Secure visual voicemail

• US 8,798,241 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• 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): ZENATI, AMAL S
• Application Number:
  US12/160,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20100195807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,259 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.26, 379/88.12, 379/88.14, 379/88.05
• US Class Current: 379/88.22
• 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

A method (200) for managing voicemail messages for a visual voicemail system (102) can include establishing a secure data session (212) between a voicemail system (102) and a mobile device (118). The voicemail system (102) can receive a voicemail message (202) that is directed to a voicemail account associated with a voicemail subscriber. The voicemail system (102) can generate a notification message and can send the notification message (208) to the mobile device (118) that is associated with the voicemail account that received the voicemail message. In response to the notification message, the mobile device (102) can generate and send a first request for voicemail message header information (234). The voicemail system (118) can send the requested voicemail message header information (236) to the mobile device (102) and, in response, receive a second request for at least one voicemail message (238). The voicemail message can send at least a portion of the at least one voicemail message (240) to the mobile device (118).

Claims

1. A method for managing incoming voicemail messages at a visual voicemail system, the method comprising:

receiving, at the visual voicemail system, a new voicemail message for a voicemail account associated with a mobile device;

in response to receiving the new voicemail message, generating, by the visual voicemail system, a deposit notification message that is directed to the mobile device to inform the mobile device that the new voicemail message is available for download;

sending, by the visual voicemail system, the notification message to the mobile device;

completing, by the visual voicemail system, establishment of a secure data session with the mobile device, wherein establishment of the secure data session is initiated by the mobile device in response to the deposit notification message;

receiving, at the visual voicemail system during the secure data session, a request from the mobile device, the request being for voicemail message header information in response to the deposit notification message;

sending, by the visual voicemail system, the voicemail message header information to the mobile device during the secure data session in response to the request, wherein the mobile device is configured to utilize the voicemail message header information to determine a status for each voicemail message stored on the mobile device and to identify, based upon the status for each voicemail message stored on the mobile device, the new voicemail message;

receiving, at the visual voicemail system during the secure data session, a request for at least the new voicemail message; and

sending, by the visual voicemail system, at least a portion of the new voicemail message to the mobile device during the secure data session in response to the request for the at least the new voicemail message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the secure data session established between the visual voicemail system and the mobile device comprises a secure sockets layer data session.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the secure data session established between the visual voicemail system and the mobile device comprises a transport layer security data session.

4. A method for managing voicemails from a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving, at the mobile device, a deposit notification message, the deposit notification message being directed to the mobile device by a visual voicemail system to inform the mobile device that a new voicemail message has been deposited into a voicemail account associated with the mobile device and that the new voicemail message is available for download;

in response to receiving the deposit notification message, initiating, by the mobile device, establishment of a secure data session with the visual voicemail system;

in response to receiving the deposit notification message, generating, by the mobile device, a request for voicemail header information;

sending, by the mobile device, the request for voicemail header information to the visual voicemail system during the secure data session;

receiving, at the mobile device during the secure data session, the voicemail message header information;

utilizing, by the mobile device, the voicemail message header information to determine a status for each voicemail message that is stored on the mobile device and to identify, based upon the status for each voicemail message stored on the mobile device, the new voicemail message;

generating, by the mobile device, a request for at least the voicemail message identified in the voicemail message header information;

sending, by the mobile device, the request for at least the voicemail message to the visual voicemail system during the secure data session; and

receiving, at the mobile device during the secure data session, at least a portion of the voicemail message.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the secure data session established between the visual voicemail system and the mobile device comprises a secure sockets layer data session.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the secure data session established between the visual voicemail system and the mobile device comprises a transport layer security data session.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

saving the portion of the voicemail message at least temporarily in a memory of the mobile device.

8. A mobile device comprising:

a processor; and

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

receiving a deposit notification message, the deposit notification message being directed to the mobile device by a visual voicemail system to inform the mobile device that a new voicemail message has been deposited into a voicemail account associated with the mobile device and that the new voicemail message is available for download;

in response to receiving the deposit notification message, initiating establishment of a secure data session with the visual voicemail system;

in response to receiving the notification message, generating a request for voicemail header information;

sending the request for voicemail header information to the visual voicemail system during the secure data session established between the visual voicemail system and the mobile device;

receiving the voicemail message header information during the secure data session;

utilizing the voicemail message header information to determine a status for each voicemail message that is stored on the mobile device and to identify, based upon the status for each voicemail message stored on the mobile device, the new voicemail message;

generating a request for at least the voicemail message identified in the voicemail message header information;

sending the request to the visual voicemail system during the secure data session; and

receiving at least a portion of the voicemail message during the secure data session.

11. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the secure data session established between the visual voicemail system and the mobile device comprises a secure sockets layer data session.

12. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the secure data session established between the visual voicemail system and the mobile device comprises a transport layer security data session.

13. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the memory further comprises computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform further operations comprising saving the portion of the voicemail message at least temporarily in the memory of the mobile device.

9. A non transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a visual voicemail system, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a new voicemail message for a voicemail account associated with a mobile device;

in response to receiving the new voicemail message, generating a deposit notification message that is directed to the mobile device to inform the mobile device that the new voicemail message is available for download;

sending the deposit notification message to the mobile device;

completing establishment of a secure data session with the mobile device, wherein establishment of the secure data session is initiated by the mobile device in response to the deposit notification message;

receiving, during the secure data session, a request from the mobile device, the request being for voicemail message header information in response to the deposit notification message;

sending the voicemail message header information to the mobile device during the secure data session in response to the request, wherein the mobile device is configured to utilize the voicemail message header information to determine a status for each voicemail message stored on the mobile device and to identify, based upon the status for each voicemail message stored on the mobile device, the new voicemail message;

receiving, during the secure data session, a request for at least the new voicemail message; and

sending at least a portion of the new voicemail message to the mobile device during the secure data session in response to the request for at least the new voicemail message.

14. The non transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the secure data session established between the visual voicemail system and the mobile device comprises a secure sockets layer data session.

15. The non transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the secure data session established between the visual voicemail system and the mobile device comprises a transport layer security data session.

10. A visual voicemail system comprising:

a processor; and

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

receiving a new voicemail message for a voicemail account associated with a mobile device;

in response to receiving the new voicemail message, generating a deposit notification message that is directed to the mobile device to inform the mobile device that the new voicemail message is available for download;

sending the deposit notification message to the mobile device;

completing establishment of a secure data session with the mobile device, wherein establishment of the secure data session is initiated by the mobile device in response to the deposit notification message;

receiving, during the secure data session, a request from the mobile device, the request being for voicemail message header information in response to the deposit notification message;

sending the voicemail message header information to the mobile device during the secure data session in response to the request, wherein the mobile device is configured to utilize the voicemail message header information to determine a status for each voicemail message stored on the mobile device and to identify, based upon the status for each voicemail message stored on the mobile device, the new voicemail message;

receiving, during the secure data session, a request for at least the new voicemail message; and

sending at least a portion of the new voicemail message to the mobile device during the secure data session in response to the request for at least the new voicemail message.

16. The visual voicemail system of claim 10, wherein the secure data session established between the visual voicemail system and the mobile device comprises a secure sockets layer data session.

17. The visual voicemail system of claim 10, wherein the secure data session established between the visual voicemail system and the mobile device comprises a transport layer security data session.