System and method for synchronizing voice mailbox with e-mail box

• US 6,697,458 B1
• Filed: 07/10/2000
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MEC Management, LLC (Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota)
• Original Assignee: Ulysses ESD, Inc.
• Inventors: Kunjibettu, Shreesha
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US09/613,419
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.22, 379/88.13, 379/88.18, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.14, 379/88.16, 379/88.17, 370/401, 455/556, 709/206
• US Class Current: 379/88.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/22 Synchronisation circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/12 Marking faulty circuits "busy"; Enabling equipment to disengage itself from faulty circuits ; Using redundant circuits; Response of a circuit, apparatus or system to an error
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53325 Interconnection arrangements between voice mail systems

Abstract

Voice messages are stored in both a user'"'"'s voice mailbox in a voice mail system and an e-mail box in an e-mail system distinct from the voice mail system. When a voice message is stored in a user'"'"'s voice mailbox in the voice mail system, a corresponding e-mail message is sent to and stored in an e-mail system with the voice message located in an attachment to the e-mail message. Information identifying the voice mail system and the voice mail message are included in a predefined portion of the email message, such as a particular field of the header. At predetermined times the user'"'"'s voice mailbox and e-mail box are synchronized. In particular, the voice mail system uses standard e-mail protocols to retrieve the predefined portion of the e-mail messages sent by the voice mail system, analyzes the retrieved information to determine what updates need to be performed to synchronize the information contained in the two systems, and then performs the synchronization, deleting messages and changing the status of messages as needed.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing voice messages in a voice mailbox in a voice mail server for a particular user with corresponding messages in an e-mail box for the same particular user, the e-mail box in an e-mail server distinct from the voice mail server, comprising:

upon storing a voice message in the voice mailbox of the particular user, sending for storing in the e-mail box of the particular user a corresponding e-mail message having a predefined portion that identifies the voice message; and

performing a synchronization operation on the voice mailbox and e-mail box of the particular user by;

retrieving from the e-mail box predefined portions of the messages therein that correspond to voice messages in the voice mailbox, each retrieved predefined portion identifying the corresponding voice message;

comparing the retrieved predefined portions with the voice messages in the voice mailbox to identify the voice messages, if any, for which there is no corresponding message in the e-mail box; and

deleting the identified voice messages;

wherein the retrieving and comparing are performed without creating and without utilizing a database identifying respective voice messages corresponding to respective messages in the e-mail box;

whereby when the particular user deletes from the e-mail box a message corresponding to a voice message, the voice message is automatically deleted from the voice mailbox.

2. The method of claim 1, the comparing further including identifying the e-mail messages, if any, for which there is no corresponding voice message in the voice mailbox;

and

deleting the identified e-mail messages in the e-mail box;

whereby when the particular user deletes from the voice mailbox a voice message, the corresponding message in the e-mail box is automatically deleted.

3. The method of claim 2, further including:

retrieving from the e-mail box a read status for at least one of the messages therein that corresponds to a voice message in the voice mailbox;

comparing the retrieved read status with a listened-to status for the corresponding voice message in the voice mailbox; and

if the retrieved read status does not match the listened-to status, changing one of the read status and listened-to status accordingly.

4. The method of claim 2, further including:

retrieving from the e-mail box a predefined status value for at least one of the messages therein that corresponds to a voice message in the voice mailbox;

comparing the retrieved predefined status value with a corresponding status value for the corresponding voice message in the voice mailbox; and

if the retrieved predefined status value does not match the corresponding status value, changing one of the predefined status value and corresponding status accordingly.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the deleting of the identified e-mail messages in the e-mail box comprises marking the identified e-mail messages for deletion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined portion of a message in the e-mail box that corresponds to a voice message in the voice mailbox includes a subject field of a header of the message having text there in that identifies the corresponding voice message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined portion of a message in the e-mail box that corresponds to a voice message in the voice mailbox includes a “

from”

field of a header of the message having text there in that identifies the corresponding voice message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined portion of the messages in the e-mail box is selected from a group consisting of a header of the messages and a body of the messages.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving, comparing and deleting are performed periodically in accordance with a predefined schedule.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving, comparing and deleting are performed when the user first accesses the voice mailbox.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving, comparing and deleting are performed automatically by the voice mail system at predetermined intervals.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the deleting comprising marking the identified voice mail messages for deletion.

13. A voice mail system, for use in conjunction with an e-mail system, comprising:

a mass storage memory for storing voice mail;

a central processing unit (CPU);

a voice mail module, for execution by the CPU;

a synchronization module, for execution by the CPU; and

a respective voice mailbox associated with each of a plurality of respective users of the voice mail system, each voice mailbox for storing voice messages;

the voice mail module including instructions for storing a voice message in the voice mailbox of a particular user, and for sending for storing in a e-mail box of the particular user a corresponding e-mail message having a predefined portion that identifies the voice message;

wherein the e-mail box is in a computer system distinct from the voice mail system;

the synchronization module including instructions for performing a synchronization operation by;

retrieving from the e-mail box predefined portions of the messages therein that correspond to voice messages in the voice mailbox, each retrieved predefined portion identifying the corresponding voice message;

comparing the retrieved predefined portions with the voice messages in the voice mailbox to identify the voice messages, if any, for which there is no corresponding message in the e-mail box; and

deleting the identified voice messages;

wherein the voice mail module instructions and synchronization module instructions do not create and do not utilize a database identifying respective voice messages corresponding to respective messages in the e-mail box;

whereby when the particular user deletes from the e-mail box a message corresponding to a voice message, the voice message is automatically deleted from the voice mailbox by the synchronization module.

14. The voice mail system of claim 13, wherein the comparing instructions include instructions for identifying the e-mail messages, if any, for which there is no corresponding voice message in the voice mailbox;

and

the synchronization module includes instructions for deleting the identified e-mail messages in the e-mail box;

whereby when the particular user deletes from the voice mailbox a voice message, the corresponding message in the e-mail box is automatically deleted.

15. The voice mail system of claim 14, wherein the synchronization module further includes instructions for:

retrieving from the e-mail box a read status for at least one of the messages therein that corresponds to a voice message in the voice mailbox;

comparing the retrieved read status with a listened-to status for the corresponding voice message in the voice mailbox; and

if the retrieved read status does not match the listened-to status, changing one of the read status and listened-to status accordingly.

16. The voice mail system of claim 14, wherein the synchronization module further includes instructions for:

retrieving from the e-mail box a predefined status value for at least one of the messages therein that corresponds to a voice message in the voice mailbox;

comparing the retrieved predefined status value with a corresponding status value for the corresponding voice message in the voice mailbox; and

if the retrieved predefined status value does not match the corresponding status value, changing one of the predefined status value and corresponding status accordingly.

17. The voice mail system of claim 13, wherein the deleting instructions comprise instructions for marking the identified e-mail messages for deletion.

18. The voice mail system of claim 13, wherein the predefined portion of a message in the e-mail box that corresponds to a voice message in the voice mailbox includes a subject field of a header of the message having text there in that identifies the corresponding voice message.

19. The voice mail system of claim 13, wherein the predefined portion of a message in the e-mail box that corresponds to a voice message in the voice mailbox includes a “

from”

field of a header of the message having text there in that identifies the corresponding voice message.

20. The voice mail system of claim 13, wherein the predefined portion of the messages in the e-mail box is selected from a group consisting of a header of the messages and a body of the messages.

21. The voice mail system of claim 13, further including scheduling instructions for periodically initiating execution of the retrieving, comparing and deleting instructions.

22. The voice mail system of claim 13, further including login instructions for initiating execution of the retrieving, comparing and deleting instructions when the user performs a login to access the user'"'"'s voice mailbox.

23. The voice mail system of claim 13, further including scheduling instructions for automatically initiating execution of the retrieving, comparing and deleting instructions at predetermined intervals.

24. The voice mail system of claim 13, wherein the deleting instructions comprise instructions for marking the identified voice mail messages for deletion.

25. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising:

a voice mail module, for execution by the computer system;

a synchronization module, for execution by the computer system; and

a respective voice mailbox associated with each of a plurality of respective users of the voice mail system, each voice mailbox for storing voice messages;

the voice mail module including instructions for storing a voice message in a voice mailbox of a particular user, and for sending for storing in a e-mail box of the particular user a corresponding e-mail message having a predefined portion that identifies the voice message;

wherein the voice mailbox and e-mail box are in distinct computer systems;

the synchronization module including instructions for performing a synchronization operation by;

retrieving from the e-mail box predefined portions of the e-mail messages therein that correspond to voice messages in the voice mailbox, each retrieved predefined portion identifying the corresponding voice message;

comparing the retrieved predefined portions with the voice messages in the voice mailbox to identify the voice messages, if any, for which there is no corresponding message in the e-mail box; and

deleting the identified voice messages;

whereby when the particular user deletes from the e-mail box a message corresponding to a voice message, the voice message is automatically deleted from the voice mailbox by the synchronization module.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the comparing instructions include instructions for identifying the e-mail messages, if any, for which there is no corresponding voice message in the voice mailbox;

and

the synchronization module includes instructions for deleting the identified e-mail messages in the e-mail box;

whereby when the particular user deletes from the voice mailbox a voice message, the corresponding message in the e-mail box is automatically deleted.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, further including:

retrieving from the e-mail box a read status for at least one of the messages therein that corresponds to a voice message in the voice mailbox;

comparing the retrieved read status with a listened-to status for the corresponding voice message in the voice mailbox; and

if the retrieved read status does not match the listened-to status, changing one of the read status and listened-to status accordingly.

28. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the synchronization module further includes instructions for:

retrieving from the e-mail box a predefined status value for at least one of the messages therein that corresponds to a voice message in the voice mailbox;

comparing the retrieved predefined status value with a corresponding status value for the corresponding voice message in the voice mailbox; and

if the retrieved predefined status value does not match the corresponding status value, changing one of the predefined status value and corresponding status accordingly.

29. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the deleting instructions comprise instructions for marking the identified e-mail messages for deletion.

30. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the predefined portion of a message in the e-mail box that corresponds to a voice message in the voice mailbox includes a subject field of a header of the message having text there in that identifies the corresponding voice message.

31. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the predefined portion of a message in the e-mail box that corresponds to a voice message in the voice mailbox includes a “

from”

field of a header of the message having text there in that identifies the corresponding voice message.

32. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the predefined portion of the messages in the e-mail box is selected from a group consisting of a header of the messages and a body of the messages.

33. The computer program product of claim 25, further including scheduling instructions for periodically initiating execution of the retrieving, comparing and deleting instructions.

34. The computer program product of claim 25, further including login instructions for initiating execution of the retrieving, comparing and deleting instructions when the user performs a login to access the user'"'"'s voice mailbox.

35. The computer program product of claim 25, further including scheduling instructions for automatically initiating execution of the retrieving, comparing and deleting instructions at predetermined intervals.

36. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the deleting instructions comprise instructions for marking the identified voice mail messages for deletion.