Method and apparatus for storing voice/fax messages in an intelligent network

• US 6,658,094 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2000
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks GmbH & Co. KG (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Offer, Gero
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US09/609,506
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.07, 379/88.14, 379/23, 379/88, 379/112, 379/88.13, 379/88.22, 379/119, 379/88.12, 379/67.1, 179/7.1, 370/241, 358/402, 358/407, 455/414
• US Class Current: 379/88.25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32395 Informing an absent addressee of receipt
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/324 intermediate the transmitter and receiver terminals, e.g. at an exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32432 in a particular memory file for retrieval by the user, e.g. in a facsimile mailbox
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32438 Informing the addressee of reception

Abstract

Voice/fax messages are stored in an intelligent network. A network server receives an incoming call from a subscriber and, if the incoming call contains a voice/fax message, a trigger device is used to call up a voice/fax storage service which stores the voice/fax message either on a voice/fax storage server or in a subscriber terminal of the called subscriber. The corresponding apparatus has a callback device which is driven when a given time period is exceeded or when the message has been retrieved.

Claims

1. A method of processing messages in an intelligent network, which comprises:

receiving in a network server an incoming call from a first subscriber and, if the call contains a message, calling up a storage service with a trigger device, and storing the message on one of a storage server and in a subscriber terminal of a subscriber being called;

storing with the storage service a subscriber number transmitted together with the message;

starting a timer in the network server; and

if appropriate signaling is present, setting a first flag, in one of the storage server and the subscriber terminal, for a callback to the first subscriber upon the message being retrieved or upon a prescribed timer value being exceeded without retrieval of the message.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message is a voice message and the calling up step comprises calling up a voice message service and storing the voice message in a voice storage server.

3. The method according to claim 1, which comprises setting, with the storage service, a second flag in the network server, for booking charges incurred with the callback to a given subscriber number.

4. The method according to claim 1, which comprises sending a text message to the subscriber number in the callback, the text message selectively containing a time data record when the message was retrieved or a warning report if the prescribed time period has been exceeded.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the sending step comprises sending a text message to a mobile terminal as a Short Message Service (SMS) communication.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the sending step comprises sending a text message to a pager.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message is a fax message and the calling up step comprises calling up a fax message service and storing the fax message in a fax storage server.

7. In an apparatus for storing messages from a subscriber in an intelligent network, wherein a network server has a trigger device and a control device, the trigger device drives the control device to call up a message storage service, and the control device is connected to a voice storage server or to a subscriber terminal, the improvement which comprises:

a callback device connected to and driven by the control device for initiating automatic callback to the subscriber upon the message being retrieved, and a timer connected to and driven by the control device for starting said callback device for initiating automatic callback to the subscriber upon a prescribed timer value being exceeded without retrieval of the message.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the messages are voice messages and the message storage service is enabled to store voice messages.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the network server has a charge device for recording charges, said charge device being connected to and driven by the control device.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said timer has a counter, a register for storing the prescribed timer value and a comparator, said comparator comparing a register content and a counter reading and, if the register content and the counter reading are the same, said comparator outputting a signal for evaluation by the control device.

12. In an apparatus for storing messages from a subscriber in an intelligent network, wherein a network server has a trigger device and a control device, the trigger device drives the control device to call up a message storage service, and the control device is connected to a fax storage server or to a subscriber terminal, the improvement which comprises:

a callback device connected to and driven by the control device for initiating automatic callback to the subscriber upon the message being retrieved, and a timer connected to and driven by the control device for starting said callback device for initiating automatic callback to the subscriber upon a prescribed timer value being exceeded without retrieval of the message.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the messages are fax messages and the message storage service is enabled to store fax messages.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the network server has a charge device for recording charges, said charge device being connected to and driven by the control device.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said timer has a counter, a register for storing the prescribed timer value and a comparator, said comparator comparing a register content and a counter reading and, if the register content and the counter reading are the same, said comparator outputting a signal for evaluation by the control device.