Message transfer system

• US 6,396,908 B1
• Filed: 11/02/1998
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: O'Donovan, John Joseph, Williams, Jeff, Cruickshank, Brian, FLORENCE, LLOYD
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US09/184,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20020039407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1,69,70,84,88.08,88.13,88.17,88.18,88.22,88.25,93.24,100.08,100.12,201 370/352,353,380,389
• US Class Current: 379/88.18
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53308 Message originator indirectly connected to the message centre, e.g. after detection of busy or absent state of a called party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53325 Interconnection arrangements between voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53383 Message registering commands or announcements; Greetings
• 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 7/0033 Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/009 in systems involving PBX or KTS networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/908 Multimedia

Abstract

An apparatus and method for transferring a message from a calling party to an unavailable telephonically called party. The method comprises the steps of inititating a call to the called party over a communications channel, identifying that the called party is not available and instructing the calling entity to record the message at the calling entity and after recording to transmit the message to the called entity as a data message via a data channel for reception by the called entity. The system reduces the use of the voice/telephone communications networks by allowing a voice message to be transmitted through data channels, reducing the amount of voice traffic on the voice communication lines. The fact that the original voice message was actually stored with the calling entity after the telephone voice communication had been discontinued is transparent to both the calling party and the called party. Greetings for the called party can be stored at a messaging system of the calling entity.

Claims

1. A method of transferring a message from a calling party connected to a calling entity comprising a local telephone switch and a local voice mail system, to a called entity comprising a remote telephone switch and a remote voice mail system, said local and remote telephone switches being connected by a communications network such that common channel inter office signalling between the local and remote telephone switches is unsupported, and said local and remote voice message systems being connected by a data network, said method comprising the steps of:

initiating a call to a called party at the called entity over a communications channel from the local telephone switch to the remote telephone switch in the communications network;

identifying that the called party is not available;

sending information from the remote voice mail system to the local voice mail system over the data network to indicate that the called party is not available; and

recording the message at the local voice mail system of the calling entity and after recording transmitting the message as a data message via a data channel in the data network for reception by the remote voice mail system.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the calling entity is capable of local recording and transmission of messages to the called entity; and

where the called party is not available and where the calling entity is capable of local recording and transmission to the called entity, instructing the calling entity to perform the steps of recording and transmitting.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of determining whether the local messaging system is capable of local recording and transmission of messages comprises determining whether the local messaging system is connected over a data network with the remote messaging system.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

monitoring the call at the calling entity; and

where the called party is not available and where the calling entity is capable of local recording and transmission to the called entity, performing the steps of recording and transmitting at the calling entity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein greetings associated with the called parties are stored by the calling entity each of said greetings comprising an announcement that the associated called party is unavailable, and the method includes the step of playing a greeting at the calling entity.

6. The method of claim 5, where the greeting which is played is associated with the called party.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the sending step comprises sending a signal indicating one of a busy and a no answer condition and wherein the greeting which is played is appropriate to the condition of the call.

8. The method of claim 1 including the step of, responsive to identifying that the called party is not available, dropping the call over the communications channel.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein greetings associated with the called parties are stored by the called entity each of said greetings comprising an announcement that the associated called party is unavailable, and the method includes the step of playing a greeting at the called entity.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the greeting which is played is associated with the called party.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the greeting which is played is appropriate to the condition of the call.

12. The method of claim 9 including the step of, at the called entity, responsive to the step of playing a greeting, prompting the called entity to drop a connection with the calling entity in respect of the call.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the data message received via the data channel is stored at the called entity at a location indicated by the address of the called party.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the data network is the internet.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the message is a voice message.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the message is a video message.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a signal to the calling entity which indicates an address of the called party to which the data message can be sent.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the data message received via the data channel is stored at the called entity at a location indicated by the address of the called party.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the call is initiated through a public switched telephone network.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the call is initiated through a data network.

21. A messaging system for transferring a message from a calling party to a called party, said messaging system comprising:

a calling entity, connected to the calling party and comprising a local telephone switch and a local voice mail system;

a called entity connected to the called party and comprising a remote telephone switch and a remote voice mail system, said local and remote telephone switches being connected by a communications network such that common channel inter office signalling between the local and remote telephone switches is unsupported, and said local and remote voice message systems being connected by a data network; and

wherein;

said local telephone switch is arranged to initiate a call to the called party at the called entity over a communications channel from the local telephone switch to the remote telephone switch in the communications network;

said remote telephone switch is arranged to identify that the called party is not available;

said remote voice mail system is arranged to send information to the local voice mail system via the data network to indicate that the called party is not available; and

said local voice mail system is arranged to record the message at the calling entity and after recording to transmit the recorded message as a data message via a data channel in the data network for reception by the called entity.

22. A method for handling an incoming call at a called entity, the call being from a calling party connected to a calling entity comprising a local telephone switch and a local voice mail system, said called entity comprising a remote telephone switch and a remote voice mail system, said local and remote telephone switches being connected by a communications network such that common channel inter office signalling between the local and remote telephone switches is unsupported, and said local and remote voice mail systems being connected by a data network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the incoming call at the remote telephone switch in the called entity via the communications network;

identifying that the called party is not available;

sending information from the remote voice mail system to the local voice mail system via the data network to indicate that the called party is not available;

receiving a data message via a data channel in the data network for reception by the called entity.

23. Apparatus for handling an incoming call at a called entity, the call being from a calling party connected to a calling entity comprising a local telephone switch and a local voice mail system, said apparatus comprising a remote telephone switch and a remote voice mail system, said local and remote telephone switches being connected by a communications network such that common channel inter office signalling between the local and remote telephone switches is unsupported, and said local and remote voice mail systems being connected by a data network, and wherein:

said remote telephone switch is arranged to receive the incoming call at the called entity via the communications network;

said remote telephone switch is arranged to identify that the called party is not available;

said remote voice mail system is arranged to send information to the local voice mail system via the data network to indicate that the called party is not available;

said remote voice mail system is also arranged to receive a data message via a data channel in the data network for reception by the called entity.

24. A method for handling an outgoing call from a calling party connected to a calling entity comprising a local telephone switch and a local voice mail system, the call being intended for a called party at a called entity comprising a remote telephone switch and a remote voice mail system, said local and remote telephone switches being connected by a communications network such that common channel inter office signalling between the local and remote telephone switches is unsupported, and said local and remote voice mail systems being connected by a data network, the method comprising the steps of:

initiating a call to the called party at the called entity over a communications channel in the communications network and using the local telephone switch;

receiving at the local voice mail system via the data network, information from the remote voice mail system indicating that the called party is not available;

dropping the call with the called entity; and

recording the message at the calling entity and after recording transmitting the message as a data message via a data channel in the data network for reception by the called entity.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of playing a greeting, at the calling entity, said greeting being a greeting of the called party.

26. Apparatus for handling an outgoing call from a calling party at a calling entity, the call being intended for a called party at a called entity comprising a remote telephone switch and a remote voice mail system, the apparatus comprising:

a local telephone switch which is part of the calling entity and which is arranged to initiate a call to the called party, said local telephone switch being connected to the remote telephone switch via a communications network such that common channel inter office signalling between the local and remote telephone switches is unsupported;

a local voice mail system which is part of the calling entity and which is arranged to receive information indicating that the called party is not available from a remote voice mail system that is part of the called party, said information being received via a data network which connects the local and remote voice mail systems; and

wherein;

the local telephone switch is arranged to drop the call with the called entity; and

the local voice mail system is arranged to record the message at the calling entity and after recording transmit the message as a data message via a data channel in the data network for reception by the called entity.