Methods and apparatus for obtaining and distributing voice mail information

• US 7,254,220 B1
• Filed: 04/06/2001
• Issued: 08/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Telesector Resources Group Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Reformato, John R., Reding, Craig L., Naik, Jayant M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier; Gerald
• Application Number:
  US09/828,679
• Time in Patent Office: 2,314 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/88.22, 379/88.19, 379/88.23, 370/356, 370/352, 709/229
• US Class Current: 379/88.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/253 where a visual mode is used instead of a voice mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message

Abstract

SMDI messages are used by the SMDI message server to generate either E-mail notifications of received messages which are forwarded to a user of the VMS or to supply VMS message status information to a voice message retrieval and forwarding system using IP messaging instead of SMDI FSK or PSK signaling. SMDI messages between a stored program controlled switching system, e.g., C.O. switch, and a voice message system are monitored by the SMDI message server of the present invention, e.g., by inserting a Tee into the SMDI link between the C.O. switch and VMS. The SMDI message server uses the directory number information and/or a message line identifier included in a received SMDI message to identify a subscriber or voice message retrieval and forwarding system which should be notified of the received SMDI message information.

Claims

1. A communications method, comprising:

monitoring a SMDI communications link extending between a telephone switch and a voice messaging system to detect at least one of a SMDI history message and a SMDI message waiting indicator message;

generating an IP message including at least one IP packet, said IP packet including at least some information obtained from a detected SMDI message; and

transmitting the IP message over a communications channel which supports the transmission of IP packets; and

in response to detecting said SMDI history message, storing at least some information included in the SMDI history message.

2. The communications method of claim 1, wherein said SMDI communications link includes an RS-232 cable, the method further comprising:

prior to performing said monitoring step, inserting a tee connection into said SMDI communications link to allow for monitoring of said link.

3. The communications method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to detecting a said SMDI message waiting indicator message, performing a database look-up operation to retrieve IP message routing information associated with a directory number included in the detected SMDI message waiting indicator message; and

wherein the step of generating an IP message includes including at least some of the retrieved IP message routing information in said IP message.

4. The communications method of claim 3, wherein the IP message is an E-mail message and wherein the IP message routing information includes an E-mail address.

5. The communications method of claim 3, wherein said IP message routing information includes an IP address.

6. The communications method of claim 1, further comprising:

operating an advanced intelligent network service control point to store IP addresses in customer records corresponding to voice mail service subscribers; and

wherein said step of generating an Internet Protocol message includes incorporating an IP address corresponding to a voice mail service subscriber, obtained from said service control point, into said at least one IP packet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating an IP message includes:

incorporating at least some of the stored information obtained from the SMDI history message in said IP message.

8. The communications method of claim 6, further comprising:

in response to detecting a SMDI message waiting indicator control message,

using directory number information included in the SMDI message waiting indicator control message to retrieve stored SMDI history message information.

9. The communications method of claim 8, wherein the step of generating an IP message includes incorporating at least some of the retrieved IP history message information in said IP message.

10. The communications method of claim 9, wherein at least some of the retrieved IP history message information includes at least one of a calling party name and a calling party telephone number.

11. The communications method of claim 10, wherein said IP message is an E-mail message.

12. The communications method of claim 9, wherein the step of generating an IP message further includes incorporating at least some information from the detected SMDI message waiting indicator control message in said IP message.

13. A method of operating an Internet Protocol messaging device the method comprising:

receiving Internet Protocol address information and directory number information for each of a plurality of voice mail service subscribers from an advanced intelligent network service control point coupled to said Internet Protocol messaging device;

receiving a SMDI message;

generating an IP message including at least one IP packet and at least some information obtained from the received SMDI message, said generating including incorporating an Internet Protocol address included in said received Internet Protocol address information in said at least one IP packet; and

transmitting the IP message to an IP communications network.

14. The method of claim 13,

wherein the step of receiving a SMDI message includes receiving one of a frequency shift keying and a phase shift keying encoded signals;

and

wherein the step of generating an IP message includes the step of including a message waiting indicator control signal obtained from the received SMDI message in said IP message.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

using information in a received SMDI message to access a database including Internet Protocol address information; and

using at least some of the retrieved Internet Protocol address information in said IP message.

16. The method of claim 15,

wherein the Internet Protocol address information includes an E-mail address;

and

wherein said IP message is an E-mail message.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

storing at said advanced intelligent network service control point, in each of a plurality of subscriber call processing records, each call processing record corresponding to a voice mail service subscriber, an Internet Protocol address and directory number corresponding to the voice mail service subscriber to which the call processing record corresponds.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein using information in a received SMDI message to access a database including Internet Protocol address information, includes comparing a directory number or message line indicator received in said SMDI message to said directory number information received from the service control point.

19. A communications system, comprising:

a telephone switch;

a voice messaging system;

a communications link coupled to the telephone switch and to the voice messaging system for carrying voice message waiting information between voice messaging system and the telephone switch;

an Internet Protocol message server coupled to said communications link for detecting voice message waiting information transmitted over said communications link and for generating an Internet Protocol message including at least some of said voice message waiting information; and

a voice message retrieval device coupled to said Internet Protocol message server by an Internet Protocol communications channel, the voice message retrieval device including means for retrieving a waiting message from said voice messaging system in response to receiving an IP message including at least some message waiting indicator information.

20. The communications system of claim 19, wherein said voice messaging waiting information is a message waiting indicator control signal.

21. The communications system of claim 20, wherein the Internet Protocol server includes:

means for decoding at least one of a Frequency Shift Keying signal and a Phase Shift Keying signal to generate decoded simplified message desk interface message information.

22. The communications system of claim 19, wherein said communications link is a simplified message desk interface link.

23. The communication system of claim 22, wherein the Internet Protocol server includes:

means for decoding at least one of a Frequency Shift Keying signal and a Phase Shift Keying signal to generate decoded simplified message desk interface message information; and

means for generating an IP message including at least some of said decoded simplified message desk interface message information.

24. The communication system of claim 23, wherein the Internet Protocol message server further includes:

a database of voice message service subscriber information including directory number and Internet Protocol address information.

25. The communication system of claim 19, wherein the Internet Protocol message server further includes:

a database of voice message service subscriber information including directory number and Internet Protocol address information.

26. A message server for generating Internet Protocol (IP) messages from simplified message desk interface messages, the message server comprising:

means for receiving simplified message desk interface messages from a simplified message desk interface data link;

stored Internet address information; and

an Internet Protocol message generation module for generating an Internet Protocol message including IP address information and at least some information obtained from a received simplified message desk interface data said Internet Protocol message generation module including at least a routine for accessing at least a portion of a stored history message to obtain a calling party name.

27. The message server of claim 26, wherein the stored Internet address information includes E-mail addresses of voice message service subscribers.

28. The message server of claim 26, further comprising:

a simplified message desk interface history message store for storing received history messages.

29. A system for providing voice messaging service to a plurality of message service subscribers, the system comprising:

a telephone switch;

a voice messaging system;

a simplified message desk interface communications channel coupling the voice messaging system to the telephone switch;

an Internet Protocol network for communicating messages using the Internet Protocol;

an Internet Protocol message server coupled to the simplified message desk interface communications channel and to the Internet Protocol network, the Internet Protocol message server generating IP messages from simplified message desk interface messages transmitted over said simplified message desk interface communications channel; and

a voice message retrieval system coupled to the Internet Protocol message server by said Internet Protocol network, the voice message retrieval system operating to retrieve voice messages from said voice message system in response to Internet Protocol messages received from the Internet Protocol message server.

30. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

a service control point including subscriber service information and subscriber Internet address information; and

a data network coupling the service control point to the telephone switch and to the Internet Protocol message server.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the Internet Protocol message server includes a database of voice message service subscriber Internet address information and directory number information downloaded from the service control point.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the voice message retrieval system includes:

means for generating an E-mail message including a retrieved voice message; and

means for transmitting said E-mail message including the retrieved voice message of a voice mail service subscriber.