Methods and systems for providing voicemail services

• US 7,457,398 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2002
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mavenir Systems Incorporated (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Comverse Incorporated (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Barrasso, William T., Candell, Emily A., Ketchoyian, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwah; Olisa
• Application Number:
  US10/061,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20030142799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,490 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/88.11, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/88.24, 379/68, 709/206
• US Class Current: 379/88.23
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4554 Sender-side editing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5335 Message type or catagory, e.g. priority, indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods and systems for providing voicemail services having expanded functionality. One embodiment of the invention saves a copy of messages sent in the sender'"'"'s mailbox. Methods and systems, according to this embodiment, mark a message sent as a ‘sent message’ and store the sent message in a standard message store. These methods and systems can present a full set of sent messages (sent within a configured time interval, 30 days for example) upon a specific request for sent messages. In one embodiment, a user can access these sent messages by accessing the sent message folder. Embodiments of the invention also provide a method for determining the other (if any) recipients of a received voice message. Methods and systems according to one embodiment store a full list of recipients with a message. Thus, a system according to this embodiment can present the list of recipients to the subscriber when it retrieves a message. Embodiments of the invention provide methods and systems that allow a user to copy each recipient of an original message is copied on a reply to the message if desired.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

retrieving, via a voice interface, a voicemail message sent to specified recipients; and

providing the specified recipients with an option to enable a reply-to-all function;

if reply-to-all function is enabled, providing an option to reply-to-all specified recipients and the sender, wherein the option is selectable via the voice interface;

wherein the voice interface is responsive to commands from a telephone keypad.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

subsequent to receiving a selection of the option, sending a reply message to the sender and each of the specified recipients.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

determining if a recipient access list is enabled;

if the recipient list access is enabled, providing a select recipient option to allow a subscriber to select recipients from the recipient list; and

if the select recipient option is selected, sending a reply message to each of the selected recipients.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice interface is responsive to voice commands.

4. A method comprising:

retrieving, via a voice interface, a voicemail message sent to selected recipients; and

providing the selected recipients with an option to enable a reply-to-all function;

providing an option to reply-to-all recipients and the sender, wherein the option is selectable via the voice interface;

wherein the voice interface is responsive to commands from a telephone keypad.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises:

subsequent to receiving a selection of the option, sending a reply message to the sender and each of the specified recipients.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises:

determining if a recipient access list is enabled;

if the recipient access list is enabled, allowing a subscriber to hear and modify the recipient list to produce a reviewed recipient list; and

sending a reply message to each of the recipients in the reviewed recipient list.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the voice interface is responsive to voice commands.