ON-NET DIRECT ACCESS TO VOICEMAIL

• US 20110149948A1
• Filed: 12/17/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: SAHDEV, Vikas V., SPAK, Steven Leon, JOHNSTON, Michelle Madden, BROOKS, Euclid S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,100,415 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1063 Application servers providing network services systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42
• 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 1/64 Automatic arrangements for answering calls; Automatic arrangements for recording messages for absent subscribers; Arrangements for recording conversations centralised dictation systems H04M11/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4509 Unified messaging with single point of access to voicemail and other mail or messaging systems unified messaging in packet switching networks H04L51/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

A device in a provider network receives a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) request message from an originating device, where the SIP request message includes a general number for a voicemail service and where the voicemail service includes multiple voicemail systems. The device determines whether the originating device is associated with a voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) account on the provider network and, when the originating device is associated with a VoIP account, selects a direct access number assigned to a voicemail system, from the multiple voicemail systems in the network, that services the VoIP account. The device also associates the direct access number and the SIP request message, and forwards, based on the direct access number, the SIP request message to an application server.

Claims

1. A method performed by a computing device in a provider network, the method comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) request message from an originating device, where the SIP request message includes a general number for a voicemail service and where the voicemail service includes multiple voicemail systems;

determining, by the computing device, whether the originating device is associated with a voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) account on the provider network;

selecting, by the computing device and when the originating device is associated with a VoIP account, a direct access number assigned to a voicemail system, of the multiple voicemail systems, that services the VoIP account;

associating, by the computing device, the direct access number and the SIP request message; and

forwarding, by the computing device and based on the direct access number, the SIP request message to an application server.

2. The method of claim 1, where associating the direct access number and the SIP request message comprises:

replacing the general number in the SIP request message with the direct access number.

3. The method of claim 1, where the application server is selected from multiple application servers, and where a user account for the direct access number is associated with the selected application server.

4. The method of claim 1, where the direct access number is selected from a plurality of direct access numbers assigned to the voicemail system that services the account, and where at least some of the plurality of direct access numbers assigned to the voicemail system have user accounts associated with different application servers.

5. The method of claim 1, where selecting a direct access number assigned to a voicemail system comprises:

identifying a numbering plan area associated with the originating device; and

selecting, from a data structure of multiple direct access numbers, the direct access number that corresponds to the numbering plan area.

6. The method of claim 5, where the numbering plan area associated with the originating device is determined based on:

a from header of the SIP request, or

a P-asserted identity of the SIP request.

7. The method of claim 1, where the computing device comprises a session border controller.

8. A device, comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor to execute the instructions to;

receive, from an originating device, a session initiation protocol (SIP) request message for a voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) call to a general number for a voicemail service, where the voicemail service includes multiple voicemail systems;

determine the geographic area of the originating device based on information in the SIP request message;

select a direct access telephone number assigned to a voicemail system, of the multiple voicemail systems, that services the geographic area of the originating device;

associate the direct access telephone number and the SIP request message; and

forward, based on the direct access telephone number, the SIP request message to an application server.

9. The device of claim 8, where the instructions to associate the direct access number and the SIP request message comprise:

instructions to replace the general number in the SIP request message with the direct access telephone number.

10. The device of claim 8, where the application server is selected from multiple application servers, and where a user account for the direct access telephone number is associated with the selected application server.

11. The device of claim 8, where the memory further stores a data structure including a listing of direct access telephone numbers for multiple numbering plan areas.

12. The device of claim 11, where the data structure further associates one of multiple application servers with each direct access telephone number.

13. The device of claim 8, where the geographic area is determined based on a numbering plan area associated with the originating device.

14. The device of claim 13, where the numbering plan area is identified in a from header or a P-asserted identity in the SIP request message.

15. The device of claim 8, where the device comprises a session border controller.

16. A session border controller, comprising:

an endpoint identifying component to determine whether an originating device, of a session initiation protocol (SIP) request message for a voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) call to a general number for a voicemail service, has an account with a VoIP service provider;

a data structure including particular direct access numbers for application servers, where each direct access number is associated with a numbering plan area;

an access number identifying component to identify a numbering plan area of the originating device and to match the numbering plan area of the originating device with a particular direct access number; and

a SIP request modification component to replace the general number in the SIP request message with the particular direct access number to create a modified SIP request.

17. The session border controller of claim 16, where the direct access number is further associated with a voicemail system, of multiple voicemail systems, associated with the originating device.

18. The session border controller of claim 16, where the SIP request modification component forwards the modified SIP request to the application server associated with the particular direct access number.

19. A device, comprising:

means for receiving a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) request message from an originating device, where the SIP request message includes a general number for a voicemail service and where the voicemail service includes multiple voicemail systems;

means for determining whether the originating device is associated with a voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) account on the provider network;

means for selecting, when the originating device is associated with a VoIP account, a direct access number assigned to a voicemail system, of the multiple voicemail systems, that services the VoIP account;

means for associating the direct access number and the SIP request message; and

means for forwarding, based on the direct access number, the SIP request message to an application server.

20. The device of claim 19, where the means for selecting a direct access number assigned to a voicemail system comprises:

means for identifying a numbering plan area associated with the originating device; and

means for selecting, from a data structure of multiple direct access numbers, the direct access number that corresponds to the numbering plan area