Visual Voicemail Method for Managing Deleted Messages

• US 20140079196A1
• Filed: 11/29/2012
• Published: 03/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zubas, Michael Robert, Rainer, Brian, Sigmund, William J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,917,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/36 Memories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/253 where a visual mode is used instead of a voice mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects
• 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: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

A method for managing visual voicemail messages includes displaying a list of voicemail messages on a telecommunications handset, receiving user commands for operating on the voicemail messages including a delete message command and in response to a delete message command, marking a voicemail message for deletion with a delete timestamp and moving the voicemail message to a Deleted Messages folder. A Deleted Message Age Indicator function processes to control permanent deletion of voicemail messages in the Deleted Messages folder based on delete timestamps and a global Delete Time value in cooperation with a visual voicemail platform.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A method for managing voicemail messages, comprising:

receiving, at a user device, a delete message command relating to a voicemail message stored at a voicemail platform;

in response to the delete message command, marking the voicemail message for deletion with a delete timestamp indicative of a time the voicemail message is stored in a deleted messages folder maintained on the user device;

determining an age of the voicemail message based on the delete timestamp and a global delete time value determined by the voicemail platform;

deleting permanently the voicemail message in response to determining that the age of the voicemail message has reached the global delete time value;

sharing the delete timestamp with the voicemail platform; and

shortening the global delete time value.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the voicemail message comprises a visual voicemail message.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

storing the voicemail message in a deleted messages folder maintained on the user device.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

preconfiguring the global delete time value.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

performing a synchronization operation between the user device and the voicemail platform to cause deletion of the voicemail message on the user device and at the voicemail platform.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein messages with timestamps that equal the global delete time value are deleted during the synchronization operation.

28. A computer readable medium storing computer program instructions, which, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a delete message command relating to a voicemail message stored at a voicemail platform;

in response to the delete message command, marking the voicemail message for deletion with a delete timestamp indicative of a time the voicemail message was placed in a deleted messages folder maintained in a memory of a user device;

determining an age of the voicemail message based on the delete timestamp and a global delete time value determined by the voicemail platform;

deleting permanently the voicemail message in response to determining that the age of the voicemail message has reached the global delete time value;

sharing the delete timestamp with the voicemail platform; and

shortening the global delete time value.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the voicemail message comprises a visual voicemail message.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 28, the operations further comprising:

storing the voicemail message in a deleted messages folder.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 28, the operations further comprising:

preconfiguring the global delete time value.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 28, the operations further comprising:

performing a synchronization operation between the user device and the voicemail platform to cause deletion of the voicemail message on the user device and at the voicemail platform.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein messages with timestamps that equal the global delete time value are deleted during the synchronization operation.

34. An apparatus for managing multimedia content, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing computer program instructions, which, when executed on the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a delete message command relating to a voicemail message stored at a voicemail platform;

in response to the delete message command, marking the voicemail message for deletion with a delete timestamp indicative of a time the voicemail message was placed in a deleted messages folder maintained in the memory;

determining an age of the voicemail message based on the delete timestamp and a global delete time value determined by the voicemail platform;

deleting permanently the voicemail message in response to determining that the age of the voicemail message has reached the global delete time value;

sharing the delete timestamp with the voicemail platform; and

shortening the global delete time value.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the voicemail message comprises a visual voicemail message.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, the operations further comprising:

storing the voicemail message in a deleted messages folder.

37. The apparatus of claim 34, the operations further comprising:

preconfiguring the global delete time value.

38. The apparatus of claim 34, the operations further comprising:

performing a synchronization operation between the apparatus and the voicemail platform to cause deletion of the voicemail message on the apparatus and at the voicemail platform.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein messages with timestamps that equal the global delete time value are deleted during the synchronization operation.