System And Method For Visual Voice Mail In A Multi-Screen Environment

• US 20130101096A1
• Filed: 10/20/2011
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaw, Venson M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,025,739 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/22 Synchronisation circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/253 where a visual mode is used instead of a voice mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects

Abstract

A method of managing visual voice mail in a multi-screen environment. The method includes receiving voice mail messages in a server, creating a state machine for each message, pushing a visual voice mail notification to at least three devices, receiving an action command from one of the three devices and updating the state machine responsive to the receiving step.

Claims

1. A method of managing visual voice mail in a multi-screen environment, comprising:

receiving voice mail messages in a server;

creating a state machine for each message;

pushing a visual voice mail notification to at least three devices;

receiving an action command from one of the three devices; and

updating the state machine responsive to the receiving step.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising pushing a revised visual voice mail notification to the at least three devices indicating the updated state machine status.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the state machine includes states for unread, read, reply and delete.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least three devices comprise a personal computer, a smart phone and a television.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the voice mail is translated to text for delivery to one of the at least three devices.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the server provides a classification of the voice mail messages in accordance with a set of criteria and pushes the notification responsive to the classification.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the criteria is by called party designation.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the criteria is by calling party designation

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the criteria comprises a private or public designation.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the criteria is the designation of an authorized user.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the pushing step is modified based on the criteria.

12. A multi-user device for receiving visual voice mail messages, comprising:

a server interface;

a user interface comprising a display and an user input device;

a processor in communication with the server interface and the user interface, wherein the processor is configured for;

receiving one of a plurality of authentication codes from a user input device;

requesting visual voice mail messages from the server based on the authentication code wherein the visual voice mail messages are filtered based on the authentication code;

displaying the voice mail notifications based on the authentication code;

determining a desired action based on inputs from the user input device;

sending a request to the server based on the determining step; and

sending to the user interface the results of the desired action.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the processor is further configured to display private or public messages based on the authentication code.

14. The device of claim 12 wherein the processor is further configured to display all messages when the authentication code is that of a parent and to display only a subset of messages when the authentication code is that of a child.