Abstract: A system may include a first module at a far end, and an optical fiber coupled to the first module. The system may also include a second module at a near end that is configured to generate and transmit instructions to the first module to control operation of the first module.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for determining whether an automated telephone call has been answered by a particular user, a different person, or a voicemail service. In response to determining that the call has been answered by the user, a different person, or a voicemail service, the systems and methods can output different respective messages, initiate messaging to the user via alternate communication paths, or perform other actions.

Abstract: Methods and systems for facilitating communications between shared electronic devices are described herein. In some embodiments, a group account may be assigned to a shared electronic device. The group account may include one or more user accounts, where individuals associated with those user accounts may interact with the shared electronic device, and also may form a part of the group account. When a message is sent from one shared electronic device to another personal device or shared electronic device, the message may be indicated as being sent from the group account, as if the shared electronic device corresponds to its own separate account. In some embodiments, speaker identification processing may be employed to determine a speaker of the message and, if the speaker is able to be identified, the message may be sent from the corresponding speaker's user account instead of the shared electronic device's corresponding group account.

Abstract: Methods and systems for prioritizing messages for playback are described herein. In some embodiments, a request for messages to be output may be received by a speech-processing system. The speech-processing system may include a message database that includes messages received for a speaker of the request's user account and/or a group account associated with a shared electronic device that the request was received from. One or more prioritization rules may be applied to the messages to order the messages for playback in order to provide an optimal voice user interface for the requesting individual. For instance, messages received for the user account may be prioritized over messages received for the group account, messages received from a similar sender or a high priority sender may be prioritized over other messages, and messages that are indicating as being urgent may be prioritized over messages that are indicated as being non-urgent.

Abstract: A data processing method performed in a group messaging server of a mobile telecommunications network, the method comprising the steps of receiving an incoming message at the group messaging server from a remote user terminal, the message being for distribution to a group of users; storing details of the incoming message in a messaging log, the details comprising a message identifier received with the incoming message; identifying at least one recipient from the group of users to which the incoming message should be transmitted; transmitting an outgoing message to each of the at least one recipient, wherein the outgoing message comprises at least part of the incoming message and the message identifier; storing details of each outgoing message in the message log, the details comprising the message identifier; and processing the message log to identify groups of messages, wherein the groups of messages are identified by having a common message identifier, and generating charging data based on the groups of mess

Abstract: Improvements enhance the use of portable communications devices such as cellular telephones. According to one embodiment, data storage capacity is added to the device, such that if a “speed-dial” type operation is initiated, the device is operative to announce a pre-recorded message previously associated by the user with that key sequence, such as the number and/or person being dialed. Another feature enables the user to program a series of telephone numbers before in advance. In this way, the user is able to initiate the dialing of the numbers sequentially, without having to select or key in information for each call while driving. Yet another aspect of the invention offers the ability to interact with GPS (“Global Positioning Satellite”) information. In some scenarios, it may be advantageous to be able to switch the communications link (say, between different carrier services, such as “Air-Touch Cellular” or “Sprint PCS”) as the communications device is moved to different locations.

Abstract: A system and a method for managing a solicitation campaign are disclosed. A solicitor provides a solicitation center with pages of personalized script, which are generated using a first script template. The solicitor receives solicitee responses, analyzes the solicitiee responses, and determines whether to continue the solicitation campaign using the current script template or using a second script template for subsequent solicitations.

Abstract: A method, information processing system, and computer program storage product for automatically generating auditory archives in a customer service environment are disclosed. A communication link with an end user is established. An information form is retrieved. The information form includes at least a category choice information set and at least one audio recoding information set. The end user is prompted to answer a set of questions based on information in the information form. A data set associated with each answer to each question in the set of questions given by the end user is stored. The data is stored under a set of fields corresponding to a question. Each data set stored under the set of fields for each question in the set of questions are combined with each other. An audio archive file is generated including the data sets that have been combined.

Abstract: A system for providing termination information for an international telephone number includes a centralized database of terminating characteristics. The system may also include request processing logic that receives an international telephone number from a user. In response to receiving the telephone number, the request processing logic may automatically query the centralized database to obtain information that indicates whether the telephone number uses wireless termination. In response to obtaining the information from the centralized database, the request processing logic may automatically transmit to the user a response that indicates whether the telephone number uses wireless termination. The system may also include a database engine that uses a tree structure of linked nodes to perform a longest matching prefix search on the telephone number in response to the request processing logic querying the centralized database.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining and providing call disposition information for outgoing calls are provided. More particularly, the disposition of a call placed from a communication device is determined, and associated with a call log for that communication device. The call disposition information is displayed or otherwise output to a user when the call log is accessed by the user. The call disposition information can be determined by a call disposition application running on a communication server that provides the call disposition information to a communication device for display by that communication device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of telecommunications. More particularly, to a method and an apparatus that would allow callers to time-share telephone, telecommunication or communication lines in order to truthfully vary the telephone line from which they are calling parties through the Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN). The system would allow customers to manage the identity of their calls in ways that would maximize the probability that a called party would answer.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for selecting a first telephone number associated with an account for a targeted party and dialing the first telephone number to place an outbound call to the party. Accordingly, in particular embodiments, the first telephone number may be dialed to place a subsequent call after a first predetermined period of time as a result of detecting a busy signal for the initial call. Likewise, in particular embodiments, the first telephone number may be dialed to place a subsequent call after a second predetermined period of time as a result of detecting an automated answering device for the initial call. Furthermore, in particular embodiments, a second telephone number associated with the account for the party may be selected and dialed to place a subsequent call as a result of detecting a no-answer condition for the initial call.

Abstract: A system and method for placing a phone call through a selected telephone network is disclosed. A member submits a source phone number and a destination phone number to an application server in the selected telephone network. The member's class of service (COS) is determined. A first phone call is placed to the source phone number, if it is within the member's COS. A second phone call is placed to the destination phone number if it is within the member's COS. Caller ID information associated with the member's phone in the selected telephone network is communicated to the destination phone. The phone calls are connected to enable communication between the source and destination phones.

Abstract: A method in one embodiment includes storing a voicemail message in a mailbox of a recipient, the voicemail message being left by a sender, and then electronically receiving one or more attachments from the sender. The one or more attachments are stored as content associated with the voicemail message. Upon accessing the mailbox, the voicemail message and the one or more attachments are provided to the recipient. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b).

Abstract: Methods, systems, computer program products, and methods of doing business by providing bookmarks for voice mail messages in order to facilitate improved navigation thereof. A bookmark is preferably conveyed by the caller leaving a voice mail message to indicate information such as a change in the topic of the message, or a particular important passage within the message, or perhaps to identify some information for special treatment (such as a telephone number and time of day at which the call can be returned). Once the message has been bookmarked, the listener can navigate the message more efficiently (for example, by listening to a few seconds of each topic and then skipping to the next topic, or by listening only to the special information) and can also perform actions on parts of the voice mail message (such as forwarding only a selected segment to a third party, while keeping the remainder of the message confidential).

Abstract: A computerized message transaction system has an incubation function and a storage repository. In this system a transaction or a version of the transaction may be stored for a pre-specified period of time, and may be revived at the end of the specified time.

Abstract: A system for determining the status of an answered telephone during the course of an outbound telephone call includes an automated telephone calling device for placing a telephone call to a location having a telephone number at which a target person is listed, upon the telephone call being answered, initiating a prerecorded greeting which asks for the target person and receiving a spoken response from an answering person and a speech recognition device for performing a speech recognition analysis on the spoken response to determine a status of the spoken response. If the speech recognition device determines that the answering person is the target person, the speech recognition device initiates a speech recognition application with the target person.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for direct marketing comprising establishing a first communications link between a prospective customer using a device having a unique identification number and a communications device, automatically transmitting the unique identification number associated with the prospective customer's device to the communications device, establishing a second communications link between the communication device and a computer operably connected to a tangible memory apparatus having a prospective customer database comprising prospective customer information associated with the unique identification number of the prospective customer's device.

Abstract: A time authentication system provided can detect an alteration of the case, in which either of the speakers of a conversation makes the alteration, and can verify, in the case of no alteration, that a conversation voice has occurred at a time within a range. When a speaker #1 terminal (2) and a speaker #2 terminal (3), i.e., all the speakers of the conversation request a time authentication station server (1) for the issue of a unique background sound which is difficult for those other than the time authentication station server (1) to estimate beforehand, the time authentication station server (1) issues the background sound and an electronic verification, which is electronically signed by adding a time stamp to the hash of the background sound, to the speaker #1 terminal (2) and the speaker #2 terminal (3).

Abstract: In one aspect a method based on a system, according to which a first connection is established between a terminal of a mailbox owner and a message storage system and a second connection can be established by the terminal of the mailbox owner to a terminal of the subscriber, if a message has been stored by the subscriber for the mailbox owner. The second connection is established by the set up of a three-way conference connection between the message storage system, the terminal of the mailbox owner and the terminal of the subscriber.

Abstract: The illustrative embodiment of the present invention provides a find-me service for VoIP. The find-me service allows a user to specify multiple communication devices. Further, the find-me service allows a callee to assign a priority to each communication device specified or in the alternative allows the callee to place the specified communication devices in prioritized lists. Multiple communication devices can have an identical priority level or can be placed in the same priority list. When the user is called, the call is processed by a software based call manager that initiates the find-me service. The call manager sends the call to all of the communication devices with the highest priority. This allows a single call to be sent to multiple communication devices simultaneously. If there is no answer at any of the communication devices the call manager sends the call to all of the communication devices on the list with the next sequential priority level.

Abstract: A method and system for reducing an amount of traffic on a paging channel of a wireless communications system by holding a pending page message until a subsequent re-registration request and response cycle scheduled to occur within a threshold amount of time. A radio access network (RAN) may be configured to determine whether an amount of time to a next scheduled re-registration request and response cycle is less than a threshold amount. If the amount of time is less than the threshold amount, the RAN may delay transmission of the pending page message until the next re-registration request and response cycle. By sending the pending page message in a response to a scheduled re-registration request, or by sending the pending page as the response to a received re-registration request, the amount of traffic on the paging channel of the wireless communications system may be reduced.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for the selective notification of incoming electronic messages. In this regard, a selective message notification method can include selectively generating a notification for a received message based upon pre-determined criteria irrespective of how the received message is handled. The pre-determined criteria can include a manually specified criteria, a rules based criteria, or a profile based criteria.

Abstract: A system and method for providing easy access to messaging services in a telecommunications network having office switches that are used by different providers of telephone and messaging services. The system uses a supplementary services database to maintain customer records including whether the customer uses messaging services and whether the customer subscribes to a short dialing sequence service for access to the messaging services. The customer is connected to the central office switch, which analyzes the dialing sequences generated by the customer. When the customer attempts access to the messaging services, the customer dials a short dialing or message sequence, such as *XX. The central office switch triggers a query to the supplementary services database for a call forwarding number to the messaging service used by the customer when the selected short dialing sequence is recognized by the switch.

Abstract: A method and system for accomplishing closed-loop transaction processing in conjunction with interactive, real-time, voice transmission of information to a user is disclosed. A voice-based communication between a user and a first system is established and a report is transmitted to the user. The report might comprise information and at least one request for user input based on said information. In response to the report, the user can request a transaction based on said information. The requested transaction is completed automatically by connecting to a second system for processing.

Abstract: Methods and systems for enabling a subscriber to interrupt a review of messages in a voice mail system (VMS), to make a call or take some other action, and to return to the same position as occupied at the time of interruption in the review of messages in the VMS. In response to an indication from the subscriber's communication to leave the review, an identifier is created to mark the position of the subscriber's communication in the review. The identifier is stored in the VMS. The VMS transmits a release message with respect to the subscriber's communication, the message including a copy of the identifier. The message may be a GR-1120 message including a remote operations (RO) parameter with the copy of the identifier. In response to the release message, a service control point (SCP) stores the copy of the identifier and causes whatever action is indicated in the message to be taken with respect to the subscriber's communication.

Abstract: A power transmission device performs power-saving power transmission that transmits a small amount of power as compared with normal power transmission when the power transmission device has detected that a battery of a load has been fully charged so that the operation of a charge control device (charge control IC) of the load is maintained, thereby enabling recharging due to a charge management function of the charge control device. Since the load state of a power reception device increases when recharging has started, the power transmission device detects an increase in the load state and changes power transmission from power-saving power transmission to normal power transmission. When the power reception device has been removed during power-saving power transmission, the power transmission device detects that the power reception device has been removed, and stops continuous power transmission so that unnecessary power consumption does not occur.

Abstract: A method for realizing ring back tone in communication system, enabling that the calling user can only hear the ring back tone triggered by the primary called user no matter whether the call is forwarded or how it is forwarded. In the present invention, service control unit sets a mark indicating not to request ring resource in Invite message initiated to the forward user, and indicating the backward service control unit not to request triggering the ring resource. Optionally, service control unit only sends ringing message forwardly when it receives the backward ringing message and succeeds to request ring resource, and when it receives the backward ringing message, if service control unit has ever initiated call forward, then it deactivates backward ring resource.

Abstract: Interactive system for responding to conditions after an answering machine has been detected in an automatic telephone number dialing and announcing system so that realistic sounding recorded messages can be delivered without truncation. The system starts by: placing a telephone call to an answering machine; playing a recorded message onto the answering machine: monitoring the machine for echo cancellation sounds (sounds emanating from the answering machine) while simultaneously playing the message; repeating the playing of said message onto the answering machine while monitoring for echo cancellation sounds; and continuing to play the message until there are no echo cancellation sounds whereby the recorded message is launched unto the answering machine and continues playing the message to completion. If there are greater than three occurrences of echo cancellation sounds.

Abstract: The invention discloses a method for implementing Calling Tapping at Flash, which includes the steps of: when there is a new voice message for a user, actively initiating an SIP message carrying the description information of the voice message by a Voice Mail Application Server; sending the SIP message to the user terminal or the home network device of the user by the Voice Mail Application Server, and notifying the user by the user terminal or the network device; converting the SIP message into an inter-exchange signaling message in CS domain and transmitting it to the CS domain where the user accesses by a Media Gateway Control Unit (MGCU), and notifying the user by a switching control unit in the CS domain in accordance with the prompt means of Calling Tapping at Flash of the user. The invention also discloses a communication system for implementing Calling Tapping at Flash service.

Abstract: A method and operation for a call announcement service which answers incoming phone calls. The system retrieves identifying information about the calling party and provides that information to the called party. The called party can choose from several options for answering the call, such as completing the call with the calling party, sending the calling party to voice mail or terminating the call. In an alternative embodiment, the calling party can be notified that they have dialed a cellular phone customer, and can be provided the option of accepting the called party's cellular phone charges.

Abstract: A mobile communication terminal for providing a content and its method are disclosed. The mobile communication terminal for providing content includes a transceiver for receiving a content from a server; a display unit for displaying the content received from the transceiver on a pre-set region; and a controller for controlling the transceiver to receive the displayed content and controlling the display unit.

Abstract: Methods and systems for enabling a subscriber to reply to a voice mail message that has been made available for the subscriber at a voice mail system (VMS). In response to an indication, the VMS transmits a release message with respect to the subscriber's communication to the VMS, which communication then is terminated to an intelligent network element (INE). The INE originates a call to the party to whom the subscriber desires to reply. The subscriber's communication and the INE's call are bridged to form the reply call from the subscriber to the party. The VMS is not included in the call path. After the reply call is concluded, the bridge is dismantled, the IP is released, and the subscriber's communication is returned to interaction with the VMS without the subscriber having to make a separate call into the VMS.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method and system that allows a telephone user to send voice messages to multiple recipients. According to an embodiment, DTMF signals along with a voice message may be sent over a voice call to a network service platform. The voice message may then be delivered to contacts identified in the DTMF signal.

Abstract: A system for implementing voice services can include at least one virtual machine, such as a Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) virtual machine. The virtual machine can include a bean container for handling software beans, such as Enterprise Java Beans. The bean container can include a voice browser bean. The voice browser bean can include a VoiceXML browser.

Abstract: According to the invention, an information output, e.g. a voice output, video information output, or a simultaneous output of video and audio information, which is to be transmitted via a packet-oriented network, is generation by means of pre-coded information output components. Said pre-coded information output components are present in a memory system and are retrieved as part of the processing of a request for the output of information by an information output system. Similarly, generation rules for the information output can be stored in the memory system and accessed by the information output system in order to generate the information output. According to one embodiment, information output components or generation rules are created in an information output configuration system and are subsequently made available in the memory system. The invention optimizes the use of resources for information-output services.

Abstract: A call-details recording device including: a detecting unit detecting a connection or disconnection of a call; a recording unit recording, when the detecting unit detects the call connection, details of the call by storing the voice data of the call-details in a storage device; and a reproduction enabling unit storing, when the detecting unit detects the call disconnection, the voice data recorded by the recording unit in a reproducible format in an accessible area of the storage device, wherein the detecting unit further detects execution of an interrupting operation of interrupting the conversation, and the reproduction enabling unit stores, when the detecting unit detects the interrupting operation, the voice data recorded by the recording unit to a point of time when executing the interrupting operation from a point of time when connecting the call in the reproducible format in the accessible area.

Abstract: A system and method for delivering interactive voice messages using a voice messaging system are disclosed. In an illustrative embodiment, the system comprises a voice messaging processor and memory containing machine readable instructions which, when executed by the processor, enable the voice messaging system to: receive an inbound call from a sender; record an interactive voice message from the sender directed to at least one recipient; receive a voice message retrieval request from a recipient; play the interactive voice message for the recipient; and initiate an interactive session with the recipient to elicit responses from the recipient regarding the interactive voice message. In one aspect of the invention, an application server is provided for generating interactive voicemails and placing the inbound call from the sender to the voice messaging processor.

Abstract: A system and method for automated telephonic deposition recording and transcription is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, a connection is established between a telephone and a CPU. An audio record is opened, wherein the audio record is associated with a user number. A deposition is recorded to the audio record. In addition, responses to a plurality of prompts issued by the CPU are recorded to the audio record. Further, the audio record is transferred to a database, wherein voice tags are contemporaneously associated with each response recorded in response to a prompt. The audio record is then parsed into a plurality of audio files, wherein each audio file corresponds to a respective voice tag. Access is provided to the plurality of audio files, wherein text may be entered that is associated with a selected audio file. In addition, each audio file is correlated with text of a transcribed record when the audio record has been transcribed.

Abstract: A telephone message system accessible to a calling party attempting to reach a called party is disclosed. The system includes a carrier switch configured to route telephone calls via a public switched telephone network, and a message server associated with the calling party and independent of the called party, wherein the message server is configured to record a message from the calling party and to deliver the message to the called party, and wherein the carrier switch is configured to selectively route the calling party to the message server.

Abstract: A system and a method for monitoring a computer network to detect data packets including audio or video data, such packets being part of a communication session, for storing these packets and for reconstructing the communication session upon request. To enable the system to store packets independently of the protocol used to set up the communication session, for example in a Voice Over IP environment, the system includes a link to the gatekeeper of the computer network.

Abstract: A system and method for providing easy access to messaging services in a telecommunications network having office switches that are used by different providers of telephone and messaging services. The system uses a supplementary services database to maintain customer records including whether the customer uses messaging services and whether the customer subscribes to a short dialing sequence service for access to the messaging services. The customer is connected to the central office switch, which analyzes the dialing sequences generated by the customer. When the customer attempts access to the messaging services, the customer dials a short dialing or message sequence, such as *XX. The central office switch triggers a query to the supplementary services database for a call forwarding number to the messaging service used by the customer when the selected short dialing sequence is recognized by the switch.

Abstract: A method for effective utilization of call idle time, including automatically detecting that a first person using a phone has initiated a phone call to a second person, and that the second person has not yet answered the call, wherein the phone is operative in an idle mode to present content pre-designated by the first person, and is operative in a normal mode to send and receive voice communications to and from the second person and to not present the pre-designated content, activating the idle mode of the phone in response to the automatically detecting, further automatically detecting that the second person has answered the call, and automatically activating the normal mode of the phone in response to the further automatically detecting. A cell phone is also described and claimed.

Abstract: A method of automatically distributing phone call recordings to interested parties generally includes associating one or more forwarding criteria with each of one or more interested parties, establishing a phone call from a calling party to a destination number through an institutional phone system, recording the phone call, and, if the phone call satisfies one or more forwarding criteria associated with one or more interested parties, automatically distributing the recording of the phone call to the at least one interested party associated with the satisfied one or more forwarding criteria. Distribution may be by e-mail, by uploading the recording to a website that interested parties (and preferably only interested parties) can access, by queuing the recordings for export to physical media, and/or through a voice mail system. Calls may be selected for distribution based on the caller, the called party, conversation content, call time, or any other suitable criteria.

Abstract: A CPU 10 operates in response to an instruction for starting reproduction of a melody to read out tone color data and tempo data included in selected musical composition data from a RAM 11 or a ROM 12, and transfer the readout data to a musical tone-generating section 15. The CPU 10 then reads out starting position information written in a performance starting point register 36, reads out note data included in the musical composition data from a position indicated by the starting position information from the RAM 11 or the ROM 12, and transfers the readout note data to the musical tone-generating section 15. The musical tone-generating section 15 generates a melody from the transferred note data based on the transferred tone color data and tempo data. As a result, the melody can be listened to from an arbitrary starting position.

Abstract: A method for implementing the ringback tone (RBT) service based on the next generation network (NGN) includes: an application server (AS) receives from a softswitch (SX) a call request initiated by a ring-to-me subscriber, which carries a ring-to-me access code; the AS obtains the ring-to-me tone ID from the RBT platform according to the ring-to-me access code and instructs a media resource server (MRS) to play the tone indicated by the ring-to-me tone ID to the calling party. Various embodiments disclose a system, an AS and an MRS for implementing RBT based on NGN. The present disclosure enables a calling party to listen to a ring-to-me tone while the called party is alerted and further, it enables the calling party to choose to listen to a ring-to-me tone or a ring-to-you tone according to the calling party's precedence setting.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method for rewarding an RBT, including selecting an RBT and initiating an RBT reward via a third-party platform in which a donator exists; processing an RBT reward request from a third-party platform, and downloading the RBT selected by the donator to a customized RBT library of the rewarded party when a predetermine condition is met. The CRBT platform may also return reward result information (Successful or Failed) to the third-party platform; the third-party platform receives the reward result information and charges the donator for the rewarded RBT. If the donator is charged successfully, the rewarded party is notified that the rewarded RBT is received; if the donator is charged unsuccessfully, the downloaded RBT is deleted from the customized RBT library of the rewarded party. The disclosure further describes a device and a system for implementing the method.

Abstract: A system for automatically generating and controlling a plurality of outgoing telephone calls from a first physical location, includes displaying, in a second physical location that is physically remote from the first location, data regarding telephone calls handled by an automated outbound call system. A second location, a manually input specification regarding the telephone calls handled by the outbound call system, is accepted. The operation of the outbound call system is then varied at the first location based upon the input specification accepted at the second location to control the outgoing telephone calls.

Abstract: There is disclosed an automatic calling system which analyzes the contents of detected voice on a called line and controls the operation of the calling system dependent upon the analyzed context. In one embodiment, the content is analyzed based on typically expected grammars, at least some of which may be unique to the called party. In another embodiment, upon answer detection, the called party is probed, for example by playing one or more messages, and action is taken dependent upon analyzed responses from the called line.

Abstract: The present invention is a telecommunications system having separate switch fabric and switch intelligence. The system comprises a switch fabric, a switch intelligence, and a feature processor. The switch intelligence is logically separated from the switch fabric and comprises a switch fabric proxy, a facility service, a connection manager service, and a call segment instance service. The switch fabric proxy is coupled to the switch fabric via a vendor-specific first Application Programming Interface (API). The switch fabric proxy supports a second API, which is common across all vendors, representing functions supported by the switch fabric. A facility instance, which is instantiated by a facility service using a facility model, represents the bearer and signaling facilities of a party to a call, and interacts with the switch fabric proxy via the second API to communicate with the switch fabric.