Unified messaging architecture

• US 20060083358A1
• Filed: 03/22/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Howell, David A., Fong, David T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,551,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.130
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/205 Broadcasting broadcasting in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/253 where a visual mode is used instead of a voice mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/358 Digital rights management
• 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 2203/6009 Personal information, e.g. profiles or personal directories being only provided to authorised persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/385 using speech signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects
• 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

Abstract

A system and/or methodology that unifies a telephonic communication component and/or system with a data (e.g., messaging) server component and/or system. The system can facilitate telephonically accessing rich information in the server (e.g., messaging server). This rich information can include email content, calendar content, contacts information, or the like. Moreover, with access to an application programming interface, the invention can add functionality to initiate email communications as well as to accept or cancel meetings. Furthermore, the invention can synchronize messages of disparate formats. By way of example a user can set an “Out of Office” (OOF) status on both an email systems and telephone voicemail system from one location in one action. In another aspect, it will be appreciated that any message or data component can be analyzed, transformed, matched and/or communicated from one system to another (e.g., server to telephone) in accordance with the subject invention.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates rendering communications, comprising:

a component that receives from a first device a message of a first format; and

a unified messaging component that analyzes the message and converts the message to a second format that corresponds to a target device that conveys the message.

2. The system of claim 1, the received message is a voicemail communication.

3. The system of claim 2, the transformed message is an e-mail communication.

4. The system of claim 3, the content of the e-mail communication and voicemail communication are date and time synchronized.

5. The system of claim 1, the unified messaging component conveys content of an electronic calendar to an individual via telephone.

6. The system of claim 1, the unified messaging component receives an audio instruction from an individual via telephone, reformats the instruction and populates a calendar with the reformatted instruction.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein content of the reformatted instruction is synchronized with content of the audio instruction.

8. A computer readable medium having stored thereon the components of the system of claim 1.

9. A method of converting communications, the method comprising:

receiving a message of a first format from a first device;

analyzing the message and transforming the message to a format that corresponds to a target device that conveys the message; and

synchronizing the messages of the first and different formats.

10. The method of claim 9, the received message is a voicemail communication.

11. The method of claim 10, the transformed message is an e-mail communication.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising conveying the content of an electronic calendar to an individual via telephone.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving audio instructions from an individual via telephone;

reformatting the instructions; and

populating a calendar with the reformatted instructions.

14. The method of claim 13, the content of the reformatted instructions is synchronized with content of the audio instructions.

15. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for carrying out the method of claim 9.

16. A system that facilitates matching messages of disparate formats, the system comprising:

means for receiving a message of a first format from a first device; and

means for analyzing the message and transforming the message to a format that corresponds to a target device that conveys the message.

17. The system of claim 16, the received message is a voicemail communication.

18. The system of claim 17, the reformatted message is an e-mail communication.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising means for conveying content of an electronic calendar to an individual via telephone.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

means for receiving audio instructions from an individual via telephone;

means for reformatting the instructions; and

means for populating a calendar with the reformatted instructions.