Voice mail system that downloads an applet for managing voice mail messages

• US 6,181,781 B1
• Filed: 06/25/1997
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Porter, Lawrence Leon, Thomas, Mark George Stewart Reid
• Primary Examiner(s): Weaver, Scott L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Foster, Roland G.
• Application Number:
  US08/882,709
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.12, 379/88.17, 379/93.24, 709/202, 709/206, 709/207, 709/203, 709/228, 395/200.32, 395/200.36, 395/200.37, 705/14, 707/104, 707/8
• US Class Current: 379/88.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• 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: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

Using the Internet World Wide Web (WWW) network 320, a WWW Client 310 can communicate with a WWW Server 330 to request access to and notification of a user'"'"'s voice mail. The user enters their voice mail mailbox number, and activates an appropriate hyperlink. The WWW Server then launches an application, MSG Client 350, which in turn communicates with an application, MSG Server 370, that runs in conjunction with the voice mail system 380, 385, 390. In response to an initial message from the MSG Client, the MSG Server returns information about all voice mail messages within the specified mailbox, which are displayed at the WWW Client. This display includes a hyperlink to each message in the mailbox. In addition, the MSG Server downloads an applet for execution on the WWW Client. This applet communicates with the voice mail system in order to provide up-to-date notification of incoming messages.

Claims

1. A voice mail system, including:

means for storing voice mail messages for at least one subscriber; and

server means, responsive to a request from a subscriber at a WWW client terminal, for returning to said WWW client terminal an applet for execution at said WWW client terminal, said applet including;

means for acquiring an area of a client terminal display device;

means for transmitting successive requests to said voice mail system to inquire whether there are any new voice mail messages waiting for the subscriber, wherein the time interval between successive requests is of the order of ten minutes or less;

means for receiving information from the voice mail system regarding any new voice mail messages waiting for the subscriber; and

means for displaying at least part of the received information directly on the acquired area of said client terminal display device, without first saving the received information at the client terminal other than incidentally as required for the display, wherein the displayed information in said acquired area is generally maintained until updated by information received for a subsequent request;

said applet thereby providing on execution at the client terminal a continuously updated indication of whether said subscriber has any new messages stored in the voice mail system.

2. The voice mail system of claim 1, further including:

means for receiving from said applet a request that new messages for the subscriber should be notified to the applet.

3. The voice mail system of claim 2, wherein each subscriber has a profile indicating how that subscriber should be notified of the arrival of a new message, and said receiving means includes means for updating said profile on receipt of said applet request in order that the applet be notified accordingly of the arrival of a new message.

4. The voice mail system of claim 3, wherein the means for receiving futher includes means for receiving a request from the applet that new messages should no longer be notified to the applet, and means for updating said profile accordingly.

5. The voice mail system of claim 2, wherein the notification of a new message is transmitted to a server accessible by said applet.

6. The voice mail system of claim 2, wherein the notification of a new message specifies the current number of new messages for that subscriber.

7. The voice mail system of claim 1, further including means for receiving from said applet an inquiry as to whether any new messages have been received for that subscriber, means for determining whether any new messages have been received for that subscriber, and means for returning an appropriate response to the applet.

8. The voice mail system of claim 7, wherein said response includes the number of new messages received for that subscriber.

9. The voice mail system of claim 1, wherein said applet comprises Java code.

10. The voice mail system of claim 1, wherein said subscriber request includes a mailbox number.

11. The voice mail system of claim 10, wherein said subscriber request further includes a password.

12. A method of notifying a subscriber to a voice mail system that there is at least one new voice mail message waiting for the subscriber, comprising the steps of:

executing a program at a client terminal where the subscriber is located, said client terminal including a display device, said program performing the steps of;

allocating an area of said display device to said program;

transmitting successive requests from said program to said voice mail system to inquire whether there are any new voice mail messages waiting for the subscriber, wherein the time interval between successive requests is of the order of ten minutes or less;

receiving information from the voice mail system at the program at the client terminal regarding any new voice mail messages waiting for the subscriber; and

displaying at least part of the received information directly on the allocated area of said client terminal, without first saving the received information at the client terminal other than incidentally as required for the display, wherein the displayed information is generally maintained in said allocated area until updated by information received for a subsequent request;

thereby providing to the subscriber a continuously updated indication of the presence of any new voice mail message.

13. The method of claim 12, further including the program performing the initial step of:

transmitting from said program to said voice mail system a start request that new messages for the subscriber should be notified to the program.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each subscriber at the voice mail system has a profile indicating how that subscriber should be notified of the arrival of a new message, and the method further comprises the steps of:

responsive to the receipt of said start request, updating said profile to indicate that the program be notified of the arrival of a new message for the subscriber; and

transmitting notifications to a server accessible to said program in accordance with said updated profile.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of the program transmitting an end request to the voice mail system that new messages should no longer be notified to the program, and the voice mail system updating said profile accordingly.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said received information includes the number of new messages received for that subscriber.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein said program comprises an applet which is downloaded onto said client terminal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said applet comprises Java code.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein said program comprises a Ticker program.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein said subscriber request includes a mailbox number.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said subscriber request further includes a password.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein said messages are exchanged over the Internet.

23. The method of claim 12, wherein said program provides a hyperlink to the subscriber, which, upon activation, automatically retrieves from the voice mail system further information about any new messages for the subscriber and displays such further information to the subscriber.

24. A client system for allowing a subscriber to a voice mail system to determine whether he or she has at least one new voice mail message, said client system being connected to said voice mail system via a network, and comprising:

a display

program means executing on the client system;

said program means including;

means for allocating an area of said display to said program;

means for transmitting successive requests to said voice mail system to inquire whether there are any new voice mail messages waiting for the subscriber, wherein the time interval between successive requests is of the order of ten minutes or less;

means for receiving information from the voice mail system regarding any new voice mail messages waiting for the subscriber; and

means for displaying at least part of the received information directly on the allocated area of said client system, without first saving the received information at the client system other than incidentally as required for the display, wherein the displayed information is generally maintained in said allocated area until updated by information received for a subsequent request;

thereby providing to the subscriber a continuously updated indication of the presence of any new voice mail message.

25. The client system of claim 24, further comprising means for transmitting to said voice mail system a start request that new messages for the subscriber should be notified to the client system.

26. The client system of claim 25, further comprising means for transmitting an end request to the voice mail system that new messages should no longer be notified to the client system.

27. The client system of claim 24, wherein said receive information includes the number of new messages for that subscriber.

28. The client system of claim 24, wherein said client includes a Ticker program.

29. The client system of claim 24, wherein messages from the client to the voice mail system include the mailbox number of the subscriber.

30. The client system of claim 29, wherein said messages are exchanged over the Internet network.

31. The client system of claim 30, further including means for providing a hyperlink to the subscriber, which, upon activation, automatically retrieves from the voice mail system further information about any new voice messages for the subscriber, and display such further information to the subscriber.

32. A WWW server, operable in conjunction with a voice mail system including means for storing voice mail messages for at least one subscriber, said server including:

means responsive to a request from a subscriber at a WWW client terminal, for returning to said WWW client terminal an applet for execution at said WWW client terminal, said applet providing on execution at the client terminal a continuously updated indication of whether said subscriber has any new messages stored in the voice mail system and including;

means for acquiring an area of a client terminal display device;

means for transmitting successive requests to said WWW server to inquire whether there are any new voice mail messages waiting for the subscriber, wherein the time interval between successive requests is of the order of ten minutes or less;

means for receiving information from the WWW server regarding any new voice mail messages waiting for the subscriber; and

means for displaying at least part of the received information directly on the acquired area of said client terminal display device, without first saving the received information at the client terminal other than incidentally as required for the display, wherein the displayed information in said acquired area is generally maintained until updated by information received for a subsequent request; and

means responsive to said successive requests from the applet to retrieve the requested information from the voice mail system.

33. A method of operating a WWW server in conjunction with a voice mail system for storing voice mail messages for at least one subscriber, said method comprising the steps of:

responsive to a request from a subscriber at a WWW client terminal, returning to said WWW client terminal an applet for execution at said WWW client terminal, said applet providing on execution at the client terminal a continuously updated indication of whether said subscriber has any new messages stored in the voice mail system by acquiring an area of a client terminal display device;

transmitting successive requests to said WWW server to inquire whether there are any new voice mail messages waiting for the subscriber, wherein the time interval between successive requests is of the order of ten minutes or less;

receiving information from the WWW server regarding any new voice mail messages waiting for the subscriber; and

displaying at least part of the received information directly on the acquired area of said client terminal display device, without first saving the received information at the client terminal other than incidentally as required for the display, wherein the displayed information in said acquired area is generally maintained until updated by information received for a subsequent request; and

responsive to said successive requests from the applet, retrieving the requested information from the voice mail system.