Method and apparatus for providing virtual messaging

• US 8,885,801 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2010
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genband US LLC (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Genband US LLC (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: McCarthy, Robert, Ittner, David, Einbinder, Saul, McCarthy, Michael, Frisch, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): ISLAM, MOHAMMAD K
• Application Number:
  US12/910,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20110200180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,481 Days
• Field of Search: 379 8811- 8825, 379/211.02, 455/412.2, 455/413
• US Class Current: 379/88.25
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message

Abstract

A method and apparatus of providing virtual messaging is provided. The method comprises examining status information associated with a plurality of servers for notifying call recipients of messages using at least one messaging protocol, wherein each of the plurality of servers operates independently, identifying an available server of the plurality of servers, based on the status information, for handling a message and directing an incoming call to the available server, wherein the available server stores the message until communication of the message to at least one call recipient, wherein the available server communicates at least one notification message associated with the message to at least one telephone number of the at least one call recipient, wherein the at least one notification message comprises a telephone number associated with the call origination device and a message link number for communicating with the available server.

Claims

1. A method of providing boxless virtual messaging, comprising:

processing an incoming call for at least one call recipient;

examining status information associated with a plurality of servers for notifying call recipients of voice messages using at least one messaging protocol, wherein each of the plurality of servers operates independently;

identifying an available server of the plurality of servers, based on the status information, for boxless handling of a voice message for the incoming call; and

directing the incoming call to the available server, wherein the available server stores the voice message until communication of the voice message to at least one call recipient, wherein the available server communicates at least one notification message associated with the voice message to at least one telephone number of the at least one call recipient, wherein the at least one notification message comprises a telephone number associated with the call origination device and a unique message link number assigned to identify the voice message and for communicating with the available server, wherein the available server uses the unique message link number and the telephone number of the call recipient to identify the voice message upon retrieval by the at least one call recipient dialing the unique message link number and, wherein the available server translates at least a portion of the voice message into a text message that is communicated to the at least one call recipient.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising duplicating account information for the at least one call recipient amongst the plurality of servers.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising in response to at least one of a lack of available servers or a voice message volume increase, configuring an idle server to be the available server for notifying the at least one call recipient of the voice message associated with incoming call.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the available server communicates the voice message to the at least one telephone number of the at least one call recipient upon dialing the unique message link number by the at least one call recipient.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising in response to a hardware failure affecting communications with the available server, selecting another available server amongst the plurality of servers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the available server deletes the message and call information after playing the voice message for the at least one call recipient.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the available server further comprises selecting the available server having a highest available capacity for handling the voice message amongst the plurality of servers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the available server sends a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) via the messaging protocol to facilitate retrieval of the voice message.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining a type of notification message based on a recipient account, that is selected from at least one of:

SMS, MMS, email, or a URL.

10. A system for providing virtual messaging, comprising:

a plurality of servers for notifying a plurality of call recipients of a plurality of voice messages using at least one messaging protocol, wherein each server operates independently and comprises;

boxless virtual messaging software for creating voice message records for the plurality of voice messages and deleting the voice message records and the plurality of voice messages after communicating the plurality of voice messages to the call recipients and communicating a plurality of notification messages associated with the plurality of voice messages to a plurality of telephone numbers of the plurality of recipients, wherein each notification message comprises a telephone number associated with the call origination device and a unique message link number for communicating with the available server, wherein the available server uses the unique message link number and each telephone number of each call recipient to identify each voice message upon retrieval by each of the plurality of recipients dialing the unique message link number and wherein the available server translates at least a portion of the voice message into a text message that is communicated to the at least one call recipient.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the virtual messaging software assigns message link numbers to the plurality of messages, wherein the message link numbers are communicated to the call recipients.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the boxless virtual voice messaging software deletes each message after playing each voice message to the corresponding call recipient.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one server is added to the plurality of servers based on the status information and receives at least a portion of the plurality of voice messages.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the status information indicates at least one of a voice message volume increase or a lack of available servers amongst the plurality of available servers.

15. The system of claim 10 further comprising a switch, comprising:

routing software for notifying the plurality of call recipients of the plurality of voice messages using at least one messaging protocol, wherein the plurality of servers are independent of a mobile subscriber service, wherein the routing software selects at least one server of the plurality of servers based on status information, wherein the status information indicates an available capacity for each of the plurality of servers and communicates the plurality of voice messages to at least one server.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the routing software configures an idle server to receive at least a portion of the plurality of voice messages in response to at least one of:

a voice message volume increase or a lack of available servers amongst the plurality of servers.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein for each incoming call, the routing software selects a server having a highest available capacity amongst the plurality of servers.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the routing software selects another server of the at least one server in response to a hardware failure affecting communications with the selected server.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising one or more processor executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform a method comprising:

processing an incoming call for at least one call recipient;

examining status information associated with a plurality of servers for notifying call recipients of voice messages using at least one messaging protocol, wherein each of the plurality of servers operates independently;

identifying an available server of the plurality of servers, based on the status information, for boxless handling of a voice message for the incoming call; and

directing the incoming call to the available server, wherein the available server stores the voice message until communication of the voice message to at least one call recipient, wherein the available server communicates at least one notification message associated with the voice message to at least one telephone number of the at least one call recipient, wherein the at least one notification message comprises a telephone number associated with the call origination device and a unique message link number assigned to identify the voice message and for communicating with the available server, wherein the available server uses the unique message link number and the telephone number of the call recipient to identify the voice message upon retrieval by the at least one call recipient dialing the unique message link number and, wherein the available server translates at least a portion of the voice message into a text message that is communicated to the at least one call recipient.

20. A method of providing boxless virtual video messaging, comprising:

processing an incoming video call for at least one video call recipient;

examining status information associated with a plurality of servers for notifying video call recipients of video messages using at least one messaging protocol, wherein each of the plurality of servers operates independently;

identifying an available server of the plurality of servers, based on the status information, for boxless handling of a video message for the incoming video call; and

directing the incoming video call to the available server, wherein the available server stores the video message until communication of the video message to at least one video call recipient, wherein the available server communicates at least one notification message associated with the video message to at least one telephone number of the at least one video call recipient, wherein the at least one notification message comprises a telephone number associated with the video call origination device and a unique message link number assigned to identify the video message and for communicating with the available server, wherein the available server uses the unique message link number and the telephone number of the video call recipient to identify the video message upon retrieval by the at least one video call recipient dialing the unique message link number and, wherein the available server translates at least a portion of the video message into a text message that is communicated to the at least one video call recipient.