Automatically-effected move of a subscriber between electronic message service systems in a network
First Claim
1. An electronic message service network comprising:
- a plurality of electronic message service systems interconnected for communicating with each other, each system providing electronic messaging services to a plurality of different subscribers;
first means in a first one of the systems responsive to receipt of information both identifying at least one of the subscribers served by the first system and identifying a second one of the systems, for automatically communicating from the first to the second system information required to serve the identified at least one subscriber, and ceasing to serve the identified at least one subscriber on the first system; and
second means in the second system responsive to receipt of the communicated information, for automatically commencing to serve the identified at least one subscriber on the second system instead of the first system.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a network (10) of voice-mail message service systems (12-14), each system includes an arrangement (22) for automatically moving the serving of one or more subscribers from itself to another system. In response to administrator (29) input, the source system retrieves each moving subscriber'"'"'s mailbox (200) contents, translates subscriber I.D.s appearing therein into universal names and extension numbers, and transfers the translated contents, including delivery lists (222) and messages (211), to the destination system. The destination system creates a new mailbox for each moved subscriber, translates the universal information into subscriber I.D.s, and populates the new mailbox with the transferred contents. The source system informs third systems of the move, so they can update their information. During audits, the source and destination systems search their databases to find any information affected by the move and update it; the source system also deletes the moved subscribers'"'"' old mailboxes.
127 Citations
27 Claims
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1. An electronic message service network comprising:
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a plurality of electronic message service systems interconnected for communicating with each other, each system providing electronic messaging services to a plurality of different subscribers; first means in a first one of the systems responsive to receipt of information both identifying at least one of the subscribers served by the first system and identifying a second one of the systems, for automatically communicating from the first to the second system information required to serve the identified at least one subscriber, and ceasing to serve the identified at least one subscriber on the first system; and second means in the second system responsive to receipt of the communicated information, for automatically commencing to serve the identified at least one subscriber on the second system instead of the first system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An electronic message service system for use in an electronic message service network having a plurality of electronic message service systems interconnected for communicating with each other, each system providing electronic messaging services to a plurality of different subscribers, the system comprising:
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first means responsive to receipt of information both identifying at least one of the subscribers served by this system and identifying another system, for automatically communicating from this system to the other system information required to serve the identified at least one subscriber in order to cause the other system to serve the identified at least one subscriber instead of this system; and second means responsive to receipt from another system of information required to serve at least one subscriber presently served by the other system, for automatically commencing to serve the at least one subscriber on this system instead of the other system. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of moving a subscriber of an electronic messaging service from a first electronic message service system to a second electronic message system in an electronic message service network having a plurality of the electronic message service systems interconnected for communicating with each other and each system providing the service to a plurality of different subscribers, comprising the steps of:
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receiving in the first system information both identifying at least one of the subscribers served by the first system and identifying the second system; automatically communicating from the first system to the second system information required to serve the identified at least one subscriber, in response to receipt of the identifying information; receiving in the second system the communicated information; and automatically commencing to serve the identified at least one subscriber on the second system instead of the first system, in response to receipt of the communicated information. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of moving a subscriber of an electronic messaging service from a first electronic message service system to a second electronic message service system in an electronic message service network having a plurality of the electronic message service systems interconnected for communicating with each other and each system providing the service to a plurality of different subscribers, wherein information is required to serve a subscriber and includes local information that is specific to the system that is serving the subscriber and the network also includes corresponding universal information that is generic to the network, comprising the steps of:
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receiving in the first system information both identifying at least one of the subscribers served by the first system and identifying the second system; automatically communicating from the first system to the second system information required to serve the identified at least one subscriber, in response to receipt of the identifying information, including the steps of automatically translating the local information required to serve the identified at least one subscriber into the corresponding universal information, automatically communicating the translated information required to serve the identified at least one subscriber from the first to the second system, and communicating information to the second system indicating whether a move of the at least one subscriber for service from the first system to the second system is forced or unforced; receiving in the second system the communicated information; translating received universal information into the corresponding local information, in response to receipt of the communicated information; automatically commencing to serve the identified at least one subscriber on the second system instead of the first system, responsive to success of translation of the received universal information into the corresponding local information; preventing the commencement of serving of the identified at least one subscriber on the second system, responsive to failure of the translation of the received universal information into the corresponding local information and a communicated indication that the move is unforced; and deleting universal information which the translating means failed to translate and commencing to serve the identified at least one subscriber on the second system instead of the first system, responsive to failure of the translation of the received universal information into the corresponding local information and a communicated indication that the move is forced.
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Specification