Unified message system for accessing voice mail via email

• US 7,257,203 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2004
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Quinton, Mary Michelle
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Creighton
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anwah; Olisa
• Application Number:
  US10/882,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20040234051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/88.04, 379/88.13, 379/88.16, 379/88.17, 379/88.23, 704/270, 704/275, 709/200, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 710/301
• US Class Current: 379/88.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2478 Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements

Abstract

Systems, methods, and structures are discussed that enhance media processing. One aspect of the present invention includes a data structure to enhance media processing. The data structure includes a terminal data structure to instantiate terminal objects and a speech recognition terminal data structure that extends the terminal data structure. Another aspect of the present invention includes a data structure to enhance media processing. This data structure includes a terminal data structure to instantiate terminal objects and a speech generation terminal data structure that extends the terminal data structure. These data structures may be used to implement an internet protocol interactive voice response system, an internet protocol unified message system, and speech-enabled Web applications.

Claims

1. An enhanced unified message system, comprising:

an email store configured to store electronic mail messages;

a voice mail system configured to receive an internet protocol telephony call, wherein the voice mail system includes a terminal object; and

a telephony API provided by a TAPI application component and used by the voice mail system to form a connection and process the internet protocol telephony call by selecting the terminal object from among a group of registered terminal objects each adhering to a uniform interface, the TAPI application component for registering pluggable terminal objects with a terminal manager by providing a terminal class name, a media type, and a method of signaling events and for providing a list of registered terminal objects including the registered media type,

wherein the application selects a terminal object from the group of registered terminal objects, wherein the selected terminal object receives a voice mail message from the voice mail system, saves the voice mail message as an electronic mail message in the email store, is of a type created under the direction of the application, and is associated with a virtual or non-virtual device, and wherein various programmers can provide registerable telephony services using terminal objects that rely on the telephony API.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a gateway to transmit an Internet protocol telephony call.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a client computer to receive the internet protocol telephony call from the gateway.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the voice mail system saves the internet protocol telephony call in the email store automatically without user interaction.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the client computer is adapted to access a saved internet protocol telephony call through the email store.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the voice mail message is saved as an attachment to the electronic mail message.

7. A method of providing email access to missed phone calls, comprising:

invoking a telephony API to listen for incoming calls, wherein the telephony API is provided by a TAPI application component, the TAPI application component for registering pluggable terminal objects with a terminal manager by providing a terminal class name, a media type, and a method of signaling events and for providing a list of registered terminal objects including the registered media type;

receiving a call from a client;

invoking the telephony API to instantiate a terminal object from the list of registered terminal obiects suitable for receiving call information and storing the call information as an electronic mail message;

receiving call information; and

storing the received call information as an electronic mail message,

wherein the telephony API provides functions to form a connection with a client and process incoming call information by selecting a terminal object from among a group of registered terminal objects adhering to a uniform interface, the selected terminal object for processing the incoming call information, wherein the terminal object is of a type created under the direction of the application, and is associated with a virtual or non-virtual device, and wherein various programmers can provide registerable telephony services using terminal objects that rely on the telephony API.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the call information is audio data.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein storing the received call information comprises automatically storing the received call information without user interaction.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the telephony API is part of an operating system.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the received call information is stored as an attachment to the electronic mail message.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein storing the received call information comprises storing additional information about the received call.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the additional information is the telephone number of the client.

14. The method of claim 7 wherein the call is received using PSTN.

15. The method of claim 7 wherein the call is received using Voice over IP.

16. A computer-readable media encoded with instructions for controlling a computer system to access an electronic mail message containing a voicemail message, by a method comprising:

receiving an electronic mail message through an electronic mail client;

opening the electronic mail message; and

accessing call information stored within the electronic mail message, wherein the call information was received using a telephony API that provides functions to form a connection with a client and process incoming call information by selecting a terminal object from among a group of registered terminal objects adhering to a uniform interface, the selected terminal object for processing the incoming call information such that various programmers can provide registerable telephony services using terminal objects that rely on the telephony API, wherein the telephony API is provided by a TAPI application component, the TAPI application component for registering pluggable terminal objects with a terminal manager by providing a terminal class name, a media type, and a method of signaling events and for providing a list of registered terminal objects including the registered media type.

17. The computer-readable media of claim 16 wherein the call information is stored as an attachment to the electronic mail message.

18. The computer-readable media of claim 16 wherein the call information is embedded within the body of the electronic mail message.

19. The computer-readable media of claim 16 wherein the call information contains audio data.

20. The computer-readable media of claim 16 wherein the electronic mail client invokes an external application for rendering the call information to a user.