Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2 ~
CALLING PARTY MESSAGE RESPONSE METHOD AND APPARATUS
Introduction
The invention is in the field of telephony voice messaging and
more particularly relates to automation of a calling party response to a
called party's machine generated voice message solicitation.
nackground of the Invention
In recent years, many telephone callers have become
accustomed to being invited to deposit a voice message for later receipt by a
called party. Such invitation may occur in the event that the called party is
a subscriber to a voice message service and is unavailable to answer a
calling party's telephone call, or the called party has a telephone answering
machine activated to answer any incoming telephone call.
Typically, a user of a voice message service is able to have
deposited a personalized message, for playback to a calling party following a
standard announcement informing the calling party that a message service
iS available. In some instances, the standard message may be omitted in
favour of the personalized message. In the instance wherein the telephone
answering machine is connected with the called party's telephone
apparatus, only the personalized message may be available.
It has become apparent that many of the persons who subscribe
to a voice messaging service must be enamoured with their own voices.
These persons seem to think that anyone having the excellent taste and
good fortune to have called them by telephone, should not be disappointed
by the absence of the called party, but rather should be regaled by a lengthy
dissertation as to the current disposition of the called party and be assured
` 3 0 of the good intention of the called party to respond in the event that the
calling party would be so good as to leave their name and telephone
number etc., etc., etc., after the sound of the tone. Furthermore, the
purveyors of the voice message service may have taken the opportunity to
.
2 ~
use the standard announcement to advertise an offering of their service to
all callers who are eventually routed to the voice message service.
A telephone user may rapidly lose whatever good humour and
patience with which he or she may have approached their day, after
5 placing a few telephone calls, only to be exposed to several lengthy voice
message service dissertations before having been able to deposit a simple
message to the effect that " this is so and so, please call me at 5551234", for
example.
It is an object of the present invention to assist the telephone
10 caller in leaving a voice message for an absent called party, while avoiding
exposure to any lengthy dissertation or solicitation.
Summary of the Invention
r
In accordance with the invention, a telephone user is provlded.
with an automated voice message response feature, which permits a
calling party to initiate a delivery of a prerecorded message immediately
upon the cailing party having recognized that the telephone call has been
connected with a voice message service, a telephone answering machine,
or the like.
A telephone user may be availed of, or have access to, the
automated message response feature by appropriate apparatus at the user's
location, which is connected in common with the user's telephone line, or
by subscription to the automated message response feature if such is
., 25 provided in a voice feature server or the like in association with a centrally
- located telephone facility remote from the user's location. In the event
that the subscriber has placed a telephone call, and during the progress of
the call realizes that the call is connected to an answering facility, the
subscriber may request an automatic deposit of a message for the called
3 o party. The subscriber may do so by depressing a prescribed key or prescribed
~~ digits to invoke the telephony message response feature and thereafter
. may go ON HOOK.
~; 2
., .
:
2 ~
The calling party automated response feature permits the
calling party to invoke a prerecorded response for delivery to a called party
and thereafter hang up the telephone handset. The calling party
automated response feature monitors the called party's solicitation and at
5 the appropriate moment transmits a voice message having been
previously deposited by the calling party for this purpose. Hence the
calling party is free to pursue other activities knowing that his or her desire
to speak with the called party has been eventually lodged with the called
party's answering service for subsequent receipt by the called party.
In an instance wherein a voice features server apparatus is
common to both the calling and called parties, an invoking action on the
part of the calling party may merely cause identification of the calling party
to be conveyed to the called party. Alternately, when the called party calls
upon the voice features server apparatus for messages, the called party is
15 supplied with the calling party's prerecorded response.
In one example, the automated response feature apparatus
effectively maintains the telephone call in an active state for a period of
time sufficient to deliver the intended response. The appropriate time
may be arbitrarily preset but preferably it is determined in each instance by
20 monitoring voice band signals of the called party's solicitation. When the
answering facility appears to be ready to accept a voice message from the
calling party, a message indicating the calling party's identity, and whatever
else may be appropriate, is transmitted for subsequent receipt by the called
party.
In another form, the automated message response feature may
be provided within an appropriately adapted telephone answering
machine, or in a somewhat similar apparatus specifically designed for the
telephony message response feature.
: 30
'
20~3~
- Brief Des~ tion of the Drawin~s
Example embodiments of the invention are discussed with
reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a schematic block diagram of centrally located telephony
common equipment suitable for implementing a telephony message
response feature in accordance with the invention;
Fig. 2 is a flow chart diagram illustrative of one example of
operation of the common equipment illustrated in Fig. 1 for providing the
telephony message response feature in an event wherein calling and called
parties are supported by the common equipment and the like;
Fig. 3 is a flow chart diagram illustrative of one example of
operation of the common equipment illustrated in Fig. 1 for providing the
automated response feature in an event wherein a calling party is
supported by the common equipment and the like, and a called party is not
so supported; and
Fig. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a telephone answering
machine located at a telephone user's premises together with telephony
message response apparatus for the telephone user in accordance with the
invention.
. . .
~eScription of the Example Embodiments
,,
The centrally located telephony common equipment illustrated
;~ 25 in Fig. 1 includes a telephone switching facility 10, which in turn includes a
switching network 12, line circuits 13 and trunk circuits 14, which are
operative under control of a call controller 11, to provide communication
paths between calling and called ones of telephone station sets 9a - 9n and
between the telephone station sets 9a - 9n and various of trunks 8a - 8n.
Telephone facilities of this general form and function are well known to
persons of typical skill in the art of electronic switched telephony.
However for convenience of description, the operation of a typical
~ ,
- :.
, ~ ..
2 ~ 3 1
telephone switching facility is briefly reviewed. In its operation, the
telephone switching facility 10 utilizes various service circuits, not shown,
for generating and detecting telephony signalling and supervision signals
and interfacing signalling and supervision information with the call
5 controller.
During typical operations of establishing a telephone call, one of
the functions in the progress of a telephone call is that of receiving
signalling, representative of dialled or pressed digits, from a calling party atone of the telephone sets 9a - 9n. When the dialled or pressed digits are
representative of a telephone number of a called party, they are referred to
as primary signalling. During the initial portion of a telephone call, dial
tone is supplied to the calling party and indicates that the telephone
switching facility 10 has connected a service circuit to receive and detect
primary signalling. After the telephone switching facility 10 is satisfied
that the primary signalling has been received, the service circuit is
disconnected, and it is then available for another telephone call. r
Dialled or pressed digits which may be originated at a telephone
station set sometime later, during a conversational portion of the call
progress, are usually referred to as secondary signalling. Secondary
20 signalling is relied upon to provide telephone users with access to, and
control of, telephony features such as voice messaging. As a matter of
convenience, secondary signalling is usually transmitted in the form of
dual-tone multifrequency (DTMF) signals. DTMF signals are transmittable
by way of voice band communication paths and hence may be responded to
25 by any telephone facility involved with the telephone call, without
participation of the telephone facility directly associated with the calling
party.
Secondary signalling may also be communicated in any of
various proprietary digital signal formats, as is typical of some digital signal30 private branch exchanges (PBXs) and digital signal key telephone systems,
for example, systems available from the assignee, Northern Telecom
Limited, under the trademarks of MERIDIAN and NORSTAR. In any
20~ u~
event, if secondary signalling is made of use, provision is made for
continuous monitoring of he conversational portion of the call progress to
receive and detect any occurrence of secondary signalling. It may be
possible to monitor all telephone calls for secondary signalling, however at
5 considerable equipment expense. Consequently secondary signalling is not
usually provided for unless the telephone user takes some action, such as
flashing the switch hook, or unless the telephone call has been routed to,
or intercepted by, a special facility, for example a voice features server 20 asshown in Fig. 1.
The voice features server 20, as shown in Fig. 1, is exemplary of
apparatus which is well known to be convenient for providing feature
services to a telephone switching facility. The voice features server 20
includes a server controller unit 21 which is coupled with the call
controller 11 via a command and status link 7. The call controller 11
15 directs functions of the voice features server 20 and is informed of its status
via the command and status link 7. The server controller unit 21 is
connected in common with a progress tones detector unit 22, a DTMF
receiver sender unit 23, a voice processor unit 24, a storage unit 25 and an
interface unit 26, via a communications bus 29. Digital signals, in the form
20 of frame oriented channels of pulse code modulation (PCM), are coupled
between the switching network 12 and the voice features server 20, via a
time division multiplex (TDM) link 6 under the direction of the call
controller 11 and the server controller 21, functioning in concert. One
example of apparatus which has been adapted to provide a practical voice
25 features server, is disclosed in United States Patent No. 4,608,685, entitled "Packet and Circuit Switched Communications Network" which issued to
the assignee, Northern Telecom Limited, on August 26, 1986. In operation,
the server controller 21 responds to commands from the call controller 11,
to direct the interface unit 26 to receive PCM signals from designated
30 channels in a receive bit stream on the TDM link 6, and/or to transmit
PCM signals into designated channels in the transmit bit stream on the
TDM link 6. Called or calling party identity information is used by the
3 ~
voice processor 24 for the purpose of packetizing PCM synchronous
information in preparation for storage of a voice message in the storage
unit 25. By a similar but complementary process, voice messages are also
retrieved from the storage unit 25 and depacketized into synchronous
s channels by the voice processor 24 for transmission via the telephone
switching facility 10.
A subscriber to the voice message feature may gain direct access
to the voice message feature by dialling a predetermined number, followed
by further dialling which is treated as secondary signalling. The secondary
signalling is used to effect control of the voice message feature for
performance of various functions, such as personalizing of a telephone
answering function by deposit of a personal solicitation or greeting for later
receipt by a caller whose telephone call to the subscriber has been
forwarded to the voice features server 20. The subscriber may also deposit
voice messages for subsequent delivery to designated telephone sets and
may likewise receive voice messages from other subscribers to this feature.
Subscriber features such as composing, reviewing, editing, addressing,
redirecting and archiving of voice messages, are available by means of
secondary signalling. Hence during any process of depositing or retrieving
a message, the DTMF receiver sender unit 23 monitors all assigned
synchronous channels for any DTMF secondary signalling. Other signal
formats of secondary signalling may be interfaced via the telephone facility
10 and the command status link 7.
In the process of the subscriber either depositing or retrieving a
message, use of secondary signalling is typical and permits close control of
the process from the subscriber's dial pad. The secondary signalling, from a
channel having been assigned to the subscriber by the telephone switching
facility 10 is detected in the DTMF receiver sender unit 23.
When a telephone call is forwarded to the voice features server
- 30 20, it is usually the result of one of several possible scenarios, for example:
2~$~1
i) the called party has previously arranged to have their
incoming calls routed to the voice features server 20 for
answering;
ii) the called party is already engaged in telephone usage; and
iii) the called party has failed to answer the telephone call after
a designated number of rings.
In any case, the calling party is the recipient of an audible voice solicitation,
which as before discussed may be lengthy and irksome.
Once the calling party ascertains that an invitation to leave a
message is in the process of being delivered from an automated message
service or answering machine, the calling party, in accordance with the
invention, may invoke an automated voice message response feature by
an appropriate push button depression, and thereafter go ON HOOK. The
automated voice message response feature effects the calling party
identification for the called party's subsequent receipt via the voice features
server 20. The automated voice message response feature, hereinafter
referred to as the response feature, permits the calling party to instantly
signal for the calling party's identity to be made of reference in relation to
the telephone call, without having to wait for the end of the solicitation
and the occurrence of the traditional beep sound. Subsequently the calling
party's identity will be made available to the called party, at such time as
the called party accesses the voice message feature. The calling party's
identity may be provided by a recording having been previously deposited
by the calling party, or by a machine generated audible or visible indication
of the calling party's identity being made available at the called party's
telephone.
One example of a sequence of functions for providing the
response feature for a feature services subscriber is illustrated in the flow
chart in Fig. 2. Referring to Fig. 2, in the event primary signalling from a
3 0 calling party identifies a called party that is for the moment unavailable, as
shown in block 101, the telephone switching facility 10 determines in
decision block 102, if the called party is a voice feature subscriber. If YES,
: '
,
.
:- - ~. ....
2~u~31
the telephone call is forwarded to the voice features server 20, wherein a
call answer feature shown in block 104 is started as indicated in block 105.
If NO, the call may be forwarded elsewhere or may be connected to an
appropriate service circuit in the telephone switching facility 10 to be
provided with an audible progress tone, busy tone for example, as indicated r
in block 103. In an event wherein the telephone call has progressed to the
answer feature indicated in the block 105, the calling party begins to hear
the solicitation inviting deposit of a message, such solicitation emanating
from the voice features server 20. As the solicitation progresses, the call is
monitored for an occurrence of secondary signalling, as indicated in
decision block 106. If NO, the solicitation continues as indicated in block
107 and the call continues to be monitored for secondary signalling as
indicated in the decision block 106. If YES, the secondary signalling is
tested to determine if an automated response is being signalled by the
calling party, as shown in decision block 108. If NO, the solicitation
continues as indicated in block 107, and the call continues to be monitored
for secondary signalling as indicated in the decision block 106. If YES, the
call is tested to determine if the calling party has returned the telephone set
to the ON HOOK state, as indicated at decision block 109. If NO, the
solicitation continues as indicated in block 107a, and the call continues to
be monitored for a transition from the OFF HOOK state to the ON HOOK
state. If YES, the progress of the answer feature is tested until the
solicitation is completed as indicated at decision block 110. If YES, a
prerecorded response to the called party's answer feature is made of record
25 in the voice features server 20 on behalf of the calling party.
The sequence of functions illustrated in Fig. 2 is operative for
provision of the automated response feature wherein the calling and called
parties are both subscribers in common to voice service features provided
in the voice features server 20, or alternatively provided in different voice
30 features servers which are networked together by means of common
channel signalling facilities, or are available in an Integrated Services
Digital Network (ISDN). Also the actual sequence of functions may be at
2~9~631
variance with the example illustrated in Fig. 2, in as much as the
solicitation may be terminated immediately upon the calling party having
signalled an invocation of the automated response feature. Furthermore,
the automated response feature may be manifest to the called party via
5 either audible or visible mediums.
The method illustrated by the sequence of steps in Fig. 3 is
useful in the event that the called party is served by a distant telephone
facility which is not linked to the switching facility 10 by other than typical
telephony primary signalling and voice path facilities, or when the called
10 party is not a subscriber to a centrally provided voice services messaging
feature. When the caller originates a telephone call as shown in a block
121, a communication path is established to the called party, and it is
determined by the call controller 11 whether or not the calling party is a
subscriber to an automatic answering services feature, as indicated in
15 decision block 122. If not, the call proceeds normally, and in the event thatthe caller realizes that a machine answer is in progress the caller is at
liberty to voice a message before hanging up, as shown in a block 123.
If however the calling party is a voice services subscriber the
connection is conference bridged to the voice features server 20 via a
20 channel in the TDM trunk 6. The server controller unit 21 receives
information via the command status link 7 which causes the DTMF
receiver sender to monitor the progress of the telephone call for secondary
signalling as indicated in a decision block 125. In an event where the
calling party realizes that the call progress has connected with a voice
25 message feature or a telephone answering machine, the calling party may
press an automatic response code to invoke a response feature and then
hang up. The automatic response code is tested for as indicated in a
decision block 125 by the DTMF receiver sender unit 23. As long as
signalling for the response feature is not detected and the calling party
3 o remains OFF HOOK, the DTMF receiver sender unit 23 continues to
monitor the connection. When the calling party is determined to have
2~631
gone ON HOOK, as indicated in a decision block 126, the call progress is
ended as shown in a block 127.
If the request for the response feature is detected, the server
controller unit 21 then proceeds with the response feature. Accordingly,
the progress tones detector 22 is caused to monitor the call progress for a
monotonous audio event in contrast to speech-like signals, as indicated in
a decision block 130. The occurrence of a monotonous audio event is
significant in that it may correspond to the typical monotonic BEEP tone
which usually signals that the called party's voice message feature or
10 answering machine is ready to receive the caller's message. The
monotonic BEEP tone may be distinguished from silence by an occurrence
of a significant energy level of monotonous sound, as indicated of test
decision blocks 130 and 133. If after a time little or no voice-like sound
energy is present and correspondingly the monotonous sound is of no
significant energy, the process times out as indicated in a decision block
131. This is taken to be an indication of silence. In this example, if there is
a failure to detect the "BEEP" occurrence, an absence of a typical voice
envelope for a period of more than about two or three seconds may also be
interpreted as indication of readiness to receive the caller's answer
message. In this instance the calling party's answer message is transmitted
to the called party on the assumption that the called party's answer feature
is ready to accept a message. At this moment, the server controller unit 21
causes the storage unit 25 to deliver a predeposited message of the calling
party to the voice processor unit 24 via the data bus 29. The voice processor
unit 24 expands the message to normal PCM and transmits same via the
interface unit 26 to the allotted channel in the TDM trunk 6. Thereafter
the server controller unit 21 indicates an end to the call progress, via the
command status link 7, to the controller 11. The call controller 11 then
causes the call to be torn down, ending the call progress, as shown in block
30 132.
If the called party's answer feature is typical, the energy of the
BEEP tone is detected as indicated in decision block 133 and the cessation of
3 1
the BEEP tone, being of a lesser energy, is determined as indicated in
decision box 134. If the lesser energy level persists through a time out
period indicated in a decision block 135, that is for a period of time at least
sufficient so as not to be confusing with an interrupted or stuttered BEEP
5 tone, it is assumed that the called party's answer feature is ready to accept a
voice message and the calling party's answer message is transmitted. At
the end of the calling party's answer message, the server controller unit 21
indicates an end to the call progress via the command status link 7 to the
controller 11. The call controller 11 then causes the call to be torn down,
0 ending the call progress, as indicated in block 136.
The foregoing discussion has illustrated the calling party
automated response feature as it can be embodied in a voice features server
or the like in conjunction with a telephone switching facility. However
the calling party automated response feature may also be embodied in
15 apparatus intended for connection to a subscriber telephone line at a
subscriber's premises, and may be conveniently combined with a telephone
answering machine for example. Referring to Fig. 4, a typical telephone
answering machine 30 is shown along with a telephone station set 9, as
being connected to a telephone line 5. The telephone answering machine
20 30 is exemplary of well known telephony apparatus which includes a
hybrid circuit 31 for coupling voice band signals between the telephone
line 5 and receive and transmit leads 32 and 33. A recording and playback
apparatus 35 may be provided by tape transports or by a digital signal
memory device, as appropriate for transmitting a prerecorded solicitation
25 and for receiving and recording messages from telephone callers, under
the control of a control circuit 34. The control circuit 34 provides means by
which a user may activate the telephone answering machine 30 to
automatically answer an incoming telephone call, record a personal
solicitation, and audibly play back any messages having been left by a
30 calling party, in the usual well known manner.
In this example the telephone answering machine 30 is
augmented by additional control circuitry which may be activated at the
12
2 ~
telephone user's discretion in the progress of the telephone call, to
transmit the solicitation or possibly an alternate message for the purpose of
identifying the caller to a called party's automatic telephone answering
feature. In the event that a telephone call is connected with an automatic
5 answering feature, upon recognition of the solicitation for what it is, the
calling party is at liberty to set the automatic answer response feature into
operation by actuation of a momentary switch 42a. Thereafter the calling
party may go ON HOOK secure in the knowledge that eventually, when
the solicitation is finished, the caller's identity will be made of record for
10 later reference by the called party. Actuation of the momentary switch 42a
causes a latch circuit 42 to be set which in turn causes a timer circuit 43 to
be started, and at the same time activates the control circuit 34 to put the
telephone answering machine 30 into an OFF HOOK condition. Voice
band energy from the called party's answer feature is coupled via the
telephone line, the hybrid circuit 31 and a receive lead 32 to a rectifier
circuit 41, which produces an impulse envelope signal in response to
speech signals. The timer circuit 43 is conveniently provided by a
retriggerable monostable circuit such that during a timing operation each
time an impulse signal is received from the rectifier circuit 41 the timing
20 function is reinitiated After the solicitation portion of the called party's
automatic answer feature has finished, the timer circuit 43 is no longer
reinitiated and hence times out. As the latch circuit 42 remains set, a signal
from the timer circuit 43 is gated via an AND gate 44 to set a latch circuit
45. An output of the latch circuit 45 is connected to the voice recording and
25 playback apparatus 35, such that the setting of the latch circuit 45 causes the
voice recording and playback apparatus 35 to commence a play back
operation which transmits a prerecorded message via the hybrid circuit 31
and the telephone line 5. The voice recording and playback apparatus 35 is
arranged to provide a pulse signal to signify that the end of the message
30 has occurred. This pulse signal is used to reset the latch circuits 42 and 45,
which in turn causes the control circuit 34 to return the telephone
answering machine 30 to the ON HOOK condition.
2 ~ 3 1
Ideally the telephone answering machine 30 will be capable of
storing two messages, either of which is selectable for playback to the
remote party, one message being intended for message solicitation and the
other message being selected in response to the setting of the latch circuit
5 45 for effecting identity of the calling party. However if two messages are
not available in a particular machine, one message can be effective for both
purposes if it is appropriately phrased. For example an audible message for
playback to a remote par~y may be as follows: '~his is telephone number
555 X>(XX. Please call at a later time or leave a message after the
10 tone....BEEP.". Of course if this message is received by the calIed party's
answering feature, it will be later apparent to the called party that the
appropriate action is to call the given telephone number. On the other
hand if the message is delivered to a calling party, the last part of the
message will clearly suggest that the calling party leave a message for the
15 called party.
Various embodiments of the invention will be apparent to
persons of typical skill in the design of telephone station set and feature set
apparatus ir. view of the forgoing disclosure. For example it may be
deemed expedient to merely allow a predetermined time period to pass
20 after the apparent cessation of voice energy from the called party's answer
feature before causing the telephone answering machine 30 to go ON
HOOK, rather than wait for the pulse signal from the voice recording and
playback apparatus 35, on the assumption that the message identifying the
calling party has been sent. Also rather than, or in addition to, the timing
25 circuit 43, this automatic telephone answering feature could also use a tone
detector, as previously described, to detect the typical monotonic BEEP tone
which signals the end of the called party's solicitation. Furthermore,
having regard for the numerous personal telephone answering machines
presently h~ service, it is apparent that a specialized independently
3 0 connectable automatic voice message response apparatus could be
marketed at a cost of less than a replacement cost of a fully functional
telephone answering machine. It is envisaged that such an automatic
14
.. :
'' ' ~,
209~31
voice message response apparatus would function either with or without
an adjunct telephone answering machine and may be associated with
either conventionally wired telephone station apparatus or wireless
telephone station apparatus often referred to as cellular telephones.
Regardless of the particular means by which the automated
calling party response feature is provided, it is believed that the frequent
telephone user will more readily retain the good humour and patience
with which he or she may have approached their business day, by being
able to avoid exposure to lengthy voice message service dissertations while
yet effecting a desired response, through the exercise of the calling party
message response feature.
Other examples of methods and apparatus within the scope of
the claims will come to the minds of persons skilled in telephony arts in
view of the foregoing descriptions. For example, it is believed that cellular
telephone users who subscribe to centralized voice messaging services will
find the message response feature to be advantageous. In addition to the
previously mentioned advantages, use of the feature as herein before
described, may reduce the amount of communication air time expense of
their cellular telephone service.
.
.. ..
' ~` :,
`.
