Visual Voicemail Method for Managing Deleted Messages

• US 20150072660A1
• Filed: 11/17/2014
• Published: 03/12/2015
• 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 9,544,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/413
• 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. A method comprising:

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

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 device;

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

determining whether the age of the voicemail message has reached the global delete time value; and

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

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a deleted messages folder icon after the delete message command is received.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

shortening the global delete time value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the voicemail message comprises a visual voicemail message.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preconfiguring the global delete time value.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

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

7. The method of claim 6, wherein messages with timestamps that equal the global delete time value are deleted during the synchronization operation.

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

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

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 device;

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

determining whether the age of the voicemail message has reached the global delete time value; and

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

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

displaying a deleted messages folder icon after the delete message command is received.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

shortening the global delete time value.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the voicemail message comprises a visual voicemail message.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

preconfiguring the global delete time value.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

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

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein messages with timestamps that equal the global delete time value are deleted during the synchronization operation.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

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

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

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 device;

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

determining whether the age of the voicemail message has reached the global delete time value; and

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

16. The apparatus of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

displaying a deleted messages folder icon after the delete message command is received.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, the operations further comprising:

shortening the global delete time value.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the voicemail message comprises a visual voicemail message.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

preconfiguring the global delete time value.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

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