Visual voicemail method for managing deleted messages

• US 8,369,840 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2008
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zubas, Michael Robert, Rainer, Brian, Sigmund, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRITTINGHAM, NATHANIEL P
• Application Number:
  US12/336,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20100149300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 455/413, 379/1.02, 715/837, 706/20
• US Class Current: 455/413
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/36 Memories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/253 where a visual mode is used instead of a voice mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

A method for managing visual voicemail messages includes displaying a list of voicemail messages on a telecommunications handset, receiving user commands for operating on the voicemail messages including a delete message command and in response to a delete message command, marking a voicemail message for deletion with a delete timestamp and moving the voicemail message to a Deleted Messages folder. A Deleted Message Age Indicator function processes to control permanent deletion of voicemail messages in the Deleted Messages folder based on delete timestamps and a global Delete Time value in cooperation with a visual voicemail platform.

Claims

1. A method for managing visual voicemail messages, comprising:

receiving user commands for operating on visual voicemail messages including a delete message command;

in response to the delete message command, marking a voicemail message for deletion with a delete timestamp and moving the voicemail message to a deleted messages folder, the delete timestamp indicative of a time the voicemail message was placed in the deleted messages folder; and

initiating a synchronization operation with a visual voicemail platform comprising;

processing the voicemail message in the deleted messages folder using a deleted message age indicator function to monitor an age of the voicemail message and to synchronize permanent deletion of the voicemail message in the deleted messages folder and at the visual voicemail platform based on the delete timestamp and a global delete time value associated with the visual voicemail platform and controlled by the visual voicemail platform, wherein the deleted message age indicator function permanently deletes the voicemail message in response to a determination that the age of the voicemail message has reached the global delete time value and wherein the deleted message age indicator function shares the delete timestamp with the visual voicemail platform and wherein a telecommunications handset shortens the global delete time value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the voicemail message occurs at the telecommunications handset.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the voicemail is processed at the visual voicemail platform.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preconfiguring the visual voicemail platform with the global delete time value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the voicemail message enables the visual voicemail platform to delete messages with timestamps that equal the global delete time value during the synchronization operation.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions for managing visual voicemail messages, which, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, comprising:

receiving user commands for operating on visual voicemail messages including a delete message command;

in response to the delete message command, marking a voicemail message for deletion with a delete timestamp and moving the voicemail message to a deleted messages folder, the delete timestamp indicative of a time the voicemail message was placed in the deleted messages folder; and

initiating a synchronization operation with a visual voicemail platform comprising;

processing the voicemail message in the deleted messages folder using a deleted message age indicator function to monitor an age of the voicemail message and to synchronize permanent deletion of the voicemail message in the deleted messages folder and at the visual voicemail platform based on the delete timestamp and a global delete time value associated with the visual voicemail platform and controlled by the visual voicemail platform, wherein the deleted message age indicator function permanently deletes the voicemail message in response to a determination that the age of the voicemail message has reached the global delete time value and wherein the deleted message age indicator function shares the delete timestamp with the visual voicemail platform and wherein a telecommunications handset shortens the global delete time value.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein processing the voicemail message occurs at the telecommunications handset.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein processing the voicemail message occurs at the visual voicemail platform.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the method comprises:

configuring the visual voicemail platform with the global delete time value.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the processing the voicemail message enables the visual voicemail platform to delete messages with timestamps equal to the global delete time value.

11. A visual voicemail message management system, comprising:

a server including a processor and a memory, wherein the processor operates a visual voicemail management platform; and

a telecommunications handset, the telecommunications handset comprising;

an interactive display that displays a list of voicemail messages stored in the handset that allows a handset user to input commands for operating on the displayed voicemail messages;

a handset memory including a folder that stores deleted voicemail messages; and

a handset processor that processes deleted voicemail messages stored in the folder that stores deleted voicemail messages in response to an initiation of a synchronization operation with the visual voicemail management platform;

wherein the handset processor processes deleted voicemail messages to synchronize permanent deletion of the voicemail messages stored in the folder that stores deleted voicemail messages and at the visual voicemail management platform using a deleted message age indicator function that monitors an age of voicemail messages stored in the handset memory;

permanently deletes voicemail messages whose age equals a global delete time value associated with the visual voicemail management platform and controlled by the visual voicemail management platform, and wherein the telecommunications handset shortens the global delete time value;

wherein the handset processor is adapted to respond to a command to delete a voicemail message displayed on the interactive display by tagging the voicemail message with a delete timestamp, the delete timestamp indicative of a time the voicemail message was placed in the folder that stores deleted voicemail messages, and moving the voicemail message into the folder that stores deleted voicemail messages; and

wherein the deleted message age indicator function shares the delete timestamp with the visual voicemail management platform.

12. The visual voicemail message management system of claim 11, wherein the handset processor is adapted to control the deleted message age indicator function.

13. The visual voicemail message management system of claim 11, wherein the processor is adapted to control the deleted message age indicator function.

14. The visual voicemail message management system of claim 11, wherein the server is preconfigured with the global delete time value.

15. The visual voicemail message management system of claim 11, wherein the deleted message age indicator function is adapted to synchronize the visual voicemail management platform with the folder that stores deleted voicemail messages, allowing the visual voicemail management platform to access delete timestamps associated with voicemail messages for comparison with the global delete time value.