UNIVERSAL MESSAGING SYSTEM PROVIDING INTEGRATED VOICE, DATA AND FAX MESSAGING SERVICES TO PC/WEB-BASED CLIENTS, INCLUDING A SESSION MANAGER FOR MAINTAINING A SESSION BETWEEN A MESSAGING PLATFORM AND THE WEB-BASED CLIENTS

• US 6,404,762 B1
• Filed: 06/09/1998
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Russell, Gary Paul, Homan, John L., Murphy, Allie A., Meyer, Daniel P., Luzeski, Nicholas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAND, ROBERTA A
• Application Number:
  US09/094,126
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 370/428, 370/230, 370/235, 370/401, 370/352, 709/206, 379/88.1
• 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: H04M 2203/4509 Unified messaging with single point of access to voicemail and other mail or messaging systems unified messaging in packet switching networks H04L51/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53 Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages , i.e. mailbox systems

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 including a mechanism to connect a sessionless environment, including the World Wide Web, with a real-time, session-based environment, including a voice/fax mail system, comprising:

(a) a messaging platform supporting an e-mail messaging system and a voice/fax messaging system, wherein messages stored by said e-mail and voice/fax messaging systems are accessible to a remote Web-based client employing a Web browser interface via a wide area communications network operatively coupled to said messaging platform through a session based interface; and

(b) a session manager supported by said messaging platform for initiating and maintaining a session between said messaging platform and said Web-based client;

wherein, when the Web-based client first requests access to voice, fax, or e-mail message services via the Web browser, the system receives from the client a mail profile identifier and a password, and then the session manager establishes a session with the messaging platform and associates a session ID with the session, and then the session manager saves the profile identifier, password, and session ID in a session record; and

wherein subsequent requests from the Web browser interface are automatically accompanied by the user'"'"'s mail profile identifier, password and session ID.

2. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein said messaging platform comprises a Common Messaging Calls (CMC) layer operatively coupled to said session manager means;

an e-mail message store operatively coupled to said CMC layer; and

a voice/fax message store operatively coupled to said session manager means.

3. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 2, wherein, when the Web-based client first requests access to voice, fax, or e-mail message services via the Web browser, the user is required to enter a mail profile identifier and a password, and then the session manager establishes a session with the CMC layer of the messaging platform.

4. A Universal Message system as recited in claim 3, wherein the session manager attempts to validate each client request against the session record to verify that the user requesting service is already logged in;

and wherein a new CMC session is established if the session manager cannot locate the identifier/password combination in the session record.

5. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 4, wherein the session manager means automatically logs a user off the CMC layer, deleting the user'"'"'s session record, if no activity is detected within a predetermined period of time.

6. In a Universal Messaging system, a method for initiating and maintaining a session between a messaging platform and a Web-based client, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from a user of a Web-based client for access to voice, fax, or e-mail message services;

requiring the user to enter a mail profile identifier and password;

using a session manager to establish a session between the Web-based client and a Common Messaging Calls (CMC) layer of the messaging platform and associating a session ID with the session; and

saving the profile identifier, password, and session ID in a session record.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein subsequent requests from the Web browser interface are automatically accompanied by the user'"'"'s mail profile identifier, password and session ID.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, further comprising the step of validating each client request against the session record to verify that the user requesting service is already logged in;

and establishing a new session if the identifier/password combination in the session record cannot be located.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising the step of automatically logging the user off the CMC layer and deleting the user'"'"'s session record if no activity is detected within a predetermined period of time.

10. A Universal Messaging system, comprising:

(a) a messaging platform supporting an e-mail messaging system, a voice/fax messaging system, an e-mail message store operatively coupled to said e-mail messaging system, a voice/fax message store operatively coupled to said voice/fax messaging systems, and a session manager application operatively coupled to said messaging platform wherein said session manager application maintains a session between remote Web-based clients and said messaging platform;

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

(c) a large object server operatively associated with said messaging platform;

wherein messages stored in said e-mail and voice/fax message stores are accessible to the remote Web-based clients via a wide area communications network operatively coupled to said Web platform and said large object server.

11. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 10, wherein said messaging platform further supports a TCP/IP interface operatively coupled to said session manager application and to said Web platform.

12. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 11, wherein said messaging platform further comprises a Common Messaging Calls (CMC) interface operatively coupled to said e-mail and voice/fax messaging systems and to said session manager application;

and wherein said session manager application maintains a session between said remote client(s) and said CMC interface.

13. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 12, wherein said session manager application retains a session record for each logged-on user to obviate the need for a CMC logon for each and every service request of said logged-on user(s).

14. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 13, wherein said messaging platform further comprises:

an addressing services object for providing user name and password verification; and

a transports object for interfacing to SMTP and X.400 servers.

15. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 10, wherein said voice/fax messaging system comprises a Universal Voice Messaging System (UVMS) Custom Client and a Voice Mail Message Manager (VMMM), wherein said UVMS Custom Client retrieves new fax and voice message counts from the VMMM.

16. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 10, wherein said Web platform controls the remote clients'"'"' interface to the messaging platform by accepting requests from the client and passing prescribed types of information back to the clients.

17. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 10, wherein said Web platform comprises a content manager application for receiving information from content providers and formatting said information into multimedia containers to be distributed to users.

18. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 17, wherein said Web platform includes or is operatively coupled to a first database containing e-mail advertisements and a second database containing news-type information from a content provider.

19. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 10, wherein said Web platform supports:

an applet server for providing applets to said remote clients;

a content manager application for receiving information from a content provider, formatting said information into multimedia containers and distributing said containers to said remote clients; and

an Internet server operatively coupled to said content manager application.

20. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 19, wherein said Web platform further supports a communications object, operatively coupled to said Internet server, providing an address book for use by said Internet server.

21. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 10, wherein said messaging platform further supports a session manager application operatively coupled to said Web platform and large object server, and a TCP/IP interface operatively coupled to said session manager application and to said Web platform;

and wherein e-mail messages stored in the e-mail message store are provided to said remote clients 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 clients via said session manager, large object server and wide area communications network, whereby said voice and fax messages bypass said TCP/IP interface in said messaging platform.

22. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 10, wherein:

said messaging platform further supports a session manager application operatively coupled to said Web platform and large object server;

a TCP/IP interface operatively coupled to said session manager application and to said Web platform; and

a Common Messaging Calls (CMC) interface operatively coupled to said e-mail and voice/fax messaging systems and to said session manager application;

wherein said session manager application maintains a session between said remote clients and said CMC interface, and retains a session record for each logged-on user to obviate the need for a CMC logon for each and every service request of said logged-on user(s);

said Web platform controls the remote clients'"'"' interface to the messaging platform by accepting requests from the client and passing prescribed types of information back to the client computer;

said Web platform supports a content manager application for receiving information from content providers and formatting said information into multimedia containers to be distributed to users;

an applet server for providing applets to said remote clients; and

an Internet server operatively coupled to said content manager application; and

e-mail messages stored in the e-mail message store are provided to said remote clients 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 clients via said session manager, large object server and wide area communications network, whereby said voice and fax messages bypass said TCP/IP interface in said messaging platform.

23. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 22, wherein the system performs a “

Log On”

process that includes the following transactions;

a subscriber employs the remote client to access a Universal Messaging system logon page;

the Internet server presents the Logon page to the subscriber;

the subscriber employs the remote client to complete the Logon page with the user'"'"'s user name and password and submits the same to the applet server;

the applet server passes the user name and password to the session manager;

the session manager passes the Logon information to the CMC API and creates a session;

the CMC API obtains a success/failure result in verifying the user name and password;

the CMC API returns the success/failure result to the session manager;

the session manager passes the success/failure result to the applet server;

if the verification was a success, the applet server displays the Universal Messaging home page and automatically downloads any newer versions of applets appearing on that page; and

if the verification was a failure, the applet server displays a page prompting the subscriber to re-enter her/his user name and password.

24. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 22, wherein the system performs a “

View Inbox”

process that includes the following transactions;

the subscriber employs the remote client to select an “

Inbox”

button, thereby causing an Inbox applet to send a request for message headers to the applet server;

the applet server passes the request to the session manager;

the session manager passes the request to the CMC API;

the CMC API requests and receives a list of message headers from the e-mail message store;

the CMC API reformats the message header information into fields that the Inbox applet can understand and passes them to the session manager;

the session manager passes the list of message headers to the applet server via the Sockets Interface; and

the applet server passes the list to the Inbox applet and the Inbox applet presents the message header list to the subscriber.

25. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 22, wherein the system performs an “

Open E-mail”

process that includes the following transactions;

the subscriber employs the remote client to select an e-mail message to open, and an Inbox applet sends a request for that message to the applet server;

the applet server passes a Logon ID (user name and password) and a Message ID to the session manager;

the session manager validates the session and, if valid, passes the Message ID request on to the CMC API;

the CMC API requests and receives the e-mail message from a message store along with information about the size of the message and pointers to any attachments;

the CMC API returns the e-mail message and other details to the session manager;

the session manager passes the e-mail message and other details to the applet server; and

the applet server passes the e-mail message and other details to an applet on the remote client, and the message text is displayed for the subscriber.

26. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 22, wherein the system performs an “

Open Voice/Fax Message”

process that includes the following transactions;

the subscriber employs the remote client to select a voice or fax message to open, and a Logon ID and URL for the selected message are passed to the Web server;

the Web server passes the Logon ID and URL information to the session manager;

the session manager validates the session and, if valid, passes the request to the voice/fax messaging system;

the voice/fax messaging system retrieves the message in segments and passes the segments on individually to the session manager, wherein each segment contains both the voice/fax data and information on the total number of bytes in that segment and a first segment contains the total size of the entire message;

as each segment is received by the session manager, the session manager passes it on to the Web server;

the Web server passes each received segment to a plug-in on the remote client; and

when all message segments have been passed to the plug-in, the plug-in plays or displays the voice or fax data.

27. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 22, wherein the system performs a “

Subscription Sign-up”

process that includes the following transactions;

a subscriber employs the remote client to initiate the sign-up process by clicking on a new subscriptions icon, and a Subscriptions applet sends a request via the Internet server to the Content Manager for a Subscription Details form;

the Content Manager returns the Subscription Data form via the Internet server;

the subscriber completes the form on the remote client and submits the information to the Content Manager via the Internet server;

the Content Manager verifies the data to make sure the form was completed properly and, if so, creates a new subscription record within a Content Manager database and creates an e-mail message that contains a URL for all instances of that subscription for that user, and then the e-mail message is sent to the session manager; and

the session manager passes the e-mail to the e-mail message store via the CMC API.

28. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 22, wherein the system performs an “

Open Subscription”

process that includes the following transactions;

an information provider transmits subscriptions to a data exchange area in the Content Manager;

the subscriber clicks on a Subscription button on the remote client to send a request for a subscription list to the Content Manager;

the Content Manager verifies that the subscriber has signed up for subscriptions and, if so, returns a list of current subscriptions via the Internet server;

the subscriber selects the subscription he or she wishes to view and submits his/her choice to the Content Manager, wherein the subscription request contains the URL pointer for the content; and

the Content Manager processes the request and returns the content to the subscriber via the Internet server.

29. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 22, wherein the system performs a “

Send Message”

process that includes the following transactions;

a subscriber uses the remote client to compose a voice mail or an e-mail message to send, and an applet passes the message and its attachments, if any, to the applet server;

the applet server sends the message to the session manager;

the session manager passes the message and a send request to the CMC API;

the CMC API sends the message to a Transport Service Provider, and the Transport Service Provider transmits the message via a gateway and then returns a success or a failure result to the CMC API;

the CMC API passes the success/failure result to the session manager;

the session manager passes the success/failure result to the applet server; and

the applet server passes the success/failure result to the applet, and the applet notifies the subscriber whether the message has been sent or not sent.

30. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 22, wherein the system performs a “

Delete Message”

process that includes the following transactions;

a subscriber selects a message (voice, fax, or e-mail) for deletion, and an applet passes the delete request, including Session ID and Message ID, to the applet server;

the applet server passes the delete request and information to the session manager;

the session manager validates the session and, if successful, passes the delete request and information to the CMC API;

the CMC API passes the delete request to a message store and, if the message to be deleted is a voice or fax message, also sends a delete request to the voice/fax messaging system, and the voice/fax messaging system deletes the message from the voice/fax message store;

the CMC API sends a success or failure result to the session manager;

the session manager passes the result to the applet server; and

the applet server passes the result to an applet in the remote client, and the client notifies the subscriber whether the message has been deleted or not deleted.

31. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 22, wherein the system performs a “

New Message List”

process that includes the following transactions;

a subscriber accesses a Custom Client in the voice/fax messaging system;

the Custom Client retrieves new fax and voice message counts, and also sends a request for a new e-mail message count to the CMC API;

the CMC API requests and receives a count of new e-mail messages from the e-mail message store;

the CMC API passes the new e-mail message count back to the Custom Client; and

the Custom Client presents the new message counts to the user.

32. A Universal Messaging system as recited in claim 22, wherein the system performs a “

Listening to E-mail Headers”

process that includes the following transactions;

a subscriber employs the remote client to select a “

Listen to e-mail headers”

option, and to send a request for a first e-mail header to a Custom Client of the voice/fax messaging system;

the Custom Client sends a request for the first e-mail header to the CMC API;

the CMC API requests and receives the e-mail header specified by the Custom Client from the e-mail message store;

the CMC API passes the e-mail message header back to the Custom Client; and

the Custom Client plays the message header for the subscriber.