Voice mail server, mobile station and method for voice mail message transmission

• US 20010019951A1
• Filed: 12/28/2000
• Published: 09/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OL Security LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Haumont, Sergo, Kari, Hannu, Kanerva, Mikko
• Granted Patent: US 7,149,501 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/413
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/10 with dictation recording and playback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/253 where a visual mode is used instead of a voice mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/256 comprising a service specific user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

Within a cellular network, an incoming voice mail message is received at a voice mail server (20), adapted into a format suitable for transmission by a network connection which does not meet a delay requirement for delay sensitive information, dispatched to a mobile station (30), and received, readapted and stored thereat within a storing means (35). Adaptation, transmission, reception and readaptation conform to standards such as the GPRS and the UMTS. The voice mail message is dispatched directly to the mobile station (30) via an IP address of an ISDN address thereof. In this manner, instead of dispatching a message via the SMS, the sending of an adapted voice mail message directly to a mobile station (30) and storing it thereat makes it possible to avoid that a user has to poll a service center by calling in order to have the message delivered.

Claims

1. Voice mail server for a cellular network (10), comprising

a receiving means (22) for receiving an incoming voice mail message,

an adapting means (26) for adapting the voice mail message into a format suitable for transmission by a network channel which does not meet a delay requirement for delay-sensitive information, and

a transmission means (28) for dispatching the adapted voice mail message to a mobile station (30).

2. Voice mail server according to

claim 1

, wherein the adapting means (26) includes a packetising means for packetising the compressed voice mail message into data packets suitable for packet-switched transmission.

3. Voice mail server according to

claim 1

or

2

, wherein the voice mail server (20) is adapted to adapt and transmit the voice mail message conforming to GPRS and/or UMTS standards.

4. Voice mail server according to one of

claims 1

to

3

, wherein the voice mail server (20) is adapted to dispatch the voice mail message to an IP and/or ISDN address of said mobile station (30).

5. Voice mail server according to one of

claims 1

to

4

, wherein the voice mail server (20) is adapted to redispatch the voice mail message in a predefined manner if the addressed mobile station (30) is unable to receive the message, said predefined manner including the repeated redispatchment of the voice mail message on a regular or configurable basis for a predetermined period of time.

6. Voice mail server according to one of

claims 1

to

4

, wherein the voice mail server (20) is adapted to queue the voice mail message into a store-and-forward service, if the addressed mobile station (30) is unable to receive the message, and to inform the mobile station (30) of the stored message when the mobile station (30) becomes reachable again.

7. Voice mail server according to one of

claims 1

to

4

, wherein the voice mail server (20) is adapted to queue the voice mail message into a store-and-forward service, if the addressed mobile station (30) is unable to receive the message, and to dispatch the stored message to the mobile station (30) when the mobile station (30) becomes reachable again.

8. Voice mail server according to one of

claims 5

to

7

, wherein the voice mail server (20) is adapted to dispatch the stored message when the mobile station (30) asks for messages or for a certain message.

9. Voice mail server according to one of

claims 5

to

8

, wherein, if it is found that a storage means (35) of the mobile station (30) can not store all voice mail messages waiting at the voice mail server (20) at one time or if it is found that the voice mail message exceeds a predefined size, the voice mail server (20) is adapted to dispatch another message to the mobile station (30) indicating that further voice mail messages or a remainder of said large voice mail message are still waiting to be dispatched.

10. Voice mail server according to

claim 9

, wherein the voice mail server (20) is adapted to dispatch a list of a plurality of stored messages to the mobile station (30).

11. Voice mail server according to one of

claims 4

to

10

, wherein the voice mail server (20) is adapted to transmit another message to the mobile station (30) if a voice mail message is not dispatchable within a predetermined period of time.

32. Voice mail system for carrying out the method according to one of

claims 20

to

31

, comprising the voice mail server (20) according to one of

claims 1

to

11

and the mobile station (30) according to one of

claims 12

to

19

.

12. Mobile station for a cellular network, comprising

a receiving means (32) for receiving an adapted voice mail message,

a readapting means (34) for readapting the received message into a reproducible format, and

a reproduction means (36) for reproducing the stored voice mail message.

13. Mobile station according to

claim 12

, further comprising a storage means (35) adapted to store a plurality of voice mail messages.

14. Mobile station according to

claim 12

or

13

, wherein said reproduction means (36) is a speaker.

15. Mobile station according to

claim 12

or

13

, wherein said reproduction means (36) includes a display means for displaying an image or video portion included in said voice mail message.

16. Mobile station according to one of

claims 12

to

15

, wherein said mobile station (30) is adapted to receive and readapt the voice mail message conforming to GPRS and/or UMTS standards.

17. Mobile station according to one of

claims 12

to

16

, wherein said mobile station (30) further includes an adapting means (38) for adapting a voice mail message into a format suitable for transmission by a network channel which does not meet a delay requirement for delay sensitive information, and

a transmission means (39) for dispatching the adapted voice mail message to a voice mail server (20).

18. Mobile station according to

claim 17

, wherein the adapting means (38) includes a packetising means for packetising the voice mail message into data packets suitable for packet-switched transmission.

19. Mobile station according to

claim 17

or

18

, wherein the mobile station (40) is adapted to adapt and transmit the voice mail message conforming to GPRS and/or UMTS standards.

20. Method for dispatching a voice mail message in a cellular network, comprising the steps of:

receiving an incoming voice mail message at a voice mail server (20) of said cellular network,

adapting the received voice mail message into a format suitable for transmission by a network channel which does not meet a delay requirement for delay sensitive information,

dispatching the adapted voice mail message to a mobile station (30),

receiving the dispatched voice mail message at the mobile station (30), and

readapting the received voice mail message into a reproducible format.

21. Method according to

claim 20

, further comprising the step of

storing the received voice mail message in a storage means (35) of the mobile station (30).

22. Method according to

claim 20

or

21

, wherein the adapting step includes packetising the voice mail message into data packets suitable for packet-switched transmission.

23. Method according to one of

claims 20

to

22

, wherein the adapting step, the dispatching step, the receiving step and the readapting step are carried out conforming to GPRS and/or UMTS standards.

24. Method according to one of

claims 20

to

23

, wherein the voice mail message is dispatched to an IP and/or ISDN address of said mobile station (30).

25. Method according to one of

claims 20

to

24

, wherein the voice mail message is redispatched in a predefined manner if the addressed mobile station (30) is unable to receive the message, said predefined manner including a repeated redispatchment on a regular or configurable basis for a predetermined period of time.

26. Method according to one of

claims 20

to

24

, wherein the voice mail message is queued into a store-and-forward service, if the addressed mobile station (30) is unable to receive the message, and the mobile station (30) is informed of the stored message when the mobile station (30) becomes reachable again.

27. Method according to one of

claims 20

to

24

, wherein the voice mail message is queued into a store-and-forward service, if the addressed mobile station (30) is unable to receive the message, and dispatched to the mobile station (30) when the mobile station (30) becomes reachable again.

28. Method according to one of

claims 20

to

27

, wherein the stored message is dispatched when the mobile station (30) asks for messages or for a certain message.

29. Method according to one of

claims 21

to

28

, wherein, if it is found that the storage means (35) of the mobile station (30) can not store all voice mail messages waiting at the voice mail server (20) at one time or if it is found that the voice mail message exceeds a predefined size, another message is dispatched to the mobile station (30) indicating that further voice mail messages or a remainder of said large voice mail message are still waiting to be dispatched.

30. Method according to

claim 29

, wherein a list of a plurality of stored messages is dispatched to the mobile station (30).

31. Method according to one of

claims 20

to

30

, wherein another message is transmitted to the mobile station (30) if the voice mail message is not dispatchable within a predetermined period of time.