System and Method for Enhanced Message Notification

• US 20110207437A1
• Filed: 05/05/2011
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cingular Wireless LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Richardson, Simon James, Wuthnow, Mark Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,548,129 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/413
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/652 Call initiation triggered by text message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• 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 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Enhanced message notification is provided by an enhanced notification function element and a subscriber preference profile database. The enhanced notification function element queries the subscriber preference profile database to obtain subscriber communication terminal capabilities information, which it uses to select a message notification technology. The enhanced notification function element may then format an enhanced notification that is delivered to a communication terminal through a delivery system architecture appropriate for the selected message notification technology. The enhanced notification may contain: a message type indicator; an identifier of the party leaving the message; a date and time that the message was deposited; multimedia objects; and other enhanced information. The enhanced notification function element may also query a terminal roaming status database in order to determine if the enhanced message should be sent when the terminal is roaming. The enhanced notification function element ma also provide content adaptation for the enhanced notification.

Claims

1. A system, for providing enhanced voice mail notification, comprising:

an enhanced voice mail notification component configured to;

receive a voice mail message including an identifier of a target mobile device;

obtain mobile device capability information using the identifier in response to receiving the voice mail message; and

determine whether the mobile device capability information indicates that the mobile device has an enhanced voice mail notification program.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the enhanced voice mail notification component is further configured to:

select a voice mail notification technology for delivery of the voice mail notification based on the mobile device capability information;

format a traditional voice mail notification, based on the voice mail message, to form a formatted voice mail notification, in response to determining that the mobile device capability information indicates that the mobile device does not have an enhanced voice mail notification program; and

format an enhanced voice mail notification, based on the voice mail message, to form a formatted voice mail notification, in response to determining that the mobile device capability information indicates that the mobile device has an enhanced voice mail notification program.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the enhanced voice mail notification component, in being configured to format the enhanced voice mail notification, is configured to format the enhanced voice mail notification to have a message type indicator indicating that the notification is an enhanced notification and should be processed by the enhanced voice mail notification client application program.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the enhanced voice mail notification component is further configured to;

identify a roaming service provider if the mobile device is roaming; and

determine if the roaming service provider is capable of delivering enhanced voice mail notifications;

wherein;

selecting the enhanced voice mail notification technology is performed based on the mobile device capabilities and whether the roaming service provider is capable of delivering enhanced voice mail notifications;

formatting the traditional voice mail notification is performed in response to determining that the mobile device capability information indicates that the mobile device does not have an enhanced voice mail notification program or that the roaming service provider is not capable of delivering enhanced voice mail notifications; and

formatting the enhanced voice mail notification is performed in response to determining that the mobile device capability information indicates that the mobile device the mobile device has an enhanced voice mail notification program and that the roaming service provider is capable of delivering enhanced voice mail notifications.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the enhanced voice mail notification component, in being configured to determine if the roaming service provider is capable of delivering enhanced voice mail notifications, is configured to access a database relating mobile device identifiers with roaming status of corresponding mobile devices.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the enhanced voice mail notification component, in being configured to format the enhanced voice mail notification, is configured to format the enhanced voice mail notification to have a multimedia object associated with a party leaving the voice mail message.

7. The system of claim 6, the enhanced voice mail notification component, in being configured to format the enhanced voice mail notification to have the multimedia object, is configured to format the enhanced voice mail notification to have the multimedia object including at least one object type selected from a group of object types consisting of:

an audio clip identifying a name of the party;

a picture identifying the party;

a presence indicator associated with the party; and

an availability indicator associated with the party.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the enhanced voice mail notification component is further configured to determine whether the mobile device capability information indicates that the mobile device is capable of receiving enhanced voice mail notifications;

and

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the enhanced voice mail notification component is further configured to:

select a voice mail notification technology for delivery of the voice mail notification based on the mobile device capability information;

format a traditional voice mail notification, corresponding to the voice mail message, in response to determining that the mobile device capability information indicates that the mobile device is not capable of receiving enhanced voice mail notifications or that the mobile device does not have an enhanced voice mail notification program; and

format an enhanced voice mail notification, corresponding to the voice mail message, in response to determining that the mobile device capability information indicates that the mobile device is capable of receiving enhanced voice mail notifications and that the mobile device has an enhanced voice mail notification program.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a database relating mobile device identifiers with capability information of corresponding mobile devices, the capability information indicating whether the mobile devices are capable of receiving enhanced voice mail notifications and whether the mobile devices have an enhanced voice mail notification program;

wherein the enhanced voice mail notification component, in being configured to obtain mobile device capability information using the identifier, is configured to access the database.

20. The system of claim 2, wherein the enhanced voice mail notification component is further configured to initiate transmission of the formatted voice mail notification to the mobile device.

11. A system, for providing enhanced voice mail notification, comprising:

an enhanced voice mail notification component configured to;

receive a voice mail message including an identifier of a mobile device;

obtain mobile device capability information using the identifier; and

determine whether the mobile device capability information indicates that the mobile device is capable of receiving enhanced voice mail notifications.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the enhanced voice mail notification component is further configured to:

select a voice mail notification technology for delivery of the voice mail notification based on the mobile device capability information;

format a traditional voice mail notification, corresponding to the voice mail message, to form a formatted voice mail notification, in response to determining that the mobile device capability information indicates that the mobile device is not capable of receiving enhanced voice mail notifications; and

format an enhanced voice mail notification, corresponding to the voice mail message, to form a formatted voice mail notification, in response to determining that the mobile device capability information indicates that the mobile device is capable of receiving enhanced voice mail notifications.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the enhanced voice mail notification component is further configured to;

identify a roaming service provider if the mobile device is roaming; and

determine if the roaming service provider is capable of delivering enhanced voice mail notifications;

wherein;

selecting the enhanced voice mail notification technology is performed based on the mobile device capabilities and whether the roaming service provider is capable of delivering enhanced voice mail notifications;

formatting the traditional voice mail notification is performed in response to determining that the mobile device capability information indicates that the mobile device is not capable of receiving enhanced voice mail notifications or that the roaming service provider is not capable of delivering enhanced voice mail notifications; and

formatting the enhanced voice mail notification is performed in response to determining that the mobile device capability information indicates that the mobile device is capable of receiving enhanced voice mail notifications and that the roaming service provider is capable of delivering enhanced voice mail notifications.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the enhanced voice mail notification component, in being configured to format the enhanced voice mail notification, is configured to format the enhanced voice mail notification to have a message type indicator indicating that the notification is an enhanced notification and should be processed by an enhanced voice mail notification client application program.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the enhanced voice mail notification component is further configured to initiate transmission of the formatted voice mail notification to the mobile device.

15. A system, for providing enhanced voice mail notification, comprising:

an enhanced voice mail notification component configured to;

receive a voice mail message including an identifier of a mobile device;

identify an applicable roaming service provider if the mobile device is roaming, in response to having received the voice mail message; and

determine if the roaming service provider identified is capable of delivering enhanced voice mail notifications.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the enhanced voice mail notification component is further configured to:

select an enhanced voice mail notification technology based on whether the roaming service provider is capable of delivering enhanced voice mail notifications;

format a traditional voice mail notification, to form a formatted voice mail notification, in response to determining that the roaming service provider is not capable of delivering enhanced voice mail notifications; and

format the enhanced voice mail notification, to form a formatted voice mail notification, in response to determining that the roaming service provider is capable of delivering enhanced voice mail notifications.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the enhanced voice mail notification component, in being configured to format the enhanced voice mail notification, is configured to format the enhanced voice mail notification to have a message type indicator indicating that the notification is an enhanced notification and should be processed by an enhanced voice mail notification client application program.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the enhanced voice mail notification component is further configured to initiate transmission of the formatted voice mail notification to the mobile device.