An Apple patent (number 8265450) for the creation and management of voicemail greetings for mobile communication devices has appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

Per the patent, a user of a mobile communication device can create and manage multiple voicemail greetings. In one aspect, a user of a mobile communication device can create customized voicemails. The customized voicemails can be assigned to specific contacts (or groups of contacts) known to the mobile communication device. The customized voicemail greetings can also have controlled expiration dates. In another aspect, customized voicemails can be assigned to incoming calls in real-time.

Here's Apple's summary of the invention: "Today, wireless service providers provide voicemail services to their wireless subscribers using mobile phones. When a caller to a mobile phone is directed to voicemail, the user receives whatever voicemail greeting has been configured for the particular mobile phone. The user of the mobile phone can record a new voicemail message, such as a vacation message when they will be away from their phone for some time. Unfortunately, however, neither mobile phones nor wireless service providers enable users of mobile phones to efficiently manage multiple voicemail greetings."

The inventors are Policarpo Wood, Alan Cannistraro and Kourtny Hicks.