Visual voicemail privacy protection

• US 8,351,905 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2012
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• 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:
  US13/592,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20120322415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 138 Days
• Field of Search: 455/413, 455/414.2, 455/411, 379/88.18, 709/217
• 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;

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

determining at the voicemail server that the first device associated with the voicemail account has exited the defined security area; and

responsive to determining that the first device associated with the voicemail account has exited the defined security area, enabling at the voicemail server the at least one privacy protection feature.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the at least one privacy protection feature has not been disabled in response to a second device associated with the voicemail account being in the defined security area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the first device associated with the voicemail account is within the defined security area comprises transmitting a request for a current location of the first device to the first device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the first device associated with the voicemail account is within the defined security area comprises transmitting a request for a current location of the first device to a location server.

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

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one privacy protection feature comprises a requirement for a credential.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the credential comprises at least one of a username, a password, a key, a certificate, or a combination of a user name and a password.

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;

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

determining that the first device associated with the voicemail account has exited the defined security area; and

responsive to determining that the first device associated with the voicemail account has exited the defined security area, enabling the at least one privacy protection feature.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the at least one privacy protection feature has not been disabled in response to a second device associated with the voicemail account being in the defined security area.

10. 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 transmitting a request for a current location of the first device to the first device.

11. 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 transmitting a request for a current location of the first device to a location server.

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

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one privacy protection feature comprises a requirement for a credential.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the credential comprises at least one of a username, a password, a key, a certificate, or a combination of a user name and a password.

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;

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

determining that the first device associated with the voicemail account has exited the defined security area; and

responsive to determining that the first device associated with the voicemail account has exited the defined security area, enabling the at least one privacy protection feature.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the at least one privacy protection feature has not been disabled in response to a second device associated with the voicemail account being in the defined security area.

17. 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 transmitting a request for a current location of the first device to the first device.

18. 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 transmitting a request for a current location of the first device to a location server.

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

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one privacy protection feature comprises a requirement for a credential.