Circular memory addressing option for audio messages

• US 6,275,569 B1
• Filed: 10/02/1997
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Cannon, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US08/942,789
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/83, 379/88.01, 379/88.04, 379/88.07, 379/88.1, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/88.25, 379/88.27, 379/88.28, 379/68, 379/85
• US Class Current: 379/88.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form

Abstract

In a digital voice messaging system, a circular message storage selection is added to allow the digital voice messaging system to automatically overwrite previously-stored, e.g., the oldest messages in voice memory as necessary for storage of the newest voice message when the voice memory is filled. Another embodiment of the invention further provides the ability to prioritize certain previously stored voice messages over other stored voice messages to prevent overwriting of the prioritized voice messages when the circular message storage selection is enabled, but which allows overwriting of non-prioritized voice messages.

Claims

1. A non-networked telephone answering device comprising:

a codec;

an encoder/decoder in communication with said codec;

a voice message memory; and

a processor, including a circular message storage selection input, controlling storage of voice messages, received through said codec, in said voice message memory;

said circular message storage input is capable of storing a single voice message at non-contiguous memory addresses of said voice message memory.

2. The non-networked telephone answering device according to claim 1, wherein:

said circular message storage selection is activated by a user of said telephone answering device by depressing a switch.

3. The non-networked telephone answering device according to claim 1, wherein:

said circular message storage selection is activated by a user of said telephone answering device by touch tone input to said codec.

4. The non-networked telephone answering device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a prioritization selection to prioritize individual voice messages stored in said voice message memory.

5. A method of managing voice messages in a non-networked telephone answering device, comprising:

providing a maximum number of voice messages to be stored in voice message memory for a user of said telephone answering device; and

allowing said user to activate a circular message storage feature of said voice message memory;

wherein said circular message storage feature is capable of storing a single voice message at non-contiguous memory addresses of said voice message memory.

6. The method of managing voice messages according to claim 5, wherein:

said previously-stored voice message is an oldest received voice message.

7. The method of managing voice messages according to claim 5, wherein:

said previously-stored voice message is an oldest previously-read voice message.

8. The method of managing voice messages according to claim 5, further comprising:

prioritizing voice messages in said voice message memory for said user.

9. The method of managing voice messages according to claim 6, further comprising:

preventing said prioritized individual voice messages from being overwritten when said circular message storage feature is enabled.

10. A voice message manager for a non-networked telephone answering device, comprising:

means to provide a maximum number of voice messages allowed to be stored in voice message memory for a user of said telephone answering device; and

means to allow said user to activate a circular message storage feature of said voice message memory;

wherein said circular message storage feature is capable of storing a single voice message at non-contiguous memory addresses of said voice message memory.

11. The voice message manager according to claim 10, wherein:

said previously-stored voice message is an oldest received voice message.

12. The voice message manager according to claim 10, wherein:

said previously-stored voice message is an oldest previously-read voice message.

13. The voice message manager according to claim 10, further comprising:

means for prioritizing individual voice messages in said voice message memory.

14. The voice message manager according to claim 13, further comprising:

means for preventing said prioritized individual voice messages from being overwritten when said means to allow said individual user to activate said circular message storage feature is activated.

15. A method of storing voice messages in a voice message memory of a non-networked telephone answering device, comprising:

storing in said telephone answering device a plurality of voice messages in said voice message memory; and

providing in said telephone answering device a user activated circular message storage feature in said voice messaging memory to allow overwriting, when a threshold in said voice message memory is exceeded, of voice messages previously stored in said voice message memory;

wherein said circular message storage feature is capable of storing a single voice message at non-contiguous memory addresses of said voice message memory.

16. The method of storing voice messages according to claim 15, wherein:

said allowed overwriting is continuous.

17. The method of storing voice messages according to claim 15, wherein:

said allowed overwriting of voice messages previously stored in said voice message memory are messages which were previously read.

18. The method of storing voice messages according to claim 15, further comprising:

prioritizing at least one of said plurality of voice messages in said voice message memory.

19. The method of storing voice messages according to claim 18, further comprising:

preventing overwriting of said at least one of said plurality of voice messages when said circular message storage feature is activated.

20. A voice message manager in a non-networked telephone answering device, comprising:

means in said telephone answering device for storing a plurality of voice messages in a voice message memory; and

means in said telephone answering device for providing a user activated circular message storage feature in said voice messaging memory to allow overwriting, when a threshold in said voice message memory is exceeded, of voice messages previously stored in said voice message memory;

wherein said circular message storage feature is capable of storing a single voice message at non-contiguous memory addresses of said voice message memory.

21. The method of storing voice messages according to claim 20, wherein:

said allowed overwriting is continuous.

22. The method of storing voice messages according to claim 20, wherein:

said allowed overwriting of voice messages previously stored in said voice message memory are messages which were previously read.

23. The voice message manager according to claim 20, further comprising:

means for prioritizing at least one said plurality of voice messages in said voice message memory.

24. The voice message manager according to claim 23, further comprising:

means for preventing overwriting of said at least one of said plurality of voice messages when said circular message storage feature is activated.

25. A non-networked telephone answering device comprising:

a codec;

an encoder/decoder in communication with said codec;

a voice message memory;

a processor controlling storage of voice messages, received through said codec, in said voice message memory; and

a circular message storage selection input to said processor to enable said voice message memory to operate as a circular message memory;

wherein said circular message memory is capable of storing a single voice message at non-contiguous memory addresses of said voice message memory.

26. A non-networked telephone answering device comprising:

a voice message memory;

a processor controlling storage of voice message; and

a circular message storage selection input to said processor to enable said voice message memory to operate as a circular message memory;

wherein said circular message storage input is capable of storing a single voice message at non-contiguous memory addresses of said voice message memory.

27. A non-networked telephone answering device according to claim 26, further comprising:

a codec in communication with said processor.

28. The non-networked telephone answering device according to claim 27, wherein:

said circular message storage selection input is activated by a user of said telephone answering device by touch input to said codec.

29. The non-networked telephone answering device according to claim 26, further comprising:

a prioritization selection to prioritize individual voice messages stored in said voice message memory.

30. A method of storing a voice message in a non-networked telephone answering device, comprising:

storing in said telephone answering device a plurality of voice messages in a voice message memory;

enabling a circular message storage feature to allow overwriting in said voice message memory by a circular message storage selection input;

selecting a location for storage of said voice message memory; and

overwriting a previously-stored voice message in said location with another voice message in response to exceeding a capacity threshold in said voice message memory;

wherein said circular message storage feature is capable of storing a single voice message at non-contiguous memory addresses of said voice message memory.

31. The method of storing a voice message in a non-networked telephone answering device according to claim 30, further comprising:

said previously-stored message is an oldest stored voice message.

32. The method of storing a voice message in a non-networked telephone answering device according to claim 30, further comprising:

said previously-stored message is an oldest previously-read voice message.

33. The method of storing a voice message in a non-networked telephone answering device according to claim 30, further comprising:

prioritizing individual voice messages in said voice message memory.

34. The method of storing a voice message in a non-networked telephone answering device according to claim 33, further comprising:

preventing said prioritized voice individual voice messages from being overwritten in response to said selecting said location in said circular buffer.

35. A voice mailbox for a non-networked telephone answering device, comprising:

a voice message memory;

a circular message storage module to activate a circular message storage buffer in said voice message memory;

wherein said circular message storage buffer is capable of storing a single voice message at non-contiguous memory addresses of said voice message memory.

36. The voice mailbox for a non-networked telephone answering device according to claim 35, further comprising:

a prioritization module to prioritize individual voice messages stored in said voice message memory.