Unified communication services via e-mail

• US 6,549,612 B2
• Filed: 05/06/1999
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: j2 Cloud Services, LLC (Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Telecommunications Premium Services, Inc.
• Inventors: Riggi, Domenico, Gifford, Warren S., Mowatt, Paul, Karcher, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US09/304,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20020131561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/88.22, 379/265.69, 379/900, 379/908, 379/902, 379/68, 379/74, 379/76, 379/87, 379/88.04, 379/88.07, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.19, 379/88.23, 379/88.25, 379/88.26
• US Class Current: 379/67.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• 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 1/2478 Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• 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 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/908 Multimedia

Abstract

A method and system for providing unified messages services to a subscriber. The subscriber utilizes an active interface embedded in an e-mail notification to control delivery of a non-literal, single media or multimedia message to the subscriber. Such a non-literal message includes, but is not limited to, any of a hyperlink-based message, a voicemail message, a facsimile, and a video clip. The active interface provides access to communications-related services as well, including access to stock/options trading and bill payment.

Claims

1. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer storage medium and a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for causing a computer to control retrieval of non-literal messages referenced in a notification message, the computer program code mechanism comprising;

a first computer code device configured to store a non-literal message sent to a subscriber identified by a unique identifier;

a second computer code device configured to generate an e-mail notification with an embedded active interface referencing the non-literal message;

a third computer code device configured to retrieve the non-literal message from the remote computer when requested by the subscriber through the active interface, wherein opening of the e-mail notification by the subscriber causes the non-literal message to be dynamically updated with any new information; and

a fourth computer code device configured to selectively render the non-literal message from a user preferred audio format.

2. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fourth computer code device comprises a fifth computer code device configured to render the non-literal message in a streaming format.

3. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second computer code device comprises a fifth computer code device configured to link to a modifiable version of account and configuration information of the subscriber.

4. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the non-literal message comprises a voicemail message.

5. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the non-literal message comprises an active message indicating that an external event registered by the subscriber has occurred.

6. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the non-literal message comprises an active message including at least one of news information and sports information.

7. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second computer code device comprises a fifth computer code device configured to dynamically update the active interface to display existing overrides of the subscriber.

8. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second computer code device comprises a fifth computer code device configured to provide interface controls representing short cuts for frequently performed tasks.

9. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third computer code device comprises a fifth computer code device configured to retrieve the non-literal message using a secure HTML request.

10. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second computer code device comprises a fifth computer code device configured to perform any one of:

(1) deliver a stored facsimile to a retrieval device specified by the subscriber;

(2) delete the non-literal message from storage; and

(3) save the non-literal message into storage.

11. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a fifth computer code device configured to synchronize, plural non-literal message storage systems when the non-literal message is deleted from one of the plural non-literal message storage systems.

12. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second computer code device comprises a fifth computer code device configured to forward the non-literal message to any one of a phone number, a distribution list and an e-mail address.

13. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second computer code device comprises a fifth computer code device configured to provide two-way teleconferencing.

14. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second computer code device comprises a fifth computer code device configured to provide a return call interface for controlling a two-way teleconferencing bridge between two parties.

15. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second computer code device comprises a fifth computer code device configured to provide a call originating interface for controlling a two-way teleconferencing bridge between two parties.

16. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second computer code device comprises a fifth computer code device configured to control a telecommunications switch to call the subscriber to play the voice messages of the subscriber over a phone connection.

17. The computer program product as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a sixth computer code device configured to control the telecommunications switch to perform one of stopping a playing voice message, restarting a stopped voice message, fast forwarding a playing voice message and rewinding a playing voice message.

18. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the active interface is implemented as a Java applet.

19. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fourth computer code device comprises a fifth computer code device configured to render the non-literal message in a visual format.

20. In a computer-based messaging system, a method of providing unified communication services over a network comprising:

storing a non-literal message sent to a subscriber identified by a unique identifier;

generating an e-mail notification with an embedded active interface referencing the non-literal message, the active interface including sections having dynamic information;

retrieving the non-literal message from the remote computer when requested by the subscriber through the active interface;

dynamically updating the non-literal message with any new information upon opening the e-mail notification by the subscriber;

enabling the subscriber to respond to a message through the active interface; and

selectively rendering the non-literal message in a user preferred audio format.

21. The method as in claim 20, wherein the step of generating comprises generating the active interface to enable the subscriber to respond to a message through the active interface.