MULTIPLE VISUAL VOICEMAIL MAILBOXES

• US 20090154667A1
• Filed: 09/24/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Data Services LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Ren, Dahai, Baruch, Robert C., Rozensztejn, Diego Sebastian, Hao, Jack Jianxiu, Honma, Gerald Y., Ortiz, Guillermo, Wu, Shuai
• Granted Patent: US 8,270,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.180
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/253 where a visual mode is used instead of a voice mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2073 Multipoint, e.g. messaging, broadcast or group SMS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53325 Interconnection arrangements between voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• 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

Abstract

A network device may include a memory to store an aggregate database. The aggregate database may store aggregate voicemail message information, the aggregate voicemail message information including voicemail message information associated with a first device number and voicemail message information associated with a second device number. The network device may include a receiver to receive, over a network, updated voicemail message information associated with the first device number and stored in a first database different from the aggregate database, and to receive, over the network, updated voicemail message information associated with the second device number and stored in a second database different from the first database and the aggregate database. The network device may include a processor to update the aggregate voicemail message information stored in the aggregate database based on the received updated voicemail message information associated with the first device number and based on the received updated voicemail message information associated with the second device number. The network device may include a transmitter to send the updated aggregate voicemail message information to a user device associated with the first device number.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing aggregate voicemail message information in an aggregate database, the aggregate voicemail message information including voicemail message information associated with a first device number and voicemail message information associated with a second device number;

retrieving updated voicemail message information associated with the first device number from a first database, where the first database, different from the aggregate database, stores the voicemail message information associated with the first device number and the updated voicemail message information associated with the first device number;

retrieving updated voicemail message information associated with the second device number from a second database, where the second database, different from the first database and the aggregate database, stores the voicemail message information associated with the second device number and the updated voicemail message information associated with the second device number;

updating the aggregate voicemail message information stored in the aggregate database based on the retrieved updated voicemail message information associated with the first device number and based on the retrieved updated voicemail message information associated with the second device number; and

transmitting the updated aggregate voicemail message information to a user device associated with the first device number.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the user device, a first indication of a change of state of a voicemail message associated with the aggregate voicemail information stored in the aggregate database; and

updating the aggregate database based on the first indication of the change of state.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

updating the first or second database based on the first indication of the change of state.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting a second indication over a network to a first server storing the first database or a second server storing the second database for updating the first or second database based on the second indication of the change of state.

5. The method of claim 3, where the state or the change of state includes an indication that the voicemail message was heard, saved, or deleted by a user of the first user device.

6. The method of claim 1,

where retrieving the updated voicemail message information associated with the first device number includes receiving, over a network from a first server storing the first database, the updated voicemail message information associated with the first device number;

and

where retrieving the updated voicemail message information associated with the second device number includes receiving, over a network from a second server storing the second database, the updated voicemail message information associated with the second device number.

7. A network device comprising:

a memory to store an aggregate database, the aggregate database storing aggregate voicemail message information, the aggregate voicemail message information including voicemail message information associated with a first device number and voicemail message information associated with a second device number;

a receiver to receive, over a network, updated voicemail message information associated with the first device number and stored in a first database different from the aggregate database, and to receive, over the network, updated voicemail message information associated with the second device number and stored in a second database different from the first database and the aggregate database;

a processor to update the aggregate voicemail message information stored in the aggregate database based on the received updated voicemail message information associated with the first device number and based on the received updated voicemail message information associated with the second device number; and

a transmitter to send the updated aggregate voicemail message information to a user device associated with the first device number.

8. The network device of claim 7,

where the receiver receives, from the user device, a first indication of a change of state of a voicemail message associated with the aggregate voicemail information stored in the aggregate database,

where the processor updates the aggregate database based on the first indication of the change of state, and

where the transmitter sends a second indication over the network for updating the first or second database based on the first indication of the change of state.

9. The network device of claim 8, where the state or the change of state includes an indication that the voicemail message was heard, saved, or deleted by a user of the first user device.

10. A system comprising:

an aggregate database to store;

first voicemail message information associated with a first device number and stored in a first database, and

second voicemail message information associated with a second device number and stored in a second database,

where the aggregate database is different than the first database and the second database, and the first database is different than the second database; and

one or more processors to update the voicemail message information stored in the aggregate database based on updated voicemail message information stored in the first database and updated voicemail message information stored in the second database.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a transmitter to send the updated aggregate voicemail message information to a first user device associated with the first device number in response to the one or more processors updating the aggregate database.

12. The system of claim 11, where the transmitter sends a notification of the updated aggregate voicemail message information to the first user device.

13. The system of claim 12, where the notification of the updated aggregate voicemail message information includes a notification of a new voicemail message.

14. The system of claim 11, where the first user device includes:

a receiver to receive the updated aggregate voicemail message information;

a memory to store another aggregate database for storing the aggregate voicemail message information; and

a processor to update the other aggregate database based on the received updated aggregate voicemail message information.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a receiver to receive a state change notification, where the state change notification indicates that a state of a voicemail message associated with the aggregate voicemail message information has changed,

where the one or more processors update the aggregate database based on the change of state notification and update the first or second database based on the change of state notification.

16. The system of claim 15, where the state or the changed of state includes an indication that the voicemail has been deleted, heard, or saved.

17. A method comprising:

receiving updated aggregate voicemail message information from a network device;

updating an aggregate database, where the aggregate database aggregates first voicemail message information associated with a first device number stored in a first database and second voicemail message information associated with a second device number stored in a second database, where the aggregate database is different than the first database and the second database, and the first database is different than the second database; and

displaying the updated aggregate voicemail message information to a user.

18. The method of claim 17, further including receiving a notification of the updated aggregate voicemail message information from the network device.

19. The method of claim 17, further including:

changing a state of a voicemail message associated with the aggregate voicemail message information stored in the aggregate database; and

transmitting an indication of the change of state to the network device for updating the aggregate database and the first or second database based on the indication of the change of state.

20. The method of claim 19, further including:

updating the other aggregate database and the first or second database based on the indication of the changed of state.

21. The method claim 19, where the state or the change of state includes an indication that the voicemail has been deleted, heard, or saved.

22. A communications device comprising:

a memory to store an aggregate database to aggregate first voicemail message information associated with a first device number stored in a first database and second voicemail message information associated with a second device number stored in a second database, where the aggregate database is different than the first database and the second database, and the first database is different than the second database;

a receiver to receive updated aggregate voicemail message information from a network device;

one or more processors to update the voicemail message information stored in the aggregate database based on updated voicemail message information stored in the first database and updated voicemail message information stored in second database; and

a display to present the updated aggregate voicemail message information to a user.

23. The communication device of claim 22, where the receiver receives a notification of the updated aggregate voicemail message information from the network device.

24. The communication device of claim 23, where the processor changes a state of a voicemail message associated with the aggregate voicemail message information stored in the aggregate database, the communication device further including:

a transmitter to send an indication of the change of state to the network device for updating another aggregate database based on the indication of the changed state and to update the first or second database based on the indication of the changed state.

25. The system of claim 24, where the state or the change of state includes an indication that the voicemail has been deleted, heard, or saved.