Methods and systems for rendering voice mail messages amenable to electronic processing by mailbox owners

• US 20060140360A1
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Inventors: Clark, David William, Johnston, David Edward, Crago, William B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,587,033 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.180
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/253 where a visual mode is used instead of a voice mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects

Abstract

A method for execution by an owner of a mailbox in a voice mail system. The method comprises using an access device to access a voicemail message contained in the mailbox and entering a command instrumental in causing the voicemail message to be forwarded over a telephone network to a conversion entity. At the conversion entity, an electronic representation of the voicemail message is created and then the electronic representation of the voicemail message is rendered accessible to the owner of the mailbox, e.g., by sending an email message to a predetermined address. In this way, electronic representations of voicemail messages in a mailbox can be accessed by the owner of the mailbox using a device of choice, not necessarily the access device used initially to enter the command. Also, this functionality is achieved while allowing the voice mail system to remain a legacy voice mail system.

Claims

1. A method for execution by an owner of a mailbox in a voice mail system, comprising:

accessing a voice mail message contained in the mailbox;

entering a command instrumental in causing the voice mail message to be forwarded over a telephone network to a conversion entity operative to render an electronic representation of the voice mail message accessible to the owner of the mailbox.

2. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the conversion entity is reachable over the telephone network at a designated telephone number, and wherein the command comprises:

a first portion indicative of an intent to effect a forwarding operation on the voice mail message; and

a second portion indicative of the designated telephone number.

3. The method defined in claim 2, wherein said entering a command comprises entering the first portion followed by entering the second portion.

4. The method defined in claim 3, wherein the second portion is the designated telephone number.

5. The method defined in claim 3, wherein the second portion is a code that is not the designated telephone number.

6. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an electronic message containing the electronic representation of the voice mail message.

7. The method defined in claim 6, wherein said accessing and said entering is effected using a first device and wherein said receiving is effected using a second device different from the first device.

8. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a first electronic message notifying the owner of the mailbox of delivery of a second electronic message to an address associated with the owner of the mailbox, the second electronic message containing the electronic representation of the voice mail message.

9. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the electronic representation of the voice mail message is a file attached to an electronic message.

10. The method defined in claim 9, wherein the file is at least one of a text file and an audio file.

11. A voice mail system, comprising:

a plurality of mailboxes associated with respective owners, each of the mailboxes having a capacity to hold at least one voice mail message;

a processing entity adapted to receive a command indicative of an intent to forward a particular voice mail message held in a particular one of the mailboxes to a conversion entity reachable at a designated telephone number;

the processing entity being responsive to said command to forward the particular voice mail message to the conversion entity and to cause the conversion entity to render an electronic representation of the particular voice mail message accessible to the owner of the particular mailbox.

12. A method for execution by a conversion entity reachable over a telephone network at a designated telephone number, the method comprising:

receiving a particular voice mail message forwarded by a voice mail system over the telephone network, the voice mail system comprising a plurality of mailboxes associated with respective owners, a particular one of the mailboxes holding the particular voice mail message;

creating an electronic representation of the particular voice mail message;

rendering the electronic representation of the particular voice mail message accessible to the owner of the particular mailbox.

13. The method defined in claim 12, wherein when forwarded by the voice mail system, the particular voice mail message is accompanied by ancillary data identifying the particular mailbox.

14. The method defined in claim 13, further comprising:

determining an address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox;

sending a message containing the electronic representation of the particular voice mail message to the address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox.

15. The method defined in claim 14, wherein the address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox is hosted by a service provider with which the owner of the particular mailbox has an account.

16. The method defined in claim 14, wherein the address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox identifies a device associated with the owner of the particular mailbox.

17. The method defined in claim 14, wherein said determining an address comprises consulting a database populated with entries each specifying an originating mailbox and at least one associated address in an attempt to find an entry specifying the particular mailbox, thereby to obtain the address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox.

18. The method defined in claim 17, wherein the database is populated during a registration phase that precedes receiving the particular voice mail message.

19. The method defined in claim 13, further comprising:

determining a first address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox;

determining a second address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox;

sending a first message to the first address;

sending a second message to the second address;

wherein the second message contains the electronic representation of the particular voice mail message;

wherein the first message notifies of transmission of the second message.

20. The method defined in claim 19, wherein the second address is hosted by a service provider with which the owner of the particular mailbox has an account.

21. The method defined in claim 20, wherein the first address identifies a device associated with the owner of the particular mailbox.

22. The method defined in claim 19, wherein said sending a first message is done over a wireless network.

23. The method defined in claim 22, wherein said sending a second message is done over the Internet.

24. The method defined in claim 19, wherein said determining a first address and said determining a second address comprises consulting a database populated with entries each specifying an originating mailbox and at least two associated addresses in an attempt to find an entry specifying the particular mailbox, thereby to obtain the first address and the second address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox.

25. The method defined in claim 24, wherein the database is populated during a registration phase that precedes receiving the particular voice mail message.

26. Computer-readable media tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform the method defined in claim 12.

27. The method defined in claim 13, wherein the ancillary data further identifies the voice mail system that contains the particular mailbox.

28. The method defined in claim 12, wherein the electronic representation of the particular voice mail message comprises a file for attachment to an electronic message.

29. The method defined in claim 28, wherein the file is at least one of a text file and an audio file.

30. The method defined in claim 12, wherein said creating an electronic representation of the particular voice mail message comprises converting the particular voice mail message from a first format into a second format different from the first format.

31. The method defined in claim 30, wherein the first format is an audio format and the second format is a text format.

32. The method defined in claim 30, wherein the first format and the second format are both audio formats.

33. The method defined in claim 12, further comprising:

sending a message containing the electronic representation of the particular voice mail message to an address uniquely associated with the designated telephone number.

34. The method defined in claim 12, further comprising:

sending a first message to a first address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox;

sending a second message to a second address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox;

wherein the second message contains the electronic representation of the particular voice mail message;

wherein the first message notifies of transmission of the second message;

wherein the combination of the first and second addresses is uniquely associated with the designated telephone number.

35. A system comprising:

at least one conversion entity reachable over a telephone network at a respective designated telephone number, each of the at least one conversion entity having a processing entity adapted for;

(a) receiving a particular voice mail message forwarded by a voice mail system over the telephone network, the voice mail system comprising a plurality of mailboxes associated with respective owners, a particular one of the mailboxes holding the particular voice mail message;

(b) creating an electronic representation of the particular voice mail message; and

(c) rendering the electronic representation of the particular voice mail message accessible to the owner of the particular mailbox.

36. The system defined in claim 35, wherein when forwarded by the voice mail system, the particular voice mail message is accompanied by ancillary data identifying the particular mailbox.

37. The system defined in claim 36, wherein the processing entity of each of the at least one conversion entity is further adapted for:

(d) attaching the electronic representation of the particular voice mail message to an electronic message;

(e) sending the electronic message to an address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox.

38. The system defined in claim 36, wherein the processing entity of each of the at least one conversion entity being is adapted for:

(d) sending a first electronic message to a first address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox;

(e) attaching the electronic representation of the particular voice mail message to a second electronic message;

(f) sending the second electronic message to a second address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox;

wherein the first electronic message notifies of transmission of the second electronic message.

39. The system defined in claim 36, wherein the processing entity of each of the at least one conversion entity is further adapted for:

(d) determining an address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox;

(e) sending a message containing the electronic representation of the particular voice mail message to the address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox.

40. The system defined in claim 39, wherein the address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox is hosted by a service provider with which the owner of the particular mailbox has an account.

41. The system defined in claim 39, wherein the address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox identifies a device associated with the owner of the particular mailbox.

42. The system defined in claim 39, wherein each of the at least one conversion entity is connected to a data network and wherein said sending a message is done over the data network.

43. The system defined in claim 39, wherein said determining an address comprises consulting a database populated with entries each specifying an originating mailbox and at least one associated address in an attempt to find an entry specifying the particular mailbox, thereby to obtain the address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox.

44. The system defined in claim 36, wherein the processing entity of each of the at least one conversion entity is further adapted for:

(d) determining a first address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox;

(e) determining a second address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox;

(f) sending a first message to the first address;

(g) sending a second message to the second address;

wherein the second message contains the electronic representation of the particular voice mail message;

wherein the first message notifies of transmission of the second message.

45. The system defined in claim 44, wherein said determining a first address and said determining a second address comprises consulting a database populated with entries each specifying an originating mailbox and at least two associated addresses in an attempt to find an entry specifying the particular mailbox, thereby to obtain the first address and the second address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox.

46. The system defined in claim 36, wherein the at least one conversion entity comprises a plurality of conversion entities.

47. The system defined in claim 46, wherein the processing entity of each conversion entity in said plurality of conversion entities is further adapted for:

(d) sending a message containing the electronic representation of the particular voice mail message to an address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox, the address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox being uniquely associated with the respective designated telephone number at which said conversion entity is reachable.

48. The system defined in claim 46, the processing entity of each conversion entity in said plurality of conversion entities being further adapted for:

(d) sending a first message to a first address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox;

(e) sending a second message to a second address associated with the owner of the particular mailbox;

wherein the second message contains the electronic representation of the particular voice mail message;

wherein the first message notifies of transmission of the second message;

wherein the combination of the first and second addresses associated with the owner of the particular mailbox is uniquely associated with the respective designated telephone number at which said conversion entity is reachable.