Uniform RCS voice/videomail services

• US 9,924,042 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2013
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Regan, Rodney Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): KELLEY, STEVEN SHAUN
• Application Number:
  US14/140,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20150189090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,545 Days
• Field of Search: 455466
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5315 where the non-audio components are still images or video still image mailbox systems H04N1/324, intermediate storage of video signals for videophones H04N7/147
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving 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

Abstract

Videomail and/or voicemail methods for mobile devices and systems are provided. A communication session request is received from a source device for communication with a destination device. Responsive to the request, it is determined whether the requested session will be established with the destination device. When the requested session will not be established with the destination device, the source device is caused to present a message request to a source device user. Responsive to the message request, a message generated by the source device user is received which includes at least one of video or audio information. A file transfer (FT) message is generated from the received message. The FT message is temporarily stored on a messaging server, and is sent to the destination device via the messaging server, without maintaining a stored copy of the FT message on the messaging server.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, through a network, a request for a communication session from a source device to a destination device via a call from the source device to the destination device, wherein the source device and the destination device are mobile devices;

responsive to the request, determining that the communication session will not be established with the destination device;

sending a request to a call termination server to terminate the call;

causing, in response to determining that the communication session will not be established, a video/voicemail (VVM) application of the source device to present, to a user of the source device, a menu, wherein the menu includes a plurality of options for recording, via the VVM application, and sending, via a file transfer (FT) messaging application of the source device, a plurality of types of messages, and wherein the plurality of options includes an option for recording, via the VVM application, and sending, via the FT messaging application, an audio message and another option for recording, via the VVM application, and sending, via the FT messaging application, a video message, wherein, in response to receiving a selection of an option of the plurality of options, the VVM application records a particular message and the FT messaging application receives the particular message and generates a FT message, based on the particular message, according to a predetermined file transfer protocol so that the FT message is addressed to the destination device;

receiving the FT message addressed to the destination device;

sending, to the destination device, a short messaging service message indicating that a transfer of the FT message can begin;

temporarily storing the FT message on a messaging server; and

sending, through the network, the FT message to the destination device via the messaging server, without maintaining a stored copy of the FT message on the messaging server after the FT message is received by the destination device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication by the messaging server, via the network, from the destination device that the FT message is successfully received by the destination device; and

responsive to the indication that the FT message is successfully received, deleting the temporarily stored FT message from the messaging server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the FT message includes:

generating the FT message from the particular message by the source device; and

sending the FT message from the source device to the messaging server via the network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the FT message to a storage device for long term storage of the FT message when the FT message is sent to the destination device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, prior to sending the FT message to the destination device, a notification message to the destination device via a messaging service gateway, the notification message indicating that message transfer of the FT message can begin.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined file transfer protocol includes at least one of a message session relay protocol (MSRP), an Internet message access protocol (IMAP), or a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the communication session will not be established includes:

sending a session initiation protocol (SIP) invite message to the destination device via a telephony application server (TAS); and

determining that the communication session will not be established based on at least one of a content of a response or a lack of a response to the SIP invite message from the destination device.

8. A system comprising:

a communication system controller configured to;

receive, through a network, a request for a communication session from a source device to a destination device via a call from the source device, wherein the source device and the destination device include mobile devices,

determine the communication session will not be established with the destination device,

send a request to a call termination server to terminate the call, and

cause, in response to determining that the communication session will not be established, a video/voicemail (VVM) application of the source device to present a menu to a user of the source device, wherein the menu includes options for recording, via the VVM application, and sending, via a file transfer (FT) messaging application of the source device, a plurality of types of message, wherein the options include an option for recording, via the VVM application, and sending, via the FT messaging application, an audio message and another option for recording, via the VVM application, and sending, via the FT messaging application, a video message, wherein a particular message is generated by the user of the source device for the destination device, wherein the particular message is a type of message of the plurality of types of messages, and wherein the message includes at least one of video or audio information; and

a messaging server configured to;

temporarily store a FT message produced from the particular message according to a predetermined file transfer protocol, the FT message being addressed to the destination device,

send, to the destination device, a short messaging service message indicating that a transfer of the FT message can begin; and

send, through the network, the FT message to the destination device via the messaging server, without maintaining a stored copy of the FT message on the messaging server after the FT message is sent to the destination device.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a storage device configured to receive the FT message for long term storage.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the menu includes an option for recording a video mail message.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the source device is configured to:

produce the FT message from the particular message, and

send the FT message to the messaging server via the network.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising a telephony application server (TAS), wherein the communication system controller is configured to determine that the communication session will not be established with the destination device via an indication from the TAS.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising a messaging service gateway configured to send a notification message to the destination device via the messaging service gateway, the notification message indicating that message transfer of the FT message can begin.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising a Media Resource Function (MRF) device configured to communicate with the source device and the messaging server to cause the source device to present the menu and to generate the particular message.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the messaging server is configured to delete the temporarily stored FT message from the messaging server responsive to an indication that the FT message is successfully received by the destination device.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions executable by one or more network devices to cause the one or more network devices to:

receive, through a network, a request for a communication session from a source device to a destination device via a call from the source device, wherein the source device and the destination device include mobile devices;

determine whether the communication session will be established with the destination device;

send a request to terminate the call and cause a video/voicemail (VVM) application of the source device to present a menu to a user of the source device, responsive to an indication that the communication session will not be established with the destination device, wherein the menu includes a plurality of options for recording, via the VVM application, and sending, via a file transfer (FT) messaging application of the source device, different types of messages, wherein the plurality of options includes an option for recording, via the VVM application, and sending, via the FT messaging application, an audio message and another option for recording, via the VVM application, and sending, via the FT messaging application, a video message, wherein a particular message is generated by the user of the source device for the destination device based on a selection, by the user, of an option of the plurality of options, and wherein the particular message includes at least one of video or audio information;

temporarily store, at a messaging server, a file transfer (FT) message produced from the particular message according to a predetermined file transfer protocol, wherein the FT message is addressed to the destination device;

send, to the destination device, a short messaging service message indicating that a transfer of the FT message can begin; and

send, through the network, the FT message to the destination device via the messaging server, without maintaining a stored copy of the FT message on the messaging server after the FT message is sent to the destination device.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the FT message is produced from the particular message by the source device such that the messaging server receives the FT message from the source device via the network.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the predetermined file transfer protocol includes at least one of a message session relay protocol (MSRP), an Internet message access protocol (IMAP), or a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the executable instructions further cause the one more network devices to:

send the FT message to a storage device for long term storage of the FT message when the FT message is sent to the destination device.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the executable instructions further cause the one more network devices to:

send, prior to sending the FT message to the destination device, a notification message to the destination device via a messaging service gateway, the notification message indicating that message transfer of the FT message can begin.