Voicemail notification messaging for mobile communication devices

• US 20040023643A1
• Filed: 06/06/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Lazaridis, Mihal, Vander Veen, Raymond P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,005,461 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 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/256 comprising a service specific user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4509 Unified messaging with single point of access to voicemail and other mail or messaging systems unified messaging in packet switching networks H04L51/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53358 Message preview
• 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 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

Voicemail notification messaging for mobile communication devices is disclosed. Voicemail notification messages corresponding to voicemail messages are received through a wireless receiver of the mobile device and voicemail message header lines corresponding to them are displayed in a message list. The mobile device receives the voicemail notification messages from several different voicemail systems for consolidating voicemail message processing using a single common user interface. Preferably, the mobile device provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for the end-user with visual objects corresponding to PLAY, REWIND, FAST FORWARD, SKIP BACK, SKIP FORWARD, as examples, which provides for transparency of voicemail system-specific commands. Advantageously, each voicemail notification message includes voicemail message summary information, such as a calling party identifier, a message time stamp, and message length, for use in providing voicemail message header information in the message list. In addition, each voicemail notification message includes voicemail message retrieval/processing information, such as a voicemail access telephone number, a voicemail message identification number, and voicemail message processing commands, for use in providing the system interface transparency.

Claims

1. In a mobile communication device, a method for use in processing a voicemail message comprising:

receiving, through a wireless receiver of the mobile communication device, a voicemail notification message corresponding to a voicemail message received at a voicemail system; and

storing, in memory of the mobile communication device, voicemail message processing information for the voicemail message from the voicemail notification message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the voicemail message processing information further comprises:

a voicemail access telephone number associated with the voicemail system which manages the voicemail message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the voicemail message processing information further comprises:

a voicemail message identification number associated with the voicemail message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the voicemail message processing information further comprises:

a voicemail vendor identification associated with the voicemail message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the voicemail message processing information further comprises:

information indicative of a plurality of commands corresponding to a plurality of voicemail processing functions of the voicemail system which manages the voicemail message.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, at a user interface of the mobile communication device, an end-user request to play the voicemail message;

causing the following acts to be performed in response to detecting the end-user request;

initiating a connection with the voicemail system with use of a voicemail access telephone number in the voicemail message processing information; and

causing one or more commands to be sent to the voicemail system to select the voicemail message to be played at the mobile communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, from a user interface of the mobile communication device, an end-user selection of a visual object comprising a PLAY icon or menu item;

causing the following acts to be performed in response to detecting the end-user selection of the visual object comprising the PLAY icon or menu item;

initiating a connection with the voicemail system with use of a voicemail access telephone number in the voicemail message processing information; and

causing one or more commands to be sent to the voicemail system to select the voicemail message to be played at the mobile communication device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after receiving the voicemail notification message;

visually displaying voicemail message header information identified from the voicemail notification message in a visual display of the mobile communication device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after receiving the voicemail notification message;

visually displaying, in a visual display of the mobile communication device, a calling party identification of the voicemail message identified from a caller identification data field of the voicemail notification message.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after receiving the voicemail notification message;

visually displaying, in a visual display of the mobile communication device, a time stamp of the voicemail message identified from a time stamp data field of the voicemail notification message.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the voicemail message to be processed at the voicemail system from the mobile communication device with use of the voicemail message processing information.

12. In a mobile communication device, a method for use in processing voicemail messages comprising:

receiving, through a wireless receiver of the mobile communication device, a voicemail notification message corresponding to a voicemail message received in a voicemail system;

wherein the voicemail notification message includes caller identification data in a caller identification field and time stamp data in a time stamp field;

causing voicemail message header information for the voicemail message to be displayed in a visual display of the mobile communication device; and

wherein the voicemail message header information includes a caller identification corresponding to the caller identification data and a message date and time corresponding to the time stamp data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the caller identification data comprises a caller identification (ID) telephone number of a calling party of the voicemail message.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the voicemail notification message further comprises message time duration data in a time duration field, and wherein the voicemail message header information includes a message time duration corresponding to the message time duration data.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing a graphical user interface (GUI) at the mobile communication device for end-user processing of a voicemail message at the mobile communication device.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the voicemail notification message comprises voicemail message retrieval information including a voicemail message identification number corresponding to the voicemail message.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the voicemail notification message comprises voicemail message retrieval information including a voicemail vendor identification associated with a voicemail message.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the voicemail notification message comprises voicemail message retrieval information including one or more voicemail access telephone numbers associated with a voicemail message.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the voicemail notification message comprises voicemail message processing information which indicates a first command code corresponding to a voicemail message PLAY command, a second command code corresponding to a voicemail message SKIP BACK command, and a third command code corresponding to a voicemail message SKIP FORWARD command.

20. A method of facilitating the processing of voicemail messages by a mobile communication device, the method comprising:

providing a voicemail notification message corresponding to a voicemail message received by a voicemail system;

causing the voicemail notification message to be sent to a mobile communication device; and

the voicemail notification message including voicemail message processing information associated with the voicemail message.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the voicemail message processing information are included in a plurality of type-length encoded fields of the voicemail notification message.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein a plurality of type codes are included in the voicemail notification to identify the voicemail message processing information.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the voicemail message processing information comprises:

a voicemail access telephone number associated with a voicemail system which manages the voicemail message.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the voicemail message processing information comprises:

a voicemail message identification number corresponding to the voicemail message.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the voicemail message processing information comprises:

information indicative of a plurality of commands corresponding to a plurality of voicemail processing functions of the voicemail system.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the voicemail message processing information comprises:

a voicemail system vendor identification associated with a voicemail system which manages the voicemail message.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the voicemail notification message further comprises voicemail summary information associated with the voicemail message comprising:

a calling party identifier associated with the voicemail message.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the voicemail notification message further comprises voicemail summary information associated with the voicemail message comprising:

a time stamp of the voicemail message.