Synchronization in Unified Messaging Systems

• US 20100185584A1
• Filed: 03/17/2010
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Inventors: Shmunis, Vlad, Vendrow, Vlad
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,363 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/622
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/65 Recording arrangements for recording a message from the calling party in the exchange H04M3/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5315 where the non-audio components are still images or video still image mailbox systems H04N1/324, intermediate storage of video signals for videophones H04N7/147
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

A unified messaging system, method, apparatus, individual components and the like are disclosed. The unified messaging system comprises a server, a client and a synchronization application for synchronizing voicemail messages and fax messages on both the server and the client is disclosed. The server messages may include received messages and sent messages, each of which is indexed according to their respective indices and read/unread statuses. Similarly, the client messages may include received messages and sent messages, each of which is indexed according to their respective indices and read/unread statuses.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing a plurality of server messages on a server, the plurality of server messages including at least one voicemail or at least one fax;

storing a plurality of client messages corresponding to the plurality of server messages on a client device, the plurality of client messages including at least one corresponding voicemail or at least one fax; and

synchronizing the plurality of client messages with the plurality of server messages, wherein synchronizing includes determining whether there is an extra message on the server that does not have a corresponding client message on the client device and determining whether the extra message is more recent than a prior synchronization.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the extra message is more recent includes determining whether the extra message has already been synchronized in any preceding synchronization.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising downloading the extra message to the client device if it is determined that the extra message does not have a corresponding client message and has not been synchronized in the prior synchronization.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising removing the extra message from the server if it is determined that the extra message has a corresponding client message or has previously been synchronized in the prior synchronization.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of server messages further include at least one message selected from a group comprising voice messages, fax messages, email messages, and text messages, and

the plurality of client messages further include at least one message selected from a group comprising voice messages, fax messages, email messages, and text messages.

5. A system comprising:

a message storage module for storing one or more messages;

an interface configured to receive one or more synchronization requests from one or more devices to initiate synchronization of one or more messages between the message storage module and the one or more devices; and

a synchronization module configured to;

retrieve first identification information associated with a synchronization request;

retrieve second identification information from the message storage module, the second identification information corresponding to the first identification information associated with the synchronization request;

compare the first identification information associated with the synchronization request with the second identification information retrieved from the message storage module; and

process the synchronization request based on the comparison.

6. The system of claim 5, where the synchronization module is configured to initiate the synchronization if the first identification information associated with the synchronization request matches the second identification information retrieved from the message storage module.

7. The system of claim 6, where the interface is configured to send to the one or more devices information relating to a status of the one or more messages stored in the message storage module after synchronization is initiated.

8. The system of claim 5, where the synchronization module is configured to reject the synchronization request if the first identification information associated with the synchronization request does not match the second identification information retrieved from the message storage module.

23. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more messages are selected from a group comprising voice messages, fax messages, email messages, and text messages.

9. A system comprising:

an interface configured to;

communicate with a device storing one or more remote messages, and

send one or more synchronization requests containing identification information to the device to synchronize one or more locally stored messages with the one or more remote messages; and

a synchronization module configured to;

receive a confirmation from the device to commence synchronization of the one or more locally stored messages and the one or more remote messages, and

perform one or more synchronization processes for synchronizing the one or more remote messages and the one or more locally stored messages.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the synchronization module is configured to:

send a status request after synchronization is commenced; and

receive, in response to the status request, status information associated with the one or more remote messages prior to synchronizing the one or more remote messages and the one or more locally stored messages.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the synchronization module is configured to:

determine a status of the one or more remote messages and the one or more locally stored messages;

determine one or more discrepancies between the one or more remote messages and the one or more locally stored messages based on the status; and

complete the synchronization based on the one or more determined discrepancies.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the synchronization module is configured to determine the one or more discrepancies based on a comparison between indexes of the one or more remote messages and indexes of the one or more locally stored messages.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the synchronization module is configured to:

identify an unsynchronized locally stored message or an unsynchronized remote message based on the one or more discrepancies; and

complete the synchronization by deleting or changing the status of the unsynchronized locally stored message or the unsynchronized remote message.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more synchronization processes include a synchronization process to generate a local copy of an unsynchronized remote message if the unsynchronized remote message is a new message.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the new message is received by or sent from the device after a last synchronization.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein each remote message corresponds to a locally stored message;

and

the one or more synchronization processes include a synchronization process to synchronize a respective status of a remote message and a corresponding locally stored message to read if one of the remote message or the corresponding locally stored message has been read.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more synchronization processes further include a synchronization process to synchronize the respective status of the remote message and the corresponding locally stored message to unread if one of the remote message or the corresponding locally stored message has not been read.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more synchronization processes include a synchronization process to:

identify a remote message that has been deleted from the device; and

remove a locally stored message corresponding to the deleted remote message.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more synchronization processes further include a synchronization process to:

identify a locally stored message that has been deleted; and

remove a remote message corresponding to the deleted locally stored message.

20. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more synchronization processes include a synchronization process to:

update the one or more locally stored messages; and

send an update request to the device to update the one or more remote messages based on the one or more updated locally stored messages.

24. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more remote messages or locally stored messages are selected from a group comprising voice messages, fax messages, email messages, and text messages.

21. A method comprising:

identifying one or more remote messages, the plurality of remote messages including at least one voicemail or at least one fax;

identifying one or more locally stored messages corresponding to the one or more remote messages, the plurality of locally stored messages including at least one voicemail or at least one fax; and

synchronizing a respective status of a remote message and a corresponding locally stored message to read if one of the remote message or the corresponding locally stored message has been read.