INTERNET PROTOCOL TELEPHONY VOICE/VIDEO MESSAGE DEPOSIT AND RETRIEVAL

• US 20090238177A1
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OL Security LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: WorldCom, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Donovan, Steven R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,509,393 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53308 Message originator indirectly connected to the message centre, e.g. after detection of busy or absent state of a called party
• 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: Y10S 370/912 Packet communications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony

Abstract

A method for signaling an Integrated Messaging System (IMS) on an Internet Protocol (IP) based network to deposit a message, including the steps of sending a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) SIP INVITE request to the IMS indicating a message deposit action; receiving a corresponding SIP message from the IMS agreeing to participate in the message deposit action; and sending an SIP acknowledge message to the IMS confirming receipt of the corresponding SIP message; and depositing the message in a destination mailbox. A method of signaling an IMS on an IP based network to retrieve a deposited message, the method including the steps of sending a SIP INVITE request to the IMS indicating a message retrieval action; receiving a corresponding SIP message from the IMS agreeing to participate in the message retrieval action; sending an SIP acknowledge message to the IMS confirming receipt of the corresponding SIP message; and retrieving the deposited message from a mailbox corresponding to known account information.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A method comprising:

receiving a request over a data network to deposit a message within a mailbox associated with a called party, wherein the request specifies information relating to unavailability of the called party for receiving a call;

determining whether account information associated with the mailbox is authenticated for access to the mailbox; and

generating an acknowledgement message in response to the request.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the request includes a header specifying a parameter relating to a redirection of the call.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the header includes another parameter specifying an action to deposit or retrieve a message stored for the called party.

5. A method according to claim 2, wherein the unavailability relates to either activation of an unconditional call forwarding feature, a busy condition, or a no answer condition.

6. A method according to claim 2, wherein the deposited message includes either voice content or video content.

7. A method according to claim 2, wherein the request is a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) INVITE request, and the unavailability information is specified using a SIP Require header protocol extension mechanism.

8. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

communicating with a proxy server over the data network to receive the request.

9. A method according to claim 2, wherein the call is a Voice over Internet Protocol call.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive a request over a data network to deposit a message within a mailbox associated with a called party, wherein the request specifies information relating to unavailability of the called party for receiving a call; and

a processor configured to determine whether account information associated with the mailbox is authenticated for access to the mailbox, and to generate an acknowledgement message in response to the request.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the request includes a header specifying a parameter relating to a redirection of the call.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the header includes another parameter specifying an action to deposit or retrieve a message stored for the called party.

13. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the unavailability relates to either activation of an unconditional call forwarding feature, a busy condition, or a no answer condition.

14. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the deposited message includes either voice content or video content.

15. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the request is a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) INVITE request, and the unavailability information is specified using a SIP Require header protocol extension mechanism.

16. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the communication interface is configured to communicate with a proxy server over the data network to receive the request.

17. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the call is a Voice over Internet Protocol call.

18. A method comprising:

determining whether an unconditional call forwarding feature associated with a packetized voice call is activated for a called party; and

generating a request for transmission to a messaging system based on the determination, wherein the request specifies a first parameter for an action including a deposit operation or a retrieval operation relating to a message, and a second parameter indicating a call forwarding condition.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the request is generated according to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the first parameter and the second parameter are provided in a header of the request.

21. A method according to claim 19, further comprising:

receiving a busy response from a station of the called party.