Systems and methods for providing voicemail services

• US 20050111635A1
• Filed: 11/19/2004
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Sherman, Scott Owen, Caputo, Edward J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,532,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.220
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

A system includes a first network device and a second network device. The first network device is configured to receive a voicemail message for a called party, determine whether a second network device is available, and transfer the voicemail message to the second network device when the second network device is determined to be available. The second network device is configured to store the voicemail message in a mailbox associated with the called party, and automatically provide a network device associated with the called party with access to the voicemail message in response to a network address associated with the network device matching a subscriber identifier in a list of subscriber identifiers.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing, at a first network device, a voicemail message on behalf of a second network device;

determining whether the second network device is available; and

transferring the stored voicemail message to the second network device when the second network device is determined to be available.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing the voicemail message in an appropriate voice mailbox on the second network device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining includes:

transferring a status message from the first network device to the second network device, and

determining that the second network device is unavailable when no reply message is received from the second network device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the transferring a status message includes:

transferring the status message at predetermined intervals.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the transferring a status message includes:

transferring the status message via a data network.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the transferring the stored voicemail message includes:

transferring the stored voicemail message via a data network.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

receiving, prior to storing, the voicemail message via a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the voicemail message is received by the first network device from a calling party for a called party, and

wherein the method further comprises:

entering, via the called party, a predetermined sequence of characters at a network device; and

determining, in response to the called party entering the predetermined sequence of characters, whether to provide the called party with access to the voicemail message based on a network address associated with the called party'"'"'s network device.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the determining whether to provide access includes:

comparing the network address associated with the called party'"'"'s network device to a stored list of network addresses.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

providing access to the voicemail message when the network address associated with the called party'"'"'s network device matches a network address in the stored list of network addresses.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the providing access to the voicemail message includes:

providing access without requiring the called party to enter identifying information.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the network address includes a telephone number.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the determining whether to provide access further includes:

capturing the network address via an automatic number identification technique.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the entering includes:

entering 00 at the called party'"'"'s network device.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein the entering includes:

entering *3 at the called party'"'"'s network device.

16. A system comprising:

a first network device configured to;

receive a voicemail message for a called party,

determine whether a second network device is available, and

transfer the voicemail message to the second network device when the second network device is determined to be available; and

the second network device configured to;

receive the transferred voicemail message, and

store the voicemail message in a mailbox associated with the called party.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein, when determining whether the second network device is available, the first network device is configured to:

transfer a status message to the second network device, and

determine that the second network device is available when a reply is received from the second network device.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein, when transferring the status message, the first network device is configured to:

transfer the status message at a periodic interval.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein, when transferring the status message, the first network device is configured to:

transfer the status message via a data network.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the first network device receives the voicemail message via a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

21. The system of claim 16 wherein the second network device provides the called party with access to the voicemail message without requiring authentication information from the called party.

22. The system of claim 16 further comprising:

a third network device configured to store a list of subscriber identifiers, and

wherein the second network device provides the called party with access to the voicemail message via a called party user device in response to a network address associated with the called party user device matching a subscriber identifier in the list of subscriber identifiers.

23. A method comprising:

capturing a network address of a network device;

comparing the network address to a stored list of identifiers; and

automatically providing the network device with access to a voicemail account in response to the network address matching an identifier in the stored list of identifiers.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein capturing includes:

identifying the network address via an automatic number identification operation.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the capturing automatically occurs in response to a predetermined sequence of characters being entered at the network device.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the predetermined sequence of characters includes 00.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the predetermined sequence of characters includes *3.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the predetermined sequence of characters includes an 800 telephone number.

29. The method of claim 23 wherein the network address includes a telephone number.

30. A system comprising:

a first network device configured to;

receive a voicemail message for a called party,

determine whether a second network device is available, and

transfer the voicemail message to the second network device when the second network device is determined to be available; and

the second network device configured to;

store the voicemail message in a mailbox associated with the called party, and

automatically provide a network device associated with the called party with access to the voicemail message in response to a network address associated with the network device matching a subscriber identifier in a list of subscriber identifiers.