Enhanced Voicemail System and Method

• US 20090262910A1
• Filed: 04/16/2008
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philip M. Scopes
• Original Assignee: Philip M. Scopes
• Inventors: Scopes, Philip M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,369,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.250
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/254 where the visual mode comprises menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5335 Message type or catagory, e.g. priority, indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53375 Message broadcasting

Abstract

A system for processing voicemail is provided that includes a voicemail database processor establishing one ore more of an accounts table, a messages table, a distribution list table, a distribution lists members tables, and a delete request table. In operation a message navigation menu is provided to a user to allow the user to move back and forth a specified number of voicemails, change between urgent and normal priority voicemails, retrieve messages only from a specific mailbox or from outside the system, or initiate an improved deletion operation.

Claims

1. A system for processing voicemail, said system including:

a plurality of voicemail mailboxes; and

a voicemail database processor, wherein said voicemail database processor includes a database having;

an accounts table having, for a plurality of said plurality of voicemail mailboxes, an entry identifying each of said plurality of voicemail mailboxes by an extension number and an internal identifier,

a messages table having, for each of a plurality of voicemail messages, an entry identifying each of said voicemail messages and associating said voicemail message with an internal message identifier, an identification of the sender, an identification of the receiver, an identification of a name of a sound file representing a recording of said voicemail and the delivery time.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said messages table also includes an entry identifying whether a voicemail has been forwarded from another mailbox.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said messages table also includes an entry identifying an attached forwarded message when said message has been forwarded from another mailbox.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said messages table also includes an entry identifying whether a voicemail has been flagged as deleted.

5. A method for processing voicemail, said method including:

receiving a voicemail at a voicemail database processor and logically associating said voicemail with a messages table, wherein said messages table includes, for each of a plurality of voicemail messages, an entry identifying each of said voicemail messages and associating said voicemail message with an internal message identification and an identification of a mailbox of a recipient;

providing a navigation menu allowing a user to indicate a desired number of messages to skip forward or backward, wherein said user is associated with a user mailbox;

reviewing said messages table and determining a plurality of voicemails having said user mailbox as an associated mailbox of a recipient and ordering said plurality of voicemails in chronological order;

skipping forward or backward through said plurality of chronologically ordered voicemails by the number of messages specified by said user.

6. A method for processing voicemail, said method including:

receiving a voicemail at a voicemail database processor and logically associating said voicemail with a messages table, wherein said messages table includes, for each of a plurality of voicemail messages, an entry identifying each of said voicemail messages and associating said voicemail message with an identification of a mailbox of a recipient and one of an urgent priority and a normal priority;

providing a navigation menu allowing a user to indicate a desired priority, wherein said user is associated with a user mailbox;

reviewing said messages table and determining a plurality of voicemails having said user mailbox as an associated mailbox of a recipient and determining at least one of said plurality of voicemails having said desired priority as the priority stored in said message table logically associated with said voicemail; and

providing said at least one of said plurality of voicemails to said user.

7. A method for processing voicemail, said method including:

receiving a voicemail at a voicemail database processor and logically associating said voicemail with a messages table, wherein said messages table includes, for each of a plurality of voicemail messages, an entry identifying each of said voicemail messages and associating said voicemail message an identification of a mailbox of a recipient and the sender of said voicemail;

providing a navigation menu allowing a user to indicate a desired sender of a plurality of senders, wherein said user is associated with a user mailbox;

reviewing said messages table and determining a plurality of voicemails having said user mailbox as an associated mailbox of a recipient and determining at least one of said plurality of voicemails having said desired sender mailbox and the sender of said voicemail stored in said message table logically associated with said voicemail; and

providing said at least one voicemail to said user.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said sender is associated with another mailbox identified by said voicemail database processor.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said sender is not associated with another mailbox identified by said voicemail database processor.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein said at least one voicemail includes a plurality of voicemails and said plurality of voicemails are provided to said user in chronological order.

11. A method for processing voicemail, said method including:

receiving a voicemail at a voicemail database processor and logically associating said voicemail with a messages table, wherein said messages table includes, for each of a plurality of voicemail messages, an entry identifying each of said voicemail messages and associating said voicemail message an identification of a mailbox of a recipient and a deleted flag;

providing a navigation menu allowing a user to command the deletion of one or more of said plurality of voicemail messages, wherein said user is associated with a user mailbox;

reviewing said messages table and determining a plurality of voicemails having said user mailbox as an associated mailbox of a recipient and determining at least one of said plurality of voicemails having said deleted flag set to indicate that said voicemail is not deleted; and

adjusting said deleted flag to indicate that said voicemail is deleted.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said messages table includes, for each of a plurality of voicemail messages, an entry identifying a sender associated with said voicemail.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said user commands the deletion of all messages associated with said sender.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said reviewing of said messages table determines all messages associated with said sender and deletes all messages associated with said sender.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein said messages table includes, for each of a plurality of voicemail messages, an entry identifying one of a plurality of priorities associated with said voicemail.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said user commands the deletion of all messages associated with one of a plurality of priorities.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said reviewing of said messages table determines all messages associated with said one of a plurality of priorities and deletes all messages associated with said one of a plurality of priorities.