VOICEMAIL NOTIFICATION

• US 20090080622A1
• Filed: 09/24/2007
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koulagi, Ravindra
• Granted Patent: US 8,559,604 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/27.10
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0093 signalling arrangements in networks

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and methods for voicemail notification. In one embodiment, a method includes submitting an extension call request to a telephony system, wherein the extension call request identifies a recipient extension. The method also includes receiving a return message from the telephony system in response to the extension call request. The method further includes determining whether the recipient extension is currently associated with the telephony system based on the return message received from the telephony system. In addition, the method includes documenting an association between the recipient extension at the telephony system if the recipient extension is currently associated with the telephony system. The preceding operations may be repeated for additional recipient extensions and/or additional telephony systems to determine associations between one or more recipient extensions and one or more telephony systems. Various voicemail systems, telephony systems, and related methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

submitting an extension call request to a telephony system, wherein the extension call request identifies a recipient extension;

receiving a return message from the telephony system in response to the extension call request;

determining whether the recipient extension is currently associated with the telephony system based on the return message received from the telephony system; and

documenting an association between the recipient extension and the telephony system if the recipient extension is currently associated with the telephony system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating the method for a plurality of telephony systems to determine which of the telephony systems the recipient extension is currently associated with.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising repeating the method to re-determine which of the telephony systems the recipient extension is currently associated with.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating the method for a plurality of recipient extensions to determine which of the recipient extensions are associated with the telephony system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the documenting comprises updating a database identifying the recipient extension and the telephony system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the extension call request comprises a Skinny Client Control Protocol (SCCP) offhook message identifying the recipient extension;

the return message received from the telephony system comprises an SCCP dialtone message if the recipient extension is currently associated with the telephony system; and

the return message received from the telephony system comprises an SCCP dialtone denial message if the recipient extension is not currently associated with the telephony system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the extension call request comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message waiting indicator (MWI) notify message identifying the recipient extension;

the return message received from the telephony system comprises an SIP ACK message if the recipient extension is currently associated with the telephony system; and

the return message received from the telephony system comprises an SIP NACK message if the recipient extension is not currently associated with the telephony system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a voicemail system, the method further comprising:

receiving a voicemail message; and

sending a message waiting indicator (MWI) notification to the telephony system based on the association between the recipient extension and the telephony system.

9. A voicemail system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the one or more of the processors comprising instructions executable by one or more of the processors, the one or more of the processors operable when executing the instructions to;

submit an extension call request to a telephony system, wherein the extension call request identifies a recipient extension,

receive a return message from the telephony system in response to the extension call request,

determine whether the recipient extension is currently associated with the telephony system based on the return message received from the telephony system, and

document an association between the recipient extension and the telephony system if the recipient extension is currently associated with the telephony system.

10. The telephony system of claim 9, wherein the one or more of the processors executing the instructions are further operable to:

submit additional extension call requests identifying the recipient extension to additional telephony systems;

receive additional return messages from the additional telephony systems in response to the additional extension call requests;

determine whether the recipient extension is currently associated with the additional telephony systems based on the additional return messages received from the additional telephony systems; and

document associations between the recipient extension and the additional telephony systems if the recipient extension is currently associated with the additional telephony systems.

11. The telephony system of claim 10, wherein the one or more of the processors executing the instructions are further operable to:

re-determine whether the recipient extension is currently associated with the additional telephony systems.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more of the processors executing the instructions are further operable to:

submit additional extension call requests to the telephony system, wherein the additional extension call requests identify additional recipient extensions;

receive additional return messages from the telephony system in response to the additional extension call requests;

determine whether the additional recipient extensions are currently associated with the telephony system based on the additional return messages received from the telephony system; and

document associations between the additional recipient extensions and the telephony system if the additional recipient extensions are currently associated with the telephony system.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more of the processors executing the instructions are further operable to update a database identifying the recipient extension and the telephony system if the recipient extension is currently associated with the telephony system.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the extension call request comprises a Skinny Client Control Protocol (SCCP) offhook message identifying the recipient extension;

the return message received from the telephony system comprises an SCCP dialtone message if the recipient extension is currently associated with the telephony system; and

the return message received from the telephony system comprises an SCCP dialtone denial message if the recipient extension is not currently associated with the telephony system.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the extension call request comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message waiting indicator (MWI) notify message identifying the recipient extension;

the return message received from the telephony system comprises an SIP ACK message if the recipient extension is currently associated with the telephony system; and

the return message received from the telephony system comprises an SIP NACK message if the recipient extension is not currently associated with the telephony system.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more of the processors executing the instructions are further operable to:

receive a voicemail message; and

send a message waiting indicator (MWI) notification to the telephony system based on the association between the recipient extension and the telephony system.

17. A method comprising:

receiving an extension call request at a telephony system from a voicemail system, wherein the extension call request identifies a recipient extension;

determining whether the recipient extension is currently associated with the telephony system;

sending a return message to the voicemail system to indicate whether the recipient extension is currently associated with the telephony system; and

receiving a message waiting indicator (MWI) notification at the telephony system from the voicemail system based a documented association between the recipient extension and the telephony system stored by the voicemail system.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising repeating the method for a plurality of recipient extensions.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the extension call request comprises a Skinny Client Control Protocol (SCCP) offhook message identifying the recipient extension;

the return message comprises an SCCP dialtone message if the recipient extension is currently associated with the telephony system; and

the return message comprises an SCCP dialtone denial message if the recipient extension is not currently associated with the telephony system.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the extension call request comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message waiting indicator (MWI) notify message identifying the recipient extension;

the return message comprises an SIP ACK message if the recipient extension is currently associated with the telephony system; and

the return message comprises an SIP NACK message if the recipient extension is not currently associated with the telephony system.

21. A telephony system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the one or more of the processors comprising instructions executable by one or more of the processors, the one or more of the processors operable when executing the instructions to;

receive an extension call request at the telephony system from a voicemail system, wherein the extension call request identifies a recipient extension,

determine whether the recipient extension is currently associated with the telephony system,

send a return message to the voicemail system to indicate whether the recipient extension is currently associated with the telephony system, and

receive a message waiting indicator (MWI) notification at the telephony system from the voicemail system based a documented association between the recipient extension and the telephony system stored by the voicemail system.

22. The telephony system of claim 21, wherein the one or more of the processors executing the instructions are further operable to:

receive additional extension call requests at the telephony system from the voicemail system, wherein the additional extension call requests identify additional recipient extensions;

determine whether the additional recipient extensions are currently associated with the telephony system; and

send additional return messages to the voicemail system to indicate whether the additional recipient extensions are currently associated with the telephony system.

23. The telephony system of claim 21, wherein:

the extension call request comprises a Skinny Client Control Protocol (SCCP) offhook message identifying the recipient extension;

the return message comprises an SCCP dialtone message if the recipient extension is currently associated with the telephony system; and

the return message comprises an SCCP dialtone denial message if the recipient extension is not currently associated with the telephony system.

24. The telephony system of claim 21, wherein:

the extension call request comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message waiting indicator (MWI) notify message identifying the recipient extension;

the return message comprises an SIP ACK message if the recipient extension is currently associated with the telephony system; and

the return message comprises an SIP NACK message if the recipient extension is not currently associated with the telephony system.