Method and apparatus for retrieving voicemail messages via customer premise equipment

• US 8,204,185 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koltenuk, Joyce
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Islam, Mohammad
• Application Number:
  US11/413,262
• Time in Patent Office: 2,244 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.12, 379/88.26, 379/88.18, 379/88.22
• US Class Current: 379/88.23
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0054 where the data service is an electronic mail service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0069 comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals

Abstract

A method and apparatus for retrieving voicemail messages transmitted in packet networks such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Service over Internet Protocol (SoIP) networks are disclosed. In one embodiment, the customer subscribes to a voicemail service and enables a customer premise equipment to access the endpoint device used to receive email containing the audio files from the voicemail service. The customer equipment accesses the emails, retrieves the attached audio files for the voice messages and transfers the messages to a recording device with capability to play all the messages at the same time, e.g., in a continuous or consecutive manner as in an answering machine with a single user input.

Claims

1. A method for retrieving a plurality of voicemail messages from a communication network, comprising:

retrieving a plurality of emails from the communication network by a voicemail converter;

extracting, by the voicemail converter, the plurality of voicemail messages from the plurality of emails; and

forwarding, by the voicemail converter, the plurality of voicemail messages to an answering machine, where the answering machine allows the plurality of voicemail messages to be played back in a continuous manner, wherein the forwarding comprises;

converting the plurality of voicemail messages into a format recognizable by the answering machine, and generating an activation signal to the answering machine, and playing back the plurality of voicemail messages in the continuous manner;

wherein the forwarding and the playing back of the plurality of voicemail messages in the continuous manner is responsive to a single user input; and

, wherein the voicemail converter is distinct from the answering machine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network is an internet protocol network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of voicemail messages is attached to the plurality of emails.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of emails is retrieved in accordance with a predefined time interval.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for retrieving a plurality of voicemail messages from a communication network, comprising:

retrieving, by a voicemail converter, a plurality of emails from the communication network;

extracting, by the voicemail converter, the plurality of voicemail messages from the plurality of emails; and

forwarding, by the voicemail converter, the plurality of voicemail messages to an answering machine, where the answering machine allows the plurality of voicemail messages to be played back in a continuous manner, wherein the forwarding comprises;

converting the plurality of voicemail messages into a format recognizable by the answering machine, and generating an activation signal to the answering machine, and playing back the plurality of voicemail messages in the continuous manner;

wherein the forwarding and the playing back of the plurality of voicemail messages in the continuous manner is responsive to a single user input; and

, wherein the voicemail converter is distinct from the answering machine.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the communication network is an internet protocol network.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the plurality of voicemail messages is attached to the plurality of emails.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the plurality of emails is retrieved in accordance with a predefined time interval.

9. An apparatus for retrieving a plurality of voicemail messages from a communication network, comprising:

a voicemail converter comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium in communication with the processor, the non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising;

retrieving a plurality of emails from the communication network;

extracting the plurality of voicemail messages from the plurality of emails; and

forwarding the plurality of voicemail messages to an answering machine, where the answering machine allows the plurality of voicemail messages to be played back in a continuous manner, wherein the forwarding comprises;

converting the plurality of voicemail messages into a format recognizable by the answering machine, and generating an activation signal to the answering machine, and playing back the plurality of voicemail messages in the continuous manner;

wherein the forwarding and the playing back of the plurality of voicemail messages in the continuous manner is responsive to a single user input; and

, wherein the voicemail converter is distinct from the answering machine.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is part of a customer premises equipment.