Method and system for workgroup voicemail message

• US 8,223,930 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Siemens Enterprise Communications, Inc. (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Narang, Nidhi, Tirumalai, Suneetha
• Primary Examiner(s): Hashem, Lisa
• Application Number:
  US11/904,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20090086935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/415, 455/458, 455/417, 455/564, 455/419, 455/567, 455/422, 455/412.2, 455/413, 379/201.01, 379/142.06, 379/265.02, 379/142, 379/88.14, 379/88.15, 379/88.25, 379/70, 379/88.12, 379 8816- 8818
• US Class Current: 379/88.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• 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 method, system, and medium related to workgroup voicemail. The method may include receiving a workgroup voicemail for a call placed to a callable workgroup; providing a workgroup message waiting signal to a communication device associated with a member of the callable workgroup; and displaying a workgroup message waiting indication at the communication device associated with the callable workgroup member in response to the workgroup message waiting signal, the workgroup message waiting indication being distinct from a personal message waiting indication associated with the callable workgroup member.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a workgroup voicemail for a call placed to a callable workgroup, the callable workgroup comprising a plurality of communication devices associated with users sharing at least one of a common contact and a distribution rule across at least one media;

providing a workgroup message waiting signal to the communication devices of the callable workgroup; and

displaying a workgroup message waiting indication at each of the communication devices in response to the workgroup message waiting signal, the workgroup message waiting indication being separate and distinct from a personal message waiting indication displayable by each of the communication devices that is associated with a respective user of the callable workgroup.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the workgroup message waiting indication resulting from the call placed to the callable workgroup is received at each of the plurality of communication devices and wherein the personal message waiting indication resulting from a call placed to one of the plurality of communication devices of the callable workgroup and is received only at that communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a member of the callable workgroup is available to receive the call placed to the callable workgroup using a Presence and Availability system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the workgroup message waiting indication is automatically displayed at each of the communication devices in response to the workgroup message waiting signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the workgroup voicemail for the call placed to the callable workgroup comprises a voicemail device receiving the workgroup voicemail and wherein displaying the workgroup message waiting indication at each of the communication devices in response to the workgroup message waiting signal comprises displaying the workgroup message waiting indication in response to the workgroup message waiting signal sent from the voicemail device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the workgroup message waiting signal to the communication devices of the callable workgroup comprises providing the workgroup message waiting signal to a subset of the plurality of communication devices of the callable workgroup based on at least one of a random selection, a prioritized selection, and a rule based determination.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the workgroup message waiting indication at each of the communication devices comprises each of the communication devices using at least one of a sensor, button, icon, soft key, and lamp.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing the workgroup voicemail by one of the communication devices; and

deactivating the displaying of workgroup message waiting indication at the plurality of communication devices of the callable workgroup in response to the accessing of the workgroup voicemail by a member of the callable workgroup.

9. A system for providing voicemails to a callable workgroup, the callable workgroup comprising a plurality of communication devices associated with users sharing at least one of a common contact and a distribution rule across at least one media, the system comprising:

a voicemail management device to receive a workgroup voicemail for a call placed to the callable workgroup and to provide a workgroup message waiting signal to the communication devices of the callable workgroup; and

each of the communication devices receive the workgroup message waiting signal and display a workgroup message waiting indication in response to the workgroup message waiting signal that is distinct from a personal message waiting indication associated with the user of that communication device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the workgroup message waiting indication resulting from the call placed to the callable workgroup and is received at each of the plurality of communication devices and wherein the personal message waiting indication resulting from a call placed to one of the plurality of communication devices of the callable workgroup and is received only at that communication device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the workgroup message waiting indication is automatically displayed at each of the communication devices in response to the workgroup message waiting signal and is automatically deactivated at each of the communication devices of the callable workgroup in response to a member of the callable workgroup accessing the workgroup voicemail.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the voicemail management device determines whether a member of the callable workgroup is available to receive the call placed to the callable workgroup using a Presence and Availability system.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the voicemail management device provides the workgroup message waiting signal to a subset of the plurality of communication devices of the callable workgroup based on at least one of a random selection, a prioritized selection, and a rule based determination.

14. A non-transitory medium having machine readable program instructions stored thereon, the non-transitory medium comprising:

instructions to receive a workgroup voicemail for a call placed to a callable workgroup, the callable workgroup comprising a plurality of communication devices associated with users sharing at least one of a common contact and a distribution rule across at least one media;

instructions to provide a workgroup message waiting signal to the communication devices; and

instructions to cause the communication devices to display a workgroup message waiting indication in response to the workgroup message waiting signal, the workgroup message waiting indication for each of the communication devices being distinct from a personal message waiting indication associated with the user associated with that communication device.

15. The medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions to determine whether a member of the callable workgroup is available to receive the call placed to the callable workgroup using a Presence and Availability system.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein the Presence and Availability system receives presence and context information for the workgroup based on collective presence and context information of the plurality of users of the workgroup.

17. The medium of claim 14, wherein the workgroup message waiting indication resulting from the call placed to the callable workgroup and is received at each of the plurality of communication devices and wherein the personal message waiting indication resulting from a call placed to one of the plurality of communication devices of the callable workgroup and is received only at that communication device.

18. The medium of claim 14, wherein the workgroup message waiting indication is automatically displayed at the communication devices in response to the workgroup message waiting signal and is automatically deactivated at each of the communication devices of the callable workgroup in response to a member of the callable workgroup accessing the workgroup voicemail.

19. The medium of claim 14, wherein the workgroup message waiting indication is displayed at each of the communication devices using at least one of a sensor, button, icon, soft key, and lamp.

20. The medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions to provide the workgroup message waiting signal provide the workgroup message waiting signal to a subset of the plurality of communication devices of the callable workgroup based on at least one of a random selection, a prioritized selection, and a rule based determination.