Integrated multi-media communication system

• US 7,808,980 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2005
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Potze, Willem R. B., Frifeldt, Heine, Skakkebaek, Jens
• Primary Examiner(s): SING, SIMON P
• Application Number:
  US11/053,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20060177009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,066 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 379/88.14
• US Class Current: 370/354
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components

Abstract

An integrated messaging system for performing various types of messaging across different types of networks, including integrated user interfaces and administrator interfaces. Embodiments include a communication server that couples among networks of different types, and an interface module that couples to the communication server. The interface module may be hosted on a messaging server of a network. The interface module pulls various user information from the messaging server, including information relevant to at least the network that includes the messaging server. A cache couples to the communication server and to the interface module to hold information from the communication server and/or the user information pulled from messaging server. The interface module directs a message from the messaging server and/or the cache to at least one device on the networks using the user information.

Claims

1. An integrated messaging system, comprising:

a communication server that couples among networks of different types;

the messaging server adapted for allowing users to pass messages over one or more of the networks and coupled to the communications server;

an interface module that couples to the communication serve, wherein the interface module pulls a plurality of user information from the messaging server, wherein the user information includes information relevant to at least the network over which messages are passed using the messaging server, the interface module operable to;

assign a site identification to a user;

filter the user information of users of a plurality of sites using the site identification;

form sets of users in accordance with the filtered user information;

associate each set of users with at least one of the networks caching the retrieved user information; and

a cache store that couples to the communication server and to the interface module to hold at least one of information from the communication server and the user information pulled from the messaging server, the interface module directing a message from at least one of the messaging server and the cache to at least one device associated with a user on the network over which messages are passed using the messaging server using the user information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a type of the message includes at least one of a voice mail type, an email type, a multimedia messaging system type, an instant messaging type, and a short messaging system type.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication server further comprises a plurality of applications including at least one voice application, wherein at least one voice browser couples the applications to a communications exchange.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of applications further includes at least one mobile application.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a form-based interface that is transferable via an electronic message from the messaging server, the form-based interface enabling user actions on information of the messaging server using information of the cache via a coupling with at least one of the communication server and the interface module.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the actions on information of the messaging server include directing and playing a voice mail message to the device, generating a reply voice mail message for use in replying to the voice mail message, generating a forwarding voice mail message for use in forwarding the voice mail message, and generating an audio call to a caller leaving the voice mail message.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one form, wherein the messaging server transfers the form to a client device via a network coupling with the client device, wherein an embedded browser control of the form establishes a coupling between at least one client device and at least one of the interface module and the communication server.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a web server that couples the communication server to the interface module.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface module couples to a groupware application of the messaging server.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a detector that detects at least one state of the messaging server.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the communication server operates in accordance with a plurality of operating modes, wherein the communication server selects an operating mode in response to the state of the messaging server.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first message of a first type, wherein the communication server generates the first message in response to receiving a data stream at an input.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a second message of a second type, wherein the messaging server generates the second message in response to determining the first type of the first message, wherein the second message includes data of the first message.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first type is a voice mail type and the second type is an electronic mail (email) type.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one device on the networks includes a first set of client devices coupled to the network and a second set of client devices coupled to a public network of the networks, wherein client devices of the first set and the second set include at least one of portable computers, portable telephones, cellular telephones, personal digital assistants, and multi-modal devices.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second messaging server that couples to the messaging server via the networks;

a second interface module that couples to at least one of the messaging server and the second messaging server; and

a second communication server that couples among the networks via at least one of the interface module and the second interface module.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the user information includes information of at least one user, the information including at least one of network mail box number, name, telephone extension, at least one telephone number, email address, greeting, site identification.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface module is hosted on the messaging server.

19. A device comprising:

at least one communications server that couples messaging applications among a communication network and a messaging network;

at least one interface module that couples to the messaging applications and the messaging network, the interface module transferring message information between the messaging network and the messaging applications and retrieving a plurality of user information from the messaging applications, wherein the user information includes information of users of the messaging network, the at least one interface module operable to;

assign a site identification to a user;

filter the user information of users of a plurality of sites using the site identification;

form sets of users in accordance with the filtered user information;

associate each set of users with at least one of the networks caching the retrieved user information; and

a cache store that couples to the communications server and to the interface module to hold at least one of the message information and the user information, the communications server manipulating the message information using the user information.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the messaging information comprises information of messages that include at least one of a voice mail type, an email type, a multimedia messaging system type, an instant messaging type, and a short messaging system type.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the communications server further comprises:

at least one voice browser; and

a plurality of applications that couple to the voice browser, the applications including at least one voice application and at least one mobile application, wherein the voice browser couples the applications to a communications exchange.

22. The device of claim 19, further comprising a web server that couples at least one of the communications server and the interface module to a client device of the user via a form-based interface of the client device.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the communications server transfers the form-based interface via an electronic message to the client device via at least one of the interface module and the messaging network.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the form-based interface allows the user to control actions on information of the messaging network using information of the cache store.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the actions include directing and playing a voice mail message to the client device, generating a reply voice mail message for use in replying to the voice mail message, generating a forwarding voice mail message for use in forwarding the voice mail message, and generating an audio call to a caller leaving the voice mail message.

26. The device of claim 19, wherein the communications server couples to a groupware application of the messaging network.

27. The device of claim 19, further comprising a detector that detects at least one state of the messaging network, wherein the communications server selects an operating mode in response to a state of the messaging network.

28. The device of claim 19, further comprising:

a first message of a first type, wherein the communications server generates the first message in response to receiving a data stream from the communication network; and

a second message of a second type, wherein the messaging network generates the second message in response to determining the first type of the first message, wherein the second message includes data of the first message.

29. The device of claim 19, wherein the user information includes information of at least one user, the information including at least one of network mail box number, name, telephone extension, at least one telephone number, email address, greeting, site identification.

30. A method comprising:

receiving data streams from networks of different types;

generating messages at a communication server using information of the data streams;

transferring the messages, wherein transferring includes at least one of caching information of the messages and forwarding the messages to a messaging server coupled to one of the networks;

retrieving user information from the messaging server, wherein the user information includes information relevant to at least the network to which the messaging server is coupled;

assigning a site identification to a user;

filtering the user information of users of a plurality of sites using the site identification;

forming sets of users in accordance with the filtered user information;

associating each set of users with at least one of the networks caching the retrieved user information; and

directing the messages from at least one of the messaging server and a cache to at least one device on the networks using the cached user information.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

transferring information of a form-based interface to the device via an electronic message;

forming a coupling between the device and the communication server using information of the form-based interface; and

directing the message by controlling actions on the messages using the cached user information, wherein a user directs actions on the messages from the device.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the actions include directing and playing the messages to the device, generating reply messages for use in replying to the messages, generating forwarding messages for use in forwarding the messages, and generating an audio call to a caller leaving the message.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

detecting at least one state of the messaging server; and

controlling an operating mode of the communication server in response to the detected state.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the messages include a first type message, wherein generating the messages includes generating messages of the first type in response to the received data streams.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the messages include a second type message, wherein transferring further includes transferring messages of the second type to the device in response to detecting the first type message.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein a type of the messages includes at least one of a voice mail type, an email type, a multimedia messaging system type, an instant messaging type, and a short messaging system type.

37. A device comprising:

means for receiving data streams from networks of different types;

means for generating messages at a communication server using information of the data streams;

means for transferring the messages, wherein transferring includes at least one of caching information of the messages and forwarding the messages to a messaging server coupled to one of the networks;

means for retrieving user information from the messaging server, wherein the user information includes information relevant to at least the network to which the messaging server is coupled;

means for assigning a site identification to a user;

means for filtering the user information of users of a plurality of sites using the site identification;

means for forming sets of users in accordance with the filtered user information;

means for associating each set of users with at least one of the networks caching the retrieved user information; and

means for directing the messages from at least one of the messaging server and a cache to at least one device on the networks using the cached user information.