Methods and apparatus for providing messaging using voicemail

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing voicemail services to callers of wireless devices may include providing customized outgoing messages to callers based upon the caller's identification. A subscriber to the voicemail service may select one or more contacts associated with the subscriber to receive a customized outgoing message while the remaining callers receive a general outgoing message. The methods and apparatus may further include distributing voicemail messages from a subscriber's voicemail accounts to one or more social networking sites. The subscriber to the voicemail services may share one or more received voicemail messages via one or more social networking accounts associated with the subscriber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating a server, comprising:
 detecting that a calling device is attempting to call a target device;   identifying a voicemail message that is directed to a user of the calling device from a user of the target device and to which the user of the calling device has not yet listened; and   delivering, in conjunction with providing the user of the calling device with an opportunity to record a new voicemail message directed to the user of the target device, the identified voicemail message to the calling device as part of a voicemail greeting message.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identified voicemail message replaces a default or customized voicemail greeting message component within the voicemail greeting message. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identified voicemail message is provided in addition to a default or customized voicemail greeting message component within the voicemail greeting message. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 retrieving social networking information from a social networking account of the user of the target device,   wherein the delivering further delivers the social networking information to the calling device in conjunction with providing the user of the calling device with the opportunity to record the new voicemail message.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the social networking information includes a recent photograph of the user of the target device from the social networking account of the user of the target device and/or a status message from the social networking account of the user of the target device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 periodically refreshing the social networking information by accessing the social networking account of the user of the target device.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 recording the new voicemail message directed to the user of the target device.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 sharing the new voicemail message with a social networking account of the user of the target device.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the sharing includes uploading the new voicemail message to the social networking account of the user of the target device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the sharing includes posting a link to the new voicemail message to the social networking account of the user of the target device. 
     
     
         11 . A server, comprising:
 a processor configured to:
 detecting that a calling device is attempting to call a target device; 
 identify a voicemail message that is directed to a user of the calling device from a user of the target device and to which the user of the calling device has not yet listened; and 
 deliver, in conjunction with providing the user of the calling device with an opportunity to record a new voicemail message directed to the user of the target device, the identified voicemail message to the calling device as part of a voicemail greeting message. 
   
     
     
         12 . The server of  claim 11 , wherein the processor delivers the identified voicemail message by replacing a default or customized voicemail greeting message component with the identified voicemail message within the voicemail greeting message. 
     
     
         13 . The server of  claim 11 , wherein the processor provides the identified voicemail message in addition to a default or customized voicemail greeting message component within the voicemail greeting message. 
     
     
         14 . The server of  claim 11 ,
 wherein the processor is further configured to retrieve social networking information from a social networking account of the user of the target device, and   wherein the processor is configured to deliver by delivering the social networking information to the calling device in conjunction with providing the user of the calling device with the opportunity to record the new voicemail message.   
     
     
         15 . The server of  claim 14 , wherein the social networking information includes a recent photograph of the user of the target device from the social networking account of the user of the target device and/or a status message from the social networking account of the user of the target device. 
     
     
         16 . The server of  claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to periodically refresh the social networking information by accessing the social networking account of the user of the target device. 
     
     
         17 . The server of  claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to record the new voicemail message directed to the user of the target device. 
     
     
         18 . The server of  claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to share the new voicemail message with a social networking account of the user of the target device. 
     
     
         19 . The server of  claim 18 , wherein the processor is further configured to share the new voicemail message by uploading the new voicemail message to the social networking account of the user of the target device. 
     
     
         20 . The server of  claim 18 , wherein the processor is further configured to share the new voicemail message by posting a link to the new voicemail message to the social networking account of the user of the target device.