Method and system for automatically updating telephone response mechanism
US5555291A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 14, 1995 |
| Grant date | Sep 10, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 14, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04M2203/2072
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A telephone response mechanism provides a response to a caller and an opportunity for the caller to leave a message. The telephone response mechanism is utilized when a telephone call arrives with no one to answer it. The response is made up of three portions. A first portion is automatically generated by a data processing system based upon the time of day, e.g. "Good morning". A second portion is a recorded message identifying the person being called, e.g. "This is John Doe. I am not currently available." The third portion is created from information obtained from a database on the data processing system, such as a calendar database or a personnel database. The third portion explains to the caller where the user (the person being called) is or when the user will return. The third portion is automatically updated whenever the user updates the database. A lockout feature is provided to deny the telephone response mechanism access to selected entries in the database.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.