Method and system for providing short message services outside of the wireless network

• US 6,771,949 B1
• Filed: 10/09/1998
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Corliss, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Congvan
• Application Number:
  US09/169,757
• Time in Patent Office: 2,125 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412, 455/413, 455/415, 455/426, 455/554, 455/555, 455/556, 455/466, 455/67.7, 455/70, 455/412.1, 379/67, 379/89, 379/70
• US Class Current: 455/413
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages

Abstract

A method is disclosed for providing voice messaging notification to a voice mail subscriber over the Internet, wherein the subscriber has a telephone which is serviced by a switch. The method includes receiving a voice message from a calling party for the telephone associated with the subscriber and forwarding the voice message to a mailbox for storage therein. The method also includes generating the message notification upon receipt of the voice message and transmitting the message notification to a messaging notification node. The method further includes routing the message notification to the subscriber over a local Internet gateway to provide indication to the subscriber of the stored voice message. In a preferred embodiment, the method also routes the messaging notification to a server corresponding to or designated by the subscriber, or corresponding to a paging service provider or e-mail service provider, in which the method includes generating a paging signal to a pager of the subscriber, or e-mail message including the message notification.

Claims

1. A method for providing voice messaging notification to a voice mail subscriber over the Internet, the voice mail subscriber having a telephone serviced by one of a wireless and wireline switch, the method comprising:

receiving a voice message from a calling party for the telephone associated with the voice mail subscriber;

forwarding the voice message to a mailbox for storage therein;

generating a Short Message Services message notification upon receipt of the voice message;

transmitting the message notification to a messaging service node; and

routing the message notification to the voice mail subscriber over a local Internet gateway to provide indication to the voice mail subscriber of the stored voice message.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising routing the message notification to a server designated by the subscriber.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein routing the message notification to a server is routing to a server of a paging service provider.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising generating a paging signal carrying the message notification to a pager of the subscriber.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein routing the message notification to a server is routing to a mail server for an e-mail service provider.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising generating an email message carrying the message notification to an e-mail address corresponding to the subscriber.

7. For use in a communication network having at least one switch serving at least one subscriber having a telephone, a method of routing a voicemail message notification over the Internet to the subscriber, the method comprising:

providing at least one Internet gateway in communication with the communication network;

providing an adjustment processor in communication with a messaging service node and the at least one Internet gateway;

providing at least one database in communication with the adjunct processor, the at least one database including at least one designated destination server corresponding to the subscriber;

detecting at the service node a Short Message Services message notification from the subscribers'"'"'s voice mailbox;

transmitting the message notification to adjunct processor;

determining at the adjunct processor the at least one designated destination server for the subscriber;

routing the message notification to the at least one local Internet gateway;

transmitting from the adjunct processor to the local Internet gateway the at least one designated destination server for the subscriber; and

routing the message notification to the at least one designated destination server.

8. The method as in claim 7 further comprising translating the message notification into a protocol used by the Internet gateway.

9. The method as in claim 8 wherein the protocol used by the Internet gateway is Transmission Controlled Protocol/Internet Protocol.

10. The method as in claim 7 wherein the at least one designated destination server includes a server of a paging service provider.

11. The method as in claim 10 further comprising generating a paging signal including the message notification to a corresponding pager for the subscriber.

12. The method as in claim 7 wherein the at least one designated destination server includes a server of an e-mail service provider.

13. The method as in claim 10 further comprising generating an e-mail message which includes the message notification to a corresponding e-mail address for the subscriber.

14. A method for providing voice messaging notification for a subscriber having a telephone serviced by at least one of the public wireless and wireline networks, the method comprising:

receiving a voice mail message from a calling party calling the telephone associated with the subscriber;

forwarding the voice mail message to a subscriber mailbox for storage therein;

generating a Short Message Services (SMS) message notification to an Internet gateway in communication with the at least one of the public wireless and wireline networks; and

routing the SMS message notification to the Internet gateway to provide an indication to the subscriber of the stored voice mail message.

15. For use in a communications network having a messaging processor serving at least one messaging device, a method of routing a messaging signal over the Internet, comprising:

routing a Short Message Services (SMS) message notification from a service node to the messaging processor over the Internet;

translating the message notification in the messaging processor;

providing at least one database in communication with the messaging processor, the at least one database having a profile for each voice mail subscriber, the profile including a predetermined destination server; and

generating a messaging signal for receipt by the at least one messaging device to the predetermined destination server, the messaging signal including the message notification.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the predetermined destination server is a server of a paging service provider.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising generating a paging signal to a pager of the subscriber.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the predetermined destination is a server of an e-mail provider.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising generating an email signal to a pager of the subscriber.

20. A system for providing voice messaging notification for a subscriber having a telephone in one of the wireless and wireline networks, the system comprising:

a switch providing telecommunications services to the telephone;

a voice response unit coupled to the switch operative to receive a voice message from a calling party for the subscriber'"'"'s telephone, forward the voice message to a mailbox for storage therein, and transmit a Short Message Services (SMS) message notification upon receipt of the voice message at the mailbox to provide an indication to the subscriber over the Internet of the stored voice message;

an Internet gateway for providing the message notification to the subscriber; and

a message receiving device for allowing the subscriber to receive the message notification.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the voice response unit, in transmitting the message notification, is further operative to transmit a message notification to a messaging service node.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the voice response unit is coupled to the messaging service node via a physical data link for transmitting signaling data to the messaging service node.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the physical data link in an X.25 data link.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the X.25 data link is an SMS data link.

25. For use in a communication network having at least one switch serving at least one telephone subscriber in the public wireless and wireline networks having a voice mail notification system, comprising:

at least one Internet gateway in communication with the communication network;

at least one database including a designated delivery destination corresponding to the at least one subscriber'"'"'s voice mailbox; and

an adjunct processor in communication with the at least one Internet gateway and a messaging service center, wherein the adjunct processor is operative to query the at least one database to determine the designated destination server for the subscriber, instruct the messaging service center to route a Short Message Services (SMS) voice mail message notification to the at least one Internet gateway, and transmit to the at least one Internet gateway the determined server for delivery to the subscriber.