Interface for synchronizing automated replies between different messaging systems

• US 9,060,275 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2012
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Cazanas, Carlos A., Khan, Azam, Pagan, Victor M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Mehmood B
• Application Number:
  US13/648,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20140099922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

Systems and techniques are provided for synchronizing automated reply configuration settings between different messaging services for an individual user of a mobile device. User account information and an authentication key are registered at a server of a first messaging service associated with the mobile device and a second messaging service associated with a client of the second messaging service. In response to a request for access to an automated reply function of the first messaging service from the client of the second messaging service, it is determined whether or not the client is authorized for access based on a comparison of authentication information included in the client'"'"'s request with the authentication key registered for the mobile device. If the client is authorized successfully, the client is allowed to access the automated reply function in accordance with configuration information specified in the request from the client.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

registering, at a voicemail proxy server, user account information and an authentication key for a first messaging service associated with a mobile device of a user and a second messaging service associated with a client of the second messaging service, wherein;

the first messaging service is a voicemail service provided by an operator of the mobile communication network associated with the user'"'"'s mobile device;

the second messaging service is an electronic mail service associated with a third-party service provider;

the client is an electronic mail client associated with the electronic mail service of the third-party service provider;

in response to successfully registering the user account information and the authentication key for the first and second messaging services, receiving at the voicemail proxy server, an automated reply request message requesting access to an automated reply function of the first messaging service from the client of the second messaging service, the automated reply request message including authentication information for the first and second messaging services and further specifying configuration information for the automated reply function of the first messaging service;

after receiving the automated reply request message, determining at the voicemail proxy server, whether the client is authorized to access the automated reply function of the first messaging service based on a comparison of the authentication information in the automated reply request message received from the client with the authentication key registered for the mobile device;

when the client is determined to be authorized, determining at the voicemail proxy server, whether a voicemail system server of the first messaging service associated with the user'"'"'s mobile device is known based on cached internet protocol address information available at the voicemail proxy server;

upon determining that the voicemail system server is unknown, sending from the voicemail proxy server to a registration server system in the mobile communication network, a network address request for a location of the voicemail system server;

in response to sending the network address request to the registration server system, receiving at the voicemail proxy server, a first internet protocol address associated with the voicemail system server and caching the first internet protocol address of the voicemail system server;

in response to receiving the first internet protocol address, subscribing at the voicemail proxy server, to the registration server system to receive updates to the cached first internet protocol address of the voicemail system server; and

in response to receiving the first internet protocol address, sending from the voicemail proxy server, a voicemail service request to the voicemail system server of the first messaging service using the cached first internet protocol address so as to allow the client to access the automated reply function of the first messaging service in accordance with the configuration information specified in the automated reply request message from the client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user account information and the authentication key are registered in response to a registration request received from the mobile device via a mobile communication network, the registration request from the mobile device including the user account information and the authentication key.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the authentication key is generated by a client of the first messaging service executable at the mobile device;

the generated authentication key is sent by the client of the first messaging service to the client of the second messaging service; and

the authentication information in the access request message received from the client of the second messaging service includes the generated authentication key from the client of the first messaging service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user account information includes a mobile device number identifying the user'"'"'s mobile device for the voicemail service and an e-mail address associated with the user for the electronic mail service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the automated reply function of the voicemail service configures the voicemail system server to play an audio message, automatically, in response to an incoming voice call for the mobile device directed through the mobile communication network to the voicemail service.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the configuration information specifies a default configuration option for the audio message to be played in response to the incoming voice call directed to the voicemail service.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the configuration information includes a user-specified audio message to be played in response to the incoming call directed to the voicemail service.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to subscribing to the registration server system to receive updates to the cached first internet protocol address of the voicemail system server, receiving at the voicemail proxy server, updates from the registration server system to the cached first internet protocol address of the voicemail system server.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

in response to sending the request to the voicemail system server of the first messaging service using the cached first internet protocol address, receiving at the voicemail proxy server a reply message from the voicemail system server that includes an acknowledgement that the automated reply function has been enabled.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

after receiving the acknowledgment from the voicemail system server at the voicemail proxy server, sending to the client an acknowledgment in reply to the automated reply request message requesting access to an automated reply function.

8. An application server, comprising:

a network communication device configured to exchange data communications through a mobile communication network, the mobile communication network including at least one database accessible to the network communication device;

a processor coupled to the network communication device;

a storage device accessible to the processor; and

an application program in the storage device, the application program including a plurality of functions for a first messaging service and a second messaging service, wherein execution of the application program by the processor configures the application server to exchange data communications related to the plurality of functions with an associated mobile device of the first messaging service and an associated client of the second messaging service through the mobile communication network,

wherein the processor is configured to perform functions including;

registering, at a voicemail proxy server, user account information and an authentication key for the first messaging service associated with the mobile device and the second messaging service associated with a client of the second messaging service, wherein;

the first messaging service is a voicemail service provided by an operator of the mobile communication network associated with the user'"'"'s mobile device;

the second messaging service is an electronic mail service associated with a third-party service provider;

the client is an electronic mail client associated with the electronic mail service of the third-party service provider;

in response to successfully registering the user account information and the authentication key for the first and second messaging services, receiving at the voicemail proxy server, an automated reply request message requesting access to an automated reply function of the first messaging service from the client of the second messaging service, the automated reply request message including authentication information for the first and second messaging services and further specifying configuration information for the automated reply function of the first messaging service;

after receiving the automated reply request message, determining at the voicemail proxy server, whether the client is authorized to access the automated reply function of the first messaging service based on a comparison of the authentication information in the automated reply request message received from the client with the authentication key stored for the mobile device;

when the client is determined to be authorized, determining at the voicemail proxy server, whether a voicemail system server of the first messaging service associated with the user'"'"'s mobile device is known based on cached internet protocol address information available at the voicemail proxy server;

upon determining that the voicemail system server is unknown, sending from the voicemail proxy server to a registration server system in the mobile communication network, a network address request for a location of the voicemail system server;

in response to sending the network address request to the registration server system, receiving at the voicemail proxy server, a first internet protocol address associated with the voicemail system server and caching the first internet protocol address of the voicemail system server;

in response to receiving the first internet protocol address, subscribing at the voicemail proxy server, to the registration server system to receive updates to the cached first internet protocol address of the voicemail system server; and

in response to receiving the first internet protocol address, sending from the voicemail proxy server, a voicemail service request to the voicemail system server of the first messaging service using the cached first internet protocol address so as to enable the client to access the automated reply function of the first messaging service in accordance with the configuration information specified in the automated reply request message from the client.

9. The application server of claim 8, wherein the user account information and the authentication key are registered in response to a request received from the mobile device via the mobile communication network, the request from the mobile device includes the user account information and the authentication key, and the user account information and the authentication key are stored in association with a mobile device identifier associated with the mobile device.

10. The application server of claim 8, wherein the sending function further includes:

upon determining the client of the second messaging service is authorized to access the automated reply function of the first messaging service, identifying a network location of the server of the first messaging service; and

sending the request to the server of the first messaging service to enable the client to access the automated reply function of the first messaging service, based on the identified network location of the server.

11. The application server of claim 10, wherein the network location of the server of the first messaging service is stored in the storage device of the application server, and the identifying function includes:

retrieving the stored network location of the server of the first messaging service from the storage device, based on the mobile device identifier associated with the mobile device.

12. The application server of claim 10, wherein the identifying function includes:

requesting the network location of the server of the first messaging service from a registration server in the mobile communication network.

16. The application server of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to perform further functions including:

in response to subscribing to the registration server system to receive updates to the cached first internet protocol address of the voicemail system server, receiving at the voicemail proxy server, updates from the registration server system to the cached first internet protocol address of the voicemail system server.

17. The application server of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to perform further functions including:

in response to sending the request to the voicemail system server of the first messaging service using the cached first internet protocol address, receiving at the voicemail proxy server a reply message from the voicemail system server that includes an acknowledgement that the automated reply function has been enabled.

18. The application server of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to perform further functions including:

after receiving the acknowledgment from the voicemail system server at the voicemail proxy server, sending to the client an acknowledgment in reply to the automated reply request message requesting access to an automated reply function.