System and method for storing a voicemail message in a communication environment

• US 20060285664A1
• Filed: 05/31/2005
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Platzer, David B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,676,028 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.220
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/301 Management of recordings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/554 Data synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects

Abstract

Storing a voicemail message in a communication environment includes receiving a voicemail message at a first endpoint. The voicemail message is separated into a plurality of segments. The segments of the voicemail message, which comprise media bits, are distributed to a plurality of second endpoints.

Claims

1. A method for storing a voicemail message in a communication environment, comprising:

receiving a voicemail message at a first endpoint;

separating the voicemail message into a plurality of segments; and

distributing the segments of the voicemail message to a plurality of second endpoints, wherein the segments comprise media bits.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding error correction bits to the voicemail message at the first endpoint; and

distributing the segments of the voicemail message to each second endpoint, the segments comprising error correction bits, wherein a second endpoint is operable to reconstruct the voicemail message from less than all of the segments using the error correction bits.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a number of error correction bits depends on a number of second endpoints.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a structure of the segments of the voicemail message comprises media bits and error correction bits.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributed segments of the voicemail message comprise a header that identifies the first endpoint.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the voicemail message to distribute if the first endpoint stores more than one voicemail message; and

if a triggering event occurs, distributing the segments of the voicemail message.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning the media bits of the segments to a plurality of second endpoints on a sequential basis.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the first endpoint is available, providing the voicemail message from the first endpoint; and

if the first endpoint is not available, retrieving the segments associated with the voicemail message from the second endpoints, and combining the segments to reproduce the voicemail message.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

if the first endpoint is available, providing the voicemail from the first endpoint; and

if the first endpoint is not available, retrieving less than all the segments associated with the voicemail message from the second endpoints, and combining the segments to reproduce the voicemail message.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing the voicemail message from the first endpoint in response to a delete event; and

removing the segments associated with the voicemail message from the second endpoints in response to the delete event.

11. A computer readable medium including logic for storing a voicemail message in a communication environment, the logic operable to perform the following steps:

receive a voicemail message at a first endpoint;

separate the voicemail message into a plurality of segments; and

distribute the segments of the voicemail message to a plurality of second endpoints, wherein the segments comprise media bits.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, the logic further operable to:

add error correction bits to the voicemail message at the first endpoint; and

distribute the segments of the voicemail message to each second endpoint, the segments comprising the error correction bits, wherein a second endpoint is operable to reconstruct the voicemail message from less than all of the segments using the error correction bits.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein a number of error correction bits depends on a number of second endpoints.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein a structure of the segments of the voicemail message comprises media bits and error correction bits.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the distributed segments of the voicemail message comprise a header that identifies the first endpoint.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 11, the logic further operable to:

determine the voicemail message to distribute if the first endpoint stores more than one voicemail message; and

if a triggering event occurs, distribute the segments of the voicemail message.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 11, the logic further operable to assign the media bits of the segments to a plurality of second endpoints on a sequential basis.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 11, the logic further operable to:

if the first endpoint is available, provide the voicemail message from the first endpoint; and

if the first endpoint is not available, retrieve the segments associated with the voicemail message from the second endpoints, and combine the segments to reproduce the voicemail message.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 14, the logic further operable to:

if the first endpoint is available, provide the voicemail from the first endpoint; and

if the first endpoint is not available, retrieve less than all the segments associated with the voicemail message from the second endpoints, and combine the segments to reproduce the voicemail message.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 11, the logic further operable to:

remove the voicemail message from the first endpoint in response to a delete event; and

remove the segments associated with the voicemail message from the second endpoints in response to the delete event.

21. A system for storing a voicemail message in a communication environment, comprising:

a first endpoint operable to receive a voicemail message, separate the voicemail message into a plurality of segments, and distribute the segments to a plurality of second endpoints, wherein the segments comprise media bits; and

the plurality of second endpoints operable to receive the distributed segments of the voicemail message.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the first endpoint is operable to add error correction bits to the voicemail message, and to distribute segments of the voicemail message to each second endpoint, the segments comprising the error correction bits.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein a second endpoint is operable to reconstruct the voicemail message from less than all of the segments using the error correction bits.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the first endpoint is operable to determine the voicemail message to distribute if the first endpoint stores more than one voicemail message, and distribute the segments of the voicemail message if a triggering event occurs.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the first endpoint is operable to assign the media bits of the segments to a plurality of second endpoints on a sequential basis.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the first endpoint is operable to provide the voicemail message if the first endpoint is available.

27. The system of claim 21, further comprising a server operable to retrieve the segments associated with the voicemail message from the second endpoints using a distribution map, and combine the segments to reproduce the voicemail message.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein a second endpoint of the plurality of second endpoints is operable to retrieve the segments associated with the voicemail message from the second endpoints using a distribution map, and combine the segments to reproduce the voicemail message.

29. The system of claim 22, further comprising a server operable to retrieve less than all the segments associated with the voicemail message and from the second endpoints, and combine the segments to reproduce the voicemail message.

30. The system of claim 22, wherein a second endpoint of the plurality of second endpoints is operable to retrieve less than all the segments associated with the voicemail message from the second endpoints, and combine the segments to reproduce the voicemail message.

31. The system of claim 21, wherein the first endpoint is operable to remove the voicemail message in response to a delete event, the plurality of second endpoints operable to remove the segments associated with the voicemail message in response to the delete event.

32. A system for storing a voicemail message in a communication environment, comprising:

means for receiving a voicemail message at a first endpoint;

means for separating the voicemail message into a plurality of segments; and

means for distributing the segments of the voicemail message to a plurality of second endpoints, wherein the segments comprise media bits.

33. A method for storing a voicemail message in a communication environment, comprising:

receiving a voicemail message at a first endpoint;

determining the voicemail message to distribute if the first endpoint stores more than one voicemail message;

adding error correction bits to the voicemail message at the first endpoint, wherein a number of distributed error correction bits depends on a number of second endpoints, and a second endpoint is operable to reconstruct the voicemail message from less than all of the segments using the error correction bits;

separating the voicemail message into a plurality of segments;

distributing the segments of the voicemail message to a plurality of second endpoints if a triggering event occurs, wherein the distributed segments of the voicemail message comprise media bits, error correction bits, and a header that identifies the first endpoint;

assigning the media bits of the segments to a plurality of second endpoints on a sequential basis;

if the first endpoint is available, providing the voicemail message from the first endpoint;

if the first endpoint is not available, retrieving the segments associated with the voicemail message from the second endpoints, and combining the segments to reproduce the voicemail message;

if the first endpoint is not available, retrieving less than all the segments associated with the voicemail message from the second endpoints, and combining the segments to reproduce the voicemail message;

removing the voicemail message from the first endpoint in response to a delete event; and

removing the segments associated with the voicemail message from the second endpoints in response to the delete event.