System and method for automatically delivering messages to a telecommunications device

• US 6,203,192 B1
• Filed: 12/24/1997
• Issued: 03/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Fortman, Peter A.
• Primary Examiner(s): WEAVER, SCOTT LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US08/998,222
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/88.06, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/88.21, 379/88.22, 379/88.25, 379/106.09, 379/142, 379/201
• US Class Current: 379/88.14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A server in a telecommunications network connects to subscriber equipment of at least one type and to caller equipment of several different types via a communications medium. The server includes a receiving element, a translating element, and a routing element. The receiving element receives messages intended for the subscriber equipment from the caller equipment in caller formats. The translating element translates the messages to a subscriber format compatible with the subscriber equipment. The routing element automatically transfers the translated messages to the subscriber equipment without requiring the subscriber to initiate the message transfer.

Claims

1. A server in a telecommunications network comprising:

means for receiving information intended for a subscriber from a caller in a caller format;

means for translating the information to a subscriber format compatible with equipment of the subscriber; and

means for automatically transferring the translated information to the subscriber equipment independent of any action by the subscriber, wherein the transferring means includes means for sending suppressed signals with the translated information to the subscriber equipment.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the receiving means includes:

means for detecting signals from the caller, and

means for determining the caller format from the detected signals.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein the receiving means includes:

means for detecting caller data, and

means for identifying the caller based on the detected caller data.

4. The server of claim 3, wherein the translating means includes:

means for generating a subscriber message from the detected caller data and the translated information.

5. The server of claim 4, wherein the transferring means includes:

means for transmitting the subscriber message for display on the subscriber equipment.

6. The server of claim 1, wherein the receiving means includes:

means for prioritizing the received information; and

wherein the transferring means further includes;

means for transmitting suppressed ringing signals to the subscriber equipment when the prioritizing means prioritizes the received information as a predetermined type of priority information.

7. The server of claim 1, further comprising:

means for storing subscriber profile data indicating a type of the subscriber equipment.

8. The server of claim 7, wherein the translating means includes:

means for translating the information to a subscriber format compatible with the subscriber equipment type indicated in the stored subscriber profile data.

9. A server in a telecommunications network comprising:

means for receiving information intended for a subscriber from a caller in a caller format;

means for translating the information to a subscriber format compatible with equipment of the subscriber; and

means for automatically transferring the translated information to the subscriber equipment independent of any action by the subscriber, wherein the transferring means includes;

means for receiving periodic polling requests from the subscriber equipment, and

means for sending the translated information to the subscriber equipment in response to the polling requests.

10. A method for automatically transferring information to subscriber equipment, comprising the steps of:

receiving information intended for a subscriber from a caller in a caller format;

translating the information to a subscriber format compatible with the subscriber equipment; and

automatically transferring the translated information to the subscriber equipment independent of any action by the subscriber, wherein the transferring step includes sending suppressed ringing signals with the translated information to the subscriber equipment.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving step includes the substeps of:

detecting signals from the caller, and

determining the caller format from the detected signals.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving step includes the substeps of:

detecting caller data, and

identifying the caller based on the detected caller data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the translating step includes the substep of:

generating a subscriber message from the detected caller data and the translated information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the transferring step includes the substep of:

transmitting the subscriber message for display on the subscriber equipment.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving step includes the substep of:

prioritizing the received information; and

wherein the transferring step further includes the substep of;

transmitting suppressed ringing signals to the subscriber equipment when the received information is prioritized as a predetermined type of priority information.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

storing subscriber profile data indicating a type of the subscriber equipment.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the translating step includes the substep of:

translating the information to a subscriber format compatible with the subscriber equipment type indicated in the stored subscriber profile data.

18. A method for automatically transferring information to subscriber equipment, comprising the steps of:

receiving information intended for a subscriber from a caller in a caller format;

translating the information to a subscriber format compatible with the subscriber equipment; and

automatically transferring the translated information to the subscriber equipment independent of any action by the subscriber, wherein the transferring step includes the substeps of;

receiving periodic polling requests from the subscriber equipment, and

sending the translated information to the subscriber equipment in response to the polling requests.

19. A network comprising:

subscriber equipment of at least one type;

caller equipment of several types;

a communications medium connecting the subscriber equipment and the caller equipment; and

a server connected to the communications medium to receive messages from the caller equipment and to send the messages to the subscriber equipment, the server comprising;

means for receiving the messages from the caller equipment in caller formats,

means for translating the received messages to a subscriber format compatible with the subscriber equipment, and

means for automatically transferring the translated messages to the subscriber equipment independent of prior action by a user of the subscriber equipment, wherein the transferring means includes means for sending suppressed ringing signals with the translated messages to the subscriber equipment.

20. The network of claim 19, wherein the receiving means includes:

means for detecting signals from the caller equipment, and

means for determining the caller formats from the detected signals.

21. The network of claim 19, wherein the receiving means includes:

means for detecting caller data, and

means for identifying callers based on the detected caller data.

22. The network of claim 21, wherein the translating means includes:

means for generating subscriber messages from the detected caller data and the translated messages.

23. The network of claim 22, wherein the transferring means includes:

means for transmitting the subscriber messages for display on the subscriber equipment.

24. The network of claim 19, wherein the receiving means includes:

means for prioritizing the received messages; and

wherein the transferring means further includes;

means for transmitting suppressed ringing signals to the subscriber equipment when the prioritizing means prioritizes the received messages as predetermined types of priority messages.

25. The network of claim 19, wherein the server further comprises:

means for storing subscriber profile data indicating a type of the subscriber equipment.

26. The network of claim 25, wherein the translating means includes:

means for translating the messages to a subscriber format compatible with the subscriber equipment type indicated in the stored subscriber profile data.

27. The network of claim 19, wherein the subscriber equipment includes:

means for receiving the messages transferred from the server,

means for processing the messages,

means for storing the messages, and

means for notifying the user of the subscriber equipment of the stored messages.

28. The network of claim 27, wherein the processing means includes:

means for determining message types of the received messages; and

wherein the storing means includes;

means for storing notification preference data indicating notification techniques desired by the user for the different message types of the received messages.

29. The network of claim 28, wherein the notifying means includes:

means for notifying the user, using the stored notification techniques, based on the determined message types.

30. A network comprising:

subscriber equipment of at least one type;

caller equipment of several types;

a communications medium connecting the subscriber equipment and the caller equipment; and

a server connected to the communications medium to receive messages from the caller equipment and to send the messages to the subscriber equipment, the server comprising;

means for receiving the messages from the caller equipment in caller formats,

means for translating the received messages to a subscriber format compatible with the subscriber equipment,

means for automatically transferring the translated messages to the subscriber equipment independent of prior action by a user of the subscriber equipment, and

wherein the subscriber equipment includes;

means for periodically transmitting polling requests to the server; and

wherein the transferring means includes;

means for sending the translated messages in response to the polling requests.

31. A method for transmitting messages from caller equipment of several types to subscriber equipment of at least one type via a network server, comprising the steps of:

receiving messages from the caller equipment in caller formats at the network server;

translating the received messages to a subscriber format compatible with the subscriber equipment;

automatically transferring the translated messages to the subscriber equipment independent of prior action by a user of the subscriber equipment, wherein the transferring step includes sending suppressed ringing signals with the translated messages to the subscriber equipment;

receiving the messages transferred from the network server at the subscriber equipment; and

notifying the user of the subscriber equipment of the receiving messages.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the receiving step at the network server includes the substeps of:

detecting signals from the caller equipment, and

determining the caller formats from the detected signals.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the receiving step at the network server includes the substeps of:

detecting caller data, and

identifying callers based on the detected caller data.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the translating step includes the substep of:

generating subscriber messages from the detected caller data and the translated messages.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the receiving step at the network server includes the substep of:

prioritizing the received messages; and

wherein the transferring step further includes the substep of;

transmitting suppressed ringing signals to the subscriber equipment when the received messages are prioritized as predetermined types of priority messages.

36. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of:

storing in the network server subscriber profile data indicating a type of the subscriber equipment.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the translating step includes the substep of:

translating the messages to a subscriber format compatible with the subscriber equipment type indicated in the stored subscriber profile data.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein the receiving step at the subscriber equipment includes the substep of:

determining message types of the received messages; and

wherein the method further comprises the step of;

storing in the subscriber equipment notification preference data indicating notification techniques desired by the user for the different message types of the received messages.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the notifying step includes the substep of:

notifying the user, using the stored notification techniques, based on the determined message types.

40. A method for transmitting messages from caller equipment of several types to subscriber equipment of at least one type via a network server, comprising the steps of:

receiving messages from the caller equipment in caller formats at the network server;

translating the received messages to a subscriber format compatible with the subscriber equipment;

automatically transferring the translated messages to the subscriber equipment independent of prior action by a user of the subscriber equipment, wherein the transferring step includes the substeps of;

receiving periodic polling requests from the subscriber equipment, and

sending the translated messages in response to the polling requests;

receiving the messages transferred from the network server at the subscriber equipment; and

notifying the user of the subscriber equipment of the received messages.

41. A server that automatically routes messages from caller equipment to subscriber equipment in a communications network, comprising:

an interface connected to the communications network to receive the messages from the caller equipment, and to detect caller formats of the received messages; and

a translator connected to the interface to translate the received messages from the detected caller formats to a subscriber format compatible with the subscriber equipment, and to instruct the interface to route the translated messages to the subscriber equipment via the communications network independent of prior action by a user of the subscriber equipment, wherein the translator sends suppressed ringing signals with the translated information to the subscriber equipment.

42. A network comprising:

subscriber equipment of various types;

caller equipment of various types;

a communications medium connecting the subscriber equipment and the caller equipment; and

a server connected to the communications medium to receive messages from the caller equipment and to send the messages to the subscriber equipment, the server comprising;

an interface connected to the communications medium to receive the messages from the caller equipment, and to detect caller formats of the received messages,

a memory storing profile data indicating the subscriber equipment type corresponding to a particular subscriber, and

a translator connected to the interface and the memory to translate the received messages from the detected caller formats to subscriber formats compatible with the subscriber equipment type indicated by the stored profile data, and to instruct the interface to automatically route the translated messages to the subscriber equipment via the communications medium independent of prior action by a user of the subscriber equipment, wherein the translator sends suppressed ringing signals with the translated information to the subscriber equipment.