NOTIFICATION OF WAITING VOICEMAIL MESSAGES BETWEEN DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

• US 20090037540A1
• Filed: 08/03/2007
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Cai, Yigang, Sharma, Alok
• Granted Patent: US 8,762,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed that provide notification of waiting voicemail messages between different types of communication networks. A first communication network as described herein includes a voicemail server to store voicemail messages for a user of a communication device. A second communication network provides phone service to the communication device but uses a different signaling protocol than the first communication network. In order to notify the user of the waiting voicemail message in the voicemail server, a subscriber server (e.g., an HLR) in the first communication network receives a voicemail waiting indicator in the signaling protocol of the first communication network, identifies the signaling protocol of the second communication network, and converts the voicemail waiting indicator to the signaling protocol of the second communication network. The second communication network may then provide notification of the waiting voicemail message to the user.

Claims

1. A subscriber server adapted to notify a user of a communication device of a waiting voicemail message, the subscriber server comprising:

a first interface adapted to receive a voicemail waiting indicator in a first signaling protocol indicating that a voicemail message for the user is being stored by a voicemail server in a first communication network, wherein the communication device is receiving phone service from a second communication network that uses a second signaling protocol that is different than the first signaling protocol used in the first communication network;

a processing system adapted to identify the second signaling protocol used in the second communication network that is providing phone service to the communication device of the user, and to convert the voicemail waiting indicator in the first signaling protocol to the second signaling protocol; and

a second interface adapted to transmit the voicemail waiting indicator in the second signaling protocol to the second communication network to provide for notification of the waiting voicemail message to the user of the communication device.

2. The subscriber server of claim 1 wherein:

the second interface is further adapted to receive a register message from the second communication network for registering the communication device with the second communication network, wherein the register message includes an indication of the second signaling protocol used in the second communication network; and

the processing system is further adapted to store the indication of the second signaling protocol in a subscriber profile for the user of the communication device.

3. The subscriber server of claim 2 wherein:

the processing system is further adapted to identify the second signaling protocol used in the second communication network based on the indication of the second signaling protocol stored in the subscriber profile for the user of the communication device.

4. The subscriber server of claim 1 wherein:

the second interface is further adapted to set a timer responsive to transmitting the voicemail waiting indicator to the second communication network, and to re-transmit the voicemail waiting indicator to the second communication network upon expiration of the timer.

5. The subscriber server of claim 1 wherein the processing system is further adapted to convert the voicemail waiting indicator in GSM MAP protocol to ANSI protocol, or vice-versa.

6. The subscriber server of claim 1 wherein the processing system is further adapted to convert the voicemail waiting indicator in GSM MAP protocol to Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), or vice-versa.

7. The subscriber server of claim 1 wherein the processing system is further adapted to convert the voicemail waiting indicator in ANSI protocol to Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), or vice-versa.

8. The subscriber server of claim 1 wherein the subscriber server comprises a Home Location Register (HLR), a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), or a combined Home Location Register (HLR)/Home Subscriber Server (HSS).

9. A method of operating a subscriber server to notify a user of a communication device of a waiting voicemail message, the method comprising:

receiving a voicemail waiting indicator in a first signaling protocol indicating that a voicemail message for the user is being stored by a voicemail server in a first communication network, wherein the communication device of the user is receiving phone service from a second communication network that uses a second signaling protocol that is different than the first signaling protocol used in the first communication network;

identifying the second signaling protocol used in the second communication network that is providing phone service to the communication device of the user;

converting the voicemail waiting indicator in the first signaling protocol to the second signaling protocol; and

transmitting the voicemail waiting indicator in the second signaling protocol to the second communication network to provide for notification of the waiting voicemail message to the user of the communication device.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

receiving a register message from the second communication network for registering the communication device with the second communication network, wherein the register message includes an indication of the second signaling protocol used in the second communication network; and

storing the indication of the second signaling protocol in a subscriber profile for the user of the communication device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein identifying the second signaling protocol used in the second communication network comprises:

identifying the second signaling protocol used in the second communication network based on the indication of the second signaling protocol stored in the subscriber profile for the user of the communication device.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

setting a timer responsive to transmitting the voicemail waiting indicator to the second communication network; and

re-transmitting the voicemail waiting indicator to the second communication network upon expiration of the timer.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein converting the voicemail waiting indicator in the first signaling protocol to the second signaling protocol comprises:

converting the voicemail waiting indicator in GSM MAP protocol to ANSI protocol, or vice-versa.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein converting the voicemail waiting indicator in the first signaling protocol to the second signaling protocol comprises:

converting the voicemail waiting indicator in GSM MAP protocol to Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), or vice-versa.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein converting the voicemail waiting indicator in the first signaling protocol to the second signaling protocol comprises:

converting the voicemail waiting indicator in ANSI protocol to Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), or vice-versa.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the subscriber server comprises a Home Location Register (HLR), a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), or a combined Home Location Register (HLR)/Home Subscriber Server (HSS).

17. A communication network adapted to notify a user of a communication device of a waiting voicemail message, wherein the communication network uses a first signaling protocol, and wherein the communication device is receiving phone service from a second communication network that uses a second signaling protocol that is different than the first signaling protocol, the communication network comprising:

a subscriber server adapted to store a subscriber profile for the user of the communication device; and

a voicemail server adapted to receive a voicemail message for the user of the communication device, and to initiate transmission of a voicemail waiting indicator in the first signaling protocol to the subscriber server indicating that the voicemail message is waiting;

the subscriber server is further adapted to receive the voicemail waiting indicator in the first signaling protocol, to identify the second signaling protocol used in the second communication network, to convert the voicemail waiting indicator in the first signaling protocol to the second signaling protocol, and to transmit the voicemail waiting indicator in the second signaling protocol to the second communication network to provide for notification of the waiting voicemail message to the user of the communication device.

18. The communication network of claim 17 wherein the subscriber server is further adapted to:

receive a register message from the second communication network for registering the communication device with the second communication network, wherein the register message includes an indication of the second signaling protocol used in the second communication network; and

store the indication of the second signaling protocol in the subscriber profile for the user of the communication device.

19. The communication network of claim 18 wherein the subscriber server is further adapted to:

identify the second signaling protocol used in the second communication network based on the indication of the second signaling protocol stored in the subscriber profile for the user of the communication device.

20. The communication network of claim 17 wherein the subscriber server is further adapted to:

set a timer responsive to transmitting the voicemail waiting indicator to the second communication network; and

re-transmit the voicemail waiting indicator to the second communication network upon expiration of the timer.