System and method for voice mail service in an environment having multiple voice mail technology platforms

• US 7,277,529 B1
• Filed: 02/27/2004
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rainer, Brian Keith, Wuthnow, Mark Steven, Lai, Danh Tan, Tam, Richard Man-keung
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang; Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, HEMANT SHANTILAL
• Application Number:
  US10/789,616
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.08, 379/88.14, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/88.26, 455/413
• US Class Current: 379/88.14
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53325 Interconnection arrangements between voice mail systems

Abstract

Voice mail service in an environment having multiple voice mail technology platforms is provide by an Automatic Message Attendant (AMA) device and a subscriber profile database. The AMA device has a platform selector element that queries the subscriber profile database for voice mail technology platform indicator information, which it then uses to select a voice mail technology platform. Additionally, the AMA device may also have a greeting player and message recorder element that queries an announcement database, and a content adapter element that queries a message format requirement database. Thus, the AMA device may also provide call termination functionality by playing a greeting and recording a message from the caller, and converting the recorded message into a format suitable for use with the selected voice mail technology platform.

Claims

1. A system for providing voice mail service in a wireless environment having multiple voice mail technologies platforms, said system comprising:

an automatic message attendant device having a platform selector element;

a subscriber profile database relating voice mail technology platform indicator information for a plurality of subscribers to corresponding subscriber identities, said subscriber profile database in communication with said platform selector element;

said platform selector element operative to;

receive call information regarding a call placed to a subscriber from a caller, said call information including the identity of the subscriber to whom the call was placed;

obtain voice mail technology platform indicator information for said subscriber from said subscriber profile database utilizing said subscriber identity; and

use said voice mail technology platform indicator information to select one of said multiple voice mail technologies platforms for receiving said call, formatting a message of said call from said caller to said subscriber, and storing said message on said selected voice mail technology platform for later retrieval.

2. The system of claim 1 further having a common signaling network, said platform selector element in communication with said common signaling network, wherein said platform selector element receives said call information through said common signaling network from a communication switch, and wherein said platform selector element is further operative to provide a routing address for the selected voice mail technology platform to said communication switch through said common signaling network.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said automatic message attendant device is operative to:

receive a connection to said caller; and

connect said caller to said selected voice mail technology platform.

4. The system of claim 1 further having an audio announcement database relating personal greeting information for a plurality of subscribers to corresponding subscriber identities, wherein said automatic message attendant device further has a greeting player and message recorder element, said greeting player and message recorder element in communication with said audio announcement database and said platform selector element, said greeting player and message recorder element operative to:

obtain personal greeting information for said subscriber from said audio announcement database utilizing said subscriber identity;

play a greeting to said caller as indicated by said personal greeting information; and

record a voice mail message from said caller to said subscriber.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said greeting player and message recorder element is further operative to forward the recorded message to the selected voice mail technology platform.

6. The system of claim 4 further comprising a message format requirement database relating message format requirement information for a plurality of subscribers to corresponding subscriber identities, wherein said automatic message attendant device further has a content adapter element, said content adapter element in communication with said message format requirement database, said content adapter element operative to:

obtain message format requirement information for said subscriber from said message format requirement database utilizing said subscriber identity; and

convert said recorded voice mail message to the format indicated by said message format requirement information.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said content adapter element is further operative to forward the formatted message to the selected voice mail technology platform.

8. A method for providing voice mail service in a wireless environment having multiple voice mail technologies platforms, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a subscriber profile database which contains voice mail technology platform indicator information associated with a plurality of subscribers;

receiving information regarding a call from a caller to be directed to a voice mail technology platform, said call information including an identity of the subscriber to whom the call was placed;

obtaining said voice mail technology platform indicator information from said subscriber profile database utilizing said subscriber identity; and

using said voice mail technology platform indicator information to select one of said multiple voice mail technologies platforms for receiving said call, formatting a message of said call from said caller to said subscriber, and storing said message on said selected voice mail technology platform for later retrieval.

9. The method of claim 8 further including the step of directing said caller to said selected voice mail technology platform.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of directing the caller to the selected voice mail technology platform includes providing a routing address for the selected voice mail technology platform to a communication switch through a common signaling network.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of directing the caller to the selected voice mail technology platform includes receiving a connection to said caller and connecting said caller to said selected voice mail technology platform.

12. The method of claim 8 further including the steps of:

obtaining personal greeting information for said subscriber from an announcement database utilizing said subscriber identity;

playing a greeting to said caller as indicated by said personal greeting information; and

recording a voice mail message from said caller to said subscriber.

13. The method of claim 12 further including the step of forwarding said recorded message to said selected voice mail technology platform.

14. The method of claim 12 further includes the steps of:

obtaining message format requirement information for said subscriber from a message format requirement database utilizing said subscriber identity; and

converting said recorded voice mail message to the format indicated by said message format requirement information.

15. The method of claim 14 further including the step of forwarding said converted message to said selected voice mail technology platform.

16. A system for providing voice mail service in a wireless environment having multiple voice mail technologies platforms, said system comprising:

a means for relating voice mail technology platform indicator information for a plurality of subscribers to corresponding subscriber identities; and

a means for;

receiving information regarding a call from a caller to be directed to a voice mail technology platform, said call information including an identity of the subscriber to whom the call was placed;

obtaining said voice mail technology platform indicator information from said means for relating voice mail technology platform indicator information; and

using said voice mail technology platform indicator information to select one of said multiple voice mail technologies platforms for receiving said call, formatting a message of said call from said caller to said subscriber, and storing said message on said selected voice mail technology platform for later retrieval by said subscriber.

17. The system of claim 16 further having:

a means for relating personal greeting information for a plurality of subscribers to corresponding subscriber identities; and

a means for;

obtaining personal greeting information for said subscriber from said means for relating personal greeting information;

playing a greeting to said caller as indicated by said personal greeting information; and

recording a voice mail message from said caller to said subscriber.

18. The system of claim 17 further having:

a means for relating message format requirement information for a plurality of subscribers to corresponding subscriber identities; and

a means for;

obtaining message format requirement information for said subscriber from said means for relating message format requirement information; and

converting said recorded voice mail message to the format indicated by said message format requirement information.

19. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method for providing voice mail service in a wireless environment having multiple voice mail technologies platforms comprising the steps of:

receiving information regarding a call from a caller to be directed to a voice mail technology platform, said call information including an identity of the subscriber to whom the call was placed;

obtaining voice mail technology platform indicator information from a subscriber profile database utilizing said subscriber identity; and

using said voice mail technology platform indicator information to select one of said multiple voice mail technologies platforms for receiving said call, formatting a message of said call from said caller to said subscriber, and storing said message on said selected voice mail technology platform for later retrieval by said subscriber.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19 including executable instructions for performing a method for providing voice mail service in a wireless environment having multiple voice mail technologies platforms, further including the steps of:

obtaining personal greeting information for said subscriber from an announcement database utilizing said subscriber identity;

playing a greeting to said caller as indicated by said personal greeting information; and

recording a voice mail message from said caller to said subscriber.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20 including executable instructions for performing a method for providing voice mail service in a wireless environment having multiple voice mail technologies platforms, further including the steps of:

obtaining message format requirement information for said subscriber from a message format requirement database utilizing said subscriber identity; and

converting said recorded voice mail message to the format indicated by said message format requirement information.

22. A system for providing voice mail service in a wireless environment having multiple voice mail technologies platforms, said system comprising:

a subscriber profile database relating voice mail technology platform indicator information for a plurality of subscribers to corresponding subscriber identities;

an audio announcement database relating personal greeting information for a plurality of subscribers to corresponding subscriber identities;

an automatic message attendant device having;

a platform selector element in communication with said subscriber profile database, said platform selector element operative to;

receive call information regarding a call placed to a subscriber from a caller, said call information including the identity of the subscriber to whom the call was placed;

obtain voice mail technology platform indicator information for said subscriber from said subscriber profile database utilizing said subscriber identity; and

select a voice mail technology platform by using said voice mail technology platform indicator information; and

a greeting player and message recorder element in communication with said audio announcement database and said platform selector element, said greeting player and message recorder element operative to;

obtain personal greeting information for said subscriber from said audio announcement database utilizing said subscriber identity;

play a greeting to said caller as indicated by said personal greeting information; and

format and record a voice mail message on said selected voice mail technology platform from said caller to said subscriber.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said greeting player and message recorder element is further operative to forward the recorded message to the selected voice mail technology platform.

24. The system of claim 22 further comprising a message format requirement database relating message format requirement information for a plurality of subscribers to corresponding subscriber identities, wherein said automatic message attendant device further has a content adapter element, said content adapter element in communication with said message format requirement database, said content adapter element operative to:

obtain message format requirement information for said subscriber from said message format requirement database utilizing said subscriber identity; and

convert said recorded voice mail message to the format indicated by said message format requirement information.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said content adapter element is further operative to forward the formatted message to the selected voice mail technology platform.