Message forwarding in voice-mail system

• US 5,680,444 A
• Filed: 05/28/1996
• Issued: 10/21/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Reeves, John Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/657,001
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 379/211, 379/212, 379/279, 379/93, 379/94, 379/95, 370/61
• US Class Current: 379/88.19
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53325 Interconnection arrangements between voice mail systems

Abstract

A voice system and method in which messages are stored as data files. One or more tags are associated with each file, which identify the mailboxes intended to receive the message contained in the file. An owner of a mailbox can transfer a message to another mailbox by changing the tag to designate a transferee-mailbox. This tag manipulation saves memory space because the message file is not copied into the transferee-mailbox, only a tag is changed. Time is also saved because no delay is imposed by a copying process.

Claims

1. In a voice-mail system, the improvement comprising:

a) MESSAGE MEMORY comprising digital random-access memory for storing voice mail messages; and

b) a DIRECTORY, containing tables, each of which

i) is associated with a respective mailbox, and

ii) can store one or more tags, which identify messages intended for said mailbox.

2. In a method of storing incoming voice mail messages in a voice mail system, the improvement comprising:

a) storing an incoming message in digital random-access memory;

b) associating one or more tags with the stored message, which identify recipients allowed to access the message; and

c) allowing users to change tags associated with messages which identify said users as recipients, but not to change tags associated with other messages.

3. In a digital voice mail system, wherein voice mail messages are received from a telephone channel, and which includes mailboxes having owners, the improvement comprising:

a) means for storing a single copy of each voice mail message in digitized format, without additional copies;

b) a table which

i) lists voice mail messages which are stored, and

ii) associates one or more tags with each voice mail message listed, each tag comprising information in digital format which identifies a respective mailbox;

c) means for limiting access to each voice mail message to mailboxes identified by the tags associated with said voice mail message; and

d) means effective to enable each owner of a mailbox to

i) add tags to messages already having tags which identify the mailbox of said owner; and

ii) delete tags, which identify the mailbox of said owner, from messages.