voice and electronic message mailing. More particularly the invention is a system and method for converting speech to a text message suitable for sending as an e-mail message and for viewing on a text display device. After an audio message from a caller is received, a text message file is generated and sent to the intended recipient's e-mail address, which has been stored prior to the receipt of the audio message. If the caller is identified, a caller-specific voice file may be used to facilitate speech recognition for generation of the text message file. Also, if the caller specifies a subject for the message, a specialized vocabulary file may be used to facilitate the generation of the text message file.

Abstract: The present invention is a Contact Server that enables customers to submit call-back requests to a call center via the Internet, or virtually any other communications technology available. A call-back to the customer can be placed via any communications technology available. In its preferred embodiment, the Contact Server enables a call-back request to be submitted by a customer directly from an HTML page on a Web site, and have that same HTML page be presented to the agent that receives the call-back request. The agent can then place a telephone call to the number provided by the customer who submitted the call-back request, and at the same time, establish a TCP/IP communications session with the customer. This TCP/IP session can proceed between the agent's Web browser and the customer's Web browser, and the visible actions performed by the agent are transferred to the customer and displayed on the customer's browser.

Abstract: A telephone-answering device responsive to human speech answers a telephone with a pre-recorded message and places the caller on hold until the called party can physically reach a telephone.

Abstract: System and method for putting control of incoming telephone calls in the hands of subscribers with the aid of computer software and the Internet. In effect, a very efficient multiplexer is provided that does not require a change in the behavior of the called party or the calling party. This system permits the called party to hear a spoken message by the calling party in real time, and the content of the spoken message permits the called party to decide how to handle the call. The system adaptively learns and captures the rules of the called party for handling calls, and learns which callers the called party always wishes to talk to. The system uses special control software on the called party's computer which is connected to the Internet. The system employs a central server in which all of the required intelligence is resident. Audio signals are exchanged via non-data channels provided by the telephone companies and by the Internet.

Abstract: A Service Control Point (SCP) directs a telecommunications network to connect a resource only when the resource is needed. When the resource is no longer needed, the SCP selects a new connection for the network. The SCP directs the network to disconnect the resource and use the new connection so the resource does not remain on the line during the entire call. The invention can be used to add and drop multiple resources from a call while the call is in progress. The SCP also provides context information for the call so multiple resources can access context information for the call.

Abstract: A computer based method for performing a command via a voice user interface on a subset of objects. The subset is selected from a set of objects, each having an object type. At least one taggable field is associated with the object type and has a corresponding value. The set of objects is stored in the computer memory. An utterance is received from the user and includes a command, an object type selection, a taggable field selection, and a value for the taggable field. Responsive to the utterance, at least one object is retrieved from the set of objects, the object of the type selected by the user and having a value in the taggable field selection that matches the taggable field value received from the user. The command is performed on the object. The object consists of text which is converted to voice output.

Abstract: A voice processing system comprising a digital trunk processor 135 and a system unit 145 incorporates a local voice recognition resource 185 provided on a digital signal processing board 180, and can access a remote voice recognition resource 320 in a server 300 via a local area network 250. The system provides a barge-in facility for the recognition resource on the remote server, whereby a prompt is played out to the user, and the incoming telephony signal is fed into a voice activity detector on the digital trunk processor. Responsive to a detection of incoming voice activity, the outgoing prompt is terminated, and the incoming data is transferred over the local area network to the remote server for recognition.

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for retrieving a telephone call that has been diverted from an originally called user telephone to an alternative destination, such as a voice mail system or another user telephone. An incoming call directed toward the called user telephone is received at an exchange. The exchange routes the call to the called user telephone and monitors the call to determine if the called user telephone answers the call within a predetermined period. If not, the exchange reroutes the call to the alternative destination. Subsequently, a request is received to retrieve the rerouted call for connection with the originally called user telephone. In response, the exchange connects the call with the originally called user telephone.

Abstract: A subscriber callback modem, includes a source of callback data. A modem is coupled to a subscriber telephone line, and a control circuit is coupled between the data source and the modem, for conditioning the modem to automatically call a central computer and transfer the callback data from the data source to the central computer.

Abstract: A method of introducing a feature during a communication between subscribers of a telecommunications network. The first step of the method is executing, at each predefined trigger point during the communication, an operation to activate a particular requested feature. The method then requires accessing data stored in a network memory for use in the activation operation. The data is arranged in the memory in table and bit map format so as to enable the features to be customized. The method then requires executing the particular requested feature upon activation. The method may also include repeating the method steps for each feature available to be activated at a respective trigger point in an order determined by the stored data. The method is independent of the type of requested feature.

Abstract: A communications system is designed to allow a temporary electronic find transfer from a pre-paid calling card balance to an account of the prepaid calling card issuer to take place when the user of such prepaid calling card number elects to record a spontaneous message for a called party. The transferred fund is either permanently deducted from the prepaid calling card balance when the recorded message is delivered to the called party, or partially or fully refunded to the prepaid calling card balance when the recorded message is deemed undeliverable.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, a call list update processing system is provided. The system is incorporated into a predictive dialing system, which includes a call list controller, responsive to a source of call records for establishing and storing at least one call list. Each call record includes at least one telephone number to be called. The system includes a predictive dialer, which is responsive to the call list controller for dialing the telephone numbers included in the call records in the call list. The system is used to update a call list on a periodic basis and includes, at least a call list update processor, which itself includes at least a call list update file and a comparator. The call list update file is where call record update data, which is received periodically from the source of call records, is stored. The comparator compares the call record update data stored in the call list update file with call record data stored in the stored call records.

Abstract: A display tool and a call distribution system that provides queue and agent statistics, resulting from telecommunications events (i.e., service calls), for viewing on a monitor of a computer. A first server receives information associated with the telecommunications events, including queue and agent statistics, and places the information in a predetermined record format. The information is forwarded to a second server interconnected in a network. A module executed on a specific end node (e.g., computer) enables communications between the second server and the computer. This module is configured to control the computer to retrieve the information and create a display window to display contents of the information on the monitor in real-time.

Abstract: A communication service loads subscriber profile information corresponding to an intended call recipient in a call processing register of a switch serving a link to a destination station and transmits a distinct predetermined call alert signal over the link to the destination station based on the loaded subscriber service profile information. The distinct call alert signal identifies the intended recipient subscriber.

Abstract: An automated toll-free telecommunications information service may be provided responsive to a user sending an E-mail request via the Internet or by a caller dialing a toll-free telephone number and announcing a voice request wherein the caller request comprises categories of interests. A service node interprets the request and collects matches to the request from a database. A match to a request may comprise the identity of an entity corresponding to the match, a toll-free number for the match and a brief information sketch describing the entity. The matches are announced and played for the caller. The caller may barge in with a predetermined voice announcement such as “please dial” when they wish to select an item of the list. In response, the service node initiates the launch of a call to the selected entity.

Abstract: A method and apparatus recognize an identifier entered by a user. A caller enters a predetermined identifier through a voice input device or a touch-tone keypad of a telephone handset. A signal representing the entered identifier is transmitted to a remote recognizer, which responds to the identifier signal by producing a recognized output intended to match the entered identifier. The present invention compares this recognized identifier with a list of valid reference identifiers to determine which one of these reference identifiers most likely matches the entered identifier. In performing this determination, the present invention compares each character of the recognized identifier with a character in a corresponding character position of each reference identifier in light of a plurality of confusion sets.