Retrieval of voicemail

• US 20070274468A1
• Filed: 05/11/2006
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Cai, Yigang
• Application Number:
  US11/432,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20070274468A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/67.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/301 Management of recordings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects

Abstract

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for permitting a voicemail customer to customize his/her playback of voicemail messages. The voicemail system stores a menu, specified by the customer, for regulating the order in which received calls are to be played back. Advantageously, the customer can specify an order that satisfies his/her needs.

Claims

1. A method of accessing stored voicemail messages, comprising the steps of:

storing a menu for a customer, said menu specified by said customer;

storing messages for said customer;

responsive to a request by said customer to play stored voicemail messages, playing said voicemail messages in an order specified by said menu;

whereby a customer can access stored voicemail messages in a priority order specified by said menu.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said menu comprises at least one list of telephone numbers.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said menu specifies at least one set of geographically related telephone numbers.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said menu specifies at least one set of messages of a call type.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said menu specifies calls received in a specified time interval.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said menu specifies that recorded calls should be played in reverse order of reception.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

modifying contents of said menu under control of said customer.

8. Apparatus for accessing stored voicemail messages, comprising:

means for storing a menu for a customer, said menu specified by said customer;

means for storing messages for said customer;

means, responsive to a request by said customer for playing stored voicemail messages, for playing said voicemail messages in an order specified by said menu;

whereby a customer can access stored voicemail messages in a priority order specified by said menu.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said menu comprises at least one list of telephone numbers.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said menu specifies at least one set of geographically related telephone numbers.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said menu specifies at least one set of messages of a call type.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said menu specifies calls received in a specified time interval.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said menu specifies that recorded calls should be played in reverse order of reception.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

means, controlled by said customer, for modifying contents of said menu.