AT&T Labs Research — Leading Invention, Driving Innovation

The present invention provides methods that allow more sophisticated use of custom calling services by consolidating the access to and administration of services for multiple lines and/or telephone devices. Embodiments include a single configuration interface for the calling services on all of an individual's telephone lines or devices, a single system for providing incoming calling services for all of an individual's telephone lines or devices, and a single system for providing outgoing calling services for all of an individual's telephone lines or devices. The present invention also includes features which allow custom calling services for a particular telephone device to be customized so as to interact with the custom calling services on another telephone device belonging to the same user.

A trust propagation system is disclosed that propagates trust data based on established trust relationships. The trust system may automatically propagate trust data between parties A and C based on trust relationships with a common party B. Trust data may include authentication data such as biometric data, encryption data, passwords, etc. that may be used to conduct exclusive communications.

The present invention provides methods that allow more sophisticated use of custom calling services by consolidating the access to and administration of services for multiple lines and/or telephone devices. Embodiments include a single configuration interface for the calling services on all of an individual's telephone lines or devices, a single system for providing incoming calling services for all of an individual's telephone lines or devices, and a single system for providing outgoing calling services for all of an individual's telephone lines or devices. The present invention also includes features which allow custom calling services for a particular telephone device to be customized so as to interact with the custom calling services on another telephone device belonging to the same user.

Systems and methods for providing synthesized speech in a manner that takes into account the environment where the speech is presented. A method embodiment includes, based on a listening environment and at least one other parameter associated with at least one other parameter, selecting an approach from the plurality of approaches for presenting synthesized speech in a listening environment, presenting synthesized speech according to the selected approach and based on natural language input received from a user indicating that an inability to understand the presented synthesized speech, selecting a second approach from the plurality of approaches and presenting subsequent synthesized speech using the second approach.

A system and method permit a customer obtaining communication services to modify account parameters governing terms on which that service is provided. Customer account parameters are stored in one or more databases and accessed by one or more servers. The customer, upon accessing the communication service, is provided with an opportunity to modify the account parameters via automated interactive communication with the server. The invention can applied to wireless communication services such as wireless telephone service, wireless internet access, paging, or other forms of interactive wireless communication; to telephone or other wired interactive communication; to cable services; and to any other form of interactive subscriber communications. The invention may be implemented using existing equipment, and can be optimized for the type of communication device at issue.

A method and apparatus provide an advanced scheduling and messaging system in which information about an appointment is received from a user. Information about an attendee associated with the appointment, including attendee notification information, is also received. When it is determined that the user will be late for the appointment, an attendee notification message is automatically generated using the attendee notification information. Appointment time information and appointment location information can also be received by the scheduling system along with user location information. It can then be determined if the user will be late for the appointment based on the user location information, the appointment location information, the appointment time information and a time associated with the user location information.

A method of purchasing an item by a purchaser includes providing an identity of the item to the purchaser over the Internet on a vendor server. The purchaser then places a telephone call over a telephone network to a billing server. During the telephone call, the billing server receives a billing amount for the item and a financial account. The billing server provides a confirmation number to the purchaser during the telephone call. The purchaser then sends the confirmation number to the vendor server. After verifying the confirmation number, the vendor sends the item to the purchaser and the vendor server sends the confirmation number to the billing server over the telephone network.

A method and apparatus for delivering a greeting from a group of individuals to an individual or another group of individuals is disclosed. Recipient information, contributor information, billing information, and an input from each contributor are received by the system. The system composes the greeting using the contributor inputs and delivers the greeting to the recipient in the form of an audio or multimedia greeting. All the contributors can simultaneously provide their input to the greeting or individual contributors can connect to the system (at any time before a pre-determined time limit) and add an input to the greeting after reviewing the prior inputs of other contributors.

A method for handling time-dependent messages in a communication system includes receiving a time-dependent message from an originator. The time-dependent message includes a predetermined time-limit and a plurality of alternate actions for the time-dependent message. Each of the plurality of alternate actions is correlated with its associated time of release, wherein each time of release is originator specified. The method also includes sending the initial time-dependent message to a recipient based on said time code and receiving an acknowledgment to the time-dependent message from the recipient.

A prize awarding device and method that awards a prize over a communications network. The prize award device generates a prize code for a contest prize winning call which is based on the call information of the contest prize winning call. The call information may include the location of the winning caller, the location of the party being called, a duration of the winning call, and time of day the winning call is placed and the like. The prize code may further be based on demographic information of the calling and/or called party. Based on the prize code, the prize award device selects a prize.

A system, apparatus and method automatically update address information of a user's outgoing and incoming messages to/from a communication network thereby relieving the user of the burden of manually entering address changes into a user address book. A plurality of users are coupled through terminals to a server in the communication network for exchanging telephone, CATV, Internet, intranet for messaging, facsimile, etc purposes. The server includes a message store; stored message profile; and is coupled to a change server linked to a network. The change server includes search rules and change options provided by the users in directing the change server in finding correct and alternative address information when erroneous or unknown information is detected in the outgoing and incoming messages. Each user address book includes a series of contacts for each user. Each contact is identified by an identification number, ID, including a name and address. The server detects message headers where a Send To Address is not in the address book. The change server is activated and accesses external databases for correct or alternative addresses in accordance with search rules provided by the user. The alternative or correct address books address information is installed in the users address book and the Send To Message process is executed. For returned messages incorporating erroneous information, the search server is again activated to access the databases for correct address information, after which the user's address book is updated thereby eliminating the time-consuming, irritating manual process of updating the user address book for outgoing and incoming messages.

A speech processor uses at least two speech processing features to enhance the quality of speech signals received by a user during a telephone call. The speech processing features are applied to the speech signals. However, the user only hears speech signals affected by one speech processing feature until both features have fully converged or ramped-up, and the two features are no longer interfering with each other. At that point, a flash-cut of the second speech processing feature is activated. The flash-cut instantaneously switches to speech signals affected by both features. This quick transition makes the speech processing features more noticeable to the user, and the user is not subjected to the period where the features interfere. Further, an optional audio indicator is generated before implementing the flash-cut, so the user is alerted to the flash-cut, and the speech processing features are even more noticeable.

A system and method that provides specialized processing based on the source of the communication and/or type of communication being made. The system includes at least one user device connected to at least one network through a communications link. The network includes a specialized processor that has access to at least one database and which determine the source and/or type of communication being made. The database stores information necessary for identifying the appropriate processing for the type of communication. The specialized processor performs the appropriate specialized processing based on the source and/or type of communication and the information obtained from the database. The method according to the invention includes automatically determining the source and/or type of communication being made. Based on the determined source and/or type of communication, information indicating the specialized processing that is to be performed for that source and/or type of communication is retrieved from the database. Based on the information retrieved, specialized processing identified by the retrieved information is performed on the communication. In this manner, specialized processing of the communication may be automatically performed based on the source and/or type of communication being made.

A method and apparatus can enter a call into a lottery, if the call is eligible. A group of individuals or other entities associated with the call for purposes of the lottery is identified; and if the call has won the lottery, at least one member of group is advised of the group's winning status. The odds of winning a lottery for the call can be adjusted based on a participation history for at least one member of the group. The participation history can include a past number of calls made or total call time logged by the caller, etc. Thus, for example, groups of frequent users of a communication service can be rewarded with increased odds of winning a lottery each time a request for communication services is made and communication services are provided.

A subscriber to alias telephone number e-mail system can retrieve both their voice-mail messages and e-mail messages by accessing only their e-mail system. Specifically, when a calling party calls the subscriber of an alias e-mail system who is unavailable to take the call, and leaves a voice-mail message on a network-based voice-mail system, the voice-mail system stores the message. The network-based voice-mail system then determines, through a network-based database retrieval, whether the called party is a subscriber to an alias telephone number e-mail system. In such a system, e-mail messages are addressed with a name portion including a subscriber's telephone number. A translation server then translates the alias telephone number e-mail address to the subscriber's actual e-mail address and forwards the message to the subscriber. If the called party is determined to be a subscriber to such a system, the voice-mail system converts the stored voice-mail message into a text or a .WAV file and includes the converted message in an e-mail message addressed to the called party/subscriber's alias telephone number e-mail address for transmission over the Internet. The translation server then converts the alias telephone number e-mail address to the subscriber's actual e-mail address and forwards the e-mail message to the called party/subscriber's e-mail repository server at that actual address for later retrieval by the called party.

A speech processor uses at least two speech processing features to enhance the quality of speech signals received by a user during a telephone call. The speech processing features are applied to the speech signals. However, the user only hears speech signals affected by one speech processing feature until both features have fully converged or ramped-up, and the two features are no longer interfering with each other. At that point, a flash-cut of the second speech processing feature is activated. The flash-cut instantaneously switches to speech signals affected by both features. This quick transition makes the speech processing features more noticeable to the user, and the user is not subjected to the period where the features interfere. Further, an optional audio indicator is generated before implementing the flash-cut, so the user is alerted to the flash-cut, and the speech processing features are even more noticeable.

A method and apparatus for rewarding communication service users can enter a call into a lottery, if the call is eligible. A party associated with the call for purposes of the lottery is identified; and if the call has won the lottery, the lottery winner is advised of the winning status. The odds of winning a lottery for the call can be adjusted based on a participation history for the associated party including a history of past lottery prizes won and refused. Thus, a lottery winner can be given the opportunity to refuse a lottery prize won in return for a chance to win a better prize in a future lottery. Prizes won by the lottery winner can also be matched to the lottery winner's preferences and/or the lottery winning call.

A speech processor uses a plurality of speech processing features to enhance the quality of speech signals received by a user during a telephone call. The activation of a second speech processing feature is delayed for a time duration measured after the initiation of a particular call or measured after the activation of a first speech processing feature. This delay eliminates any interference between the second speech processing feature and the first speech processing feature that is active when the call is initiated. The delay also increases the time it takes for the speech processing features to become fully effective, thus making the enhancement in the quality of the speech signals more noticeable to the user. Further, an optionally generated audio indicator is provided when the second speech processing feature is applied so that the additional feature is even more noticeable to the user.

A common adjunct switch in association with a communications network provides a number of functionalities, one of which allows associated subscribers to customize the way in which they receive telephone calls and access enhanced services, such as a facsimile service. In particular, each subscriber may dynamically specify a number of caller identifiers and a different call treatment for each such identifier as well as a particular billing mode. A call treatment may include, for example, a specification to forward an associated call to a (a) particular telephone number, (b) default telephone number, or (c) messaging service.

A common adjunct switch in association with a communications network provides a number of functionalities, one of which allows associated subscribers to customize the way in which they receive telephone calls and access enhanced services, such as a facsimile service. In particular, each subscriber may dynamically specify a number of caller identifiers and a different call treatment for each such identifier as well as a particular billing mode. A call treatment may include, for example, a specification to forward an associated call to a (a) particular telephone number, (b) default telephone number, or (c) messaging service.

A common adjunct switch integrated with a telecommunications network and associated with a plurality of predetermined telephone numbers prefixed by a common code is provided with a facility which allows telephone subscribers that are assigned respective ones of the telephone numbers to personalize the way in which they receive long distance telephone calls. For example, such a subscriber may program his/her associated service record to put into effect call forwarding or call screening. In addition, each such subscriber may be associated with one or more caller identification numbers, in which a caller identification number is used to determine whether a call placed to a service number is billed to the called subscriber or the calling party.