System and Method for Accessing a Messaging Service Using a Short Dialing Sequence

• US 20090257570A1
• Filed: 06/24/2009
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mills, Victor Piollet JR., Henry, Tricia Ehlers, Brand, Rodney T., Donoso, Carlos H., Tiliks, Diana Inara, Andrietsch, Margaret Jean
• Granted Patent: US 8,144,843 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/93.20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/44 Additional connecting arrangements for providing access to frequently-wanted subscribers, e.g. abbreviated dialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27; automatic redialling H04M3/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53325 Interconnection arrangements between voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects

Abstract

A system and method for providing easy access to messaging services in a telecommunications network having office switches that are used by different providers of telephone and messaging services. The system uses a supplementary services database to maintain customer records including whether the customer uses messaging services and whether the customer subscribes to a short dialing sequence service for access to the messaging services. The customer is connected to the central office switch, which analyzes the dialing sequences generated by the customer. When the customer attempts access to the messaging services, the customer dials a short dialing or message sequence, such as *XX. The central office switch triggers a query to the supplementary services database for a call forwarding number to the messaging service used by the customer when the selected short dialing sequence is recognized by the switch. When the central office switch receives the call forwarding number, the number is used to route the customer to the messaging service.

Claims

1. A system for enabling a user to access a voicemail service comprising:

a network element in communication with a customer premises equipment (CPE), the network element comprising;

a supplementary service processor operative to;

receive a sequence of characters from the CPE;

generate a query to a supplementary service database in response to the sequence of characters to determine whether the network element supports a supplementary service and to determine whether a user has access to a voicemail service based on a caller identifier; and

receive a call forwarding number from the supplementary service database when the network element supports the supplementary service and the user has access to the voicemail service;

wherein the first network element is operative to connect the CPE with the voicemail service in response to receiving the call forwarding number.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the network element is a central office switch.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the network element is further operative to prevent access to the voicemail service in response to a determination that the user does not have access to the voicemail service.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the network element further comprises:

an error handler for sending an error message to the CPE in response to a determination that the user does not have access to the voicemail service.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sequence of characters comprises a ‘

*’

star character.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the supplementary service processor generates the query when the sequence of characters is a predetermined n-character messaging sequence, where n<

7.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein n=3.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the 3-character messaging sequence includes a first ‘

*’

star character followed by a two number sequence.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the n-character messaging sequence comprises the sequence *98.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the supplementary service processor further comprises:

a routing table for storing a call forwarding number for a user that has access the voicemail service.

11. A method for controlling a user'"'"'s access to a voicemail service, the method comprising:

receiving a sequence of characters, with a supplementary service processor, transmitted from customer premises equipment (CPE);

generating, with the supplementary service processor, a query to a supplementary service database in response to the sequence of characters to determine whether a network element supports a supplementary service and to determine whether a user has access to a voicemail service based on a caller identifier;

receiving a call forwarding number from the supplementary service database when the network element supports the supplementary service and the user has access to the voicemail service; and

connecting the CPE with the voicemail service in response to receiving the call forwarding number.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the network element is a central office switch.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

preventing access to the voicemail service in response to a determination that the user does not have access to the voicemail service.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the supplementary service processor generates the query when the sequence of characters is a predetermined n-character messaging sequence, where n<

7.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein n=3.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the 3-character messaging sequence includes a first ‘

*’

star character followed by a two number sequence.

17. A computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions for controlling a user'"'"'s access to a voicemail service, the set of instructions to direct a processor to perform acts of:

receiving a sequence of characters transmitted from customer premises equipment (CPE);

generating a query to a supplementary service database in response to the sequence of characters to determine whether a network element supports a supplementary service and to determine whether a user has access to a voicemail service based on a caller identifier;

receiving a call forwarding number from the supplementary service database when the network element supports the supplementary service and the user has access to the voicemail service; and

connecting the CPE with the voicemail service in response to receiving the call forwarding number.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the network element is a central office switch.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising a set of instructions to direct a processor to perform acts of:

preventing access to the voicemail service in response to a determination that the user does not have access to the voicemail service.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the query to the supplementary service database is generated when the sequence of characters is a predetermined n-character messaging sequence, where n<

7.