Method and arrangement in a communication network

• US 6,216,106 B1
• Filed: 12/15/1998
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: John, Mee
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorvil, Richemond
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nolan, Daniel A.
• Application Number:
  US09/210,739
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 704/379, 704/270, 704/268, 704/258, 379/88.13, 379/88.12, 379/67.1, 379/70, 379/88.25, 379/88.26, 379/93.24, 379/100.08, 455/413, 455/414, 455/412
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/258 Service state indications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

The invention relates to a service in a communication network (100) comprising a voice messaging system (VMS1) containing a mailbox assigned to a voice mail subscriber (MS1). According to the invention, the communication network (100) transfers a voice message (105) from the calling party (TE1) to the voice messaging system (VMS1) where the message is stored in the mailbox. At some later point in time, the communication network transfers a request (106) for the status of the voice message from the calling party (TE1) to the voice messaging system (VMS1). The voice messaging system returns information (107) reflecting the status of the voice message to the calling party (TE1). In response to activities performed by the voice mail subscriber (MS1) on the voice message (105), the message status may be changed in between storage of the voice message and receipt of the status request in the voice messaging system (VMS1).

Claims

1. A method in a communication network for reporting status of voice messages stored in a voice messaging system in the communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

transferring a first of the voice messages from a calling party to the voice messaging system;

storing the first voice message in a mailbox assigned to a voice mail subscriber;

initiating, in the voice messaging system, a data structure containing a message status for the first voice message, wherein the initial message status indicates the message as being unplayed by the voice mail subscriber and the message status contained in the data structure is updated to reflect access by the mail subscriber to the first voice message;

transferring a request for the message status of the first voice message from the calling party to the voice messaging system; and

transferring information reflecting the status of the first voice message from the voice messaging system to the calling party.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein a call forwarding service is activated for the voice mail subscriber such that at least some calls to the voice mail subscriber will be forwarded to the voice messaging system, wherein said first connection is established when a call from the calling party to the voice mail subscriber is being forwarded to the voice messaging system.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a second connection between the calling party and the voice messaging system, wherein the request for the message status of the first voice message and the information reflecting the status of the first voice message are transferred using said second connection.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

playing, upon request by the voice mail subscriber, the first voice message; and

updating the message status to indicate that the first voice message has been played.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

deleting, upon request by the voice mail subscriber, the first voice message; and

updating the message status to indicate that the first voice message has been deleted by the voice mail subscriber.

6. A method according to claim 5, where in the message status is updated to reflect whether the message was played or unplayed prior to deletion of the message.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

deleting the first voice message, when the voice messaging system determines that the first voice message has been unplayed by the voice mail subscriber for a system parameter controlled time period; and

updating the message status to indicate that the first voice message never was played and has been deleted by the voice messaging system.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said second transferring step includes that the information, reflecting the status of the first message, is provided by playing a second voice message indicating the message status of the first voice message.

9. A voice messaging system comprising:

a storage unit comprising a mailbox data structure, defining a mailbox assigned to a voice mail subscriber and being arranged for holding both voice messages from calling parties to the voice mail subscriber and information on message status for the voice messages;

a control unit comprising;

means for storing a first voice message from one of the calling parties in the mailbox data structure;

means for storing in the mailbox data structure a message status for the first voice message, wherein upon storage of the first voice message the message status indicates the message as being unplayed by the voice mail subscriber and the mailbox data structure is updated to reflect access by the mail subscriber to the first voice message;

wherein the control unit further comprises;

means for receiving, from the calling party, a request for the message status of the first voice message after said message has been stored; and

means for reporting, to the calling party, information reflecting the status of the first voice message.

10. A voice messaging system according to claim 9, wherein the control unit further comprising means for playing the first voice message upon request by the voice mail subscriber and updating the mailbox data structure to indicate that the first voice message has been played.

11. A voice messaging system according to claim 9, wherein the control unit further comprises means for deleting the first voice message from the mailbox data structure upon request by the voice mail subscriber and updating the mailbox data structure to indicate that the first voice message has been deleted by the voice mail subscriber.

12. A voice messaging system according to claim 11, wherein the control unit further comprising means for updating the mailbox data structure, when the first voice message has been deleted, to indicate whether the message was played or unplayed prior to deletion of the message.

13. A voice messaging system according to claim 9, wherein the control unit further comprising means for automatically deleting the first voice message from the mailbox data structure when the control unit determines that the first voice message has been unread for a system parameter controlled time period and updating the mailbox data structure to indicate that the first voice message never was played and has been deleted by the voice messaging system.

14. A voice messaging system according to claim 9, wherein the reporting means is arranged for playing a second voice message indicating the message status of the first voice message.

18. A communication network according to claim 13, wherein the transferring means is arranged for establishing a second connection between the calling party and the voice messaging system, and that this second connection is used to transfer both the message status request from the calling party to the voice messaging system, and the information reflecting the message status from the voice messaging system to the calling party.

15. A communication network comprising:

a storage unit comprising a mailbox data structure, defining a mailbox assigned to a voice mail subscriber and being arranged for holding both voice messages from calling parties to the voice mail subscriber and information on message status for the voice messages;

a control unit comprising;

means for storing a first voice message from one of the calling parties in the mailbox data structure; and

means for storing in the mailbox data structure a message status for the first voice message, wherein upon storage of the first voice message the message status indicates the message as being unplayed by the voice mail subscriber and the mailbox data structure is updated to reflect access by the mail subscriber to the first voice message; and

transferring means, arranged for transferring from the calling party to the voice messaging system, the first voice message and thereafter the request for message status of said message and for transferring from the voice messaging system to the calling party, the information reflecting the status of said message.

16. A communication network according to claim 15, wherein the transferring means is arranged for establishing a first connection between the calling party and the voice messaging system, and that this first connection is used to transfer the first voice message from the calling party to the voice messaging system.

17. A communication network according to claim 16, wherein the transferring means is arranged for establishing the first connection when the calling party makes a telephone call to the voice mail subscriber and the voice mail subscriber has a call forwarding service activated, which forwards at least some calls to the voice messaging system.