System and method for instant VoIP Messaging

• US 9,621,490 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2015
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uniloc 2017 LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Uniloc Luxembourg S.à r.l. (f/k/a Uniloc Luxembourg S.A.) (Uniloc Corporation Pty. Limited)
• Inventors: Rojas, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Creighton
• Application Number:
  US14/633,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20150172231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 370352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

Methods, systems and programs for instant voice messaging over a packet-switched network are provided. A method for instant voice messaging may comprise receiving an instant voice message having one or more recipients, delivering the instant voice message to the one or more recipients over a packet-switched network, temporarily storing the instant voice message if a recipient is unavailable; and delivering the stored instant voice message to the recipient once the recipient becomes available.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an instant voice messaging application comprising;

a client platform generating one or more buffers, wherein the client platform writes one or more successive portions of an instant voice message to the one or more buffers;

a messaging system transmitting the contents of a buffer over a packet switched network once the contents of the buffer have reached a predetermined size;

and an instant voice messaging server receiving, from the instant voice messaging application, the contents of the one or more buffers and an indication of one or more intended recipients of the instant voice message,

wherein the instant voice messaging server transmits a ring signal and the contents of the one or more buffers to a legacy telephone.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the instant voice message is clarified, encrypted, and compressed by the instant voice messaging server.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the instant voice message is clarified, encrypted, and compressed by the instant messaging application.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the instant voice message is generated via input audio provided via a legacy telephone connected to the packet switched network.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the instant voice message is generated via input audio provided via a voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) telephone connected to the packet switched network.

6. The system according to claim 5 wherein the voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) telephone operates synchronously with the instant voice messaging server.

7. The system according to claim 5 wherein the voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) telephone operates synchronously with the instant voice messaging application.

8. The system according to claim 5 wherein the instant voice message is clarified by the voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) telephone.

9. The system according to claim 5 wherein the instant voice message is encrypted by the voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) telephone.

10. The system according to claim 5 wherein the instant voice message is compressed by the voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) telephone.

11. The system according to claim 1 wherein the instant voice messaging system maintains connection information for one or more intended recipients of the instant voice message which information includes data indicative of an availability state of the one or more intended recipients.

12. The system according to claim 11 wherein the instant voice messaging server includes a display output.

13. The system according to claim 11 wherein an indication of the availability of at least one intended recipient is displayed for a user of the instant messaging application or an indication of the unavailability of at least one intended recipient is displayed.

14. The system according to claim 13 wherein the instant voice messaging server displays an indication of the availability of the at least one intended recipient listed or additionally displays an indication of the unavailability of the at least one intended recipient listed.

15. The system according to claim 14 wherein the user of the instant voice messaging application can request that the list be displayed, and as a result of such request the list is displayed.

16. The system according to claim 1 wherein the instant voice messaging server additionally transmits a ring signal and the contents of the one or more buffers to a voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) telephone.

17. The system according to claim 2 wherein the instant voice message is decompressed by the voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) telephone.

18. The system according to claim 2 wherein the instant voice message is decrypted by the voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) telephone.

19. The system according to claim 1 wherein the instant voice message is additionally stored as a recorded file intended for delivery to one or more unavailable intended recipients.

20. The system according to claim 19 wherein a user of the client platform is presented with an option to hear the recorded instant voice message prior to its delivery;

the instant voice message may be heard by the user;

the user is thereafter presented with an option to delete the recorded instant voice message prior to its delivery;

deletion of the instant voice message prevents delivery of the instant voice message;

the instant voice message is deleted by the user; and

the user is thereafter presented with an option to record an instant voice message.