System and method for called party controlled message delivery
View Patent ↗Disclosed are systems and methods which allow a calling party to store messages for a called party even if the called party does not already have message storage facilities, provided the calling party and/or called party meet certain parameters. Delivery of the message is controlled by the called party and may require the called party to agree to pay for the message delivery service. In a further embodiment, a call processing system is operable to screen outgoing calls from various callers according to a first set of criteria and if a call is not completed to a called party a second set of criteria is used to determine if a message can be stored awaiting retrieval by the called party. If desired, a return message from a called party to a calling party can be stored.
1. A message delivery system comprising:
means for storing a message from a calling party, said storing means operable when a called party is not available, said storing means operable for storing at least one message directed to said called party from at least one calling party;
means for allowing said called party the right to obtain a stored message only after said called party has agreed to pay for said right; and
means for automatically removing the stored message from a calling party to a called party upon said called party accepting an incoming call from said calling party, the incoming call different than the call during which the stored message was received.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein said payment includes the cost of the call from said calling party.
3. The system of claim 2 further comprising:
means for communicating to said called party an amount of payment necessary in order for said called party to obtain said message.
4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
means for preventing the storage of a message until certain parameters have been met.
5. The system of claim 4 wherein said parameters are selected from the list comprising:
number of stored messages from said calling party; number of stored messages from said calling party directed to a particular called party; number of previously obtained stored messages by said called party; time lapse since the last stored message directed to a called party; time lapse since the last stored message from said calling party; decile rating of said called party; blocking of storage for a called party; identity of said calling party; and availability of message storage privileges for said calling party.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein said system is available for storing individual messages for a plurality of called parties.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein said system is available for storing individual messages from a plurality of calling parties.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein the stored message is a voice message.
9. The system of claim 1 wherein the stored message is a data message.
10. The system of claim 1 wherein said storing means is remote from said calling and said called parties.
11. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
means for storing a return message from said called party, said return message storing means operable when a called party has obtained a stored message, said called party return message directed to the calling party associated with said obtained message.
12. The system of claim 11 further comprising:
means for informing said calling party that said return message is available to said calling party.
13. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
means for informing a calling party that a called party has obtained a message directed to said called party from said calling party.
14. The system of claim 13 wherein said informing means is activated when said calling party places a calling connection.
15. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
means for informing said called party at a telephone station associated with said called party that a message is available to said called party.
16. The system of claim 15 wherein said informing means informs said called party at a location other than at a telephone station associated with said called party.
17. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
means for informing said called party that a message is available to said called party via an address different than said message is directed to by said calling party.
18. The system of claim 17 wherein said different address comprises an e-mail address and said message is directed to a telephone station associated with said called party.
19. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
means for allowing review of any said stored message by a third party.
20. The system of claim 1 wherein said storing means is further operable upon direction of said calling party to avoid a live connection.
21. The system of claim 1 wherein said called party is a plurality of parties any one of whom can obtain said stored message.
22. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for allowing said called party the right to obtain a stored message comprises:
means for providing feedback regarding future messages.
23. The system of claim 22 wherein said feedback provides at least one feature selected from the group consisting of preventing further messages from said calling party, preventing further messages from a facility associated with said calling party, preventing further messages from a calling number associated with said calling party, and preventing further messages having content similar to that of said message from said calling party.
24. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for allowing said called party the right to obtain a stored message comprises:
means for providing feedback regarding reporting of said message.
25. The system of claim 24 wherein said reporting is directed to at least one of a service provider providing message delivery services and an administrator of a facility associated with said calling party.
26. A method for communication from a calling party to a called party, said method comprising:
accepting a communication from a calling party directed to a called party at a time when an active communication connection from said calling party to said called party is not available;
storing said accepted communication for later delivery to said calling party;
delivering said accepted communication to said called party under said called party's control and only after said called party has agreed to pay for such delivery; and
automatically removing any accepted communication from a calling party to a called party upon said called party accepting a subsequent incoming call from said calling party.
27. The method of claim 26 wherein said agreement to pay for a particular message is subsequent to said storing of said particular message.
28. The method of claim 26 further comprising:
evaluating calls from a calling party prior to allowing a communication to be accepted, said evaluating being according to at least one parameter selected from the list of:
number of stored messages from said calling party;
number of stored messages from said calling party directed to a particular called party;
number of previously obtained stored messages by said called party;
time lapse since the last stored message directed to said called party;
time lapse since the last stored message from said calling party;
decile rating of said called party;
blocking of storage for a called party; or
availability of message storage privileges for a calling party.
29. The method of claim 28 wherein said evaluating is remote from said calling and said called parties.
30. The method of claim 28 wherein said evaluating is performed before any attempt is made to complete a calling connection.
31. The method of claim 26 further comprising:
communicating to said called party an amount of payment necessary in order for said called party to obtain said message.
32. The method of claim 31 wherein said communicated amount includes any amount of a communication connection from said calling party.
33. The method of claim 26 wherein said removing comprises:
said accepted message available for review by a third person.
34. The method of claim 26 wherein said storage is remote from said called party and available for storing messages directed to a number of called parties.
35. The method of claim 26 wherein said storage is local to said called party and wherein said agreement to pay for delivery includes payment for collect calls.
36. The method of claim 26 further comprising:
ascertaining, local to said called party, that a particular call is acceptable for storage.
37. The method of claim 26 further comprising:
storing a return message from said called party, said return message storing operable when a called party has obtained a stored message, said called party return message directed to the calling party associated with said obtained message.
38. The method of claim 37 further comprising:
informing said calling party that said return message is available to said calling party.
39. The method of claim 26 further comprising:
informing a calling party that a called party has obtained a message directed to said called party from said calling party.
40. The method of claim 39 wherein said informing is activated when said calling party places a calling connection.
41. The method of claim 26 further comprising:
informing said called party at a telephone station associated with said called party that a message is available to said called party.
42. The method of claim 41 wherein said informing is operable to inform said called party at a location other than at a telephone station associated with said called party.
43. The method of claim 26 further comprising:
informing said called party that a message is available to said called party via an address different than said message is directed to by said calling party.
44. The method of claim 43 wherein said different address comprises an e-mail address and said message is directed to a telephone station associated with said called party.
45. The method of claim 26 further comprising:
allowing review of any said stored message by a third party.
46. The method of claim 26 wherein said accepting is further operable upon direction of said calling party to avoid a live connection.
47. The method of claim 26 wherein said called party is a plurality of parties any one of whom can obtain said stored message.
48. The method of claim 26 further comprising:
providing feedback, by said called party, regarding future messages.
49. The method of claim 48 wherein said feedback provides at least one feature selected from the group consisting of preventing further messages from said calling party, preventing further messages from a facility associated with said calling party, preventing further messages from a calling number associated with said calling party, and preventing further messages having content similar to that of said message from said calling party.
50. The method of claim 26 further comprising:
providing feedback, by said called party, regarding reporting of said message.
51. The method of claim 50 wherein said reporting is directed to at least one of a service provider providing message delivery services and an administrator of a facility associated with said calling party.
52. A method for delivering messages, said method comprising:
storing messages from calling parties when a called party is not available, each said stored message directed from a calling party to a called party;
communicating the availability of a stored message to each called party having a stored message directed to said called party;
allowing each said called party the right to obtain said stored message only after said called party has agreed to pay for said right; and
automatically removing any stored message from a particular calling party to a particular called party upon said particular called party accepting a subsequent incoming call from said particular calling party.
53. The method of claim 52 wherein said agreement occurs on a message by message basis subsequent to the storing of each such message.
54. The method of claim 53 wherein said payment includes the cost of completing the call from said calling party.
55. The method of claim 52 wherein said communicating of said availability comprises:
communicating to said called party an amount of payment necessary in order for said called party to obtain said message.
56. The method of claim 52 further comprises:
preventing the storage of a message until certain parameters have been met.
57. The method of claim 56 wherein said parameters are selected from the list comprising:
number of stored messages from said calling party;
number of stored messages from said calling party directed to a particular called party;
number of previously obtained stored messages from said called party;
time lapse since the last stored message directed to a called party;
time lapse since the last stored message from said calling party;
decile rating of said called party;
blocking of storage for a called party; or
availability of message storage privileges for a calling party.
58. The method of claim 52 wherein said messages are voice messages.
59. The method of claim 52 wherein said messages are data messages.
60. The method of claim 52 further comprising:
removing any stored message from a calling party directed to a called party upon said called party accepting an incoming call from said calling party.
61. The method of claim 52 wherein said storing is remote from said calling and said called parties.
62. A method for delivering messages, said method comprising:
storing messages from calling parties when called parties are not available to receive first calls from the calling parties;
communicating the availability of stored messages to the called parties, the stored messages recorded during the first calls;
allowing the called parties to obtain the stored messages only after the called parties have agreed to pay to receive the stored messages; and
automatically removing any unretrieved stored messages for from a particular calling party to a particular called party upon detection of a second call between the particular calling party and the particular called party.