WO2010050894A1

WO2010050894A1 - System and method for providing a voicemail service

Info

Publication number: WO2010050894A1
Application number: PCT/SG2008/000418
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hari Krishna Garg
Original assignee: Globalroam Pte Ltd
Priority date: 2008-10-31
Filing date: 2008-10-31
Publication date: 2010-05-06

Abstract

A system and method for providing a voicemail service as well as a computer readable data storage medium having stored thereon computer code means for instructing a computer to execute a method for providing a voicemail service. The method of providing a voicemail service by a voicemail system, comprising the steps of receiving a voicemail from a caller; and allocating one of pre-defined plurality of voicemail access numbers to the voicemail; wherein the pre-defined plurality of voicemail access numbers are associated with a same callee based on a callee's caller ID.

Description

System and Method for Providing a Voicemail Service

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates broadly to a system and method for providing a voicemail service as well as a computer readable data storage medium having stored thereon computer code means for instructing a computer to execute a method for providing a voicemail service.

BACKGROUND

Technological advancements in recent times, particularly in the areas of mobile networking technologies, have made telecommunication services readily available to the mass market at affordable rates. In their efforts to gain a competitive edge over their rivals, telecommunication service providers have since evolved to provide additional services beyond the basic phone and text message services. Services such as voice mail, auto-roaming, call-waiting etc., are now commonly available and are seen by consumers as "basic" value-added services. This has led the service providers to provide newer services in their attempts to attract more subscribers to their basic telecommunication services.

In a traditional voice mail system (TVMS), a caller C calls a voice mail subscriber at phone number M. If the voice mail subscriber does not take the call, it then goes to the TVMS where the caller is asked to leave a voice mail for the voice mail subscriber.

The voice mail is then stored on the system for future retrieval by the voice mail subscriber. The voice mail subscriber with the phone number M then calls the TVMS at a pre-determined number to listen to & manage all the voice mails left by all the callers for him when he could not take the calls. However, such a traditional voice mail system may not be able to satisfy the needs of a modern day user. The modern day user may demand much more than just being able to retrieve a voice mail from a voice mail system.

Therefore, there exists a need to provide a system and method for communication services to address one or more of the problems mentioned above.

SUMMARY

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing a voicemail service by a voicemail system, comprising the steps of receiving a voicemail from a caller; and allocating one of pre-defined plurality of voicemail access numbers to the voicemail; wherein the pre-defined plurality of voicemail access numbers are associated with a same callee based on a callee's caller ID.

The pre-defined plurality of voicemail access numbers may be associated with the caller's caller ID.

The method may further comprise determining a priority of the voicemail left by the caller; and allocating the one of pre-defined plurality of voicemail access numbers to the voicemail based on the determined priority.

The method may further comprise the step of re-allocating voicemail access numbers to a plurality of other voicemails already present in the system.

Determining the priority of the voicemail may be based on a chronological order of the voicemail in relation to the other voicemails already present in the system, such that the earliest received voicemail is given the highest priority.

Determining the priority of the voicemail may be based on an associated priority value input by the caller. The associated priority value may comprise any one of "low", "medium" and "high". .

The method may further comprise inhibiting re-allocation of one of the other voicemails already present in the system based on user input by the callee.

The method may further comprise, assigning a new voicemail access number to an allocated voicemail based on user input by the callee, such that the voicemail is accessible via the new voicemail access number. " .

The method may further comprise providing the voicemail in response to receiving a call from the callee from the callee's caller ID to said one allocated voicemail access number.

The method may further comprise navigating through voice messages under different allocated voicemail access numbers in response to user input by the callee.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for providing a voicemail service comprising means for receiving a voicemail from a caller; and means for allocating one of pre-defined plurality of voicemail access numbers to the voicemail; wherein the pre-defined plurality of voicemail access numbers are associated with a same callee based on a callee's caller ID.

The pre-defined plurality of voicemail access numbers may be associated with the caller's caller ID. ^•

The system may further comprise means for determining a priority of the voicemail left by the caller; and means for allocating the one of pre-defined plurality of voicemail access numbers to the voicemail based on the determined priority.

The system may further comprise means for re-allocating voicemail access numbers to a plurality of other voicemails already present in the system. The priority of the voicemail may be based on a chronological order of the voicemail in relation to the other voicemails already present in the system, such that the earliest received voicemail is given the highest priority.

The priority of the voicemail may be. based on an associated priority value input by the caller.

The associated priority value may comprise any one of "low", "medium" and "high".

The system may further comprise means for inhibiting re-allocation of one of the other voicemails already present in the system based on user input by the callee.

The system may further comprise means for assigning a new voicemail access number to an allocated voicemail based on user input by the callee, such that the voicemail is accessible via the new voicemail access number.

The system may further comprise means for providing the voicemail in response to receiving a call from the callee from the callee's caller ID to said one allocated voicemail access number.

The system may further comprise means for navigating through voice messages under different allocated voicemail access numbers in response to user input by the callee.

In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a data medium having stored thereon computer code means for instructing a computer to execute a method of providing a voicemail service by a. voicemail system, comprising the steps of receiving a voicemail from a caller; and allocating one of pre-defined plurality of voicemail access numbers to the voicemail; wherein the predefined plurality of voicemail access numbers are associated with a same callee based on a callee's caller ID! BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will be better understood and readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from the following written description, by way of example only, and in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates an example embodiment of the Voice Mail Management System (VMS).

Figure 2 shows a flow chart illustrating the steps taken by the VMS when a new voice mail arrives.

Figure 3 illustrates the process of allocating access numbers to each of the voicemails employed by the VMS.

Figure 4 shows a flow chart for voice mail retrieval in the VMS.

Figure 5 shows a flow chart illustrating the method of providing a voicemail service.

Figure 6 shows the method and system of the example embodiment implemented on a computer system.

Figure 7 shows the method and system of the example embodiment implemented on a wireless device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Some portions of the description which follows are explicitly or implicitly presented in terms of algorithms and functional or symbolic representations of operations on data within a computer memory. These algorithmic descriptions and functional or symbolic representations are the means used by those skilled in the data processing arts to convey most effectively the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. An algorithm is here, and generally, conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of steps leading to a desired result. The steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities, such as electrical, magnetic or optical signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, and as apparent from the following, it will be appreciated that throughout the present specification, discussions utilizing terms such as "contacting", "determining", "dialing", "generating", "retrieving", "outputting", "playing", or the like, refer to the action and processes of a computer system, or similar electronic device, that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical quantities within the computer system into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer system or other information storage, transmission or display devices.

The present specification also discloses apparatus for performing the operations of the methods. Such apparatus may be specially constructed for the required purposes, or may comprise a general purpose computer or other device selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer. The algorithms and displays presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus. Various general purpose machines may be used with programs in accordance with the teachings herein. Alternatively, the construction of more specialized apparatus to perform the required method steps may be appropriate. The structure of a conventional general purpose computer will appear from the description below.

In addition, the present specification also implicitly discloses a computer program, in that it would be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the individual steps of the method described herein may be put into effect by computer code. The computer program is not intended to be limited to any particular programming language and implementation thereof. It will be appreciated that a variety of programming languages and coding thereof may be used to implement the teachings of the disclosure contained herein. Moreover, the computer program is not intended to be limited to any particular control flow. There are many other variants of the computer program, which can use different control flows without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Furthermore, one or more of the steps of the computer program may be performed in parallel rather than sequentially. Such a computer program may be stored on any computer readable medium. The computer readable medium may include storage devices such as magnetic or optical disks, memory chips, or other storage

5 devices suitable for interfacing with a general purpose computer. The computer readable medium may also include a hard-wired medium such as exemplified in the Internet system, or wireless,.medium such as exemplified in the GSM mobile telephone system.

The computer program when loaded and executed on such a general-purpose computer effectively results in an apparatus that implements the steps of the preferred method.

10

Figure 1 illustrates an example embodiment of the enhanced Voice Mail Management System (VMS) 106. The example embodiment is designed to enable a subscriber to retrieve his voice mails in a timely and efficient manner.

15. In this example embodiment, a mobile subscriber or user 102 with mobile phone number M is subscribed to the voice mail service provided by the telecommunication service provider via the VMS 106. In this example embodiment, the VMS 106 allocates a hundred voicemail access numbers e.g P1 , P2, ..., P100 to the user / subscriber 102 and allows up to a maximum of a e.g hundred voice-^mail to be retrieved directly by the

20 subscriber 102. By dialling any one of these hundred voicemail access numbers P1 , P2, ... P100, directly, the subscriber 102 may access the voice mail directly.

The subscriber 102 may then decide a list of "priority friends", whose voice mail messages the subscriber 102 deems important or frequent enough to utilise the

25 enhanced VMS 106 to manage. their voice mails with. For example, the subscriber 102 may feel that he has ten such friends each with their own unique telephone numbers. Therefore, he may allocate ten voicemail access numbers to each of the ten unique telephone numbers. Alternatively he may choose to allocate just five voicemail access numbers to each of twenty designated "priority friends". Further, while the example

30 embodiment describes one hundred voicemail box retrieval numbers distributed among ten callers (friends), it will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that any number of voicemail access numbers or callers may similarly be applied. The caller-IDs of his ten designated friends e.g. C1 , C2, ..., C10 are registered with the VMS 106. As described earlier, these ten callers may be designated by the subscriber 102 according to their importance to the subscriber 102. The subscriber 102 then allocates VMS access numbers (PL... P100) to each of his designated callers or he may request the VMS 106 to allocate them on his behalf. For example, in one scenario the VMS 106 allocates numbers P1-P10 for C1 , P11-P20 for C2, and so on.

In the example embodiment, the mobile subscriber 102 can also specify a priority scheme, for the voicemail left by each of the callers C1, C2, ... , C10. A priority scheme can be one where the latest voice mail is accorded the highest priority. Other priority schemes may also be offered and some examples of possible priority are described as follows:

1. First in First Out: In such a scheme, the importance of a voice mail message from a particular caller e.g. C1 is determined based on the chronological order of the receipt of the voice mail with the earliest recorded voicemail deemed the most important. In such a scheme, the system 106, which has allocated P1-P10 to the caller C1 , assigns the earliest received voicemail from C1 to P1. Subsequent voicemails would then be assigned P2, P3... and so on. In the event, the number of allocated voicemail access numbers have been exceeded, i.e. C1 has left more than ten voicemails on the system 106, the system 106 may choose to delete the first mail, or simply route the extra voicemails to a traditional voice mail server which does not provide the features described in the example embodiments.

2. Caller Defined: In such a scheme, the caller C1 when leaving a voicemail, is prompted by the system 106 to enter the associated priority value / importance rank e.g. low, medium and high, to the voicemail. The system 106 can then assign and reshuffle the associated voicemail access numbers (P1... P10) for each voicemail. For example, suppose caller C1 has left 2 "High" importance voicemails, 1 "medium" importance voicemail, and 4 "low" importance voicemails. Therefore, the system 106 could assign P1 and P2 to the first two "high" importance voicemails, P3 to the one "low" importance voicemail, and P4 to P7 to the four "low" importance voicemails. Among the same importance ranked . voicemails, the first in first out priority scheme could be utilised.

Therefore, should C1 now leave another "medium" importance voicemail to the VMS 106, the "low" importance voicemails previously accessed via P4 to P7 would now be accessed via P5 to P8. P4 would then provide access to the new "medium" importance voicemail.

3. User Overrides: This scheme can be used in conjunction with any one of the other priority schemes. In such a scheme, the user 102, upon retrieval of a voicemail, may decide to allocate a particular voicemail access number to the voicemail. For example, suppose the user goes through his voicemails accessed via P1 to P8 and decides to keep the voicemail associated with P3. Voicemail in access number P3 may then be blocked from being overwritten or moved. Alternatively, the user could choose to move the voicemail to be accessible via another access number e.g. P88 for convenience.

The voicemail would then be left on the system to be accessed via P88.

Figure 2 shows a flow chart illustrating the steps taken by the VMS when a new voice mail arrives according to an example embodiment. At step 202, a new voice mail from phone number C to the subscriber S is received. At step 204, the NVMS determines if C is one of the "priority callers" C1, C2, ... C10. If it is not one of the

"priority callers", the VMS stores the voicemail in the traditional voice mail system. If C is one of the "priority callers", the VMS performs step 206. Assuming caller C is priority caller C1 and a new voice mail is left by C1 for the mobile subscriber S. At step 206, the

VMS allocates voicemail access numbers to each of the voicemails, including the old voicemails presently in the system and the new voicemail. Figure 3 illustrates the process of allocating access numbers to each of the voicemails employed by the VMS. At step 302, the VMS considers all the voice mails in the VMS left for the subscriber S by the caller, e.g. C1 (including the new voicemail). At step 304, the priority of each voicemail is worked out. At step 306, the designated access numbers for the voicemails from C1 for S is determined. At step 308, the highest priority voicemail from C1 is allocated to the first VMS access number e.g. P1. At step 310, the next highest priority voicemail is allocated access number P2. This step is repeated until all the voice mails from C1 for S in the VMS are allocated.

Figure 4 shows a flow chart for voice mail retrieval in the VMS. At step 402, the subscriber S calls the NVMS at P1. At step 404, the VMS identifies the subscriber's phone number (via the caller-ID or some other means) M to determine and subsequently retrieve and play, at step 406, the highest priority voice mail left by C1 for the subscriber. Similarly, the subscriber S can call the VMS anytime at P2 and the VMS will determine, retrieve and play the next priority voice mail left by C1 for the subscriber S (Steps 402 to 406). At step 408, the subscriber S is provided with more options such as listening to the next message, replaying the current message, or voice mail deletion. If a voice-mail is deleted, step 410 is executed and the VMS re-allocates the remaining voice-mails to the NVMS numbers for the subscriber S with mobile number M according to the predetermined priority scheme specified by the subscriber S. The re-allocation process can be the same as the allocation process described in Figure 3.

In the example embodiments, it has been described that a "priority caller" is identified by his caller-ID. It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the VMS may identify the "priority caller" by more than one caller-ID. For example, the "priority caller" may have a home, mobile, and office telephone numbers. Therefore, the subscriber may register all three known caller-IDs with the VMS. This would allow the same "priority caller" to be identifiable, regardless of the caller-ID of the phone they are calling from.

Figure 5 shows a flow chart .500 illustrating the method of providing a voicemail service by a voicemail system. At step 502, a voicemail is received from a caller. At step 504, one of pre-defined plurality of voicemail access numbers is allocated to the voicemail; wherein the pre-defined plurality of voicemail access numbers are associated with a same callee based on a callee's caller ID.

The method and system of the example embodiment can be implemented on a computer system 600, schematically shown in Figure 6. It may be implemented as software, such as a computer program being executed within the computer system

600, and instructing the computer system 600 to conduct the method of the example embodiment.

The computer system 600 comprises a computer module 602, input modules such as a keyboard 604 and mouse 606 and a plurality of output devices such as a display 608, and printer 610.

The computer module 602 is connected to a computer network 612 via a suitable transceiver device 614, to enable access to e.g. the Internet or other network systems such as Local Area Network (LAN) or Wide Area Network (WAN).

The computer module 602 in the example includes a processor 618, a

Random Access Memory (RAM) 620 and a Read Only Memory (ROM) 622. The computer module 602 also includes a number of Input/Output (I/O) interfaces, for example I/O interface 624 to the display 608, and I/O interface 626 to the keyboard

604.

The components of the computer module 602 typically communicate via an interconnected bus 628 and in a manner known to the person skilled in the relevant art. ^•

The application program is typically supplied to the user of the computer system 600. encoded on a data storage medium such as a CD-ROM or flash memory carrier and read utilising a corresponding data storage medium drive of a data storage device 630. The application program is read and controlled in its execution by the processor 618. Intermediate storage of program data maybe accomplished using RAM 620. The method of the current arrangement can be implemented on a wireless device 700, schematically shown in Figure 7. It may be implemented as software, such as a computer program being executed within the wireless device 700, and instructing the wireless device 700 to conduct the method.

The wireless device 700 comprises a processor module 702, an input module such as a keypad 704 and an output module such as a display 706.

The processor module 702 is connected to a wireless network 708 via a suitable transceiver device 710, to enable wireless communication and/or access to e.g. the Internet or other network systems such as Local Area Network (LAN), Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) or Wide Area Network (WAN).

The processor module 702 in the example includes a processor 712, a Random Access Memory (RAM) 714 and a Read Only Memory (ROM) 716. The processor module 702 also includes a number of Input/Output (I/O) interfaces, for example I/O interface 718 to the display 706, and I/O interface 720 to the keypad

704.

The components of the processor module 702 typically communicate via an interconnected bus 722 and in a manner known to the person skilled in the relevant art.

The application program is typically supplied to the user of the wireless device 700 encoded on a data storage medium such as a flash memory module or memory card/stick and read utilising a corresponding memory reader-writer of a data storage device 724. The application program is read and controlled in its execution by the processor 712. Intermediate storage of program data may be accomplished using RAM 714.

It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the present invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

1. A method of providing a voicemail service by a voicemail system, comprising the steps of receiving a voicemail from a caller; and allocating one of pre-defined plurality of voicemail access numbers to the voicemail; wherein the pre-defined plurality of voicemail access numbers are associated with a same callee based on a callee's caller ID.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pre-defined plurality of voicemail access numbers is associated with the caller's caller ID.

3. The method as claimed in claims 1 or 2, further comprising determining a priority of the voicemail left by the caller; and . allocating the one of pre-defined plurality of voicemail access numbers to the voicemail based on the determined priority.

4. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprises the step of re-allocating voicemail access numbers to a plurality of other voicemails already present in the system.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein determining the priority of the voicemail is based on a chronological order of the voicemail in relation to the other voicemails already present in the system, such that the earliest received voicemail is given the highest priority.

6. The method as claimed in any one of claims 3 or 4, wherein determining the priority of the voicemail is based on an associated priority value input by the caller.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the associated priority value comprises any one of "low", "medium" and "high".

8. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising inhibiting re- allocation of one of the other voicemails already present in the system based on user input by the callee.

9. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising assigning a new voicemail access number to an allocated voicemail based on user input by the callee, such that the voicemail is accessible via the new voicemail access number.

10. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising providing the voicemail in response to receiving a call from the callee from the callee's caller ID to said one allocated voicemail access number.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising navigating through voice messages under different allocated voicemaii access numbers in response to user input by the callee.

12. A system for providing a voicemail service comprising means for receiving a voicemail from a caller; and means for allocating one of pre-defined plurality of voicemail access numbers to the voicemail; wherein the pre-defined plurality of voicemail access numbers are associated with a same callee based on a callee's caller ID.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the pre-defined plurality of voicemail access numbers is associated with the caller's caller ID.

14. The system as claimed in claims 12 or 13, further comprising means for determining a priority of the voicemail left by the caller; and means for allocating the one of pre-defined plurality of voicemail access numbers to the voicemail based on the determined priority.

15. The system as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 14, further comprising means for re-allocating voicemail access numbers to a plurality of other voicemails already present in the system.

16. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the priority of the voicemail is based on a chronological order of the voicemail in relation to the other voicemails already present in the system, such that the earliest received voicemail is given the highest priority.

17. The system as claimed in any one of claims 14 or 15, wherein the priority of the voicemail is based on an associated priority value input by the caller.

18. The system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the associated priority value comprises any one of "low", "medium" and "high".

19. The system as claimed in claim 15, further comprising means for inhibiting re-allocation of one of the other voicemails already present in the system based on user input by the callee!

20. The system as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 19, further comprising means for assigning a new voicemail access number to an allocated voicemail based on user input by the callee,, such that the voicemail is accessible via the new voicemail access number.

21. The system as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 20, further comprising means for providing the voicemail in response to receiving a call from the callee from the callee's caller ID to said one allocated voicemail access number.

22. The system as claimed in claim 21, further comprising means for navigating through voice messages under different allocated voicemail access numbers in response to user input by the callee.

23. A data medium having stored thereon computer code means for instructing a computer to execute a method of providing a voicemail service by a voicemail system, comprising the steps of receiving a voicemail from a caller; and allocating one of pre-defined plurality of voicemail access numbers to the voicemail; wherein the pre-defined plurality of voicemail access numbers are associated with a same callee based on a callee's caller ID.