Abstract: Recorded telephone messages may be automatically handled as specified by the called party by means of a background speech recognition server for a telephone network, a private branch exchange, or a personal computer telephone manager. The called party initializes the method by storing multiple action records in a computer, each containing a key word and an action description. Incoming telephone messages can then be automatically processed by subjecting the audio record of each message to a speech recognition program to produce a text record. The computer then compares the text record with the key words in the action records. When a match is found, the action specified in the action record bearing the matching key words, is performed. In this manner, recorded telephone messages may be automatically handled and prioritized as specified by the called party.

Abstract: A digital data switching system is designed for rapid calling of data machines by subscriber polling equipment. In the event, however, that calls cannot be completed due, for example, to busy conditions of called machines or to failure of machines to answer the calls, the polling equipment is precluded from rapidly initiating new calls that overload the common control equipment. A timing circuit delays the initiation of new calls by blocking requests for the services of the common control equipment if completion of the previous call is unsuccessful and the common control equipment is continuously active.