Method and system for delivering a voice mail notification to a subscriber using cellular phone network

• US 20020160756A1
• Filed: 05/15/2002
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Amin, Umesh J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,062,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/413
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

A method and system of the present invention delivers a voice mail notification to a subscriber of a voice mail system to indicate that a voice mail message is waiting in the subscriber mailbox. The voice mail system cellular phone network. The voice mail notification typically includes the calling party number and the name of the calling party if available, and an index. This is forwarded through the cellular phone network to the subscriber to indicate that a voice mail message is waiting in a subscriber mailbox. Subscribers can retrieve a specific message from the Voice Mail System.

Claims

1. A method of delivering a voice mail notification to a subscriber of a voice mail system to indicate that a voice mail message is waiting in a subscriber mailbox, comprising the steps of

receiving within a cellular phone network a voice mail notification from a voice mail system that indicates a voice mail message is waiting for a subscriber, and

forwarding the voice mail notification through the cellular phone network to a cellular phone of the subscriber to indicate a voice mail message is waiting in a subscriber mailbox, and including incorporating in the voice mail notification the calling party number the Mobile Identification Number, the name of the calling party, if known, and index.

2. A method according to claim 1 including the step of registering the cellular phone with the cellular phone network before a voice mail notification is sent.

3. A method according to claim 1 including the step of receiving a voice mail notification within a messaging center of the cellular phone network and forwarding the voice mail notification through a mobile switching center to a cellular telephone of the subscriber.

4. A method according to claim 1 including the step of querying a home location register to determine the location of a subscriber who is to receive the voice mail notification.

5. A method according to claim 1 including the step of displaying the calling party number and, if known, the calling party name on a cellular phone display after receiving a voice mail notification from the cellular phone network.

6. A method according to claim 5 including the step of storing within the cellular phone an index of all voice mail messages stored in the subscriber mailbox.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the cellular phone comprises an IS 136 phone.

8. The method according to claim 1 including the step of scrolling through a series of voice mail notifications displayed on a display, highlighting a desired voice mail notification, and retrieving the voice mail message.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the step of retrieving the voice mail message includes the step of dialing a voice mailbox and requesting a particular message be played.

10. A system for delivering a voice mail notification to a subscriber of a voice mail system to indicate that a voice mail message is waiting in a subscriber mailbox comprising

a voice mail system having a subscriber mailbox in which voice mail messages are stored, and including means for generating a voice mail notification having the calling party number that left the voice mail message in the voice mail system, if known, the name of the caller, and an index, and

a cellular phone network in communication with the voice mail system for receiving the generated voice mail notification from the voice mail system and forwarding the voice mail notification to a cellular phone of a subscriber.

11. A system according to claim 10 including means for registering the cellular phone with the cellular phone network before a voice mail notification is sent.

12. A system according to claim 10 wherein the cellular phone network includes a messaging center for receiving the voice mail notification from the voice mail system, and a mobile switching center for receiving the voice mail notification from the messaging center and later forwarding to the subscriber.

13. A system according to claim 12 including a home location register for maintaining a record of the location of a subscriber so that the voice mail notification can be forwarded to the subscriber.

14. A system according to claim 10, wherein the cellular phone includes a display for displaying the calling party number and if known, the calling party name.

15. A system according to claim 10, including storing within the cellular phone an index of all voice mails stored within the subscriber mailbox.

16. A system according to claim 10, wherein the cellular phone comprises an IS 136 phone.

17. A system according to claim 10, including a display, means for scrolling through a series of voice mail notifications displayed on the display, means for highlighting the desired voice mail notification and retrieving a voice mail message.

18. A system according to claim 10, wherein the means for retrieving the voice mail message includes means for dialing a voice mailbox and requesting a particular message to be played.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising sending the voice mail notification to the mobile device from a messaging center.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the caller identifier includes at least one of a number of the calling party and a name of the calling party.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising associating voice mail notification with a call index.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the voice mail notification is forwarded to the mobile device along a control channel.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the voice mail notification is forwarded to the mobile device along a traffic channel.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the mobile device is a cellular phone.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein a messaging center forwards the voice mail notification to the mobile device using a mobile switching center and a cellular base station.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the mobile device includes a storage device and a display.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the storage device stores the voice mail notification.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the display displays the voice mail notification.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the display is an LCD screen.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the display allows more than one voice mail notification to be displayed.

19. A method of forwarding a voice mail notification, comprising:

switching a call to a voice mail system configured to receive a message from a calling party; and

forwarding a voice mail notification that contains at least a caller identifier to a mobile device.

32. A method of forwarding a voice mail notification, comprising:

switching a call to a network-based voice mail system;

requesting that a calling party leave a message in a network-based mailbox;

recording the calling party'"'"'s message in the network-based mailbox in association with a caller identifier;

sending a voice mail notification to a messaging center, wherein the voice mail notification includes the caller identifier; and

forwarding the voice mail notification to a mobile device that can display the voice mail notification;

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising including in the voice mail notification a call index associated with the calling party'"'"'s recorded message.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the call index is associated with a number of messages in the network-based mailbox.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

receiving the call index from the mobile device; and

accessing the message from the network-based mailbox with the mobile device.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the voice mail notification is forwarded to the mobile device along a digital control channel.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein the voice mail notification is forwarded to the mobile device along a digital traffic channel.

39. The mobile device of claim 38, wherein the caller identifier includes a calling party name.

40. The mobile device of claim 38, wherein the caller identifier includes a calling party call number.

41. The mobile device of claim 38, wherein the voice mail notification includes a call index.

42. The mobile device of claim 38, wherein the display is configured to highlight at least a portion of a displayed voice mail notification.

43. The mobile device of claim 38, wherein the display is configured to display at least two voice mail notifications.

44. The mobile device of claim 43, wherein the display is configured to highlight at least a portion of a selected voice mail notification.

45. The mobile device of claim 44, further comprising a send button configured to transmit an access request for a voice mail message associated with the selected voice mail notification.

46. The mobile device of claim 38, wherein the voice mail notification is received along a control channel.

47. The mobile device of claim 38, wherein the voice mail notification is received along a traffic channel.

38. A mobile device, comprising:

a storage device configured to store at least one voice mail notification transmitted by a messaging center, wherein the voice mail notification includes a caller identifier; and

a display configured to display the caller identifier associated with the at least one voice mail notification.