Interface enabling voice messaging systems to interact with communications networks
First Claim
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1. A communication system, comprising:
- a communications network for transmitting data formatted according to a first protocol suite;
a plurality of voice messaging systems interconnected by said communications network, each voice messaging system comprising,a first voice messaging processor coupled to a telephone network for receiving a first voice message from a subscriber of said telephone network and generating a representation of said first voice message according to a second protocol; and
a first interface for coupling said first voice messaging processor to said communications network, said first interface for receiving said representation of said first voice message from said first voice messaging processor and converting said representation of said first voice message to a converted representation of said first voice message according to said first protocol suite for transmission over said communications network to another of said voice messaging systems; and
a management site coupled to said communications network, said management site comprisingan identifier server for receiving an undeliverable voice message and determining a reason said undeliverable voice message could not be delivered.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for interfacing a plurality of voice messaging systems with a communications network are disclosed. Voice messages from voice message computers 450 are processed by an interface 410 and transmitted over communications network 390 to its destination. The interface allows the voice messaging computers to establish connection to the communications network without dialing into it.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A communication system, comprising:
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a communications network for transmitting data formatted according to a first protocol suite; a plurality of voice messaging systems interconnected by said communications network, each voice messaging system comprising, a first voice messaging processor coupled to a telephone network for receiving a first voice message from a subscriber of said telephone network and generating a representation of said first voice message according to a second protocol; and a first interface for coupling said first voice messaging processor to said communications network, said first interface for receiving said representation of said first voice message from said first voice messaging processor and converting said representation of said first voice message to a converted representation of said first voice message according to said first protocol suite for transmission over said communications network to another of said voice messaging systems; and a management site coupled to said communications network, said management site comprising an identifier server for receiving an undeliverable voice message and determining a reason said undeliverable voice message could not be delivered. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for providing voice messaging services using a plurality of voice messaging systems interconnected via a communications network, each voice messaging system comprising a voice messaging processor and an interface, the method comprising the steps of:
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in a first voice messaging system, generating a representation of a first voice message in a first voice messaging processor coupled to a telephone network, said first voice message being received from a subscriber of said telephone network, said representation of said first voice message being formatted according to a first protocol; transmitting said representation of said first voice message via a local area network to a first interface, said first interface for converting said first protocol to a second protocol suite for transmission of a converted representation of said first voice message over said communications network from said first voice messaging system to a second voice messaging system, the second voice messaging system comprising a second interface and a second voice messaging processor; receiving said converted representation of said first voice message at said second interface, said second interface reconverting said second protocol suite to said first protocol for processing by said second voice messaging processor; and providing a management site coupled to the communications network for receiving an undeliverable voice message and determining a reason said undeliverable voice message could not be delivered. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A communication system, comprising:
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a communications network for transmitting data formatted according to a first protocol suite; a plurality of voice messaging systems interconnected by said communications network, each voice messaging system comprising, a voice messaging processor coupled to a telephone network for receiving a first voice message from a subscriber of said telephone network and generating a representation of said first voice message according to a second protocol; and an interface for coupling said voice messaging processor to said communications network, said interface for receiving said representation of said first voice message from said voice messaging processor and converting said representation of said first voice message to said first protocol suite for transmission over said communications network to another of the voice messaging systems; and a management site coupled to said communications network, said management site comprising; a router for connecting said management site to said communications network; a network manager providing management functions for said communications network; a catcher server for receiving a call detail report record from said first interface, said call detail report record containing information regarding said first voice message, said catcher server storing said call detail report record containing information regarding said first voice message, said catcher server storing said call detail report record in a database, said database comprising a plurality of call detail report records; a programmable digital computer, said computer accessing said database so as to generate billing reports; and an identifier server for receiving an undeliverable voice message and determining a reason said undeliverable voice message could not be delivered.
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22. A communication system, comprising:
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a communications network for transmitting data formatted according to a first protocol suite; a plurality of voice messaging systems interconnected by said communications network, each voice messaging system comprising, a voice messaging processor coupled to a telephone network for receiving a first voice message from a subscriber of said telephone network and generating a representation of said first voice message according to a second protocol; and an interface for coupling said voice messaging processor to said communications network, said interface for receiving said representation of said first voice message from said voice messaging processor and converting said representation of said first voice message to said first protocol suite for transmission over said communications network to another of the voice messaging systems; and a management site coupled to said communications network, said management site comprising; a router for connecting said management site to said communications network; a network manager providing management functions for said communications network; a catcher server for receiving a call detail report record from said first interface, said call detail report record containing information regarding said first voice message, said catcher server storing said call detail report record containing information regarding said first voice message, said catcher server storing said call detail report record in a database, said database comprising a plurality of call detail report records; a programmable digital computer, said computer accessing said database so as to generate billing reports; an identifier server for receiving an undeliverable voice message and determining a reason said undeliverable voice message could not be delivered; a translation server for translating said first voice message to a different medium; and a video conference server for providing video conferencing to said communications network.
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23. A communication system, comprising:
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a communications network for transmitting data formatted according to a first protocol suite; a plurality of voice messaging systems interconnected by said communications network, each voice messaging system comprising, a voice messaging processor coupled to a telephone network for receiving a first voice message from a subscriber of said telephone network and generating a representation of said first voice message according to a second protocol; and an interface for coupling said voice messaging processor to said communications network, said interface for receiving said representation of said first voice message from said voice messaging processor and converting said representation of said first voice message to said first protocol suite for transmission over said communications network to another of the voice messaging systems; and a management site coupled to said communications network, said management site comprising; a network manager providing management functions for said communications network; a router for connecting said management site to said communications network; and an identifier server for receiving an undeliverable voice message and determining a reason said undeliverable voice message could not be delivered.
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24. A communication system, comprising:
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a communications network for transmitting data formatted according to a first protocol suite; a plurality of voice messaging systems interconnected by said communications network, each voice messaging system comprising, a voice messaging processor coupled to a telephone network for receiving a first voice message from a subscriber of said telephone network and generating a representation of said first voice message; and an interface for coupling said voice messaging processor to said communications network, said interface for receiving said representation of said first voice message from said voice messaging processor and converting said representation of said first voice message for transmission over said communications network to another of the voice messaging systems; and a management site coupled to the communications network, said management site including an identifier server for receiving an undeliverable voice message and determining a reason said Undeliverable voice message could not be delivered.
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25. A method for providing voice messaging services using a plurality of voice messaging systems interconnected via a communications network, each voice messaging system comprising a voice messaging processor and an interface, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating a representation of a first voice message in a first voice messaging processor coupled to a telephone network, said first voice message being received from a subscriber of said telephone network; transmitting said representation of said first voice message via a network to a first interface associated with said first voice messaging processor, said first interface for converting said representation of said first voice message to a converted representation of said first voice message for transmission over said communications network to a second voice messaging system, the second voice messaging system comprising a second interface and a second voice messaging processor; receiving said converted representation of said first voice message at said second interface, said second interface reconverting said converted representation of said first voice message for processing by said second voice messaging processor; and providing a management site coupled to the communications network for receiving an undeliverable voice message and determining a reason said undeliverable voice message could not be delivered.
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Specification