Voicemail systems and methods

• US 8,391,844 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2007
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Novick, Gregory, Lamiraux, Henri, Wyld, Jeremy, Bush, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAMMONDS, MARCUS C
• Application Number:
  US11/620,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20080167008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,249 Days
• Field of Search: 4554121-413, 379 671- 8828
• US Class Current: 455/413
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/256 comprising a service specific user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/301 Management of recordings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects

Abstract

Systems, methods and Computer readable media for providing or managing or using voicemails are described. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, at a first data processing system, data representing an expiration time of a voicemail left for a user of the first data processing system and storing the data representing the expiration time for later use by the first data processing system. Systems, media, and other methods are also described.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method comprising:

displaying, on a telephone device, a user interface presenting a list including a plurality of voicemails;

receiving, by the telephone device, a first selection within the displayed list, the first selection selecting a first voicemail from the plurality of voicemails;

establishing a first Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) connection between the telephone device and a voicemail server to download the first voicemail in response to the first selection of the first voicemail, wherein the first voicemail is downloaded in portions along with identifiers that indicate how each portion fits within an entire time sequence of the first voicemail;

receiving, by the telephone device while the first voicemail is being downloaded, a second selection within the displayed list, the second selection selecting a second voicemail from the plurality of voicemails;

establishing a second HTTP connection between the telephone device and the voicemail server to download or receive, as streaming media, the second voicemail and terminating the first HTTP connection in response to the second selection of the second voicemail while the first voicemail is being downloaded, wherein the first HTTP connection is terminated after receiving a first portion of the first voicemail and before receiving a second portion of the first voicemail; and

reestablishing the first HTTP connection to resume the download of the first voicemail with the second portion, wherein reestablishing the first HTTP connection terminates the second HTTP connection or occurs after the second HTTP connection has been terminated.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the voicemail server records voicemails for customers of a public wireless cellular telephone carrier.

3. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions which when executed cause a system to perform a method comprising:

displaying, on a telephone device, a user interface presenting a list including a plurality of voicemails;

receiving, by the telephone device, a first selection within the displayed list, the first selection selecting a first voicemail from the plurality of voicemails;

establishing a first HTTP connection between the telephone device and a voicemail server to download the first voicemail in response to the first selection of the first voicemail, wherein the first voicemail is downloaded in portions along with identifiers that indicate how each portion fits within an entire time sequence of the first voicemail;

receiving, by the telephone device while the first voicemail is being downloaded, a second selection within the displayed list, the second selection selecting a second voicemail from the plurality of voicemails;

establishing a second HTTP connection between the telephone device and the voicemail server to download or receive, as streaming media, the second voicemail and terminating the first HTTP connection in response to the second selection of the second voicemail while the first voicemail is being downloaded, wherein the first HTTP connection is terminated after receiving a first portion of the first voicemail and before receiving a second portion of the first voicemail; and

reestablishing the first HTTP connection to resume the download of the first voicemail with the second portion, wherein reestablishing the first HTTP connection terminates the second HTTP connection or occurs after the second HTTP connection has been terminated.

4. The medium as in claim 3, wherein the voicemail server records voicemails for customers of a public wireless cellular telephone carrier.

5. A telephone device comprising:

a processor, wherein the processor is configured to

cause a user interface to present a list including a plurality of voicemails to be displayed;

receive a first selection within the displayed list, the first selection selecting first voicemail from the plurality of voicemails;

establish a first HTTP connection between the telephone device and a voicemail server to download the first voicemail in response to the first selection of the first voicemail, wherein the first voicemail is downloaded in portions along with identifiers that indicate how each portion fits within an entire time sequence of the first voicemail;

receive, while the first voicemail is being downloaded, a second selection within the displayed list, the second selection selecting a second voicemail from the plurality of voicemails;

establish a second HTTP connection between the telephone device and the voicemail server to download or receive, as streaming media, the second voicemail and terminating the first HTTP connection in response to the second selection of the second voicemail while the first voicemail is being downloaded, wherein the first HTTP connection is terminated after receiving a first portion of the first voicemail and before receiving a second portion of the first voicemail; and

reestablish the first HTTP connection to resume the download of the first voicemail with the second portion, wherein reestablishing the first HTTP connection terminates the second HTTP connection or occurs after the second HTTP connection has been terminated.