Voicemail Forwarding Functionality for Communications Networks

• US 20100159888A1
• Filed: 04/25/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rainer, Brian Keith, Zubas, Michael Robert, Sigmund, William Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 8,340,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/413
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/58 Use of machine translation, e.g. for multi-lingual retrieval, for server-side translation for client devices or for real-time translation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/50 Telephonic communication in combination with video communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4518 Attachments to voicemail messages including annexed information, e.g. Attachments, in packet switching networks H04L51/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4545 Message forwarding selective message forwarding in packet switching networks H04L51/214
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42051 where the notification is included in the ringing tone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53325 Interconnection arrangements between voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53383 Message registering commands or announcements; Greetings
• 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: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A voicemail system (18, 30) includes a memory (38, 64) and a processor (34, 62). The memory (38, 64) can store data relating to one or more users. An incoming communication can be handled by the voicemail system (18, 30) and provided with functionality based upon a user'"'"'s preferences, for example. The voicemail system (18, 30) can include functionality to allow a user to convert a voicemail message to a desired format and forward the file to one or more designated destinations. Methods (700, 800, 900, 1000) for forwarding one or messages are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system (18, 30) for providing voicemail forwarding functionality for a communications network (10), comprising:

a memory (38, 64) configured to store instructions and messages;

a processor (34, 62) configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory; and

a network interface (32, 76, 84), wherein the instructions stored in the memory (38, 64) comprise;

a voicemail application (40) configured to obtain and store one or more messages from a calling party; and

a voicemail forwarding application (42) configured to forward at least one message.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the voicemail forwarding application (42) further comprises instructions for converting at least one message from a first file format to a second file format.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the instructions stored in the memory (38, 64) further comprise at least one algorithm used by the voicemail forwarding application (42) to convert the at least one message from the first file format to the second file format.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the instructions stored in the memory (38, 64) further comprise a billing application.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions stored in the memory (38, 64) further comprise user data (48), the user data (48) comprising at least one greeting.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the user data (48) comprises at least one greeting (50) and at least one user preference (52).

7. A method for forwarding at least one message using a voicemail forwarding application (42) of a voicemail system (18, 30), comprising:

receiving (210), at the voicemail system (18, 30), instructions to forward at least one message;

determining, at the voicemail system (18, 30), a data format (212) in which to forward at least a portion of the at least one message;

determining, at the voicemail system (18, 30), at least one recipient of the at least a portion of the at least one message; and

sending (214), from the voicemail system (18, 30), the at least a portion of the at least one message to the at least one recipient.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining the data format (212) comprises determining at least one audio data format in which to forward the at least a portion of the at least one message.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining the data format (212) comprises determining at least one text format in which to forward the at least a portion of the at least one message.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises formatting an email message to which the message to be forwarded is attached as a file.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises formatting an MMS message to which the message to be forwarded is attached as a file.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises converting to text the message to be forwarded and formatting an SMS message including the text.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises establishing a data session (516) with a destination device through which to transfer the message to be forwarded.

14. A method for allowing at least one recipient to retrieve at least a portion of at least one message stored by a voicemail system (18, 30), comprising:

receiving, at the voicemail system (18, 30), instructions (310) to allow retrieval of at least a portion of at least one message by at least one recipient;

determining, at the voicemail system (18, 30), the data format (312) in which to store (314) the at least a portion of at least one message;

determining, at the voicemail system (18, 30), the at least one recipient of at least a portion of the at least one message; and

sending, from the voicemail system (18, 30) to the at least one recipient, instructions for accessing (318) the at least a portion of the at least one message.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining the data format (312) comprises determining at least one audio data format in which to store the at least a portion of the at least one message.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining the data format (312) comprises determining at least one text format in which to store the at least a portion of the at least one message.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises formatting a third party access area (316) for retrieving the at least a portion of the at least one message.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the sending instructions (318) comprises sending a hyperlink to a file location corresponding to the stored at least a portion of the at least one message.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the sending instructions (318) comprises sending a hyperlink to a web page with a hyper link to a file location corresponding to the stored at least a portion of the at least one message.

20. A mobile device (18) including voicemail forwarding functionality, comprising:

a memory (64) configured to store instructions and messages;

a processor (62) for executing the instructions stored in the memory (64); and

a network interface (76, 84) for transferring data to and from at least one cellular network (12), wherein the instructions stored in the memory (64) comprise;

a voicemail application (40) for storing one or more voicemail messages; and

a voicemail forwarding application (42) for forwarding at least one voicemail message.

21. The mobile device (18) of claim 20, wherein the voicemail forwarding application (42) further comprises instructions for converting at least one voicemail message from a first file format to a second file format.