Arrangement for automated delivery of voice-mail messages for software processes

• US 5,646,981 A
• Filed: 01/10/1995
• Issued: 07/08/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated, Cook Incorporated (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Klein, Robert Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): TSANG, FAN S
• Application Number:
  US08/370,925
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 379/94, 379/93, 379/201, 395/700
• US Class Current: 379/88.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0021 Details of Application Programming Interfaces

Abstract

A program-implemented arrangement (26) executing on a computer (22) facilitates use of a voice messaging system (VMS 12) by other application programs (25) by interacting with the application program interface (API) of the VMS on behalf of the application programs. In response to an application program writing a message identifier and a destination identifier to a pipe (37), a daemon process (34) of the arrangement retrieves the identified message from its database (33) and causes the VMS to deliver it to the identified destination. Messages to populate the database are generated via the conventional VMS message-creation facility and are brought into the database by a message-retrieval process (32) of the arrangement.

Claims

1. A telecommunications apparatus comprising:

a messaging apparatus for delivering messages to persons;

a computer separate from but connected to the messaging apparatus and executing an operating system;

a plurality of application programs executing on the computer and interacting with the operating system; and

a program-implemented arrangement executing on the computer independently of the application programs, including a database of a plurality of messages and responsive to an interaction, of any application program of the application programs with the operating system, that indicates, to the program-implemented arrangement, a first one of the plurality of messages to be sent to a first one of a plurality of persons, for retrieving the first message from the database and delivering the first message to the messaging apparatus and causing the messaging apparatus to deliver the first message to the first person, without involvement of the application programs.

2. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the application program interacts with the operating system to write predetermined information to a predetermined place in the computer, as a way of indicating to the program-implemented arrangement.

3. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the application program interacts with the operating system to write a predetermined operating system pipe, as a way of indicating to the program-implemented arrangement.

4. A telecommunications apparatus comprising:

a computer with an operating system, for executing a plurality of application programs that interact with the operating system during execution, the computer being connectable to a separate messaging apparatus for delivering messages to persons; and

an arrangement implemented in a program for execution on the computer independently of the application programs, including a database of a plurality of messages and responsive to an interaction, of any application program of the application programs with the operating system, that indicates, to the program-implemented arrangement, a first one of the plurality of messages to be sent to a first one of a plurality of persons, for retrieving the first message from the database and delivering the first message to a connected said messaging apparatus and causing the messaging apparatus to deliver the first message to the first person, without involvement of the application programs.

5. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 4 wherein:

the application program interacts with the operating system to write predetermined information to a predetermined place in the computer, as a way of indicating to the program-implemented arrangement.

6. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 4 wherein:

the application program interacts with the operating system to write a predetermined operating system pipe, as a way of indicating to the program-implemented arrangement.

7. A telecommunications method comprising the steps of:

interacting, by any application program of a plurality of application programs executing on a computer, with an operating system of the computer, to indicate to a program-implemented arrangement a first one of a plurality of messages to be sent to a first one of a plurality of persons;

in response to the interacting, the program-implemented arrangement executing on the computer independently of the application programs and retrieving the first message from a database of the plurality of messages, without involvement of the application programs;

in response to the retrieving, delivering the first message to a messaging apparatus separate from but connected to the computer, without involvement of the application programs;

causing the messaging apparatus to deliver the first message to the first person, without involvement of the application programs; and

in response to the causing, the messaging apparatus delivering the first message to the first person.

8. The telecommunications method of claim 7 wherein:

the step of interacting with an operating system comprises the step of

the application program interacting with the operating system to write predetermined information to a predetermined place in the computer, as a way of indicating to the program-implemented arrangement.

9. The telecommunications method of claim 7 wherein:

the step of interacting with an operating system comprises the step of

the application program interacting with the operating system to write a predetermined operating system pipe, as a way of indicating to the program-implemented arrangement.

10. A telecommunications apparatus comprising:

an audio-messaging apparatus for delivering messages to destinations;

a computer separate from but connected to the audio-messaging apparatus;

a plurality of application programs executing on the computer; and

a program-implemented arrangement executing on the computer independently of the application programs, comprising a database of a plurality of audio messages and responsive to signaling received from any application program of the application programs and indicative of a first one of the plurality of audio messages to be sent to a first one of a plurality of destinations, for retrieving the first audio message from the database and delivering the first audio message to the audio-messaging apparatus on behalf of the application program and causing the audio-messaging apparatus to deliver the first audio message to the first destination, without involvement of the application programs.

11. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 10 wherein:

the application program signals to the program-implemented arrangement by writing predetermined information to a predetermined place in the computer.

12. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 10 wherein:

the application program signals to the program-implemented arrangement by writing a predetermined operating system pipe.

13. A telecommunications apparatus comprising:

a computer for executing a plurality of application programs, the computer being connectable to a separate audio-messaging apparatus for delivering audio messages to destinations; and

an arrangement implemented in a program for execution on the computer independently of the application programs, including a database of a plurality of audio messages and responsive to signaling received from any application program of the application programs and indicative of a first one of the plurality of audio messages to be sent to a first one of a plurality of destinations, for retrieving the first audio message from the database and delivering the first audio message to a connected said audio-messaging apparatus on behalf of the application program and causing the audio-messaging apparatus to deliver the first audio message to the first destination, without involvement of the application programs.

14. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 13 wherein:

the application program signals to the program-implemented arrangement by writing predetermined information to a predetermined place in the computer.

15. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 13 wherein:

the application program signals to the program-implemented arrangement by writing a predetermined operating system pipe.

16. A telecommunications method comprising the steps of:

signaling, from any application program of a plurality of application programs executing on a computer to a program-implemented arrangement, an indication of a first one of a plurality of audio messages to be sent to a first one of a plurality of destinations;

in response to receipt of the signaling, the program-implemented arrangement executing on the computer independently of the application programs and retrieving the first audio message from a database of the plurality of audio messages that is included in the program-implemented arrangement, without involvement of the application programs;

in response to the retrieving, delivering the first audio message on behalf of the application program to an audio-messaging apparatus separate from but connected to the computer, without involvement of the application programs;

causing the audio-messaging apparatus to deliver the first audio message to the first destination, without involvement of the application programs; and

in response to the causing, the audio-messaging apparatus delivering the first audio message to the first destination.

17. The telecommunications method of claim 16 wherein:

the step of signaling comprises the step of

the application program writing predetermined information to a predetermined place in the computer to signal the program-implemented arrangement.

18. The telecommunications method of claim 16 wherein:

the step of signaling comprises the step of

the application program writing a predetermined operating system pipe to signal the program-implemented arrangement.

19. A telecommunications apparatus comprising:

a messaging apparatus for delivering messages to persons;

a computer separate from but connected to the messaging apparatus and executing an operating system;

an application program executing on the computer and interacting with the operating system;

a program-implemented arrangement executing on the computer, including a database of a plurality of messages and responsive to an interaction, of the application program with the operating system, that indicates, to the program-implemented arrangement, a first one of the plurality of messages to be sent to a first one of a plurality of persons, for retrieving the first message from the database, delivering the first message to the messaging apparatus, and causing the messaging apparatus to deliver the first message to the first person; and

means for causing the messaging apparatus to retrieve a message from a mailbox of the messaging apparatus and deliver the retrieved message to the means, and storing the delivered retrieved message in the database as one of the messages,

so that the plurality of messages in the database may be generated via a message-creation facility of the messaging apparatus.

20. A telecommunications apparatus comprising:

a computer with an operating system, for executing an application program that interacts with the operating system during execution, the computer being connectable to a separate messaging apparatus for delivering messages to persons;

an arrangement implemented in a program for execution on the computer, including a database of a plurality of messages and responsive to an interaction, of the application program with the operating system, that indicates, to the program-implemented arrangement, a first one of the plurality of messages to be sent to a first one of a plurality of persons, for retrieving the first message from the database, delivering the first message to a connected said messaging apparatus, and causing the messaging apparatus to deliver the first message to the first person; and

means for causing the messaging apparatus to retrieve a message from a mailbox of the messaging apparatus and deliver the retrieved message to the means, and storing the delivered retrieved message in the database as one of the messages,

so that the plurality of messages may be generated via a message-creation facility of the messaging apparatus.

21. A telecommunications method comprising the steps of:

interacting, by an application program executing on a computer, with an operating system of the computer, to indicate to a program-implemented arrangement a first one of a plurality of messages to be sent to a first one of a plurality of persons;

in response to the interacting, the program-implemented arrangement executing on the computer and retrieving the first message from a database of the plurality of messages;

in response to the retrieving, delivering the first message to a messaging apparatus separate from but connected to the computer;

causing the messaging apparatus to deliver the first message to the first person;

in response to the causing, the messaging apparatus delivering the first message to the first person;

generating a message in a mailbox of the messaging apparatus via a message-creation facility of the messaging apparatus;

the program-implemented arrangement causing the messaging apparatus to retrieve the generated message from the mailbox and deliver the retrieved message to the program-implemented arrangement; and

storing the delivered retrieved message in the database as one of the messages.

22. A telecommunications apparatus comprising:

an audio-messaging apparatus for delivering messages to destinations;

a computer separate from but connected to the audio-messaging apparatus;

an application program executing on the computer;

a program-implemented arrangement executing on the computer, comprising a database of a plurality of audio messages and responsive to signaling received from the application program and indicative of a first one of the plurality of audio messages to be sent to a first one of a plurality of destinations, for retrieving the first audio message from the database, delivering the first audio message to the audio-messaging apparatus on behalf of the application program, and causing the audio-messaging apparatus to deliver the first audio message to the first destination; and

means for causing the audio-messaging apparatus to retrieve an audio message from a mailbox of the audio-messaging apparatus and deliver the retrieved audio message to the means, and storing the delivered retrieved audio message in the database as one of the messages,

so that the plurality of audio messages in the database may be generated via a message-creation facility of the audio-messaging apparatus.

23. A telecommunications apparatus comprising:

a computer for executing an application program, the computer being connectable to a separate audio-messaging apparatus for delivering audio messages to destinations;

an arrangement implemented in a program for execution on the computer, including a database of a plurality of audio messages and responsive to signaling received from the application program and indicative of a first one of the plurality of audio messages to be sent to a first one of a plurality of destinations, for retrieving the first audio message from the database, delivering the first audio message to a connected said audio-messaging apparatus on behalf of the application program, and causing the audio-messaging apparatus to deliver the first audio message to the first destination; and

means for causing the audio-messaging apparatus to retrieve an audio message from a mailbox of the audio-messaging apparatus and deliver the retrieved audio message to the means, and storing the delivered retrieved audio message in the database as one of the messages,

so that the plurality of audio messages may be generated via a message-creation facility of the audio-messaging apparatus.

24. A telecommunications method comprising the steps of:

signaling, from an application program executing on a computer to a program-implemented arrangement, an indication of a first one of a plurality of audio messages to be sent to a first one of a plurality of destinations;

in response to receipt of the signaling, the program-implemented arrangement executing on the computer and retrieving the first audio message from a database of the plurality of audio messages that is included in the program-implemented arrangement;

in response to the retrieving, delivering the first audio message on behalf of the application program to an audio-messaging apparatus separate from but connected to the computer;

causing the audio-messaging apparatus to deliver the first audio message to the first destination;

in response to the causing, the audio-messaging apparatus delivering the first audio message to the first destination;

generating an audio message in a mailbox of the audio-messaging apparatus via a message-creation facility of the audio-messaging apparatus;

the program-implemented arrangement causing the audio-messaging apparatus to retrieve the generated audio message from the mailbox and deliver the retrieved audio message to the program-implemented arrangement; and

storing the delivered retrieved audio message in the database as one of the messages.