Method and apparatus for Forwarding Voicemail

• US 20110051910A1
• Filed: 09/03/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Zhou, Liang, Gray, Thomas A., Yin, Jerry, Jain, Kavita, Albert, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,422,646 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5335 Message type or catagory, e.g. priority, indication

Abstract

A method and apparatus for forwarding voicemail is provided. A voicemail server determines that voicemail data stored in a memory device has been classified as urgent, the voicemail data for forwarding to a recipient communication device. Availability data associated with the recipient communication device is processed to determine an availability of the recipient communication device. If the availability data is indicative that the recipient communication device is available for receiving calls, then the voicemail data is provided to the recipient communication device.

Claims

1. A method of forwarding voicemail, implementable at a voicemail server, the method comprising:

determining that a voicemail data stored in a memory device has been classified as urgent, said voicemail data for forwarding to a recipient communication device;

processing an availability data associated with said recipient communication device to determine an availability of said recipient communication device; and

if said availability data is indicative that said recipient communication device is available for receiving calls, then providing said voicemail data to said recipient communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if said availability data is indicative that said recipient communication device is not available, repeating said processing of said availability data until said availability data is indicative that said recipient communication device is available, before said providing said voicemail data to said recipient communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing said voicemail in said memory device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining that voicemail data stored in a memory device has been classified as urgent comprises processing metadata associated with said voicemail data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said metadata comprises at least one of a flag, an index of said voicemail data, a classification of said voicemail data, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) data and a SIP Uniform Resource Indicator (URI).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein availability data is based on at least one of presence data, presence of a user associated with said recipient communication device, availability of said at least one recipient communication device, data received from said recipient communication device, notification data received from said recipient communication device, and availability data received from said recipient communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said recipient communication device comprises a proxy device enabled to:

monitor at least one of presence of a user associated with said proxy device and availability of said at least one communication device associated with said user;

generate said availability data based on at least one of said presence and said availability; and

transmit said availability data to said voicemail server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing said voicemail data to said recipient communication device comprises at least one of:

transmitting said voicemail data to said recipient communication device; and

playing said voicemail data over a communication link established with said recipient communication device.

9. The method device of claim 1, wherein communication with said recipient device and a voicemail initiating communication device proceeds according to Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

10. The method device of claim 1, further comprising transmitting an indication, to a voicemail initiating communication device, that said voicemail data has been provided.

11. A computing device for forwarding voicemail, comprising:

a processing unit interconnected with a memory device and a communication interface, said processing unit enabled to;

determine that a voicemail data stored in said memory device has been classified as urgent, said voicemail data for forwarding to a recipient communication device;

process an availability data associated with said recipient communication device to determine an availability of said recipient communication device; and

if said availability data is indicative that said recipient communication device is available for receiving calls, then provide said voicemail data to said recipient communication device via said communication interface.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein said processing unit is further enabled to, if said availability data is indicative that said recipient communication device is not available, repeatedly process said availability data until said availability data is indicative that said recipient communication device is available, before providing said voicemail data to said recipient communication device.

13. The computing device of claim 11, wherein said processing unit is further enabled to store said voicemail in said memory device.

14. The computing device of claim 11, wherein to determine that said voicemail data stored in said memory device has been classified as urgent, said processing unit is further enabled to process metadata associated with said voicemail data.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein said metadata comprises at least one of a flag, an index of said voicemail data, a classification of said voicemail data, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) data and a SIP Uniform Resource Indicator (URI).

16. The computing device of claim 11, wherein availability data is based on at least one of presence data, presence of a user associated with said recipient communication device, availability of said at least one recipient communication device, data received from said recipient communication device, notification data received from said recipient communication device, and availability data received from said recipient communication device.

17. The computing device of claim 11, wherein said recipient communication device comprises a proxy device enabled to:

monitor at least one of presence of a user associated with said proxy device and availability of said at least one communication device associated with said user;

generate said availability data based on at least one of said presence and said availability;

and transmit said availability data to said voicemail server.

18. The computing device of claim 11, wherein to provide said voicemail data to said recipient communication device comprises at least one of:

transmitting said voicemail data to said recipient communication device via said communication interface; and

playing said voicemail data over a communication link established with said recipient communication device via said communication interface.

19. The computing device of claim 11, wherein communication with said recipient device and a voicemail initiating communication device proceeds according to Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

20. The computing device of claim 11, wherein said processing unit is further enabled to transmit an indication, via said communication interface, to a voicemail initiating communication device, that said voicemail data has been provided.