Method and system for pending voicemail deletion and status notification

• US 6,999,566 B1
• Filed: 08/29/2002
• Issued: 02/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koch, Robert, Eason, Wendy
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELAHEE, MD S
• Application Number:
  US10/230,636
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.18, 379/67.1, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.22, 704/270, 369/25.01, 455/466, 709/204, 709/206
• US Class Current: 379/88.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2083 Confirmation by serviced party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4554 Sender-side editing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects

Abstract

A method and system are provided for enabling a sender of a voicemail message to delete that message before it is heard by the intended recipient and to be notified when a pending message is heard by the intended recipient. A voicemail system associated with a recipient receives and stores a voicemail message and, in response thereto, transmits a status message to a voicemail system associated with the sender. Upon user request, a server computer queries the voicemail system associated with the sender for status of a voicemail message, and if still pending, transmits a deletion request to the voicemail system associated with the sender. The deletion request is then sent from the voicemail system associated with the sender to the voicemail system associated with the recipient, which then deletes the message. When the status of a voicemail message changes from pending to heard, a status change message is received by a server computer, which then determines notification preferences and addresses and, subsequently, transmits a notification message to the sender of the voicemail message.

Claims

1. A system for enabling the deletion of a pending voicemail message, the system comprising:

a voicemail system associated with a recipient capable of receiving and storing a voicemail message sent by a sender and intended for the recipient, of transmitting a status message to a voicemail system associated with the sender in response to receiving the voicemail message, and of deleting the voicemail message in response to a request from the voicemail system associated with the sender; and

a voicemail system associated with the sender capable of receiving the status message from the voicemail system associated with the recipient, storing the status message in a database record associated with the sender, and transmitting a request to the voicemail system associated with the recipient to delete a voicemail message in response to receiving a deletion request from a server computer; and

a server computer operative to receive a request to delete the voicemail message and, in response to receiving the request, determining based upon the database record whether the voicemail message is pending, and, in response to determining that the message is pending, transmitting a request to the voicemail system associated with the sender to delete the voicemail message, wherein the voicemail system associated with the sender is further operative to delete the status message from the database record associated with the sender following transmission of the request to the voicemail system associated with the recipient to delete the voicemail message and wherein the voicemail system associated with the recipient is further capable of transmitting a notification message to the recipient indicating that the voicemail message has been deleted.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the server computer is further operative to transmit the request to delete the voicemail message directly to the voicemail system associated with the recipient.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the voicemail system associated with the sender is further operative to receive a request directly from the sender to delete the voicemail message, to determine whether the voicemail message is pending, and in response to determine that the voicemail message is pending, transmitting the request.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the voicemail system associated with the recipient is further capable of determining if a voicemail message associated with the sender may be deleted prior to deleting the voicemail message in response to a request to delete the voicemail message.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the status message comprises a directory number associated with the sender, a directory number associated with the recipient, a time and a date of a change in message status, and message status.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the message status comprises an indicating that the voicemail message has been heard.

7. A method for enabling the deletion of a voicemail message that is pending, the method comprising:

receiving and storing a voicemail message at a voicemail system associated with a recipient;

transmitting a status message from the voicemail system associated with the recipient to a voicemail system associated with a sender of the voicemail message in response to receiving the voicemail message;

receiving the status message at the voicemail system associated with the sender and storing the status message in a database record associated with the sender;

receiving a server computer a request to delete the voicemail message;

transmitting a request for the status of the voicemail message from the server computer to the voicemail system associated with the sender;

receiving at the server computer a response to the status request;

determining based upon the response to the status request whether the voicemail message is pending;

transmitting a request to delete the voicemail message from the server computer to the voicemail system associated with the sender in response to determining that the voicemail message is pending

receiving the request to delete the voicemail message at the voicemail system associated with the sender and, in response thereto, removing the status message from the database record associated with the sender and transmitting a request to delete the voicemail message to the voicemail system associated with the recipient; and

transmitting a notification to the recipient that the voicemail message has been deleted.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising deleting the voicemail message from the voicemail system associated with the recipient in response to receiving the request to delete the message at the voicemail system associated with the recipient.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

determining at the voicemail system associated with the recipient if the message may be deleted; and

deleting the voicemail message in response to determining that the message may be deleted.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the status message comprises a directory number associated with the sender, a directory number associated with the recipient, a time and a date of change in message status, and message status.

11. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instruction which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of claim 7.

12. A method for causing a notification message to be transmitted to the sender of a voicemail message indicating that the voicemail message has been delivered to the recipient, the method comprising:

delivering the voicemail message to a recipient;

transmitting a status message from the voicemail system associated with the recipient to a voicemail system associated with the sender;

receiving the status message at the voicemail system associated with the sender and, in response thereto, determining whether the voicemail message has been delivered to the recipient;

transmitting a status change message from the voicemail system associated with the sender to a server computer in response to determining that the voicemail message has been delivered to the recipient;

in response to receiving the status change message at the server computer, identifying a preferred method of notifying the sender of delivery of the voicemail and a corresponding device address for the preferred method;

transmitting a notification message to the device address; and

determining whether the notification message to the device address was delivered;

in response to the notification message not being delivered, identifying an alternate method of notifying the sender of delivery of the voicemail and a corresponding device address for the alternate method; and

transmitting a notification message to the alternate device address.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising storing the status message in a database record associated with the sender.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the notification message comprises a directory number associated with the recipient, a time and a date of the voicemail message, and a status for the voicemail message.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the server computer is further operative to perform a directory lookup using the directory number associated with the recipient to identify a name associated with the recipient and wherein the notification message further comprises the same.

16. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instruction which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of claim 12.