WO1997024863B1

WO1997024863B1 - Method and system for automated collect call messaging

Info

Publication number: WO1997024863B1
Application number: PCT/US1996/020343
Authority: WO
Filing date: 1996-12-27
Publication date: 1997-12-04

Abstract

Method and apparatus allow a caller to contact a called party with a collect call whether or not the called station is answered or is busy. When the caller dials a collect call access code, the call is routed to a messaging platform which collects the call information and attempts to complete the call. If there is no answer or if the called station is busy, the messaging platform retains control of the call and automatically prompts the caller to enter a name and a message to be delivered to the called party. After the name and message have been entered, the caller is given a confirmation number, if desired, which allows the caller to determine whether the called party has received the message. The messaging platform repeatedly attempts to deliver the message by calling the called party. Upon the call being answered, the messaging platform identifies the caller and prompts the called party to accept or refuse the collect message. If the called party accepts the message, the messaging platform plays it and the called party is charged for the message.

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS

[received by the International Bureau on 23 October 1997 (23.10.97); original claims 4, 7, 13, 15, 18 and 34-38 amended; remaining claims unchanged (8 pages)] G) originating a message delivery call from the messaging platform

to the called station;

H) prompting the called party to accept delivery of the voice

message, if the called party answers the message delivery call; and

I) delivering the voice message, if the called party accepts delivery

of the voice message.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

billing the called party for the message, if the called party accepts the

message.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of attempting to deliver the

message to the called party from the messaging platform comprises the steps

of: G) scheduling a time at which a message delivery call is to be made;

H) originating a message delivery call to the called station at the

scheduled time;

I) detecting whether the message delivery call is answered;

J) repeating steps G, H, and I until the message delivery call is

answered or the message delivery call goes unanswered a predetermined

number of times; 57

K) prompting the called party to accept delivery of the voice

message, if the message delivery call is answered; and

L) delivering the voice message, if the called party accepts delivery

of the voice message.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

billing the called party for the voice message, if the called party accepts

the voice message.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

assigning the caller a confirmation number for obtaining the delivery

status of the voice message from the messaging platform.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of obtaining the voice message

comprises the steps of:

G) recording the voice message with the audio server at the

messaging platform;

H) prompting the caller to select at least one optional function,

regarding handling of the voice message; and

I) performing the selected optional function.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one optional function is

selected from a list of optional functions consisting of: 58 K) routing the collect call from the public switched telephone

network to the bridging switch of the messaging platform based on the

access number.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the messaging platform further

comprises an automatic call distributor, a bridging switch, an application

processor and a plurality of operator groups including an automated response

unit/audio server and a manual telephone operator console, and the step of

determining whether the called station answers the collect call comprises the

steps of:

J) routing the collect call from the bridging switch to the automatic

call distributor;

K) selecting, at the application processor, the operator group to

which the call is to be routed based on the called number;

L) routing the collect call from the automatic call distributor to the

selected operator group;

M) collecting, at the selected operator group, information identifying

the called station of the collect call from the caller;

N) putting the collect call on hold at the bridging switch;

O) originating a completion call from the operator group to the called

station; and

P) detecting whether the called station answers the completion call. 59

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of completing the collect call

normally, if the called station answers, comprises the steps of:

J) prompting, at the audio response unit/audio server, the called

party to accept the collect call;

K) detecting whether the called party accepts the collect call;

L) releasing the completion call from the bridging switch and

extending the collect call to the called station, if the called party accepts

the collect call; and

M) releasing the called station and informing the caller, if the called

party does not accept the collect call.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the messaging platform further

comprises a message control processor and a messaging platform audio

server, including an audio response unit/audio server and the step of

attempting to obtain a voice message from the caller, if the called station

does not answer comprises the steps of:

J) in the audio response unit/audio server, performing the steps of:

1) prompting the caller to accept voice messaging service,

2) detecting whether the caller accepts voice messaging

service,

3) terminating the call, if the caller does not accept voice

messaging service, 60

M) detecting whether the called party accepts the voice message.

18. A method of delivering collect-voice mail message comprising the steps

of:

A) detecting an unanswered collect call from a calling telephone

station to a called telephone station;

B) obtaining a voice message from a caller at the calling telephone

station and recording the voice message at an audio response unit/audio

server;

C) originating a notification call to the called telephone station;

D) notifying the called party at the called telephone station of the

voice message when the called party answers the notification call; and

E) playing the voice message to the called party at the called

telephone station when the called party accepts the voice message.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

a plurality of notification calls to the called telephone station are

originated until the called telephone station is answered.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein:

a plurality of notification calls to the called telephone station are

originated until the called telephone station is answered or the number

of calls exceeds a predetermined number. 31. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

a confirmation number generator, generating a confirmation number for

obtaining the delivery status of the voice message from the messaging

platform.

32. The system of claim 27, wherein the voice message recorder comprises:

D-l) an audio recorder recording the voice message;

D-2) an first audio prompter, prompting the caller to select at least one

optional function, regarding handling of the voice message; and

D-3) an optional function performance device, performing the selected

optional function.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the at least one optional function is

selected from a list of optional functions consisting of:

playing back the voice message to the caller, appending an additional

voice message to the voice message, erasing and rerecording the voice

message, canceling the voice message, and delivering the voice message.

34. A collect-call voice mail messaging system for a public switched

telephone network, comprising: 62 A) a detector coupled to the public switched telephone network for

sensing an unanswered collect call from a calling telephone station to a

called telephone station;

B) a voice message audio server coupled to the public switched

telephone network for prompting for and receiving a voice message from

a caller at the calling telephone station;

C) a message call generator coupled to the public switched telephone

network for originating a call to the called telephone station subsequent

to the voice message audio server having received the voice message

from the caller;

D) a voice notification unit coupled to the message call generator for

generating a second voice message informing the called party at the

called telephone station of the first voice message when the called party

answers the call from the message call generator; and

E) a voice message unit for playing the first voice message to the

called party at the called telephone station when the called party accepts

the first voice message.

35. The collect-call voice mail messaging system of claim 34, wherein

the message call generator originates a plurality of calls to the called

telephone station until the called telephone station is answered.

36. The collect-call voice mail messaging system of claim 34, wherein 63 the message call generator originates a plurality of calls to the called

telephone station until the called telephone station is answered or the

number of calls exceeds a predetermined number.

37. The collect-call voice mail messaging system of claim 34, further

comprising:

a billing system for generating billing information so that the called

party is charged for delivery of the message if the message is delivered

to the called party.

38. The collect-call voice mail messaging system of claim 34, further

comprising:

a confirmation number unit for generating a confirmation number and

playing it to the caller, the caller obtaining the delivery status of the

voice message from the confirmation number.

39. The collect-call voice mail messaging system of claim 34, wherein the

voice message audio server comprises:

B-l) a voice message recorder recording the voice message from the

caller;

B-2) a message generator prompting the caller to select at least one

optional function;