Voice-based message sorting and retrieval method

• US 20030023688A1
• Filed: 07/26/2001
• Published: 01/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Comverse Incorporated (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Comverse Incorporated (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Schmandt, Christopher M., Panttaja, Erin M., Denenberg, Lawrence A.
• Application Number:
  US09/912,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20030023688A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4509 Unified messaging with single point of access to voicemail and other mail or messaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53 Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages , i.e. mailbox systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects

Abstract

A voice-based interface method to provide user access to retrieve, sort, and navigate through messages in multiple media according to a plurality of message sorting criteria. A particular message may belong to multiple message lists and therefore can be heard in response to different queries. This method provides a consistent interface for navigating through the messages in each list of messages sorted by each criterion, proper insertion of newly arrived messages, and change of message status once the message has been heard.

Claims

1. A messaging system, wherein:

each of a plurality of messages is associated with at least two attributes; and

the plurality of messages is categorized according to the at least two attributes into overlapping lists of messages.

2. The messaging system according to claim 1, wherein the at least two attributes comprise an urgency indicator and a message received date.

3. The messaging system according to claim 2, wherein the at least two attributes further comprise a message medium indicator.

4. The messaging system according to claim 3, wherein the at least two attributes further comprise a message sender identity indicator.

5. The messaging system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of messages is associated with a status that can represent one of at least three distinct statuses.

6. The messaging system according to claim 5, wherein the at least three distinct statuses comprise “

new”

, “

old” and

“

read”

.

7. The messaging system according to claim 6, wherein the at least two attributes comprise an urgency indicator and a message received date.

8. The messaging system according to claim 7, wherein the at least two attributes further comprise a message medium indicator.

9. The messaging system according to claim 8, wherein the at least two attributes further comprise a message sender identity indicator.

10. The messaging system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of messages is associated with a tri-state.

11. The messaging system according to claim 10, wherein the tri-state can represent one of at least three states.

12. The messaging system according to claim 11, wherein the at least three states include “

new”

, “

old” and

“

read”

.

25. The messaging system according to claim 1, wherein the system can select a list of messages for presentation comprising an intersection of at least two of the overlapping lists.

26. The messaging system according to claim 25, wherein the system selects the list of messages for presentation in response to a user input.

44. The messaging system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two attributes corresponds to at least one non-user-defined field in an address book.

45. The messaging system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two attributes corresponds to at least one user-defined field in an address book.

13. A messaging system, comprising:

a memory storing a plurality of messages,

each message being associated with at least two attributes; and

each message being categorized according to the at least two attributes into at least two overlapping lists of messages.

14. The messaging system according to claim 13, wherein the at least two attributes comprise an urgency indicator and a message received date.

15. The messaging system according to claim 14, wherein the at least two attributes further comprise a message medium indicator.

16. The messaging system according to claim 15, wherein the at least two attributes further comprise a message sender identity indicator.

17. The messaging system according to claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of messages is associated with a status that can represent one of at least three distinct statuses.

18. The messaging system according to claim 17, wherein the at least three distinct statuses comprise “

new”

, “

old” and

“

read”

.

19. The messaging system according to claim 18, wherein the at least two attributes comprise an urgency indicator and a message received date.

20. The messaging system according to claim 19, wherein the at least two attributes further comprise a message medium indicator.

21. The messaging system according to claim 20, wherein the at least two attributes further comprise a message sender identity indicator.

22. The messaging system according to claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of messages is associated with a tri-state.

23. The messaging system according to claim 22, wherein the tri-state can represent one of at least three states.

24. The messaging system according to claim 23, wherein the at least three states include “

new”

, “

old” and

“

read”

.

27. The messaging system according to claim 13, wherein the system can select a list of messages for presentation comprising an intersection of at least two of the overlapping lists.

28. The messaging system according to claim 27, wherein the intersection is a logical AND or logical OR of the at least two of the overlapping lists.

29. The messaging system according to claim 27, wherein the system selects the list of messages for presentation in response to a user input.

46. The messaging system according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the at least two attributes corresponds to at least one non-user-defined field in an address book.

47. The messaging system according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the at least two attributes corresponds to at least one user-defined field in an address book.

30. A method of processing a newly-arrived message, comprising:

receiving the newly-arrived message during a session; and

presenting the newly-arrived message to a user before the user takes action to end the session.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the newly-arrived message is presented only if the newly-arrived message is urgent.

32. The method according to claim 30, further comprising:

interrupting presentation of a message to present the newly-arrived message.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the interrupting occurs only if the newly-arrived message is urgent.

34. The method according to claim 30, further comprising:

presenting the newly-arrived message before presenting any other message.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the newly-arrived message is presented before presenting any other message only if the newly-arrived message is urgent.

36. The method according to claim 30, further comprising:

ascertaining, in accordance with;

a command issued by the user during the session, but prior to the receiving the newly-arrived message, and

attributes of the newly-arrived message,

whether the system would have presented the newly-arrived message earlier in the session if the newly-arrived message had arrived earlier in the session.

37. The method according to claim 36, further comprising:

if the newly-arrived message would have been presented earlier in the session, interrupting presentation of a message to present the newly-arrived message.

38. The method according to claim 36, further comprising:

if the newly-arrived message would have been presented earlier in the session, presenting the newly-arrived message before presenting any other message.

39. The method according to claim 36, further comprising:

if the newly-arrived message would riot have been presented earlier in the session, including the newly-arrived message in a currently-selected set of message to present to the user.

40. The method according to claim 30, wherein the newly-arrived message is presented before the user changes message selection criteria.

41. The method according to claim 30, further comprising:

adding the newly-arrived message to a set of messages that are currently selected for presentation.

42. A method of processing a newly-arrived message, comprising:

responsive to a user command issued during a session, selecting a set of messages to present to the user;

receiving the newly-arrived message during the session, but after the user command; and

before the user selects a different set of messages for presentation, including the newly-arrived message in the set of message to present to the user.

43. The method according to claim 42, wherein the newly-arrived message is included in the set of messages to present to the user only if attributes of the newly-arrived message satisfy all selection criteria associated with the user command.

48. A messaging system, wherein:

each of a plurality of messages is associated with at least two attributes; and

at least one of the at least two attributes corresponds to at least one non-user-defined field in an address book.

49. A method of processing a newly-arrived message that arrives during a session and while a set of messages is selected for presentation to a user, comprising:

ascertaining at least two attributes of the newly-arrived message; and

during the session and while the set of messages is selected for presentation to the user, inserting the newly-arrived message into the set only if the at least two attributes of the newly-arrived message correspond to attributes of the set.

50. The method according to claim 49, further comprising:

notifying the user of the newly-arrived message.

51. The method according to claim 49, further comprising:

presenting the newly-arrived message to the user.

52. A method of processing a plurality of messages, comprising:

associating at least two attributes with each of the plurality of messages; and

categorizing each of the plurality of messages into at least one of at least two overlapping lists of messages.

53. The method according to claim 52, wherein the at least two attributes comprise an urgency indicator and a message received date.

54. The method according to claim 53, wherein the at least two attributes further comprise a message medium indicator.

55. The method according to claim 54, wherein the at least two attributes further comprise a message sender identity indicator.

56. The method according to claim 52, wherein each of the plurality of messages is associated with a status that can represent one of at least three distinct statuses.

57. The method according to claim 56, wherein the at least three distinct statuses comprise “

new”

, “

old” and

“

read”

.

58. The method according to claim 57, wherein the at least two attributes comprise an urgency indicator and a message received date.

59. The method according to claim 58, wherein the at least two attributes further comprise a message medium indicator.

60. The method according to claim 59, wherein the at least two attributes further comprise a message sender identity indicator.

61. The method according to claim 52, wherein each of the plurality of messages is associated with a tri-state.

62. The method according to claim 61, wherein the tri-state can represent one of at least three states.

63. The method according to claim 62, wherein the at least three states include “

new”

, “

old” and

“

read”

.