Voicemail system component employment of internet protocol network to store or access one or more voicemail messages on one or more storage devices

• US 7,079,630 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Sand, Paul Raymond, Roberson, David Alan, Patterson, Alton David, Kraft, Theodore Edward, Green, Merle Leland
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): SING, SIMON P
• Application Number:
  US10/099,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20030174816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 379/68, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/88.25, 379/88.27, 379/88.13, 379/220.01
• US Class Current: 379/88.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53325 Interconnection arrangements between voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

One or more voicemail system components of an apparatus in one example employ an internet protocol network to store or access one or more voicemail messages on one or more storage devices. The one or more voicemail system components are coupled with the one or more storage devices through the internet protocol network.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more voicemail system components that employ an internet protocol network to store or access one or more voicemail messages on one or more storage devices, wherein the one or more voicemail system components are coupled with the one or more storage devices through the internet protocol network;

wherein the one or more voicemail system components comprise a first voice mailbox and a second voice mailbox;

wherein the first voice mailbox comprises an address of a location on a storage device, of the one or more storage devices;

wherein the second voice mailbox comprises the address;

wherein the address is employable by the one or more voicemail system components to access a voicemail message, of the one or more voicemail messages, on the storage device;

the apparatus in combination with the one or more storage devices, wherein the storage device of the one or more storage devices comprises one or more linked lists that are associated with the voicemail message of the one or more voicemail messages on the storage device of the one or more storage devices;

wherein the one or more linked lists comprise the address of the location on one or more of the one or more voicemail system components;

wherein the location corresponds to one or more of the first voice mailbox and the second voice mailbox on the one or more of the one or more voicemail system components; and

wherein the one or more of the first voice mailbox and the second voice mailbox are associated with one or more intended recipients of the voicemail message of the one or more voicemail messages;

wherein the storage device of the one or more storage devices serves to delete the voicemail message of the one or more voicemail messages upon deletion of a reference to the voicemail message from each of the first voice mailbox and the second voice mailbox.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a voicemail system component, of the one or more voicemail system components, employs the address of the location on the storage device, of the one or more storage devices, to store or access the voicemail message, of the one or more voicemail messages, on the storage device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in combination with the one or more storage devices, wherein the one or more voicemail system components comprise a voicemail system component, wherein the storage device of the one or more storage devices employs the address of the location on the voicemail system component of the one or more voicemail system components to identify one or more of the first voice mailbox and the second voice mailbox on the voicemail system component;

wherein the one or more of the first voice mailbox and the second voice mailbox correspond to the voicemail message, of the one or more voicemail messages, that is located on the storage device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in combination with the one or more storage devices, wherein the one or more voicemail system components comprise a plurality of voicemail system components, wherein the one or more storage devices comprise a plurality of file servers;

wherein a first voicemail system component of the plurality of voicemail system components employs the internet protocol network to store and access a first voicemail message, of the one or more voicemail messages, on a file server of the plurality of file servers;

wherein a second voicemail system component of the plurality of voicemail system components employs the internet protocol network to store and access a second voicemail message, of the one or more voicemail messages, on a file server of the plurality of file servers.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more voicemail system components employ the internet protocol network to any one or more of store, modify, retrieve, forward, and delete the one or more voicemail messages on the one or more storage devices.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 in combination with the one or more storage devices, wherein the one or more voicemail messages are located on the one or more storage devices, wherein the one or more voicemail system components comprise one or more pointers to the one or more voicemail messages.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein upon modification of the voicemail message to comprise a modified voicemail message, the address serves to allow access to the modified voicemail message from one or more of the first voice mailbox and the second voice mailbox through employment of the address.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more of the first voice mailbox and the second voice mailbox comprise one or more linked lists;

wherein the one or more linked lists comprise the address of the location on the storage device of the one or more storage devices; and

wherein the one or more of the one or more voicemail system components employ one or more of the one or more linked lists to access the voicemail message of the one or more voicemail messages on of the storage device of the one or more storage devices.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more of the one or more linked lists comprise an encryption key that serves to allow access to the voicemail message of the one of more voicemail messages.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein forwarding of the voicemail message of the one or more voicemail messages from the first voice mailbox to the second voice mailbox on the one or more voicemail system components comprises copying of the address of the voicemail message from the first voice mailbox to the second voice mailbox.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more voicemail system components comprise a first voicemail system component and a second voicemail system component, wherein the address of the location on the storage device comprises a first address of a first location on a first storage device;

wherein the first voicemail system component moves the first mailbox from the first address of the first location on the first storage device to a second address of a second location on a second storage device of the second voicemail system component.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a movement by the first voicemail system component of the first mailbox from the first address of the first location on the first storage device to the second address of the second location on the second storage device of the second voicemail system component serves to promote efficiency and effectiveness of the first voicemail system component and the second voicemail system component.

13. A method, comprising the step of:

copying an address of a voicemail message on a second voice mailbox, on a second voicemail system component, from a first voice mailbox, on a first voicemail system component, to move an association with a user from the first voice mailbox to the second voice mailbox, wherein the first and second voicemail system components are coupled with a storage device through an internet protocol network;

wherein the step of copying the address of the voicemail message on the second voice mailbox comprises the step of;

changing on the storage device a correspondence of the voicemail message from the first voice mailbox to the second voice mailbox.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

employing the internet protocol network to any one or more of store, modify, retrieve, forward, and delete the voicemail message on the storage device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first voice mailbox comprises an encryption key, wherein the step of copying the address of the voicemail message on the second voice mailbox comprises the steps of:

copying the encryption key with the address of the voicemail message on the second voice mailbox; and

allowing access to the voicemail message on the second voice mailbox through employment of the encryption key.

16. An article, comprising:

a computer-readable signal-bearing medium; and

means in the medium for copying an address of a voicemail message on a second voice mailbox, on a second voicemail system component, from a first voice mailbox, on a first voicemail system component, to move an association with a user from the first voice mailbox to the second voice mailbox, wherein the first and second voicemail system components are coupled with a storage device through an internet protocol network;

wherein the means in the medium for copying the address of the voicemail message on the second voice mailbox comprises;

means in the medium for changing on the storage device a correspondence of the voicemail message from the first voice mailbox to the second voice mailbox.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more voicemail system components that employ an internet protocol network to store or access one or more voicemail messages on one or more storage devices, wherein the one or more voicemail system components are coupled with the one or more storage devices through the internet protocol network;

wherein the one or more voicemail system components comprise a first voice mailbox and a second voice mailbox;

wherein the first voice mailbox comprises an address of a location on a storage device, of the one or more storage devices, wherein the location oh the storage device stores a voicemail message of the one or more voicemail messages;

wherein the second voice mailbox comprises the address of the location on the storage device;

wherein the first voice mailbox employs the address to access the voicemail message at the location on the storage device, wherein the second voice mailbox employs the address to access the voicemail message at the location on the storage device;

wherein the address comprises a domain name, a directory name, and a file name of the voicemail message in the storage device;

wherein the storage device stores an only copy of the voicemail message, wherein the voicemail message is not duplicated to either the first voice mailbox or the second voice mailbox;

wherein the storage device serves to delete the voicemail message upon deletion of a reference to the voicemail message from each of the first voice mailbox and the second voice mailbox.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first voice mailbox is associated with an intended recipient of the voicemail message;

wherein the second voice mailbox is passed the address of the location on the storage device to allow the second voice mailbox to access the voice message stored at the location on the storage device.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein both the first voice mailbox and the second voice mailbox access the only copy of the voice message stored at the location on the storage device.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first voice mailbox accesses the voicemail message in the storage device over the internet protocol network without going through any other mailbox;

wherein the second voice mailbox accesses the voicemail message in the storage device over the internet protocol network without going through any other mailbox.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a first voice mailbox that employs an address of a location on a storage device to access, over an internet protocol network, a voicemail message stored at the location on the storage device; and

a second voice mailbox that employs the address of the location on the storage device to access, over the internet protocol network, the voicemail message stored at the location on the storage device;

wherein the address comprises a domain name, a directory name, and a file name of the voicemail message in the storage device;

wherein the storage device stores an only copy of the voicemail message, wherein the voicemail message is not duplicated to either the first voice mailbox or the second voice mailbox;

wherein the storage device serves to delete the voicemail message upon deletion of a reference to the voicemail message from each of the first voice mailbox and the second voice mailbox.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein both the first voice mailbox and the second voice mailbox access the only copy of the voice message stored at the location on the storage device.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first voice mailbox maintains a first linked list of pointers to one or more messages stored on the storage device, wherein the second voice mailbox maintains a second linked list of pointers to one or more messages stored on the storage device;

wherein each of the first and second linked lists of pointers comprise a pointer to the voice message, wherein the pointer to the yoke message comprises the address of the location on the storage device.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein upon a user deletion of the voice message from the first mailbox, the first voice mailbox deletes the pointer to the voice message from the first linked list.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein upon user deletion of the voice message from both the first and second mailboxes, the storage device deletes the voice message.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first and second voice mailboxes may employ the internet protocol network to one or more of store, modify, retrieve, forward, and/or delete the voicemail message on the one or more storage devices.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first voice mailbox may modify the voicemail message to create a modified voicemail message, wherein the modified voicemail message is stored at the location on the storage device;

wherein the second voice mailbox accesses the modified voicemail message through employment of the address of the location on the storage device.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein forwarding the voicemail message from the first voice mailbox to the second voice mailbox comprises adding a pointer to a linked list of pointers in the second voice mailbox;

wherein the pointer comprises the address of the location of the voicemail message on the storage device, wherein the second voice mailbox employs the pointer to access, over the internet protocol network, the voicemail message on the storage device.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first voice mailbox accesses the voicemail message in the storage device over the internet protocol network without going through any other mailbox;

wherein the second voice mailbox accesses the voicemail message in the storage device over the internet protocol network without going through any other mailbox.