Accessing messages stored in one communication system by another communication system

• US 7,945,030 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2007
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Arnoff, Mary S., Malik, Dale W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier; Gerald
• Application Number:
  US11/679,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20070140447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.03, 379/88.14, 379/88.18, 379/88.25, 379/213.01, 379/221.07, 379/221.13, 379/93.25, 379/114.2, 370/419, 370/352, 455/458, 455/466, 704/275
• US Class Current: 379/88.25
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4288 Notifying a called subscriber of an incoming call during an ongoing call, e.g. Call Waiting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0033 Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0054 where the data service is an electronic mail service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/121 Details of network access arrangements or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/126 Interworking of session control protocols

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for accessing messages in one communication system by another communication system. In some embodiments, a request to access data is received from a second communication system. The data is located at a first communication system. The first communication system is configured to communicate using a first standard communication protocol, while the second communication system is configured to communicate using a second standard communication protocol. The received request is converted to a command of the first standard communication protocol. Using the command, the data at the first communication system is accessed.

Claims

1. A system for accessing messages stored in one communication platform by another communication platform, the system comprising:

a standard telephone system;

a standard legacy voicemail system storing a first voicemail message;

a digital voicemail store; and

a messaging server coupled to the standard telephone system, the messaging server further being coupled to the standard legacy voicemail system, the messaging server further being coupled to the digital voicemail store, the messaging server comprising;

means for extracting the first voicemail message from the legacy voicemail system;

means for digitizing the extracted voicemail message; and

means for storing the digitized voicemail message in the digital voicemail store,

wherein the messaging server further comprises;

means for receiving an analog voice stream from a caller;

means for digitizing the analog voice stream received from the caller as a second voicemail message in a digital format;

means for storing the second voicemail message in the digital format in the digital voicemail store;

means for determining whether the caller is a subscriber to the standard legacy voicemail system;

means for converting the second voicemail message in the digital format to an analog format when the caller is determined to be a subscriber to the standard legacy voicemail system; and

means for storing the second voicemail message in the analog format in the standard legacy voicemail system, when the caller is determined to be a subscriber to the standard legacy voicemail system, in addition to the second voicemail message in the digital format being stored in the digital voicemail store.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the messaging server further comprises:

means for deleting the first voicemail message from the legacy voicemail system.

3. A system for accessing messages, the system comprising:

a legacy voicemail system having a voicemail message, the voicemail message being accessible by a command of the legacy voicemail system;

an Internet-based communication system configured to transmit an Internet-based request; and

a messaging server configured to convert an Internet-based request into the command of the legacy voicemail system, wherein the messaging server is further configured to;

receive an analog voice stream from a caller;

digitize the analog voice stream received from the caller as a voicemail message in a digital format;

store the voicemail message in the digital format in a digital voicemail store;

determine whether the caller is a subscriber to the legacy voicemail system;

convert the voicemail message in the digital format to an analog format when the caller is determined to be a subscriber to the legacy voicemail system; and

store the voicemail message in the analog format in the legacy voicemail system, when the caller is determined to be a subscriber to the legacy voicemail system, in addition to the voicemail message in the digital format being stored in the digital voicemail store.

4. A system for accessing messages, the system comprising:

a first communication system having data, the first communication system being configured to communicate using a first standard communication protocol, the data being accessible by a command of the first standard communication protocol;

a second communication system being configured to communicate using a second standard communication protocol; and

a messaging server configured to convert a request of the second standard communication protocol into the command of the first standard communication protocol, wherein the messaging server is further configured to;

receive a voice stream from a caller;

convert the voice stream received from the caller to a voicemail message in the second standard communication protocol;

store the voice stream in the second standard communication protocol in a second voicemail store;

determine whether the caller is a subscriber to the first communication system;

convert the voicemail message in the second standard communication protocol to a voicemail message in the first standard communication protocol when the caller is determined to be a subscriber to the first standard communication protocol; and

store the voicemail message in the first standard communication protocol in a first voicemail store, when the caller is determined to be a subscriber to the first communication system, in addition to the voicemail message in the second standard communication protocol being stored in the second voicemail store.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first communication system comprises a legacy voicemail system.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the second communication system comprises an Internet-based communication system.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the Internet-based communication system comprises an instant messaging system.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the Internet-based communication system comprises an email system.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the Internet-based communication system comprises an Internet call waiting system.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the data comprises a voicemail message.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the request of the second standard communication protocol comprises a request to access the voicemail message.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the command of the first standard communication protocol comprises a command to access the voicemail message in the legacy voicemail system.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the command of the first standard communication protocol comprises a command to extract the voicemail message from the legacy voicemail system.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the command of the first standard communication protocol comprises a command to delete the voicemail message from the legacy voicemail system.

15. A method for accessing messages, the method comprising:

receiving a request to access a first voicemail message in a legacy voicemail system, the request being received over the Internet;

converting the request to a command of the legacy voicemail system;

retrieving the first voicemail message using the command;

converting the first voicemail message to a voice-over-Internet-protocol message;

transmitting the voice-over-Internet-protocol message over the Internet

receive an analog voice stream from a caller;

digitize the analog voice stream received from the caller as a voicemail message in a digital format;

store the voicemail message in the digital format in a digital voicemail store;

determine whether the caller is a subscriber to the legacy voicemail system;

convert the voicemail message in the digital format to an analog format when the caller is determined to be a subscriber to the legacy voicemail system; and

store the voicemail message in the analog format in the legacy voicemail system, when the caller is determined to be a subscriber to the legacy voicemail system, in addition to the voicemail message in the digital format being stored in the digital voicemail store.

16. A method for accessing messages, the method comprising:

receiving a request to access data, the data being located at a first communication system, the request being received from a second communication system, the first communication system being configured to communicate using a first standard communication protocol, the second communication system being configured to communicate using a second standard communication protocol;

converting the request to a command of the first standard communication protocol;

accessing the data at the first communication system using the command;

receive a voice stream from a caller;

convert the voice stream received from the caller to a voicemail message in the second standard communication protocol;

store the voice stream in the second standard communication protocol in a second voicemail store;

determine whether the caller is a subscriber to the first communication system;

convert the voicemail message in the second standard communication protocol to a voicemail message in the first standard communication protocol when the caller is determined to be a subscriber to the first standard communication protocol; and

store the voicemail message in the first standard communication protocol in a first voicemail store, when the caller is determined to be a subscriber to the first communication system, in addition to the voicemail message in the second standard communication protocol being stored in the second voicemail store.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein accessing the data comprises extracting the data from the first communication system using the command.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising reformatting the extracted data to be compatible with the second communication system.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting the reformatted data to the second communication system.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising deleting the data from the first communication system in response to extracting the data.