IP Library Granted Patent US 8,655,662
Granted Patent B2
US 8,655,662 · App. 13/688,611 · Granted Feb 18, 2014

System and method for answering a communication notification

Inventor: Horst Schroeter (New Providence, NJ)
Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,655,662
App. No.
13/688,611
Granted
Feb 18, 2014
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 (43)

1. A method comprising:

generating speech associated with an incoming communication;

determining, via a processor, an importance level of the incoming communication;

identifying a threshold, via the processor, wherein the threshold is one of static and dynamic; and

when the importance level is above the threshold:

presenting the speech; and

identifying a response to the speech, the response comprising one of accepting the incoming communication and ignoring the incoming communication.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the importance level is based on one of a telephone number, an area code, a geographic origin of the incoming communication, a caller identification, a voice message, a text message, an email, a subject line, a photograph, a video clip, metadata, an Internet Protocol address, and a domain name.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

when the response is to ignore the incoming communication and the incoming communication has a level of importance above a second threshold, presenting the speech a second time.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein when the speech is presented the second time, the speech further comprises a reason for the level of importance.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the speech is presented via a hand-free device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying of the response is based on an input from a user.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the importance level changes based on a user activity.

8. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage device having instructions stored which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

generating speech associated with an incoming communication;

determining an importance level of the incoming communication;

identifying a threshold, wherein the threshold is one of static and dynamic; and

when the importance level is above the threshold:

presenting the speech; and

identifying a response to the speech, the response comprising one of accepting the incoming communication and ignoring the incoming communication.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the importance level is determined based on one of a telephone number, an area code, a geographic origin of the incoming communication, a caller identification, a voice message, a text message, an email, a subject line, a photograph, a video clip, metadata, an Internet Protocol address, and a domain name.

10. The system of claim 8 , the computer-readable storage device having additional instructions stored which result in the operations further comprising:

when the response is to ignore the incoming communication and the incoming communication has a level of importance above a second threshold, presenting the speech a second time.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein when the speech is presented the second time, the speech further comprises a reason for the level of importance.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the speech is presented via a hand-free device.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the identifying of the response is based on an input from a user.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the importance level changes based on a user activity.

15. A computer-readable storage device having instructions stored which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

generating speech associated with an incoming communication;

determining an importance level of the incoming communication;

identifying a threshold, wherein the threshold is one of static and dynamic; and

when the importance level is above the threshold:

presenting the speech; and

identifying a response to the speech, the response comprising one of accepting the incoming communication and ignoring the incoming communication.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein the importance level is determined based on one of a telephone number, an area code, a geographic origin of the incoming communication, a caller identification, a voice message, a text message, an email, a subject line, a photograph, a video clip, metadata, an Internet Protocol address, and a domain name.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15 , the computer-readable storage device having additional instructions stored which result in the operations further comprising:

when the response is to ignore the incoming communication and the incoming communication has a level of importance above a second threshold, presenting the speech a second time.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17 , wherein when the speech is presented the second time, the speech further comprises a reason for the level of importance.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein the speech is presented via a hand-free device.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein the identifying of the response is based on an input from a user.

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 Nov 29, 2012
From: SCHROETER, HORST J.
To: AT&T LABS, INC.
Reel/Frame 029381/0665 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 12102197 · Apr 14, 2008
Related Publication 20130090100A1 · Apr 11, 2013