Elliott Baral - Chicago IL Percy B. Brown - East Brunswick NJ Reuben D. Hauptman - Marlboro NJ Richard J. Jaeger - West Chicago IL Frank C. LaPorta - Millington NJ Pamela J. Lauber - Middletown NJ Richard E. LeCronier - New Monmouth NJ Randall H. Nelson - Ocean NJ Thomas L. Russell - Colts Neck NJ Wen-Ping Ying - East Brunswick NJ
Assignee:
AT&T Bell Laboratories - Murray Hill NJ
International Classification:
H04M 350 H04M 706 H04M 1100
US Classification:
379 67
Abstract:
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.
Jerome Jaeger, Joell Bouza, Floyd Rokusek, Martha Dowd, Richard Bartekoske, Sylvia Varilek, Monica Mushitz, Leonard Steckley, Mary Jaeger, Ron Wojciechowski