Patent ID: 8050387
Filing Date: 2011-11-01
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
1. A system for responding to an incoming phone call from a calling party, comprising: means for receiving the incoming phone call; means for generating a user alert in response to the incoming phone call, said generating means including a ring signal detection means; means at a called party's telephone for enabling selective entry of a user message in response to the alert while the incoming call is pending and still ringing to the calling party; means for playing the user message to the calling party, said playing means including means for transmitting said user message from the called party telephone to the calling party telephone via the telephone network; and a timing means responsive to the ring signal detection means for timing a predetermined period during which a called party can select to generate the user message; wherein the selective entry means includes means for selecting between recording one or more parameters insertable in a customized pre-recorded message and recording a message without parameters while the incoming call is pending; wherein the receiving means includes a voice recognition unit for recognizing at least one spoken command; wherein the at least one spoken command includes a predetermined instruction and a variable parameter.