Visual voicemail privacy protection

• US 8,265,602 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2009
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaw, Venson M.
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, WESLEY LEO
• Application Number:
  US12/638,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20110143716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/413, 455/414.2, 379/88.18, 709217-244, 709201-203
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/65 Recording arrangements for recording a message from the calling party in the exchange H04M3/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/253 where a visual mode is used instead of a voice mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6009 Personal information, e.g. profiles or personal directories being only provided to authorised persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects

Abstract

Visual voicemail privacy protection is implemented by requiring a credential from a user or a user device before providing voicemail data to the user. The credential may be a user name and password combination, a digital certificate, or the like. The user may enable or disable this privacy protection feature at will. A first device being used for visual voicemail services may detect a second device within a defined area around the first device and either enable or disable privacy protection features based on whether the second device is determined to be an authorized or unauthorized device. Privacy protection features may be implemented locally or remotely.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting at a voicemail server an activation of a visual voicemail client;

determining at the voicemail server that at least one privacy protection feature is enabled;

determining at the voicemail server that a first device associated with a voicemail account is within a defined security area associated with a user device executing the visual voicemail client;

disabling at the voicemail server the at least one privacy protection feature responsive to determining that the first device is within the defined security area; and

transmitting voicemail data from the voicemail server to the visual voicemail client while the at least one privacy protection feature is disabled.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the first device associated with the voicemail account is within the defined security area comprises obtaining a location of the first device associated with the voicemail account from a location server and determining that the location is within the defined security area.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication from the visual voicemail client that a second device is proximate to the user device executing the visual voicemail client and re-enabling the at least one privacy protection feature.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting from the voicemail server a request for a credential to the visual voicemail client.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising verifying the credential at the voicemail server.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising transmitting a response from the voicemail server to the visual voicemail client indicating that the credential has been verified.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the credential is one of a combination of a user name and a password and a digital certificate.

8. A system comprising:

a memory comprising instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor, when executing the instructions, performs operations comprising;

detecting an activation of a visual voicemail client;

determining that at least one privacy protection feature is enabled;

determining that a first device associated with a voicemail account is within a defined security area associated with a user device executing the visual voicemail client;

disabling the at least one privacy protection feature responsive to determining that the first device is within the defined security area; and

transmitting voicemail data to the visual voicemail client while the at least one privacy protection feature is disabled.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operation of determining that the first device associated with the voicemail account is within the defined security area comprises obtaining a location of the first device associated with the voicemail account from a location server and determining that the location is within the defined security area.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise receiving an indication from the visual voicemail client that a second device is proximate to the user device executing the visual voicemail client and re-enabling the at least one privacy protection feature.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a request for a credential to the visual voicemail client.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise verifying the credential.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a response to the visual voicemail client indicating that the credential has been verified.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the credential is one of a combination of a user name and a password and a digital certificate.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting an activation of a visual voicemail client;

determining that at least one privacy protection feature is enabled;

determining that a first device associated with a voicemail account is within a defined security area associated with a user device executing the visual voicemail client;

disabling the at least one privacy protection feature responsive to determining that the first device is within the defined security area; and

transmitting voicemail data to the visual voicemail client while the at least one privacy protection feature is disabled.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operation of determining that the first device associated with the voicemail account is within the defined security area comprises obtaining a location of the first device associated with the voicemail account from a location server and determining that the location is within the defined security area.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise receiving an indication from the visual voicemail client that a second device is proximate to the user device executing the visual voicemail client and re-enabling the at least one privacy protection feature.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a request for a credential to the visual voicemail client.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise verifying the credential at the voicemail server.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a response to the visual voicemail client indicating that the credential has been verified.