Voicemail Archival and Forwarding Functionality for Communications Networks and Devices

• US 20100159889A1
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• 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 8,509,745 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, 24) includes a memory (36, 62) and a processor (32, 60). The memory (36, 62) can store data relating to one or more users. An incoming communication can be handled by the voicemail system (18, 24) and provided with functionality based upon a user'"'"'s preferences, for example. The voicemail system (18, 24) can include functionality to allow a user to archive a voicemail message, to convert a voicemail message to a desired format, and/or to forward a voicemail message or converted voicemail message file to one or more designated destinations. The voicemail system (18, 24) can operate on a communications network (10), at a communications device (18), or both. Methods for archiving, converting, and/or forwarding voicemail messages are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system (24) for providing voicemail archival functionality for a communications network (10), comprising:

a memory (36) configured to store instructions and messages;

a processor (32) in communication with the memory (36), the processor (32) being configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory (36); and

a network interface (30) in communication with at least one of the processor (32) and the memory (36), wherein the instructions stored in the memory (36) comprise;

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

a voicemail archival application (40) configured to archive one or more stored messages.

2. The system (24) of claim 1, wherein the voicemail archival application (40) further comprises instructions for converting the one or more archived messages (52, 56) from a first file format to a second file format.

3. The system (24) of claim 1, wherein the instructions stored in the memory (36) further comprises instructions for forwarding one or more archived messages to a recipient.

4. The system (24) of claim 1, wherein the instructions stored in the memory (36) further comprises a billing module.

5. The system (24) of claim 1, wherein the instructions for archiving the one or more stored messages comprises instructions for sending a save command to the voicemail system (24) at designated intervals.

6. The system (24) of claim 1, wherein the instructions for archiving the one or more stored messages comprises instructions for adding identifying information to a stored message to designate the message as an archived message.

7. The system (24) of claim 1, wherein the instructions for archiving the one or more stored messages comprises instructions for moving a stored message from a first memory (36) location corresponding to a storage location to a second memory (36) location corresponding to an archival location.

8. A method for archiving at least one message using a voicemail forwarding application (40) of a voicemail system (24), comprising:

receiving, at the voicemail system (24), instructions to archive one or more messages; and

executing, at the voicemail system (24), instructions for archiving the one or more messages, wherein;

the one or more archived messages are stored at a memory (36) location of the voicemail system corresponding to an archive location; and

the storage of an archived message persists independent of message operations performed at other voicemail system (24) locations, and until the archived message is moved from the archive location.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the instructions for archiving the one or more messages comprise instructions for tagging the one or more messages as archived messages, and wherein the archive location (36) is a memory location of the voicemail system (24).

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the instructions for archiving the one or more messages comprise instructions for moving the one or more messages to the archive location (36) of the voicemail system (24), wherein the archive location (56) is separate from a storage location (52) in which messages are stored prior to archival.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the instructions for archiving the one or more messages comprise instructions for sending a save command to the voicemail system (24) to save the one or more messages in the archive location (36) of the voicemail system (24).

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising repeating the sending a save command prior to deletion of the archived message from the voicemail system (24).

13. A mobile device (18) including voicemail archival functionality, comprising:

a memory (62) configured to store instructions and messages;

a processor (60) for executing the instructions stored in the memory; and

a network interface (74, 82) for transferring data to and from at least one cellular network (12), wherein the instructions stored in the memory comprise;

a voicemail application (64) for storing one or more messages in the memory; and

a voicemail archival application (64) for archiving one or more messages in the memory.

14. The mobile device (18) of claim 13, wherein the voicemail archival application (64) further comprises instructions for forwarding the one or more messages from a first file format to a second file format.

15. The mobile device (18) of claim 13, wherein:

the one or more messages are stored at a memory location (36) at the cellular network (12) and a first memory (62) location at the device (18); and

archived messages are stored at a second memory (62) location at the device.

16. The mobile device (18) of claim 15, wherein:

the one or more messages are deleted from the memory (36) location at the cellular network (12) when the one or more messages are deleted from the first memory (62) location at the device (18); and

the one or more archived messages are not deleted from the second memory (62) location at the device (18).