On demand voice mail recording system
View Patent ↗A cellular telephone handset stores audio files previously recorded by the user as well as voice mail messages from other users and selectively transmitted selected ones of these files to the remote listener, or to the voice mail system of a remote user. Voice mail messages are composed, stored, transmitted, forwarded and reviewed using a voice mail system without ringing the remote party's telephone, much as email is composed, stored, transmitted and reviewed using an email server.
1. An on-demand voice mail system for recording messages transmitted via a telephone network from a remote party to a telephone stationset operated by a stationset user wherein said stationset comprises, in combination:
a communications port connecting said stationset to said telephone network for establishing a voice connection via said telephone network between said remote party and said stationset,
a keypad for accepting control commands from said stationset user,
a voice recorder,
a memory storage unit for persistently storing messages recorded by said voice recorder, and
a processor coupled to said communications port, said keypad, said voice recorder and said memory storage unit for:
responding to a request command accepted from said stationset user during a two-way voice conversation via said voice connection by employing said voice recorder to record an incoming message received from said remote party via said voice connection that is maintained after said stationset user hangs up the stationset or otherwise terminates said two-way voice conversation,
storing said incoming message in said memory storage unit as an audio voice message file, and
thereafter reproducing said audio voice message file as stored in said memory storage unit upon request by said stationset user.
2. The on-demand voice mail system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said telephone network is formed in whole or in pan by a cellular telephone network and wherein said stationset is a cellular handset.
3. The on-demand voice mail system as set forth in claim 2 wherein said cellular handset includes a display screen for displaying menu options and wherein said processor accepts the selection of one of said menu options from said stationset user using said keypad as said request command.
4. The on-demand voice mail system as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
said memory storage unit stores a plurality of audio voice message files each of which is designated by a unique identifying label,
said stationset further comprises a display responsive to a command entered by said stationset user using said keypad for displaying the identifying label designating each of said plurality of audio voice message files, and
means responsive to a selection command entered by said stationset user using said keypad for designating a selected identifying label designating a selected one of said audio voice message files and for processing said selected one of said audio message files in a manner specified by stationset user.
5. The on-demand voice mail system as set forth in claim 4 wherein said stationset further comprises means for playing back said selected one of said audio voice message files for said stationset user.
6. The on-demand voice mail system as set forth in claim 4 wherein said stationset further comprises means for transmitting said selected one of said audio files via said communications port and said telephone network to said remote party.
7. The on-demand voice mail system as set forth in claim 4 wherein said telephone network is formed in whole or in part by a cellular telephone network and wherein said stationset operated by said stationset user is a cellular handset.
8. The on-demand voice mail system as set forth in claim 6 wherein said telephone network is formed in whole or in part by a cellular telephone network and wherein said stationset operated by said stationset user is a cellular handset.
9. The on-demand voice mail system as set forth in claim 7 wherein said stationset further comprises means for transmitting said selected one of said audio files via said communications port and said telephone network to a remotely located server for storage at said remotely located server.
10. The on-demand voice mail system as set forth in claim 7 wherein said request command is accepted when a second voice connection to a second remote party is pending after a call-waiting interruption and wherein, in response to said request, a two way conversation is established between said telephone user and said second remote party via said second voice connection while said voice recorder is recording said additional information.
11. The on-demand voice mail system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising means responsive to said request issued by said stationset user for terminating said two-way conversation for transmitting a pre-recorded greeting message to said remote party prior to connecting said remote party to said voice recorder.
12. The on-demand voice mail system as set forth in claim 11 further comprising means for acquiring caller identification information identifying said remote party and for selecting and transmitting said pre-recorded greeting message from a plurality of available messages based said caller identification information.