VOICE MAIL EXTENSION

• US 20080056463A1
• Filed: 08/29/2006
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Lahtiranta, Atte, Hamalainen, Jari P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,363,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.18
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64

Abstract

An apparatus including a processor, a memory connected to the processor, a user interface connected to the processor and a communication module connected to the processor. The processor is configured to automatically monitor at least one incoming message status for each of at least two voice mail accounts, and to register each of the at least one message status in the memory.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory connected to the processor;

a user interface connected to the processor; and

a communication module connected to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to automatically monitor at least one incoming message status for each of at least two voice mail accounts, and to register each of the at least one message status in the memory.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least two voice mail accounts are associated with different service providers.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to respond to at least one user request, transmitted to the processor via the user interface, and wherein the response of the processor depends upon a content of the monitored incoming message statuses.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to access a corresponding account for retrieval of at least one new message when the at least one monitored incoming message status indicates at least one new message in the corresponding account.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to communicate with a user, via the user interface, for a user selection of a voice mail account when at least two of the at least one monitored incoming message status indicates at least one new message for a corresponding voice mail account.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to present lists of messages corresponding to the voice mail accounts where the messages are presented in an order from newest to oldest.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to communicate with the user, via the user interface, for a user selection of a voice mail account when none of the at least one monitored incoming message status indicates a new message.

8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the user interface comprises a display screen configured to display, for selection by a user, a list of voice mail accounts having a corresponding monitored incoming message status indicating at least one new message.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two monitored voice mail accounts has a different protocol.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a mobile telephone.

11. A method comprising:

activating a voice mail function of a communication device;

determining if a message is present in at least two voice mail accounts associated with the communication device, where each account is associated with a different service provider; and

connecting a user to a voice mail account with a message.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying to the user each of the at least one voice mail account with at least one message; and

allowing the user to connect to at least one of the at least one voice mail account with the at least one message.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising notifying a user of the device of a presence of one or more voice mails without a need to activate the voice mail function.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising automatically connecting the user, through the voice mail function of the device, to a service provider associated with a message when a voice mail retrieve function is activated.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising automatically switching the device to a service provider associated with a received voice mail message, when a service provider currently active with the device is different from the service provider associated with the voice mail.

16. A computer program product comprising:

a computer useable medium having computer readable code means embodied therein for causing a computer to monitor a voice mail function of a communication device, the computer readable code means in the computer program product comprising;

computer readable code means for causing a computer to activate the voice mail function of the communication device;

computer readable code means for causing a computer to determine if a message is present in at least one voice mail account associated with the communication device; and

computer readable code means for causing a computer to connect a user to a voice mail account with a message.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein each the at least one voice mail account is maintained by a different service provider.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

computer readable code means for causing a computer to identify to the user each of the at least one voice mail account with at least one message; and

computer readable code means for causing a computer to allow the user to connect to the at least one voice mail account with the at least one message.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising computer readable code means for causing a computer to notify the user of the communication device of a presence of one or more voice mails without a need to activate the voice mail function.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising computer readable code means for causing a computer to automatically connect the user, through the voice mail function of the device, to a service provider associated with a message when a voice mail retrieve function is activated.

21. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising computer readable code means for causing a computer to automatically switch the device to a service provider associated with a received voice mail message, when a service provider currently active with the device is different from the service provider associated with the voice mail.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a means for automatically monitoring at least one incoming message status for each of at least two voice mail accounts, where each voice mail account is associated with a different service provider; and

a means for registering each of the at least one message status.