LOCAL VOICEMAIL FOR MOBILE DEVICES

• US 20140128038A1
• Filed: 03/28/2013
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Abou Rjeili, Joe, Khawand, Jean
• Granted Patent: US 9,432,513 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/413
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

This document describes various techniques for implementing local voicemail on a mobile device. These techniques may include enabling the mobile device to answer a voice call, record audio of the voice call to provide a voicemail file, and store the voicemail file to local computer-readable media. A locally stored voicemail file may be associated with relevant data, exposed via the associated data for local processing, and/or manipulated through a user interface of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing a voicemail file locally on a mobile device; and

enabling, via the mobile device, the locally stored voicemail file on the mobile device to be available to an application other than a voicemail application.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising synchronizing the locally stored voicemail file to a cloud-based user account.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising forwarding the locally stored voicemail file to a contact based on a voicemail forwarding configuration.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the application other than the voicemail application comprises an email application.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the application other than the voicemail application comprises a calendar application.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising associating contact data, social-network data, messaging-application data, pictures, video clips, other voicemail files, or synchronization data with the locally stored voicemail file.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising exposing the locally stored voicemail file via the associated data for local processing.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising enabling searching, sorting, filtering or navigating the locally stored voicemail file.

9. One or more computer readable storage memories encoded with instructions that, responsive to execution, direct a mobile device to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at the mobile device, a voice call from a remote entity;

recording audio of the voice call to provide a voicemail file;

storing the voicemail file on the mobile device; and

enabling, via the mobile device, the stored voicemail file on the mobile device to be available to an application other than a voicemail application.

10. The one or more computer readable storage memories as recited in claim 9, the operations further comprising synchronizing the stored voicemail file to a cloud-based user account.

11. The one or more computer readable storage memories as recited in claim 9, the operations further comprising sending the stored voicemail file to cloud-based storage.

12. The one or more computer readable storage memories as recited in claim 9, wherein the application other than the voicemail application comprises a task management application that associates the stored voicemail file with one or more tasks.

13. The one or more computer readable storage memories as recited in claim 9, the operations further comprising sending the stored voicemail file to Internet-based storage.

14. The one or more computer readable storage memories as recited in claim 9, the operations further comprising sending the stored voicemail file as a MMS message.

15. The one or more computer readable storage memories as recited in claim 9, the operations further comprising associating, with the stored voicemail file, information accessible to the mobile device including at least one of contact information, calendar information, schedule information, or call history information.

16. The one or more computer readable storage memories as recited in claim 15, the operations further comprising enabling user interaction with the stored voicemail file based on the associated information.

17. A mobile device comprising:

a wireless network interface;

computer-readable storage memory; and

a voicemail engine configured to;

store a voicemail file on the computer-readable storage memory; and

enable the stored voicemail file to be available to an application other than a voicemail application.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the voicemail engine is further configured to send the stored voicemail file to cloud-based storage.

19. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the voicemail engine is further configured to forward the stored voicemail file as a MMS message.

20. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the voicemail engine is further configured to associate data with the stored voicemail file.