Abstract:
Voice mail, email, fax and personal calendar systems are integrated allowing for the automatic updating of voice mail and email responses to received telephone calls and emails indicating that the receiver of the telephone call/email is out of the office, temporarily unavailable, etc. For received telephone calls, a determination is made as to whether the call was received during or outside of normal working hours, and if the person receiving the call is still engaged beyond a previous entered time period for providing an appropriate message to the caller. The determination is also made as to whether the received call is an “inside” or “outside” call, e.g., originating within or outside of the office or organization being called, and a predetermined response is provided depending upon where the call originated. In response to an incoming fax, the number of the fax transmitter is stored and used to provide a return fax response with a predetermined message from the calendar server of the person receiving the call. Provision is made for updating the user status at any time and, thus, automatically changing the outgoing voice mail, email or fax message.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates generally to personal communications systems and is particularly directed to the integration of voice mail, email, fax and personal calendar systems for automatically providing an updated response to an incoming message as to the status, location, etc., of the person receiving the telephone call, email or fax. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Current communications links for individuals and businesses include telephones, of both the landline and wireless type, global information networks, such as the Internet, and facsimile (“fax”) systems. The telephone communications link has been supplemented with voice mail which provides the caller with a message in the event the person being called is not available. This message generally requests that the caller leave his or her name and return telephone number or perhaps directs the caller to another number at which the person being called can be reached. The voice message provided to the caller must be updated by the person receiving the call when the status of that person changes, i.e., the person receiving the call is no longer in a meeting, has returned from vacation, etc. This approach provides only limited information to the caller as to when, and if, his or her call will be returned. Moreover, if the person being called does not update the response message, the caller may be relying on outdated information and, as a result may be unsuccessful in attempting to communicate with the intended party. 
     The present invention addresses the aforementioned limitations of prior art by integrating voice mail, email, fax and personal calendar systems to provide for the automatic updating of response messages to incoming calls. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention contemplates the integration of voice mail, email, fax and personal calendar systems to automatically update messages provided in response to incoming communications via any of the aforementioned links. Upon receipt of an incoming telephone call, the calendar server makes the determination as to whether the call is received during or outside of normal working hours and also if the person receiving the call is still engaged beyond a previously entered time, such as attending an extended meeting. An appropriate audio response is provided to the caller indicating, if the call is received out of normal business hours, when the person being called will be available to return the call, or if the person being called is unavailable during normal business hours. The determination is also made whether the receiving call is an “inside” or “outside” call, i.e., originating within or outside of the office or organization being called, and a predetermined response is provided depending upon when the call originated. The calendar server is periodically scanned for updating the response to incoming voice mail, email and fax messages upon a change in status, location, etc., of the person being called from a previous scan. When a change occurs, an updated voice mail message is generated based upon the name of the calendar owner and that person&#39;s schedule as recorded in the calendar server. The individual calendars of plural users are sequentially scanned and updated messages are provided to the appropriate server of each person, as needed. Additionally, if the calendar server detects an extended absence from the office exceeding a previously defined time limit, an email response is provided to the originator of an incoming email informing that person that the called party is out of the office and may be unable to answer the email message promptly. In the event an incoming fax is received, the system automatically provides a predetermined fax message to the originating fax number advising of the status and/or location of the recipient of the fax message. Information in the calendar server is periodically scanned and automatically provided to each of the other servers for updating purposes. Provision is also made for manual updating of the calendar server by the user and providing this updated information to the other servers when entered. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The appended claims set forth those novel features which characterize the invention. However, the invention itself, as well as further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where like reference characters identify like elements throughout the various figures, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of an integrated voice mail, email, fax and personal calendar system for automatically updating messages in accordance with the principles of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 a  is a simplified flow chart illustrating the steps involved in receiving and processing a fax by the integrated voice mail, email, fax and personal calendar system of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 b  is a simplified flow chart illustrating the steps involved in the client status update process in updating a fax response upon receipt of an incoming fax-in accordance with one aspect of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a simplified flow chart illustrating the steps involved in updating the calendar server status of a user of the integrated voice mail, email, fax and personal calendar system of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a simplified flow chart illustrating the steps involved in updating voice mail messages output in response to an incoming telephone call in accordance with another aspect of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 5 is a simplified flow chart illustrating the steps involved in updating a user&#39;s status provided in an outgoing email message in response to a received email message. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a simplified block diagram of an integrated voice mail, email, fax and personal calendar system  10  in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The term “fax” is used herein as a shortened expression for “facsimile” involving the well-known transmission of hard copy messages via a conventional telephone network. 
     The integrated message system  10  of FIG. 1 includes a personal computer (“PC”)  12  including personal calendar, email, and voice mail programs. It is by means of PC  12  that a client, or user, of the integrated message system  10  enters information which is used in responding to an incoming telephone, email or fax message when the client is not available to receive the incoming message. PC  12  is conventional in design and operation and includes a video display as well as input means, such as a keyboard, which are not shown in the figure for simplicity. PC  12  may be connected to a hand-held input device  14 , such as a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), which allows the client to make calendar entries when not at the PC, which entries may be later loaded into the PC. The hand-held input device may be connected to the PC via an optical, wireless, or cable type interface. 
     The integrated message system  10  further includes an email server  18 , a calendar server  20 , a voice mail server  22 , and a fax system  24 . Email server  18 , calendar server  20 , voice mail server  22  and fax system  24  are connected to PC  12  by means of a data network, e.g., Internet Protocol (IP),  26 . Voice mail server  22  and fax system  24  are connected by means of the analog lines  28  of a telephone exchange  16 . Telephone exchange  16  may be a standard, public telephone network. Various servers may be used for the email server  18 , calendar server  20 , voice mail server  22  and within the fax system  24 . Examples of servers which could be used in the present invention include a Microsoft Exchange Server for email server  18  and calendar server  20 , while an Intuity Message Server available from Lucent Technologies, Inc. of Holmdel, N.J., could be used for voice mail server  22  and also within the fax system  24 . 
     The calendar server  20  is periodically updated via the IP network  26  from PC  12  by means of client inputs. Updating of the status of the client from PC  12  to calendar server  20  may be by means of a Microsoft Schedule Plus program stored in the PC. In addition, the client&#39;s status may also be updated by means of the hand-held data input device  14 , via PC  12  and IP Network  26 . 
     The calendar server  20  includes a memory  20   a  for storing the schedules of various clients, a clock  20   b , and a software scanner  20   c  for periodically scanning the contents of the memory and providing schedule information, including availability, of the various clients to the email server  18 , voice mail server  22 , and fax system  24 . By periodically scanning the client status information stored in the calendar server memory  28 , current client status information is provided to the email server  18 , voice mail server  22 , and fax system  24  in a timely manner. 
     Referring to FIG. 2 a , there is shown a simplified flow chart of the steps carried out under the control of a program stored in the calendar server  20  in automatically providing an updated status message via fax in response to an incoming fax in accordance with one aspect of the present invention. At step  101 , an incoming fax message is receiving by fax system  24  via telephone exchange  16 . The number of the fax machine from which the incoming fax message is transmitted is stored in memory such as by means of a caller identification (“ID”) device  24   a  within fax system  24  at step  102 . Alternatively, the transmitting telephone number signaled to the receiving fax machine at the start-up of fax message negotiation may be stored in another form of memory within the fax system  24 . At step  103 , the incoming fax message is stored in the client&#39;s Inbox based on the dialed number. In this context, fax system  24  may accommodate plural telephone numbers and store various individual status messages for several clients. At step  104 , the program stored in the fax system  24  determines if the client is out of the office based upon the client&#39;s current status as provided by the client via PC  12  to the fax system  24 . If at step  104  it is determined that the client is out of the office, the program proceeds to step  105  and transmits a return fax to the calling, or stored, fax number indicating that the called client is currently unavailable to read the fax. The program then proceeds to step  106  and waits for receipt of the next incoming fax message. If in step  104 , the program stored in the fax system  24  determines that the client is not out of the office, the program proceeds to step  106  and waits for receipt for the next incoming fax. If the client is in the office at the time of receipt of an incoming fax as determined at step  104 , a return fax message is not provided to the originator of the incoming fax because it is assumed that the client will, in due course, receive and respond to the incoming fax message. 
     Referring to FIG. 2 b , there is shown a simplified flow diagram of the steps involved in updating a client status message transmitted via fax in response to an incoming fax message in accordance with another aspect of the present invention. At step  201 , a client update status message is received by the calendar server  20  from either PC  12  or hand-held input device  14 . The program then at step  202  updates the client&#39;s status, providing an indication in the response fax message as to whether the client is in or out of the office and able to respond to receipt of a fax message. Text may also be added by the client to the response fax as to when the client expects to return to the office to permit the client to read and respond to the incoming fax message. At step  203 , the program returns to the receipt mode waiting for the receipt of the next status message from the client. 
     Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a simplified flow chart illustrating the steps involved in updating the status of a client in the calendar server  20  of the integrated message system  10  of the present invention. The steps carried out in FIG. 3 are under the control of a program stored in the calendar server  20  for updating the status message provided in response to an incoming telephone, email or fax message. The calendar server update program is initiated at step  301 , followed by a determination at step  302  as to whether the current time is out-of-hours. “Out-of-hours” is defined for purposes of the present invention as not within the regular working hours of the client. If it is determined at step  302  that the current time is out-of-hours, the program proceeds to step  303  and sends an out-of-hours message to the voice mail server  22 . This informs the caller via voice mail that the incoming message has been received out-of-hours, and the client can be expected to respond to the incoming message during the next in-hours working period. The program then returns to step  301  and again initiates the client status update procedure in the calendar server  20 . 
     If at step  302 , it is determined that the current time is not out-of-hours, the program proceeds to step  304  and determines if the activity is the first in-hours activity. If the activity is the first in-hours activity, the program proceeds to step  305  and determines if the length of the activity exceeds a defined length of time previously entered by the client in the calendar server  22 . If it is determined at step  305 , that the length of the activity exceeds a defined, predetermined length of time, the program proceeds to step  306  and, in response to an incoming message, sends an out-going, out-of-office message to the fax system  24  and email server  18 . The fax system  24  and email server  18  will then automatically provide an out-of-office message in response to an incoming fax or email message. The out-of-office message sent at step  306  indicates that the client is unavailable for a predetermined time, and will not read the incoming fax message until after this period expires. 
     If at step  304  the program determines that the activity is not the first in-hours activity or if at step  305  it is determined that the length of the activity does not exceed a defined length of time, the program proceeds, in either case, to step  307  for determining if the activity for the current time period is different from the previous activity. If at step  307  it is determined that the activity for the current time period is not the same as the previous activity, the program proceeds to step  308  for converting activity details to recorded speech via text-to-speech software and sending a message to the voice mail server  22  at step  309 . The message sent to the voice mail server  22  provides the caller with a voice mail message indicating that the client is unavailable for an indicated time period, and will not read the fax until the indicated time period expires. If the current activity is “idle”, then the calendar server  20  provides default messages to the email server  18 , voice mail server  22  and fax system  24 . Stored in the calendar server memory  20   a  are two types of states for activities. One state relates to activities that are planned for a given time period. A second type of activity stored in the calendar server memory  28  is an unplanned activity, which in the present application, is referred to as an “idle” activity. In response to receipt of an idle activity input from the calendar server  20 , any of the email, voice mail or fax servers will provide a default message in the form of a standard greeting, such as advising that the client is not currently available, but will soon read the incoming message. 
     If at step  307 , it is determined that the activity for the current time interval is the same as that of the previous activity, the program proceeds to step  310  for updating the calendar server of the next client. After all client calendar servers are updated with the most recent client status information, the program proceeds to step  311  and waits for the next update cycle following a predetermined time interval such as, for example, 15 minutes. 
     Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a simplified flow chart illustrating the steps involved in updating the voice mail server  22  with a client&#39;s most recent status information. At step  401 , the program stored in the calendar server  20  provides an updated client status message from the calendar server  20  to the voice mail server  22 . The updated message is in the form of a spoken message using text to speech conversion, which is stored in a buffer in the voice mail server  22  for subsequent replay in response to an incoming call. The program next at step  402  determines if the received incoming message is an internal message, i.e., originating from the client&#39;s department, section, company, etc. If it is determined in step  402  that the received message is an internal message, the program proceeds to step  403  and stores the message and calling party&#39;s number in an internal message buffer for the specified client. The program then proceeds to step  405  and waits for the next incoming message. If at step  402 , it is determined that the message is not an internal message, but rather is receiving from someone outside of the client&#39;s department, section, company, etc., the program proceeds to step  404  and stores the received message in an external message buffer and then proceeds to step  405  and waits for the next incoming message. Typically, a response provided to a received internal message will be more specific in detail than that provided to a received external message. For example, a response to a received internal message may be “Client is in meeting with Mr. Jones until 9:00”. On the other hand, a typical response to a received external message might be “Client is busy until 9:00”. 
     Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a simplified flow chart illustrating the steps involved in updating client status messages in the email server  22 . At step  501 , a client status update message is received by the email server  18 . At step  502 , the email server  18  updates the client&#39;s status in memory so as to provide an appropriate response message in response to an incoming email message. The program then at step  503  waits for the next status message sent from the calendar server  20 . 
     A sample schedule for a given client for storage in the client&#39;s calendar server may be as follows: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Client 
                 Begin Time 
                 End Time 
                 Description 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 Smith, John 
                  8:00 AM 
                  9:00 AM 
                 Meeting with Jim 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 Jones 
               
               
                   
                   
                 10:00 AM 
                 11:30 AM 
                 Conference call 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 on Project Blue 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Noon 
                  1:00 PM 
                 Lunch 
               
               
                   
                   
                  1:00 PM 
                  5:00 PM 
                 Make Sales Calls 
               
               
                   
                 Jones, Jenny 
                  8:00 AM 
                  5:00 PM 
                 Trip to 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 Headquarters 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     At 8:00 AM, the calendar server  20  checks John Smith&#39;s calendar and determines that the current activity is different from the previous activity, which in the present case is idle. An internal message of “John Smith is meeting with Jim Jones until 9:00 AM” is constructed by the program stored in the calendar server  20  and is provided t he voice mail server  22 . An external message such as “John Smith is busy until 9:00 AM” is constructed by the calendar server  20  and is also provided to the voice mail server  22 . 
     The calendar server  20  also checks the calendar of Jenny Jones at 8:00 AM and determines that the appointment is longer than the previously defined (and entered) length of time. An internal message such as “Jenny Jones is out for the day for a trip to headquarters” is constructed by the calendar server  20  and provided to the voice mail server  22 . An external message such as “Jenny Jones is busy all day” is constructed by the calendar server  20  and also provided to the voice mail server  22 . In addition, an out-of-the-office is provided by the calendar server  20  to the fax system  24  and email server  18 . At 8:15 AM, 8:30 AM, and 8:45 AM the calendar server  20  checks the calendars of John Smith and Jenny Jones and determines that the current activities are the same as the previous activities and takes no action. At 9:00 AM the calendar server  20  again checks John Smith&#39;s calendar and determines that the current activity “idle” is different from the previous activity. The standard internal and external messages are again constructed by the calendar server  20  and are provided to the voice mail server  22 . An example of either an internal or external message of this type would be “John Smith is in the office, but not able to answer you call right now”. This process is continued until, for example, 5:15 PM when the calendar server  20  determines that it is now out-of-hours, i.e., after work, so that the calendar server  20  constructs standard out-of-hours message and provide these messages to the voice mail server  22 . An in-the-office message is provided by the calendar server  20  to the email server and fax system of Jenny Jones. 
     While particular embodiments of the present invention have be shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. Therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as a limitation. The actual scope of the invention is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the prior art.