Systems and Methods for Consolidating Wireline and Wireless Voicemail Boxes

• US 20100167699A1
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• 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 8,406,743 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

Voicemail systems (24, 26, 28) can include at least one memory and at least one processor. A memory can store data relating to one or more users. An incoming communication can be handled by the voicemail system (24, 26, 28), forwarded to another voicemail system (24, 26, 28), provided with functionality based upon a user'"'"'s preferences, and the like. The voicemail systems (24, 26, 28) can include functionality to allow a user to consolidate voicemail messages and/or calls at one or more designated destinations, for example, a voicemail system (24, 26, 28) and/or a mobile device (18).

Claims

1. A system (10) for storing at least one voicemail message at a master voicemail system (28), comprising:

at least one slave voicemail system (24, 26) in communication with a master voicemail system (28).

2. The system (10) of claim 1, wherein the voicemail message is associated with a call received by the at least one slave voicemail system (24, 26).

3. The system (10) of claim 2, wherein the system (10) further comprises a cellular network (12).

4. The system (10) of claim 3, wherein the system (10) further comprises a device (18) in communication with the cellular network (12).

5. The system (10) of claim 3, wherein the device (18) is in communication with the master voicemail system (28).

6. The system (10) of claim 4, wherein:

the at least one voicemail message is transferred from the MVMS (28) to the device (18); and

the device (18) stores the at least one voicemail message in a device memory (44).

7. The system (10) of claim 1, wherein the at least one voicemail message comprises audio data.

8. The system (10) of claim 1, wherein the at least one voicemail message comprises text data.

9. The system (10) of claim 1, wherein the at least one voicemail message comprises audio data and text data.

10. A method for consolidating voicemail messages associated with multiple voicemail systems (24, 26, 28) at a voicemail system (28), comprising:

receiving a call at a voicemail system (24, 26, 28); and

storing a message associated with the call at a memory associated with the voicemail system (28).

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining at the voicemail system (24, 26, 28) if the voicemail system (24, 26, 28) is configured as a slave voicemail system (24, 26) or a master voicemail system (28).

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

if it is determined that the voicemail system (24, 26, 28) is configured as a slave voicemail system (24, 26), the method further comprises passing the call to a master voicemail system (28).

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the storing comprises storing the message and call data at a memory location associated with the master voicemail system (28).

14. The method of claim 11, wherein:

if it is determined that the voicemail system (24, 26, 28) is configured as a slave voicemail system (24, 26), the method further comprises storing message content and call data at a memory location associated with the slave voicemail system (24, 26).

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising transferring the stored message content and call data to the master voicemail system (28).

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating, at the master voicemail system (28), source data relating to the voicemail system (24, 26, 28) to which the call was originally directed; and

associating the source data with the message content and the call data.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein if the voicemail system (24, 26, 28) is configured as a slave voicemail system (24, 26), the method further comprises:

storing message content and call data at a memory location associated with the slave voicemail system (24, 26);

sending a notification to the master voicemail system (28) that a message has been deposited;

receiving, at the slave voicemail system (24, 26) a request to transfer the stored message content and call data to the master voicemail system (28); and

transferring the stored message content and call data to the master voicemail system (28).

18. The method of claim 11, wherein storing a message comprises storing audio data.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein storing a message comprises storing text data.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein storing a message comprises storing audio data and text data.

21. A device (18) for storing messages associated with at least two voicemail systems (24, 26, 28), comprising:

a memory (44) for storing at least one message; and

a communications component (56) for communicatively coupling the device (18) with a master voicemail system (28).

22. The device (18) of claim 21, wherein the communications component (56) comprises at least one transceiver (58, 60, 62).

23. The device (18) of claim 21, wherein the master voicemail system (28) is configured to store messages associated with the at least two voicemail systems (24, 26, 28), and to transfer the messages to the device (18).

24. The device (18) of claim 21, wherein the messages comprise audio data.

25. The device (18) of claim 21, wherein the messages comprise text data.

26. The device (18) of claim 21, wherein the messages comprise audio data and text data.

27. The device (18) of claim 21, wherein the master voicemail system (28) is a visual voicemail system.

28. The device (18) of claim 21, wherein the master voicemail system (28) is a plain old voicemail system.