Systems and methods for consolidating wireline and wireless voicemail boxes

• US 8,406,743 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sigmund, William Joseph, Zubas, Michael Robert, Rainer, Brian Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US12/161,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20100167699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,762 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/413, 379/88.11, 379/88.18, 379/88.22, 379/88.25, 709/208, 709/209, 709/211
• US Class Current: 455/413
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/58 Use of machine translation, e.g. for multi-lingual retrieval, for server-side translation for client devices or for real-time translation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/50 Telephonic communication in combination with video communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4518 Attachments to voicemail messages including annexed information, e.g. Attachments, in packet switching networks H04L51/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4545 Message forwarding selective message forwarding in packet switching networks H04L51/214
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42051 where the notification is included in the ringing tone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53325 Interconnection arrangements between voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53383 Message registering commands or announcements; Greetings
• 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: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

Voicemail systems (24, 26, 28) can include at least one memory and at least one processor. A memory can store data relating to one or more users. An incoming communication can be handled by the voicemail system (24, 26, 28), forwarded to another voicemail system (24, 26, 28), provided with functionality based upon a user'"'"'s preferences, and the like. The voicemail systems (24, 26, 28) can include functionality to allow a user to consolidate voicemail messages and/or calls at one or more designated destinations, for example, a voicemail system (24, 26, 28) and/or a mobile device (18).

Claims

1. A method, for consolidating, at a master voicemail system, voicemail messages associated with multiple voicemail systems, comprising:

receiving a call at a voicemail system;

storing a message associated with the call at a memory associated with the voicemail system;

determining at the voicemail system, in a determination, whether the voicemail system is configured as a slave voicemail system or a master voicemail system; and

passing the call to a master voicemail system if the determination is that the voicemail system is configured as a slave voicemail system and the voicemail system is configured to forward incoming calls.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

storing the message comprises storing the message and call data associated with the message at a memory location associated with the master voice mail system if the determination is that the voicemail system is configured as a slave voicemail system and the voicemail system is configured to forward incoming calls.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing message content and call data associated with the message at a memory location associated with the slave voicemail system if the determination is that that the voicemail system is configured as a slave voicemail system.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising transferring the stored message content and call data associated with the message to the master voicemail system.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

generating, at the master voicemail system, source data relating to the voicemail system to which the call was originally directed; and

appending the source data to the message content and the call data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the determination is that the voicemail system is configured as a slave voicemail system:

storing message content and call data associated with the message at a memory location associated with the slave voicemail system;

sending a notification to the master voicemail system that a message has been deposited;

receiving, at the slave voicemail system, a request to transfer the stored message content and call data to the master voicemail system; and

transferring the stored message content and call data associated with the message to the master voicemail system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the message comprises storing audio data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the message comprises storing text data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the message comprises storing audio data and text data.

10. A device that stores a plurality of voicemail messages associated with two voicemail systems, the device comprising:

a user interface unit;

a memory that stores the plurality of voicemail messages; and

a communications component for communicatively coupling the device with a master voice mail system of the two voicemail systems,

wherein the master voicemail system receives the plurality of voicemail messages from a slave voicemail system and transmits the plurality of voicemail messages to the device for storage,

wherein the communications component obtains the plurality of voicemail messages from the master voicemail system,

wherein the memory stores the plurality of voicemail messages obtained from the master voicemail system, and

wherein the user interface unit accesses the plurality of voicemail messages stored in the memory.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the communications component comprises a transceiver.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of messages comprise audio data.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of messages comprise text data.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of messages comprise audio data and text data.

15. A voicemail system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a call at the voicemail system,

storing a message associated with the call in the memory of the voicemail system,

determining whether the voicemail system is a master voicemail system,

determining whether the voicemail system is a slave voicemail system, and

passing the call to the master voicemail system in response to a determination that the voicemail system is the slave voicemail system and that the voicemail system is to forward incoming calls.

16. The voicemail system of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operations further comprising:

storing the message and call data associated with the message in a memory location associated with the master voice mail system in response to determining that the voicemail system is the slave voicemail system and that the voicemail system is to forward incoming calls.

17. The voicemail system of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operations further comprising:

in response to determining that the voicemail system is the slave voicemail system

storing message content and call data associated with the message at a memory location associated with the slave voicemail system,

sending a notification to the master voicemail system that a message has been deposited,

receiving, at the slave voicemail system, a request to transfer the stored message content and call data to the master voicemail system, and

transferring the stored message content and call data associated with the message to the master voicemail system.