Patent ID: 6295341
Filing Date: 2001-09-25
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
An answering device comprising:a modem configured to answer an incoming call upon detecting a predetermined number of rings, dial a user's network based voice mail box using a three-way calling service, and conference the incoming call with the user's voice mail box using the threeway calling service;a memory configured to store a predetermined telephone number and optional predetermined access code for the user's voice mail box; anda processor configured to control the modem and to pass the predetermined telephone number and optical predetermined access code from the memory to the modem, the processor being configured to output locally at the answering device a voice mail message as it is being recorded in the user's network based voice mail box;if the user answers the incoming call after a greeting has begun to be output, the processor is further configured to disconnect the user's voice mail box from the incoming call and to permit the user to intercept the incoming call; andif the user does not answer the call after a greeting has begun to be output, the processor is further configured to activate at least a message waiting indicator at the answering device to indicate that the recorded voice mail message exists in the user's network based voice mail box and responsive to a user input, the modem is configured to automatically dial the user's network based voice mail box to retrieve the recorded voice mail message.