System for providing access to a voice mail system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of providing direct access to a voice mail system (VMS) hosting a voice mail box associated with a service subscriber, the method comprising steps of:
- formulating a call set-up message for initiating the establishment of a call connection to the VMS, the call set-up message having a format reserved for a redirected call set-up message issued by a service switching point (SSP) in response to an uncompleted call to the service subscriber; and
issuing the call setup message into a common channel signaling (CCS) network to initiate the establishment of the call connection directly to the voice mail box of the service subscriber.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Direct access to a voice mail box hosted by a voice mail system (VMS) permits a requesting party to go directly to the voice mail box without first placing a call to the service subscriber who owns the voice mail box. Direct access can be enabled from call termination equipment, such as a dial-up directory service, or from a data network interface, such as a web page on a worldwide web server or a button embedded in an electronic mail message.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method of providing direct access to a voice mail system (VMS) hosting a voice mail box associated with a service subscriber, the method comprising steps of:
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formulating a call set-up message for initiating the establishment of a call connection to the VMS, the call set-up message having a format reserved for a redirected call set-up message issued by a service switching point (SSP) in response to an uncompleted call to the service subscriber; and
issuing the call setup message into a common channel signaling (CCS) network to initiate the establishment of the call connection directly to the voice mail box of the service subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of providing direct access to a voice mail box of a service subscriber to a voice mail system (VMS), the method comprising steps of:
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receiving at a call control application, a message sent in response to a request for direct access to the voice mail box by a requesting party;
formulating a call setup message for initiating establishment of a call connection between the requesting party and the VMS, the call set-up message having a format reserved for a redirected call setup message issued by a service switching point (SSP) in response to an uncompleted call to the service subscriber; and
sending the call set-up message into the CCS network to initiate the establishment of the call connection. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for enabling a requesting party to initiate a telephone call directly to a voice mail box associated with a service subscriber to a voice mail system (VMS), comprising:
a call control node configured as a virtual service switching point in a switched telephone network, the call control node being adapted to receive a message requesting setup of a direct call to a voice mail box, and to respond to the message by formulating a call set-up message to initiate establishment of a call connection to the VMS, the call set-up message having a format reserved for redirected call set-up messages used by service switching points (SSPs) to redirect uncompleted calls to the service subscriber, so that the VMS provides access to the voice mail box. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A system for providing a directory service with a direct to voice mail option for voice mail system (VMS) service subscribers, comprising:
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a directory service that permits a requesting party to communicate an identifier used to locate a directory record associated with the VMS service subscriber, the directory service being adapted to provide the requesting party with an option to be connected directly to the VMS service subscriber'"'"'s voice mail box after the record is located; and
means for formulating a common channel signaling initial address message (IAM) containing a redirecting number parameter to connect the requesting party directly to the voice mail box of the VMS service subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A system for providing a click to voice mail option accessed from a server on an internet protocol (IP) network, comprising:
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a user interface for permitting a requesting party to select the click to voice mail option, the click to voicemail option being associated with a particular voice mail box of a voice mail system (VMS) subscriber;
means for forwarding a message requesting setup of a connection directly to the voice mail box; and
means for receiving the message and formulating a common channel signaling system initial address message (IAM) containing a directory number of the VMS inserted in a called party number parameter of the IAM and a directory number of the VMS service subscriber inserted in the redirecting number parameter of the IAM. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification