Intersystem messaging using ENUM standard

• US 20040003114A1
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Adamczyk, Maria
• Granted Patent: US 7,320,026 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• 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 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/308 Personal name recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53325 Interconnection arrangements between voice mail systems

Abstract

A system and method for transforming voice mail messages into a package capable of being parsed and read by different proprietary voice mail systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method that allows for intersystem messaging through the use of the ENUM standard wherein the ENUM standard is used to locate the specific address information for a destination platform and/or subscriber.

Claims

1. A method of sending a message from one platform to a subscriber on another platform, the method comprising:

sending request for subscriber address information to a domain name server, the request identifying a telephone number for the subscriber;

receiving address information from the domain name server related to the subscriber; and

using the address information, sending the message in a predetermined format to the other platform.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the predetermined format is a voice profile for internet mail (VPIM) format.

3. A method as defined in claim 2 wherein the address information received from the domain name server relates to a directory server associated with the subscriber, and wherein the method further comprises:

querying the directory server for specific address information for the subscriber, wherein the query includes the telephone number for the subscriber;

receiving an internet address for the subscriber from the directory server;

and wherein the act of sending the message uses the internet address for the subscriber.

4. A method as defined in claim 3 wherein the act of domain name server resolves the address information using ENUM standard.

5. A method as defined in claim 4 wherein the other platform receives the message and routes the message to the subscriber.

6. A method as defined in claim 4 wherein the Internet is used to transfer messages and requests.

7. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein one platform is a voice mail system and the other is a unified messaging platform.

8. A method as defined in claim 7 wherein the subscriber relates to a computer system.

9. A method as defined in claim 7 wherein the subscriber relates to a telephone system.

10. A computer program product having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 1.

11. A computer program product having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 3.

12. A computer platform providing intersystem messaging, the platform having one or more subscribers wherein the subscribers use the platform to access messaging services, the platform comprising:

a subscriber communications module for communicating information between a subscriber and the platform;

a message delivery module for sending a message from within the platform to a destination platform in a predetermined format; and

a destination address resolution module for resolving the destination address for a subscriber associated with the destination platform, the destination address resolution module using the ENUM standard to resolve the destination address information.

13. A computer platform as defined in claim 12 wherein the destination address resolution module further comprises:

a domain name server communications module for communicating with a domain name server to get the address of a directory server; and

a directory server communications module for communicating with a directory server to resolve the address information for the destination subscriber.

14. A computer platform as defined in claim 13 wherein the predetermined format is voice profile for internet mail (VPIM).

15. A computer platform as defined in claim 14 wherein the platform is a voice mail only platform.

16. A computer platform as defined in claim 14 wherein the platform is a unified messaging platform.