Communications systems and methods for exchanging messages between users

• US 7,505,571 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2003
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sabse Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Navin Communications, Inc. (TeleVoice, Inc.)
• Inventors: Siravara, Nagendra, Kantak, Vinay S., Bhatia, Sabeer
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwah; Olisa
• Application Number:
  US10/661,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20040131081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,013 Days
• Field of Search: 455/415, 455/413, 379/67.1, 379/88.23, 379/88.14, 379/88.17, 379/88.01, 379/88.22, 379/88.13
• US Class Current: 379/88.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4509 Unified messaging with single point of access to voicemail and other mail or messaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/652 Call initiation triggered by text message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53 Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages , i.e. mailbox 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

A communications system exchanges messages between users. A messaging store stores the messages. A messaging server accesses and manages messages of the message store. A plurality of servers interface between the messaging server and different networks of the users. Processes employing dynamic mailboxes and for selectively retrieving messages are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for exchanging messages between users;

comprising;

processing messages from a plurality of user networks having a plurality of network protocols, for storage in a message store;

accessing at least one of the messages in the message store from one of the user networks having any one of the network protocols;

obtaining configuration information about a mailbox for organizing at least one of the messages in the message store;

purging all expired messages of the mailbox; and

when the mailbox has a size that exceeds an allocated limit;

archiving only messages of the mailbox that have not been accessed by a subscriber for a predetermined time period, and

compressing only messages of the mailbox that have been accessed by a subscriber within the predetermined time period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the messages comprise one or more of the following message formats:

voicemail, email, facsimile, SMS, video and agraphical image.

3. The method of claim 2, the step of processing comprising transforming at least one of the messages from one message format to anothermessage format.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a notification of at least one message in the message store to a user connected with one of the user networks.

5. The method of claim 4, the step of sending comprising embedding in the notification information about the at least one message of the notification, wherein a user accessing the notification directly accesses the message of the notification in responding to the notification.

6. The method of claim 1, the step of processing comprising the steps of:

associating one or more of the messages with a subscriber;

determining whether the subscriber has an existing mailbox;

if the subscriber has the existing mailbox, storing the one or more messages in the existing mailbox; and

if the subscriber does not have the existing mailbox, creating a new mailbox and storing the one or more messages in the new mailbox.

7. A method for automatically managing dynamic mailboxes, comprising:

obtaining configuration information from one or more dynamic mailboxes;

purging all expired messages of the dynamic mailboxes; and

for each dynamic mailbox having a size that exceeds an allocated limit;

archiving only messages of the dynamic mailbox that have not been accessed by a subscriber for a predetermined time period, and

compressing only messages of the dynamic mailbox that have been accessed by a subscriber within the predetermined time period.