Universal Messaging system providing integrated voice, data and fax messaging services to PC/web-based clients, including a large object server for efficiently distributing voice/fax messages to web-based clients

• US 6,301,245 B1
• Filed: 06/09/1998
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Russell, Gary Paul, Homan, John L., Murphy, Allie A., Luzeski, Nicholas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, BRENDA H
• Application Number:
  US09/094,266
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/353, 370/355, 370/356, 370/401, 379/88.13, 379/88.22, 379/93.09, 379/93.25, 379/220
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• 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

A Universal Messaging system provides e-mail, voice-mail and fax-mail services to subscribers that may utilize the Internet to access their messages. The system integrates an e-mail messaging system with a voice/fax messaging system on a messaging platform computer. E-mail messages are stored in an e-mail message store, and voice and/or fax messages are stored in a separate store controlled, e.g., by a Voice Mail Message Manager (VMMM). Subscribers can access messages from a personal computer via the Internet using a standard Web browser with an applet that present each subscriber with a “universal inbox” that displays all of that subscriber'"'"'s voice, fax, and e-mail messages. A Web platform controls the Web browser interface to the messaging platform, accepting requests from the Web browser (such as a request to read an e-mail or listen to a voice mail) and passing prescribed types of information back to the Web browser. The Web platform interfaces with the messaging platform via a generic TCP/IP interface/router. A Session Manager application manages the Web browser'"'"'s “session” with the messaging system. A CMC layer in the messaging platform provides the “glue” to enable communication and control between and among the different message stores. The CMC layer provides an industry standard mechanism for providing a standard API through which access to proprietary message stores can be made.

Claims

1. A Universal Messaging system, comprising:

(a) a messaging platform supporting an e-mail messaging system and a voice/fax messaging system;

(b) a gateway/router connected to a wide area communications network for transmitting objects stored in e-mail and voice/fax message stores of said e-mail and voice/fax messaging systems, respectively, to a Web-based client computing device,

(c) a Web platform operatively coupled to said messaging platform; and

(d) a large object server operatively associated with said messaging platform, wherein large objects are transmitted to said gateway/router by said large object server whereby said large objects bypass TCP/IP interfacing and wherein small objects are transmitted to said gateway/router via said Web platform.

2. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein said messaging platform further supports a TCP/IP interface operatively coupled to said Web platform.

3. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 2, wherein said Web platform controls the remote client'"'"'s interface to the messaging platform by accepting requests from the client and passing prescribed types of information back to the client.

4. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 3, wherein e-mail messages stored in the e-mail message store are provided to said remote client via the TCP/IP interface in said messaging platform, said Web platform and said wide area communications network;

and voice and fax messages stored in said voice/fax store are provided to said remote client via said large object server and wide area communications network, whereby said voice and fax messages bypass said TCP/IP interface in said messaging platform.

5. In a Universal Messaging system operatively coupled to a gateway/router connected to a wide area communications network (WAN), a method for communicating large object messages to remote Web-based clients coupled to said WAN, comprising the steps of:

communicating e-mail messages stored in an e-mail message store to said remote clients via said gateway/router connected to said WAN and via a first number of protocol stacks interfacing said e-mail store to said WAN; and

communicating voice/fax messages stored in a voice/fax store to said remote clients via said gateway/router connected to said WAN and via a second number of protocol stacks interfacing the voice/fax store to said WAN, wherein said second number is less than said first number and said voice/fax messages bypass TCP/IP interfacing.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein said protocol stacks are TCP/IP stacks.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein said e-mail messages are provided to said remote clients via a Web platform coupled by at least a TCP/IP stack to said messaging platform, and wherein said Web platform controls the remote clients'"'"' interface to the messaging platform by accepting requests from the clients and passing prescribed types of information back to the clients.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein voice and fax messages stored in said voice/fax store are provided to said remote clients via a large object server coupled to said WAN, whereby said voice and fax messages bypass said TCP/IP stack coupling said messaging platform to said Web platform.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein said large object server is supported by said messaging platform.