Method and system for dynamic selection of voice mail system

• US 20060025114A1
• Filed: 05/24/2005
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Weaver, Farni B., Bales, Mark R., Woodson, Charles E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,260,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/413
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/35 virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/45 public-private interworking, e.g. centrex
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/123 where the packet-switched network is an Internet Protocol Multimedia System-type network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1235 where one of the core networks is a wireless network

Abstract

A method for dynamically selecting a voice mail system to receive a call on behalf of a cellular wireless subscriber. A radio access network (RAN) receives a voice mail call request, and a policy server determines which of a plurality of voice mail systems should receive the call from the media gateway system. The policy server can make this determination based on user profile logic and/or by voice interaction with the caller. In one embodiment, the determination may be whether to set up the call to a voice mail system provided by the subscriber'"'"'s wireless carrier or rather whether to set up the call to a voice mail system provided by an enterprise that serves the subscriber.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving into a cellular radio access network (RAN), from a cellular wireless subscriber operating in a wireless coverage area of the RAN, a voice mail call request;

responsively setting up a first leg of the call from the subscriber, via the RAN, to a media gateway system;

determining which of a plurality of voice mail systems associated with the subscriber should receive the call; and

setting up a second leg of the call from the media gateway system to the determined voice mail system, thus connecting the subscriber to the determined voice mail system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending call setup signaling from the media gateway system to a call session control function (CSCF) and from the CSCF to a policy server;

performing the determining function at the policy server, and signaling from the policy server back to the CSCF to direct the CSCF to set up the call to the determined voice mail system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the call setup signaling comprises Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signaling, and wherein signaling from the policy server back to the CSCF comprise sending a SIP REDIRECT message from the policy server to the CSCF.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of voice mail systems associated with the subscriber comprises (i) a voice mail system provided by a wireless carrier that operates the RAN and (ii) a voice mail system on an enterprise network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a profile record for the subscriber, wherein the profile record includes at least one criterion for use in determining which of the plurality of voice mail systems associated with the subscriber should receive the call,

wherein determining which of the plurality of voice mail systems associated with the subscriber should receive the call comprises (i) querying the profile record to determine the at least one criterion, and (ii) using the at least one criterion as a basis to determine which of the plurality of voice mail systems associated with the subscriber should receive the call.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein maintaining the profile record comprises maintaining the profile record at a home subscriber server (HSS).

7. The method of claim 5,

wherein the at least one criterion comprises a rule specifying (a) that the call should be routed to a first voice mail system if the subscriber is checked-into a cellular-PBX integration service to which the subscriber subscribes and (b) that the call should be routed to a second voice mail system if the subscriber is checked-out of the cellular-PBX integration service,

wherein determining which of the plurality of voice mail systems associated with the subscriber should receive the call comprises (i) making a determination whether the subscriber is checked-into or checked-out of the cellular-PBX integration service, (ii) if the determination is that the subscriber is checked-into the cellular-PBX integration service, then determining that the first voice mail system should receive the call, and (iii) if the determination is that the subscriber is checked-out of the cellular-PBX integration service, then determining that the second voice mail system should receive the call.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first voice mail system is a voice mail system operated by an enterprise that operates an IP PBX server configured to serve the subscriber, and the second voice mail system is a voice mail system operated by a wireless carrier that operates the RAN.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one criterion comprises a rule specifying which voice mail system should receive the call based on time of day.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining which of the plurality of voice mail systems associated with the subscriber should receive the call comprises:

setting up the call from the media gateway system to an automated voice response system;

presenting, from the automated voice response system to subscriber, within the call, a prompt requesting the subscriber to select from among the plurality of voice mail systems;

receiving, from the subscriber to the automated response system, in response to the prompt, a selection of a voice mail system from among the plurality of voice mail systems; and

determining that the selected voice mail system should receive the call.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice mail call request comprises an origination request specifying as dialed digits a directory number assigned to the subscriber.

12. A method comprising:

receiving into a cellular radio access network (RAN), a request to set up a call to a telephone number of a cellular wireless communication device (WCD);

determining which of a plurality of voice mail systems associated with the WCD should receive the call; and

setting up the call to the determined voice mail system.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising carrying out the determining step at a service control point (SCP) to which a mobile switching center (MSC) of the RAN signals for call processing guidance.

14. A method comprising:

receiving into a cellular radio access network (RAN), a request to set up a call from a caller to a cellular wireless communication device (WCD);

responsively setting up a leg of the call from the RAN to a media gateway system;

determining which of a plurality of voice mail systems associated with the WCD should receive the call; and

setting up another leg of the call from the media gateway system to the determined voice mail system.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining. which of the plurality of voice mail systems associated with the WCD should receive the call comprises:

setting up the call from the media gateway system to an automated voice response system;

presenting, from the automated voice response system to caller, within the call, a prompt requesting the caller to select from among the plurality of voice mail systems;

receiving, from the caller to the automated response system, in response to the prompt, a selection of a voice mail system from among the plurality of voice mail systems; and

determining that the selected voice mail system should receive the call.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein setting up the call from the media gateway system to the automated voice response system comprises:

engaging in Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signaling between the media gateway system and a call session control function (CSCF); and

engaging in SIP signaling between the CSCF and the automated voice response system.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

maintaining a profile record for the WCD, the profile record indicating the plurality of voice mail systems;

querying the profile record to identify the plurality of voice mail systems; and

sending from the CSCF to the automated voice response system a directive for the automated voice response system to prompt the caller to select from among the identified plurality of voice mail systems.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the caller is the WCD.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

maintaining a profile record for the WCD, wherein the profile record includes at least one criterion for use in determining which of the plurality of voice mail systems associated with the WCD should receive the call,

wherein determining which of the plurality of voice mail systems associated with the WCD should receive the call comprises (i) querying the profile record to determine the at least one criterion, and (ii) using the at least one criterion as a basis to determine which of the plurality of voice mail systems associated with the WCD should receive the call.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein maintaining the profile record comprises maintaining the profile record at a home subscriber server (HSS).

21. The method of claim 19,

wherein the at least one criterion comprises a rule specifying (a) that the call should be routed to a first voice mail system if the WCD is checked-into a cellular-PBX integration service to which the WCD subscribes and (b) that the call should be routed to a second voice mail system if the WCD is checked-out of the cellular-PBX integration service,

wherein determining which of the plurality of voice mail systems associated with the WCD should receive the call comprises (i) making a determination whether the WCD is checked-into or checked-out of the cellular-PBX integration service, (ii) if the determination is that the WCD is checked-into the cellular-PBX integration service, then determining that the first voice mail system should receive the call, and (iii) if the determination is that the WCD is checked-out of the cellular-PBX integration service, then determining that the second voice mail system should receive the call.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first voice mail system is a voice mail system operated by an enterprise that operates an IP PBX server configured to serve the WCD, and the second voice mail system is a voice mail system operated by a wireless carrier that operates the RAN.