Visual Voicemail Method for Managing Deleted Messages

• US 20170149979A1
• Filed: 01/03/2017
• Published: 05/25/2017
• 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 10,027,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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:

determining an age of a voicemail message based on a delete timestamp associated with the voice mail message;

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

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

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the voicemail message has been marked for deletion by a user; and

accessing the voicemail message in a voicemail store.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the accessing is a step of a synchronization process between a visual voicemail platform and the voicemail store.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preconfiguring the global delete time value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the global delete time value is selected by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the global delete time value is selected based on network resources required to support voicemail messages.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a delete message command related to the voice mail message; and

marking the voicemail message for deletion with the delete timestamp.

8. 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;

determining an age of a voicemail message based on a delete timestamp associated with the voice mail message;

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

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

9. The apparatus of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

determining that the voicemail message has been marked for deletion by a user; and

accessing the voicemail message in a voicemail store.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the accessing is a step of a synchronization process between a visual voicemail platform and the voicemail store.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

preconfiguring the global delete time value.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the global delete time value is selected by the user.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the global delete time value is selected based on network resources required to support voicemail messages.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

receiving a delete message command related to the voice mail message; and

marking the voicemail message for deletion with the delete timestamp.

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

determining an age of a voicemail message based on a delete timestamp associated with the voice mail message;

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

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

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

determining that the voicemail message has been marked for deletion by a user; and

accessing the voicemail message in a voicemail store.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the accessing is a step of a synchronization process between a visual voicemail platform and the voicemail store.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

preconfiguring the global delete time value.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the global delete time value is selected by the user.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the global delete time value is selected based on network resources required to support voicemail messages.