Voice mail network and networking method

• US 5,659,599 A
• Filed: 11/02/1994
• Issued: 08/19/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xura, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Boston Technology
• Inventors: Penfield, Robert Flagg, Arumainayagam, Allen Theivendran, Reppucci, Stephen Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): TSANG, FAN S
• Application Number:
  US08/333,993
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 379/94, 379/207, 379/269, 379/142
• US Class Current: 379/67.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53325 Interconnection arrangements between voice mail systems

Abstract

A system and method that implements a network of voice mail systems using a telephone network. Each node of the network queues voice messages to be sent to remote locations in a voice mailbox created for that remote location until a scheduled time for sending messages to that remote location. When the messages are sent, conventional telephone lines of the telephone network are used by dialing through the public telephone network to establish a node to node connection. When the connection is established, the messages in the queue are transferred over the telephone network in either analog or digital form. Multiple message processors in each node can allow multiple connections and simultaneous transmission and receipt of messages between nodes.

Claims

1. A message storage system network connected to a telephone network, comprising:

first, second and third message storage systems connected to the telephone network, each of said message storage systems comprising;

a queuing system queuing messages to be transmitted; and

a transmission system including

means for coupling to at least two telephone lines among the digital telephone lines and the analog telephone lines in said telephone network, to establish at least one connection between said first message storage system and each of said second and third message storage systems after at least one message is queued in said first message storage system for each of said second and third message storage systems, and

means for transmitting messages simultaneously to said second and third message storage systems.

2. A message storage system network, comprising:

a telephone network including analog and digital telephone lines; and

first and second message storage systems connected to said telephone network, each of said message storage systems comprising;

a queuing system queuing messages to be transmitted;

a transmission system, including

means for coupling to at least one of the digital telephone lines in said telephone network and at least one of the analog telephone lines in said telephone network,

means to establish at least one connection between said first and second message storage systems after at least one message is queued in one of said first and second message storage systems, and

means for sending a name announcement of a message sender with the at least one queued message between the first and second message storage systems via the at least one connection; and

receiving means for storing the name announcement for future use related to the message sender until the name announcement has not been used for a longer period of time than a predetermined number of other name announcements received via said telephone network.

3. A voice message storage system network, comprising:

a telephone network; and

first, second and third voice message storage systems connected to said telephone network, said first voice message storage system comprising;

a digital switching system connected to said telephone network; and

a computer connected to said digital switching system, said computer comprising;

a queuing system queuing voice messages to be transmitted; and

a transmission system capable of initiating establishment of at least six connections in said telephone network, using one of an analog telephone line connection and a digital telephone line connection for each, between said first, second and third voice message storage systems to provide for transmission from each of said first, second and third voice message storage systems to both of the others of said first, second and third voice message storage systems via different ones of said connections, establishing at least one of the at least six connections after at least two messages are queued and, responsive to predetermined scheduling criteria including time of day, a maximum number of queued messages, a maximum total message length for all queued messages, a maximum delay for each queued message and message priority of each queued message, simultaneously transmitting the at least two queued voice messages after at least two of the at least six connections are established, at least one to each of said second and third voice message storage systems from said first voice message storage system and sending a name announcement of a message sender with the at least two voice messages.