At&t Bell Laboratories

American Telephone and Telegraph, Co.

Thomas L Russell, Jr

Percy B Brown

Wen-Ping Ying

Richard E LeCronier

Nga V Chau

Georg K Karawas

Dawn R Parrott

Tung-Hai K Hsiao

Pamela J Lauber

Frank C LaPorta

Elliott Baral

Reuben D Hauptman

A R Gore

Usha Rao

Richard J Jaeger, Jr

Randall H Nelson

A Call Message Delivery System (CDS) in response to a request from a caller to deliver an international voice call message, uses the country code digits of the called station number to select the language to be used in the system announcement which precedes the delivery of the caller's message to the called station. Another feature enables the caller to select a system announcement to be delivered with the call message. An additional feature enables the caller to record his or her own announcement as the system announcement.

Call message delivery system and method utilizing caller-selected system

A call delivery service (CDS) apparatus and method are disclosed which enable non-subscriber callers to a common carrier network to bill a voice message delivery to their billing code, and to check the delivery status of the message from the network during a subsequent call. Optionally, at the caller's request, CDS can deliver the message status to the caller at a predesignated station. In one embodiment the caller can optionally request a response from the message recipient or answering party at the called station.

Call message delivery system and method

A Call Message Delivery system (CDS) enables an attendant to control the delivery of a recorded call message from a caller to a specified party at a called station. The CDS alerts the attendant at a delivery time, selected by either the caller or the system. When the attendant determines that the specified party has answered the call at the called station, the caller's recorded call message is outputted to the specified party. If the specified party is not available, the attendant may schedule the call for a later delivery or may forward the call to another station specified by the answering party at the called station.

Attendant-controlled call message delivery system and method

This invention relates to arrangements for providing a new spontaneous voice message service to any telephone customer at any telephone station when that customer encounters any destination that is busy or that does not answer. When a customer having a dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) station calls any destination that is busy or does not answer, the customer is invited, via an announcement identifying the new service, to record the caller's voice message. The announcement accompanies the returned busy tone or audible ring signal. The customer keys *867(=*VMS) and is then connected to a Voice Message Operations Center (VMOC) which prompts the customer to record the message. Advantageously, customers need not redial a VMOC number, their own number, and a destination number to reach a VMOC for storing the video message; the added convenience of this arrangement should stimulate substantial additional use of voice message service. The announcement, at very low cost, makes the customers aware of the service at the time they are most likely to use the service.

Spontaneous voice and data messaging

The system (10) provides a way of utilizing announcement distribution service equipment (21) which is presently in use in telecommunications networks (20) for ordering television or other signals (23) on a per program basis. The program signals (23) are enciphered. The receiver (30) is connected to receive a deciphered signal from a subscriber deciphering unit (18) at a subscriber location. The subscriber unit (18) is connected to the telecommunications network (20) by a nondedicated telephone service line (28). In response to an order instruction by the subscriber, the unit (18) automatically calls the appropriate announcement distribution service number for the channel associated with the desired program signal and receives from the service the coded key information (58) necessary for it to decipher the program signal. When the program signal is received by the unit (18), it is accompanied by control signals during retrace intervals which activate deciphering circuitry (G) in the unit. Also disclosed is a method of operation for the system (10) and a subscriber deciphering unit (18) for use in the system (10).

Method and apparatus for subscription broadcast

Growing community of inventors

Colts Neck, NJ, United States of America

Thomas L Russell, Jr