System, method and mobile device for remote control of a voice mail system

• US 7,283,808 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Mousseau, Gary P., Lazaridis, Mihal, Castell, William D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier; Gerald
• Application Number:
  US10/051,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20020098831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,097 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.12, 379/67.1, 379/88.11, 379/93.08, 379/88.19, 379/88.17, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/158, 455/413, 455/466, 455/412.1, 455/406, 455/412.2, 455/414.4, 370/401, 713/159
• US Class Current: 455/413
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53 Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages , i.e. mailbox systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0048 where the text-based messaging service is a Short Message Service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0051 where the data service is a multimedia messaging service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0054 where the data service is an electronic mail service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1235 where one of the core networks is a wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1245 where a network other than PSTN/ISDN interconnects two PSTN/ISDN networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1295 Details of dual tone multiple frequency signalling

Abstract

A unified messaging system, method and user interface is provided for a handheld mobile communication device. The method may include the following steps: (a) providing a unified event listing display comprising: a plurality of summary descriptors, each summary descriptor having one or more information elements to identify the event associated with the summary descriptor; (b) selecting one of the plurality of summary descriptors; (c) displaying a voice mail interface associated with the selected summary descriptor, wherein a plurality of voice mail actions are displayed on the interface; (d) selecting one of the plurality of voice mail actions; (e) communicating a voice mail command associated with the selected voice mail action to a unified messaging server via a wireless data communication network; (f) receiving the voice mail command at the unified messaging server; (g) executing an action associated with the received voice mail command at the unified messaging server; (h) establishing a circuit-switched communication connection to the mobile device from a PBX system associated with the unified messaging server; and (i) performing an action corresponding to the received voice mail command through the established circuit-switched communication connection.

Claims

1. A method of processing a voice mail message in a unified messaging system using a wireless mobile communication device having circuitry for communicating over a wireless data communication channel and a wireless voice communication channel, the method comprising:

receiving the voice mail message at the unified messaging system and storing it in a data store associated with a user of the wireless mobile communication device;

detecting the stored voice mail message at the data store and transmitting a notification signal to the wireless mobile communication device via the wireless data communication channel, the notification signal including information regarding the voice mail message;

displaying the voice mail message information on a display interface of the wireless mobile communication device, the display interface providing one or more commands for processing the voice mail message, wherein one of the one or more commands includes a message retrieval command;

transmitting a command signal from the mobile communication device to the unified messaging system via the wireless data communication channel, the command signal including the message retrieval command;

providing the message retrieval command to a voice mail system component of the unified messaging system;

the voice mail system component initiating a voice call to the wireless mobile communication device in response to the message retrieval command via the voice communication channel; and

transmitting the voice mail message to the wireless mobile communication device via the voice communication channel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising playing the voice mail message on the mobile communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the notification signal to the mobile communication device further comprises:

preparing an email message including the information regarding the voice mail message; and

transmitting the email message to the mobile communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the voice mail message comprises at least one of a message waiting indicator, a voice mail message reference identification, a voice mail access telephone number, a caller identification, or a date and time of the voice mail message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification signal is one of an e-mail message, an SMS message, an Internet Message Service message, an Enhanced Messaging Service message, or a Multi-Media Messaging Service message.

6. A method of remotely controlling a voice mail system using a wireless device capable of communicating via a wireless data network and a wireless voice network, the method comprising:

receiving a voice call at the voice mail system and storing a voice mail message in a voice mail box associated with a user of the wireless device;

detecting the stored voice mail message in the voice mail box;

transmitting a notification message to the wireless device via the wireless data network, the notification message indicating that the voice mail message is stored in the user'"'"'s voice mail box;

transmitting a connection request command message from the wireless device to the voice mail system via the wireless data network;

in response to the connection request command, the voice mail system initiating a voice call to the wireless device via the wireless voice network; and

receiving the stored voice mail message at the wireless device via the wireless voice network.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

interfacing a private branch exchange (PBX) system to the voice mail system;

receiving the voice call at the PBX system and routing the voice call to the voice mail system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the voice mail system is integrated into the PBX system.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

associating a reference identification with the stored voice mail message;

including the reference identification in the notification message transmitted to the wireless device; and

including the reference identification in the command signal transmitted to the voice mail system so that the voice mail system can process the stored voice mail message.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the voice mail system is coupled to a unified messaging system, the method further comprising:

interfacing the unified messaging system with the voice mail system; and

generating the notification message at the unified messaging system.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting e-mail messages from the unified messaging system to the wireless device via the wireless data network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the e-mail messages are stored at an e-mail server that interfaces with the unified messaging system.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the notification message is one of an e-mail message or an SMS message.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the notification message includes information describing the voice mail message stored in the voice mail box.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the notification message information includes at least one of a voice mail reference identifier, a voice mail system telephone access number, caller identification information, or a date and time of the voice call.

16. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying a unified event listing at the mobile device, the unified event listing including at least e-mail message events and voice mail message events received at the wireless device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

associating a first graphical icon with the e-mail message events and a second graphical icon with the voice mail message events at the wireless device; and

displaying the first and second graphical icons on the unified event listing.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

the user selecting one of the graphical icons associated with a voice mail message; and

displaying voice mail message information regarding the selected voice mail.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the voice mail message information includes at least one of a voice mail reference identifier, a voice mail system telephone access number, caller identification information, or a date and time of the voice call.

20. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying a command list at the wireless device, the command list including one or more commands associated with voice mail operations; and

selecting and transmitting one of the commands on the command list from the wireless device to the voice mail system to remotely control the operation of the voice mail system.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

for each of the commands on the command list, configuring the wireless device to output a voice mail system operating command; and

after a command is selected, transmitting the voice mail system operating command from the wireless device to the voice mail system.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the voice mail system operating command comprises a sequence of one or more DTMF signals.

23. The method of claim 6 , further comprising

the wireless device recognizing an incoming call from the voice mail system;

and

automatically answering the incoming call without engaging a ringing mechanism on the wireless device.

24. A system for remotely controlling a voice mail system using a wireless device capable of communicating via a wireless data network and a wireless voice network, comprising:

means for receiving a voice call at the voice mail system and storing a voice mail message in a voice mail box associated with a user of the wireless device;

means for detecting the stored voice mail message in the voice mail box;

means for transmitting a notification message to the wireless device via the wireless data network, the notification message indicating that the voice mail message is stored in the user'"'"'s voice mail box;

means for transmitting a connection request command message from the wireless device to the voice mail system via the wireless data network;

means, responsive to the connection request command for initiating a voice call to the wireless device via the wireless voice network; and

means for receiving the stored voice mail message at the wireless device via the wireless voice network.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

means for interfacing a private branch exchange (PBX) system to the voice mail system; and

means for receiving the voice call at the PBX system and for routing the voice call to the voice mail system.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the voice mail system is integrated into the PBX system.

27. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

means for associating a reference identification with the stored voice mail message;

means for including the reference identification in the notification message transmitted to the wireless device; and

means for including the reference identification in the command signal transmitted to the voice mail system so that the voice mail system can process the stored voice mail message.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the voice mail system is coupled to a unified messaging system, the system further comprising:

means for interfacing the unified messaging system with the voice mail system; and

means for generating the notification message at the unified messaging system.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

means for transmitting e-mail messages from the unified messaging system to the wireless device via the wireless data network.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the e-mail messages are stored at an e-mail server that interfaces with the unified messaging system.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein the notification message is one of an e-mail message or an SMS message.

32. The system of claim 24, wherein the notification message includes information describing the voice mail message stored in the voice mail box.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the notification message information includes at least one of a voice mail reference identifier, a voice mail system telephone access number, caller identification information, or a date and time of the voice call.

34. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

means for displaying a unified event listing at the mobile device, the unified event listing including at least e-mail message events and voice mail message events received at the wireless device.

35. The system of claim 34, further comprising:

means for associating a first graphical icon with the e-mail message events and a second graphical icon with the voice mail message events at the wireless device; and

means for displaying the first and second graphical icons on the unified event listing.

36. The system of claim 35, further comprising:

means for selecting one of the graphical icons associated with a voice mail message; and

means for displaying voice mail message information regarding the selected voice mail.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the voice mail message information includes at least one of a voice mail reference identifier, a voice mail system telephone access number, caller identification information, or a date and time of the voice call.

38. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

means for displaying a command list at the wireless device, the command list including one or more commands associated with voice mail operations; and

means for selecting and transmitting one of the commands on the command list from the wireless device to the voice mail system to remotely control the operation of the voice mail system.

39. The system of claim 38, further comprising:

means, applicable to each of the commands on the command list, for configuring the wireless device to output a voice mail system operating command; and

means for transmitting the voice mail system operating command from the wireless device to the voice mail system.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the voice mail system operating command comprises a sequence of one or more DTMF signals.

41. The system of claim 24, further comprising

means for recognizing an incoming call from the voice mail system;

and

means for automatically answering the incoming call without engaging a ringing mechanism on the wireless device.

42. A wireless device capable of communicating via a wireless data network and a wireless voice network, the wireless device for use in conjunction with a voice mail system that receives a voice call and stores a voice mail message in a voice mail box associated with a user of the wireless device, comprising:

means for receiving a notification message via the wireless data network, the notification message indicating that the voice mail message is stored in the user'"'"'s voice mail box; and

means for transmitting a connection request command message from the wireless device to the voice mail system via the wireless data network;

wherein the connection request command causes the voice mail system to initiate a voice call to the wireless device via the wireless voice network, the wireless device including means for automatically answering the voice call and receiving the stored voice mail message via the wireless voice network.