At+t Corp.

At&t Bell Laboratories

Alan Ira Schwartz

Barry S Seip

James Kemble

Peter Dunn

Gregory Pulz

Karrie Jo Hanson

Bruce E McNair

Paramdeep S Sahni

Alok K Gupta

Susan M Zoccolillo

Joseph V Fodale

Robert A Koch

Ronald E Large

Nancy A Catron

Nadine K Grasty

Edward S Chang

Bette T Schwartz

Richard J Famulare

The invention provides a method and system for prompt recipient notification of the active greeting on a voice message system, with the notification provided on initial recipient access of the voice message system, typically at the same time as the recipient is informed of new voice messages. Notification of the active greeting on initial access provides the recipient the opportunity to modify an outdated greeting thereby providing more current information. The invention also provides a method and system for automatically restoring the primary greeting at a predetermined date without the necessity of the recipient accessing the voice message administration area on that predetermined date.

Voice-mail greeting message notification

In a method of leaving a message for a calling party in an automatic long-distance re-dialing service where a called party returns a call from the calling party but the calling party does not answer the called party's return call, the method comprises the steps of providing the called party an option of returning the call from the calling party, for example, at the expense of the calling party and prompting the called party to leave a message for the calling party if the calling party does not answer the called party's return call. The apparatus comprises a controller for controlling operation of an announcement(message delivery capability, a dialer, a voice detector/coder and a memory for storing the message from the called party to be delivered to the calling party. The message is delivered upon detecting the calling party's next picking up their receiver or delivery is attempted periodically over a period of time until one means or the other first results in the calling party's receiving the message.

Method for accomplishing complete re-dial

A method for completing a telephone call originating from a calling party to a called party. The method determines the time zone at a first cell location associated with the originating calling party. It also determines the time zone at a second location associated with the called party. A comparison is made between the time zone associated with the calling party with the time zone associated with the called party. An announcement associated with the time of day is made to the calling party if the time zone associated with the calling party is not the same as the time zone associated with the called party. The system provides the calling party with a menu of options for completing a telephone call to the called party when the calling party receives either a busy signal, a ring no answer response, a message that said called party's telephone has been changed or a message that said called party's telephone is out of service. A response is inputted corresponding to a selected one of the options included in the menu. The selected option is processed during the telephone call connection attempt.

Wireless telephone menu system

A method of initiating telephone calls for a calling party to called parties based on past calling patterns is characterized by the steps of monitoring telephone calls made over a period of time; identifying calling patterns based on the telephone calls; and placing a telephone call based on the calling patterns. The method thus learns and anticipates telephone calls based on monitoring the calling party's calling patterns over a given time period.

Telecommunications apparatus for initiating calls based on past calling

A facility is provided which implements a 'hold-for-pickup' function in the delivery of a data message, e.g., a facsimile. Particularly, the facility associates a data message that it receives from a sender with a respective confirmation number and sends the confirmation number to the sender. Thereafter, the facility transmits the message only to a receiver who enters the confirmation number when requested to do so. The facility also provides a number of other features, such as allowing the sender to specify the number of receivers that will receive the data message. Another feature associates a received data message with a plurality of confirmation numbers. In this way, a user may associate the confirmation numbers with respective receivers. The receivers may then obtain a copy of the sender's data message from the facility by entering their respective confirmation numbers when requested to do so.

Data message storage and pick up service

This invention relates to methods of establishing facsimile (fax) connections. When it is determined that a call is a fax call, a fax indicator is sent with Common Channel Signaling (CCS) messages for that call. If a call with a fax indicator is received in a destination switching office, then the destination office checks to see if the called number is a fax number; if not, translation is made to find the number of a fax station for serving fax calls to the called number, and the call is completed to that fax station. Fax calls may be recognized by a fax class mark in an originating message from an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) line or a dialed prefix such as #, #3, or an alternative common carrier code (10XXX) from an ordinary line. Calls may be automatically redirected to a store and forward system on busy or no answer, routed to one of a plurality of alternative destinations based on the day and time, junk fax calls may be screened, and a fax message waiting lamp on the called (voice) destination may be operated. For international calls, a translation from voice to fax may be made at an egress gateway switch; the fax calls may also be automatically routed over low distortion international transmission facilities.

Special service call routing

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Bridgewater, NJ, United States of America

Alan Ira Schwartz