Abstract: In a telecommunications system 10 in which remote terminals 20A through 20G are exchanging information with Interactive Information Response Unit (IIRU) 30 via communications in diverse formats and/or media, a system and method for identifying said formats and/or media so that responsive to said identification, appropriate resources 33 may be allocated to the communications to enable IIRU 30 and remote terminals 20A through 20G to exchange information intelligibly.

Abstract: An automated third party verification system and method for verifying a customer's authorization to switch long distance service providers. The system broadly comprises a customer database manager, a third party verification (TPV) interactive voice response (IVR) system, and a TPV management system. The customer database manager contacts the customer and, responsive to the customer's authorization to switch long distance carriers, creates a text file of the customer's responses to a series of questions supporting the authorization. The text file is sent to the TPV IVR system. The TPV IVR system directs a series of scripted questions, corresponding to those already asked by the customer database manager, to the customer and records the responses as voice clips. The TPV management system presents the voice clips and the corresponding text file to a verifier through a voice data verification module.

Abstract: An enhanced, deferred messaging service ensures a message is received even when an answering machine is connected to a line and receives the call. In such a case, the service notes the number of rings n necessary to activate the recipient's answering machine. The service then resumes redialing and lets the phone ring n-1 times for each attempted call until either the phone is answered or a time-out occurs. If the recipient's answering machine, however, is in toll-saver mode, then the answering machine may answer a second time in less than n-1 rings. If the toll-saver feature is activated, then the service notes the number of rings m which caused the answering machine to be reached in toll-saver mode. The service then resumes redialing and lets the phone ring m-1 times for each attempted call until either the phone is picked up or a time-out occurs. Thus, even after leaving a message on an answering machine, the service will attempt to reach a human.

Abstract: A telephone answering device, having an automatic page feature for automatically paging a user after a message has been recorded thereon, is programmed to dial the telephone number of a paging service to which the user subscribes each time a message is recorded, and to transmit at least numeric information that will ultimately be displayed on a portable pager. The numeric information can include the number of messages recorded on the telephone answering device, a caller's telephone number or a special predetermined code that lets the user know that the device is paging him. The telephone answering device is designed so as to be compatible with a wide variety of paging services and can be re-programmed if the user changes paging services. The device includes a memory that stores the digits of the paging service telephone number and automatically stores information representing the pauses and audible activity that are present between key presses during the programming process.

Abstract: A telephone communication apparatus includes computing equipment programmed to send and receive telephone calls over a telephone line and a communication board connected to the computing equipment and responsive to program control therefrom. The computing equipment is responsive to detection of an incoming telephone call from a remote terminal to connect the telephone line to the computing equipment. The computing equipment also includes a data storage and a processor for receiving the incoming call and recording the telephone number of the remote terminal in the data storage without intervention by the user at the apparatus, and further includes reply apparatus for sending a reply telephone call to the remote terminal in accordance with the recorded telephone number. The processor can detect the telephone number in the incoming telephone call in a variety of ways, including detecting the telephone number as part of an incoming voice message or as part of incoming control information.

Abstract: A system and method in which the user is provided the option of automatic recall of selected numbers which have been previously called. The computer based system which is controlled by operation of a conventional push-button telephone repeatedly places selected calls and plays a selected prerecorded message whenever a call is answered. Processors provide the capability of recognizing the results of each call as to whether the call has reached a number which is busy or is answered, and also as to whether the call is answered by a person or by an answering machine. In response to recognition signals, the system, at the appropriate time, plays a selected message. When a call has been successfully completed the called number will be removed from a numbers queue within the system, and the system will record the time and date of the completion. Numbers remaining in the queue will be recalled until successfully completed.

Abstract: An automated phone calling system includes a database comprising phone numbers and one or more data fields associated with each phone number. Phone numbers (callees) in the database are selected based on the data fields associated therewith. A recorded voice message is transmitted to callees through a plurality of outgoing phone lines, and callees are prompted to enter one of several TOUCH TONE codes, which is recorded. The database record for the callee is automatically updated based on the TOUCH TONE response code, so that the updated field may be used to select whether to send a future call to the callee.

Abstract: An automated computer calling system is disclosed for correlating diverse types of recorded information, such as voice or video, with data records that have been previously stored and/or simultaneously entered. The calling system is capable of simultaneously recording and processing multiple customer transactions, and verifying the transactions on the basis of the recorded information.

Abstract: An automated attendant service supports any combination of single-line telephones, CENTREX telephones and one or more PBX in a single logical configuration. Multiple access numbers can be used to call the automated service and calls forwarded from DID lines can also be handled. The appropriate transfer codes are determined for the switch connecting a caller to the automated attendant service. Subscribers to the automated attendant service may be connected via different types of switches using different call progress signals. Analysis of the call progress signals is performed using parameters specific to the switch used for each call to an extension. The types of transfers supported by the automated attendant service include screened calls in which the caller is prompted to give a name provided identification. The name given by the caller may be stored, together with the time of the call and the phone number of the caller, so that a subscriber may return calls even if the caller does not leave a message.

Abstract: An attended messaging system having an audio message recording and playback device connected in series between a telephone base unit and a telephone receiver handset or headset. The recording and playback device includes a solid-state audio memory chip for storing a message and pairs of operational amplifiers connecting the memory chip of the recoding and playback device with the telephone base unit and with the speaker and microphone of the telephone receiver handset or headset in a differential circuit of audio signal channels. The recording and playback device is manually-actuable by means of buttons or switches to operate in a recording mode, in which a message spoken into the handset or headset microphone is stored in the audio memory chip, or in a playback mode, in which the previously recorded message is communicated through the telephone base unit and telephone line to a designated remote telephone station with which audio communication has been established by the telephone base unit.

Abstract: The present invention automatically initiates a telephone call to a given destination. At the same time, the progress of the call is monitored. The time of a ring back and voice answer received from the destination are recorded to an output file. At the end of the voice answer, a pre-recorded voice message is sent by the system to the person answering at the destination. Thereafter, the recorded data is used to determine the response time for that particular telephone destination. A plurality of destinations can be tested. A second embodiment of the present invention provides for the interactive correspondence between a remote evaluation unit and a called destination and the measurement of the performance characteristics of the telephone network.

Abstract: An automated attendant service supports any combination of single-line telephones, CENTREX telephones and one or more PBXs in a single logical configuration. Multiple access numbers can be used to call the automated service and calls forwarded from DID lines can also be handled. The appropriate transfer codes are determined for the switch connecting a caller to the automated attendant service. Subscribers to the automated attendant service may be connected via different types of switches using different call progress signals. Analysis of the call progress signals is performed using parameters specific to the switch used for each call to an extension. The types of transfers supported by the automated attendant service include screened calls in which the caller is prompted to give a name providing identification. The name given by the caller may be stored, together with the time of the call and the phone number of the caller, so that a subscriber may return calls even if the caller does not leave a message.

Abstract: A detector to indicate if a telephone call was answered by an answering machine or a live person includes (to analyze frames): a click detector; a ring detector; a voice detector; an energy detector; and a controller. The controller routes to: a voice analyzer if voice occurred; a ring analyzer if ring started, continues, or ended; a noise detector if there is neither ring nor voice; a click analyzer if a click occurred; an answer analyzer if ring did not start in the frame; and a silence analyzer. The noise detector detects noise; the ring analyzer detects start time, end time, and length of ring; the click analyzer detects click time; the answer analyzer detects call answer time; the silence analyzer detects silence and the time of predetermined lengths of silence; and the voice analyzer detects the first frame of voice and routes to an on-first voice analyzer or to an after-first voice analyzer.

Abstract: An emergency message is communicated from a remote location to an emergency service facility. An emergency message is fed, preferably in graphic format, to a facsimile machine at a remote location. The facsimile machine has an output at which the message appears as an electrical signal. The output of the facsimile machine is coupled to external memory means at the remote location to store the message in the memory means in the form of the electrical signal. A telephone number for the emergency service facility is also stored in the memory means. A receiving facsimile is connected to the telephone system at the emergency service facility. The telephone number stored in the memory means is dialed up responsive to a user command. The message stored in the memory means is transmitted over the telephone system to the receiving facsimile after dial up.

Abstract: A system which uses Automatic Number Identification (ANI) equipment and techniques and/or Caller ID equipment and techniques to provide a means for telecommunicators to verify if identifying information such as their telephone number or the location they are calling from is being passed to receiving parties and/or if their call blocking or rerouting methods to prevent this from happening are effective.

Abstract: A wake-up and reminder system for a telephone takes advantage of the attention-drawing characteristics of the telephone ringer to awaken and/or remind a person of various tasks or appointments. The wake-up and reminder system for a telephone is provided with modular jacks for connecting between the telephone and the wall jack. A timer is provided for establishing an alarm time, and a relay responsive to the timer is provided for disconnecting the telephone temporarily from the telephone line. The system includes a ringing device for ringing the telephone at a predetermined rate and an off-hook detection circuit for detecting when the telephone has been taken off the hook. In addition, a second relay is provided responsive to the off-hook detection circuit for disconnecting the telephone from the ringing device and connecting the telephone to a recorder which plays a pre-recorded message.

Abstract: A Telephone Answering Device (TAD) has a message transfer system for notifying the owner that a message has been recorded on the TAD and permitting the owner to hear the message by having the TAD automatically dial a preprogrammed telephone number of a telephone at a second location. The TAD would play back a prerecorded audio message to the person picking up the telephone at the second location advising the person that a message has been recorded on the TAD. The TAD calls the preprogrammed telephone a number of times until the telephone at the second location is answered. If the telephone at the second location is not answered after the predetermined number of tries, the attempt to send the transfer message is discontinued.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a technique for selectively storing a message (or note) by a calling party in a communication system when a call to a called party cannot be completed and an automatic or manual redial function is activated. When a call between two communication devices cannot be completed due to a called communication device being busy or unanswered, the calling party can selectively store a message related to that call when activating the automatic or manual redial function. This message can be stored locally in an intelligent calling communication device, or centrally in a Voicemail system or PBX for non-intelligent communication devices. Where the message is stored locally in an intelligent calling communication device, the message is replayed each time a redial button on the device is depressed. Where the message is stored centrally in a Voicemail system or PBX, the message is replayed to the calling party prior to an automatic redial sequence completing a call.

Abstract: The present invention automatically initiates a telephone call to a given destination. At the same time, the progress of the call is monitored. The time of a ring back and voice answer received from the destination are recorded to an output file. At the end of the voice answer, a pre-recorded voice message is sent by the system to the person answering at the destination. Thereafter, the recorded data is used to determine the response time for that particular telephone destination. A plurality of destinations can be tested.

Abstract: A system combines a telephone answering device, or TAD, installed at each subscriber's premises and a voice mail center station. When IC memory is used as recording media of the TAD to record messages from a calling party, the memory becomes full to its capacity shortly, and the TAD cannot fulfill its function. To prevent this, a voice mail side is set to a message-receiving mode and an incoming message, or ICM, is transferred from the TAD side to the voice mail side by calling the voice mail side and receiving a particular signal from the TAD side. Then, the TAD restores its function and becomes capable of recording new ICMs. It was a common usage of the voice mail center that a calling party directly records ICMs in the voice mail center. In this system, however, an ICM stored in the voice mail center can be transferred to the TAD by controlling from the TAD as occasion demands, and the ICM can be stored in the TAD.

Abstract: Call completion apparatus is disclosed for enhancing the integration of voice store and forward facilities with calling parties attempting to complete telephone calls to a telephone switching system. The call completion equipment intercepts incoming calls, provides voice prompts to the calling parties, and collects telephone extension digit information. On a determination of the unavailability of the called party, the call completion equipment prompts the calling party concerning an optional connection to voice store and forward equipment. In response to the input of a digit code by the calling party, the call completion equipment consults personality tables, translation tables and call flow control tables to provide all the appropriate information which is outpulsed through the telephone switching system to the voice store and forward facility. The operations of the call completion equipment in establishing communications with the voice store and forward facility are transparent to the calling party.

Abstract: The invention discloses a telephone set and a method for its operation for storing a message and a telephone number of each telephone set to which a message is transferred, and reading out the telephone number to perform dialing for the destination telephone set. If a continuous period of silence is sent back from the destination telephone set for a predetermined time interval within a larger predetermined time interval after the connection is established, the telephone set reproduces the recorded message and sends it over the telephone lines to the destination set, otherwise the telephone set disconnects from the telephone line. The operation is automatically repeated for each designated destination telephone set, thereby automatically transferring the same message to a plurality of destination telephone sets.

Abstract: A personal voice mail system adapted to be connected to a standard touch tone telephone. This system would allow a subscriber to prerecord a message to be delivered to one or more called parties at a particular time. Additionally, the system can be made secure by requiring the called party to provide a confidential code before the message is relayed.

Abstract: This invention relates to an automated telephone dialing system, for recognizing electronically, whether a called party is a human subject or an automated telephone answering device, and for delivery of pre-recorded messages in synchronization with the activation of the receive function of an automatic answering machine. The determination of whether a called party is human or an answering device is made based on analysis of the party's response to an audio instruction. The system delivers pre-recorded messages to a live party or to an automated answering device in the time sequence required or recording of the message by the answering device.

Abstract: An adaptive pacing algorithm based on a statistical analysis of the times of calls is used to determine when and how many calls to dial in a call origination management system. This pacing algorithm determines the number of calls to dial as an inverse function of the mean time of all calls and the standard deviation multiplied by a first constant. This first constant is a function of the ratio of nuisance calls to the number of call attempts and is not defined as a mathematical function but is, instead, determined experimentally to be .+-.0.25 of the standard deviation and varies depending on how far the ratio of nuisance calls deviates from a set level. The number of calls to dial is also an inverse function of a second constant times the ratio of the answered calls to the call attempts per session minus the maximum allowable nuisance calls.

Abstract: An automatic telephone answering apparatus answers and records incoming calls and then automatically dials, repeatedly if necessary, a remote telephone whose number has been stored in the answering apparatus and reproduces a specific message which notifies the person answering the remote telephone that a message has been received and recorded for the user of the answering apparatus.

Abstract: A line interface unit for controlling receipt and delivery of voice messages over a telephone system having a voice message facility connectable to at least one calling station and a called station via a central office. The interface unit comprises a first switch connected to the calling station in the tip and ring lines and a second switch connected to the central office in the tip and ring lines, the switches having first and second positions and wherein said signals on the tip and ring lines are connected directly between the calling station and the central office when each of the switches is in the first position. In operation, a control circuit of the line interface unit responds to detection of a busy/no answer condition at the called station for switching the first switch from its first to second position to connect a speech circuit to the calling station for issuing a prompt.

Abstract: A method for receiving and delivering voice messages responds to the inability of a caller to complete a call from a calling station to a called station to automatically cause the calling station to default to a voice message center. If the caller desires to leave a voice message to be delivered to the called station, the caller is prompted to store the voice message. Thereafter, the voice message center initiates an outdial routine which makes a predetermined number of attempts to deliver the voice message to the called station at predetermined time intervals. In the preferred embodiment, the method is incorporated in a multiple user station telephone system in either a "shared tenant services" or "on-campus" configuration.

Abstract: A message retrieval system is disclosed which includes a plurality of answering machines, each connected to respected telephone line. Each answering machine records telephone responses on a respective message memory unit and all message memory units are connected to a single message processor. The message processor is in turn connected to a number of retrieval consoles used by operators to transcribe messages from the message memory units.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for detecting and discriminating among various signals indicative of progress while making a telephone connection. A particular waveform parameter known as peak factor is advantageously employed in a call progress analyzer. The illustrative call progress analyzer uses the average magnitude peak factor (ratio of the peak of the waveform to the average of the absolute value of the waveform) to distinguish among single-tone signals (e.g., special service information tones), double-tone signals (e.g., dial tone, audible ring, and busy), and speech. Waveform ON and OFF times (duration above and below an energy threshold) are combined with signal-type determinations (made using peak factor) to automatically determine the status of a call.

Abstract: A call forwarding device (11) for a forwarding phone (15) that is connected by a single forwarding phone line (13, 14) to central exchange telephone equipment (12). Equipment (12) has an electronic switching system and provides three-way conference service to the forwarding phone. In the call forwarding mode, in response to a call from a calling phone (17) to the forwarding phone, the device has circuits including a ring detector (31), a hook condition simulator (29) and a sensor (31) that automatically operate to simulate an off-hook condition, to simulate a first hook switch flash condition, and operates to actuate a message transmitting and storage device (25) which generates telephone dialing pulses corresponding to the number of a third phone (21), and to simulate a second hook switch flash condition, whereby the calling phone is automatically connected by the equipment (12) to a third phone.

Abstract: A novel apparatus and method for electronically determining whether audio signals which are present in an electrical audio device (for example, a telephone) are voice signals or, on the other hand, some type of supervisory or system-generated signals. Audio signal lines are connected to an audio detector and a digitizer. The audio detector provides an output which indicates the presence of an audio signal. The digitizer transforms any audio signal into a series of high and low level signals in some manner. The outputs from the audio detector and the digitizer are then provided to a central processing unit which is used to analyze the data. If an audio signal is detected and the digitized audio signal is determined to have a regular periodic pattern, it is presumed that the audio signal is some type of system-generated supervisory tone. If, on the other hand, the digitized audio signal does not have a regular periodic pattern, it is presumed that the audio signal is a voice signal.