METHOD TO SET THE FLAG AS REPLIED OR FORWARDED TO ALL REPLIED OR FORWARDED VOICE MESSAGES

• US 20100322397A1
• Filed: 06/22/2009
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Kale, Deepak, Michaelis, Paul Roller
• Granted Patent: US 9,055,151 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.23
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects

Abstract

To assist with the usability of voice messaging systems, a technique is provided that provides audible information to a user about the status of one or more messages in the system. An audible message is played to the user indicating whether they have forwarded, replied, saved, or otherwise addressed a voice message. The audible indication can be triggered by the message recipient trying to reply, forward or otherwise access a message in the voice messaging system. This can be especially useful when the voice messaging system is accessed from a phone, such as an IP telephone or SIP phone. The technique at least allows users to know which voice messages they have addressed as well as to provide a summary of one or more messages in the voice messaging system such as 3 unread, 2 replied, 1 forwarded, and a total of 12 messages with message duration of 11 minutes.

Claims

1. A method for providing a status of one or more voice mail messages comprising:

reading, by a voice messaging server, a flag associated with a voice mail message;

accessing an audible message associated with the flag;

playing, at a communications device, the audible message to a user; and

providing, to the user, an ability to access one or more responses to the voice mail message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising recognizing an action upon a stored voice mail message and flagging the message with a corresponding flag.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the action is one or more of reply to, forward, archive, play and skip.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a custom audible message with a voice mail message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the audible message includes time information, date information and action information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising flagging the voice mail message as forwarded.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising flagging the voice mail message as replied to.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice messaging server is accessed by a packet-based, circuit-switched or SIP-based communications device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising playing status information related to the status of a voicemail box.

10. Means for performing the steps in claim 1.

11. A computer-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon for performing the steps in claim 1.

12. A system that provides status of one or more voice mail messages comprising:

a voice messaging server that reads a flag associated with a voice mail message, accesses an audible message associated with the flag, forwards the audible message to a user at a communications device for playback and provides, to the user, an ability to access one or more responses to the voice mail message.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a database that recognizes and records an action taken upon a stored voice mail message and flags the message with a corresponding flag.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the action is one or more of reply to, forward, archive, play and skip.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein a custom audible message is associated with a voice mail message.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the audible message includes time information, date information and action information.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein a voice mail message if flagged as forwarded.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein a voice mail message is flagged as replied to.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the voice messaging server is accessed by a packet-based, circuit-switched or SIP-based communications device.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the voice messaging server plays status information related to the status of a voicemail box.