Answering machine detection for voice message delivery method and system
View Patent ↗An apparatus and method for detecting an answering machine for a new voice message delivery method and system. The invention detects the presence of an existing answering machine or voicemail system of a Recipient by listening for talk-over during playback of the message or initial prompts. The method and system will also restart playback of the prompts and/or message if talk-over is detected to ensure that the message is properly recorded on the answering machine.
1. An answering machine detection method for a voice message delivery system, comprising:
(a) placing an outbound call to a telephone line of a Recipient;
(b) detecting a telephone line pick-up;
(c) performing echo cancellation on the outbound call;
(d) playing a prompt to introduce the outbound call to a live Recipient, wherein the prompt is selected from the group consisting of “This is a message from [Sender's name],” “This is a call from [Sender's name],” and “[Sender's name] has sent you a message,”; and
(e) determining, at a voice message sewer, that the telephone line pick-up was by an existing answering machine when talk-over occurs at the same time as at least a portion of the playing of the prompt, the talk-over comprising voice energy coming from the telephone line of the Recipient.
2. The answering machine detection method of claim 1 further comprising:
(f) waiting for silence when the telephone line pick-up was by the existing answering machine;
(g) playing a first message when the telephone line pick-up was by the existing answering machine; and
(h) playing a second message when the telephone line pick-up was by a live Recipient.
3. The answering machine detection method of claim 2 further comprising:
(i) detecting talk-over by the existing answering machine during the playing of the first message; and
(j) restarting the playing of the first message.
4. The answering machine detection method of claim 2 , wherein the first message is different from the second message.
5. The answering machine detection method of claim 2 further comprising:
(k) playing at least one interactive option when the telephone line pick-up was by the live Recipient.
6. The answering machine detection method of claim 5 further comprising:
(l) playing at least one interactive reject option when the telephone line pick-up was by the live Recipient.
7. The answering machine detection method of claim 1 , wherein the playing of the prompt occurs within one second of detecting the telephone line pick-up.
8. The answering machine detection method of claim 1 further comprising detecting voice energy after detecting the telephone line pick-up, and wherein the playing of the prompt occurs within one second of detecting the voice energy.
9. The answering machine detection method of claim 1 further comprising detecting voice energy and an end of that voice energy after detecting the telephone line pick-up, and wherein the playing of the prompt occurs within one second of detecting the end of the voice energy.