IP Library Granted Patent US 8,370,148
Granted Patent B2
US 8,370,148 · App. 12/102,197 · Granted Feb 5, 2013

System and method for answering a communication notification

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,370,148
App. No.
12/102,197
Granted
Feb 5, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer readable-media for answering a communication notification. The method for answering a communication notification comprises receiving a notification of communication from a user, converting information related to the notification to speech, outputting the information as speech to the user, and receiving from the user an instruction to accept or ignore the incoming communication associated with the notification. In one embodiment, information related to the notification comprises one or more of a telephone number, an area code, a geographic origin of the request, caller id, a voice message, address book information, a text message, an email, a subject line, an importance level, a photograph, a video clip, metadata, an IP address, or a domain name. Another embodiment involves notification assigned an importance level and repeat attempts at notification if it is of high importance.

Claims (37)

1. A method comprising:

receiving a notification of an incoming communication for a user;

converting to speech, via a processor, information related to the notification;

outputting the speech to the user when the notification has an importance level above a threshold, wherein the threshold is at least one of dynamic and static;

identifying a response by the user to the speech, wherein the response comprises one of accepting the incoming communication and ignoring the incoming communication; and

when the response comprises ignoring the incoming communication, outputting additional speech to the user when the incoming communication has an importance level above the threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information related to the notification comprises at least one of a telephone number, an area code, a geographic origin of the request, caller id, a voice message, address book information, a text message, an email, a subject line, an importance level, a photograph, a video clip, metadata, an IP address, and a domain name.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising outputting the speech to the user a second time when the user ignores a high importance notification.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the high importance notification comprises at least one of an indication of the importance level and an explanation of why the importance level is high.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the speech is output to the user via a hands-free device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a user profile determines what information related to the notification is converted to speech.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein multiple user profiles are used for at least one of different scenarios and different environments.

8. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a notification of an incoming communication for a user;

converting to speech, via a processor, information related to the notification;

outputting the speech to the user when the notification has an importance level above a threshold, wherein the threshold is at least one of dynamic and static;

identifying a response by the user to the speech, wherein the response comprises one of accepting the incoming communication and ignoring the incoming communication; and

when the response comprises ignoring the incoming communication, outputting additional speech to the user when the incoming communication has an importance level above the threshold.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the information related to the notification comprises at least one of a telephone number, an area code, a geographic origin of the request, caller id, a voice message, address book information, a text message, an email, a subject line, an importance level, a photograph, a video clip, metadata, an IP address, and a domain name.

10. The system of claim 8 , the computer-readable storage medium storing additional instructions which result in the method further comprising outputting the speech to the user a second time when the user ignores a high importance notification.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the high importance notification comprises at least one of an indication of the importance level and an explanation of why the importance level is high.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the speech is output to the user via a hands-free device.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein a user profile determines what information related to the notification is converted to speech.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein multiple user profiles are used for at least one of different scenarios and different environments.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a notification of an incoming communication, wherein the incoming communication is for a user;

converting to speech, via a processor, information related to the notification;

outputting the speech to the user when the notification has an importance level above a threshold, wherein the threshold is at least one of dynamic and static; and

identifying a response by the user to the speech, wherein the response comprises one of accepting the incoming communication and ignoring the incoming communication; and

when the response comprises ignoring the incoming communication, outputting additional speech to the user when the incoming communication has an importance level above the threshold.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the information related to the notification comprises at least one of a telephone number, an area code, a geographic origin of the request, caller id, a voice message, address book information, a text message, an email, a subject line, an importance level, a photograph, a video clip, metadata, an IP address, and a domain name.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , storing additional instructions which cause the method to further comprise outputting the information to the user a second time if the user ignores a high importance notification.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the high importance notification comprises at least one of an indication of the importance level and an explanation of why the importance level is high.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein a user profile determines what information related to the notification is converted to speech.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein multiple user profiles are used for at least one of different scenarios and different environments.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 9, 2023
From: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 065532/0152 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 26, 2017
From: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
To: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 041504/0952 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Nov 23, 2015
From: AT&T LABS, INC.
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 037121/0311 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 14, 2008
From: SCHROETER, HORST
To: AT&T LABS, INC.
Reel/Frame 020797/0533 →