IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,374,318
Granted Patent B2
US 8,374,318 · App. 13/305,217 · Granted Feb 12, 2013

Systems and methods for providing context-based voicemail

Inventors: Joshua S. Wright (Atlanta, GA); Linda S. Giles (Powder Springs, GA)
Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,374,318
App. No.
13/305,217
Granted
Feb 12, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

Voicemail systems and methods for managing voicemail systems are provided herein. The subject voicemail systems provide a plurality voicemail greeting, each of which are associated with a context tag. The context tag can be, for example, a location, a device parameter, an account parameter, a network parameter, or any other contextual information. Upon receipt of a change in a context tag, the voicemail system determines a new voicemail greeting associated with the new context tag and sets the new voicemail greeting to the active voicemail greeting.

Claims (107)

1. A voicemail system, for managing a voicemail account that is associated with a subscriber identification corresponding to a mobile terminal, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:

associating a plurality of voicemail greetings for the voicemail account with multiple context tags, each voicemail greeting of the plurality of voicemail greetings being associated with at least one of the multiple context tags;

receiving a context message from a context device configured to receive the subscriber identification from the mobile terminal by way of a short-range communication and to create and send the context message, the context message including the subscriber identification and a context tag related to the context device;

selecting the voicemail account based upon the subscriber identification received with the context message;

selecting an applicable voicemail greeting of the plurality of voicemail greetings based on the context tag received with the context message; and

setting the applicable voicemail greeting as an active voicemail greeting for the voicemail account.

2. The voicemail system of claim 1 , wherein the acts further comprise:

receiving a call from a calling party; and

presenting the active voicemail greeting to the calling party.

3. The voicemail system of claim 1 , wherein the context tag includes at least one characteristic selected from a group of characteristics consisting of:

a location identifier;

a device parameter;

a network parameter; and

an account parameter.

4. The voicemail system of claim 1 , wherein:

the context message is a first context message;

the context device is a first context device;

the context tag is a first context tag;

the applicable voicemail greeting is a first applicable voicemail greeting; and

the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, subsequent to setting the first applicable voicemail greeting as the active voicemail greeting, perform acts comprising:

receiving a second context message from a second context device configured to receive the subscriber identification from the mobile terminal by way of a short-range communication and to create and send the second context message, the second context message including the subscriber identification and second context tag related to the second context device;

selecting the voicemail account based upon the subscriber identification received with the second context message;

selecting a second applicable voicemail greeting of the plurality of voicemail greetings based on the second context tag with the second context message; and

setting the second applicable voicemail greeting as the active voicemail greeting, in place of the first applicable voicemail greeting, for the voicemail account.

5. The voicemail system of claim 4 , wherein the acts further comprise:

receiving a call from a calling party; and

presenting the active voicemail greeting, being the second applicable voicemail greeting, to the calling party.

6. The voicemail system of claim 4 , wherein the second context tag includes at least one characteristic selected from a group of characteristics consisting of:

a location identifier;

a device parameter;

a network parameter; and

an account parameter.

7. The voicemail system of claim 1 , wherein the context tag indicates at least one characteristic selected from a group of characteristics consisting of:

a primary location of a venue;

a secondary location of the venue;

a name of the venue;

an address of the venue;

a date of an event at the venue;

a time of the event at the venue; and

a length of the event at the venue.

8. The voicemail system of claim 7 , wherein the secondary location of the venue is a location within the venue.

9. A computer-implemented method, performed at a tangible voicemail system, for managing a voicemail account that is associated with a subscriber identification corresponding to a mobile terminal, comprising:

associating a plurality of voicemail greetings for the voicemail account with multiple context tags, each voicemail greeting of the plurality of voicemail greetings being associated with at least one of the multiple context tags;

receiving a context message from a context device configured to receive the subscriber identification from the mobile terminal by way of a short-range communication and to create and send the context message, the context message including the subscriber identification and a context tag related to the context device;

selecting the voicemail account based upon the subscriber identification received with the context message;

selecting an applicable voicemail greeting of the plurality of voicemail greetings based on the context tag received with the context message; and

setting the applicable voicemail greeting as an active voicemail greeting for the voicemail account.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving a call from a calling party; and

presenting the active voicemail greeting to the calling party.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the context tag includes at least one characteristic selected from a group of characteristics consisting of:

a location identifier;

a device parameter;

a network parameter; and

an account parameter.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein:

the context message is first context message;

the context device is a first context device;

the context tag is a first context tag;

the applicable voicemail greeting is a first applicable voicemail greeting; and

the method further comprises, subsequent to setting the first applicable voicemail greeting as the active voicemail greeting:

receiving a second context message from a second context device configured to receive the subscriber identification from the mobile terminal by way of a short-range communication and to create and send the second context message, the second context message including the subscriber identification and second context tag related to the second context device;

selecting the voicemail account based upon the subscriber identification received with the second context message;

selecting a second applicable voicemail greeting of the plurality of voicemail greetings based on the second context tag with the second context message; and

setting the second applicable voicemail greeting as the active voicemail greeting, in place of the first applicable voicemail greeting, for the voicemail account.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving a call from a calling party; and

presenting the active voicemail greeting, being the second applicable voicemail greeting, to the calling party.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second context tag includes at least one characteristic selected from a group of characteristics consisting of:

a location identifier;

a device parameter;

a network parameter; and

an account parameter.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, for managing a voicemail account that is associated with a subscriber identification corresponding to a mobile terminal, comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:

associating a plurality of voicemail greetings for the voicemail account with multiple context tags, each voicemail greeting of the plurality of voicemail greetings being associated with at least one of the multiple context tags;

receiving a context message from a context device configured to receive the subscriber identification from the mobile terminal by way of a short-range communication and to create and send the context message, the context message including the subscriber identification and a context tag related to the context device;

selecting the voicemail account based upon the subscriber identification received with the context message;

selecting an applicable voicemail greeting of the plurality of voicemail greetings based on the context tag received with the context message; and

setting the applicable voicemail greeting as an active voicemail greeting for the voicemail account.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the acts further comprise:

receiving a call from a calling party; and

presenting the active voicemail greeting to the calling party.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the context tag includes at least one characteristic selected from a group of characteristics consisting of:

a location identifier;

a device parameter;

a network parameter; and

an account parameter.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein:

the context message is first context message;

the context device is a first context device;

the context tag is a first context tag;

the applicable voicemail greeting is a first applicable voicemail greeting; and

the acts further comprise, subsequent to setting the first applicable voicemail greeting as the active voicemail greeting:

receiving a second context message from a second context device configured to receive the subscriber identification from the mobile terminal by way of a short-range communication and to create and send the second context message, the second context message including the subscriber identification and second context tag related to the second context device;

selecting the voicemail account based upon the subscriber identification received with the second context message;

selecting a second applicable voicemail greeting of the plurality of voicemail greetings based on the second context tag with the second context message; and

setting the second applicable voicemail greeting as the active voicemail greeting, in place of the first applicable voicemail greeting, for the voicemail account.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the acts further comprise:

receiving a call from a calling party; and

presenting the active voicemail greeting, being the second applicable voicemail greeting, to the calling party.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the second context tag includes at least one characteristic selected from a group of characteristics consisting of:

a location identifier;

a device parameter;

a network parameter; and

an account parameter.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 29, 2011
From: WRIGHT, JOSHUA S.; GILES, LINDA S.
To: CINGULAR WIRELESS II, LLC
Reel/Frame 027292/0658 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 11772974 · Jul 3, 2007
Related Publication 20120071138A1 · Mar 22, 2012