Patent ID: 7864930
Filing Date: 2011-01-04
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
1. A method for execution by a system comprising a voice message taking entity (VMTE) and a contact information server (CIS), the method comprising: one of the VMTE and the CIS taking a voice message from a calling party for an owner of a mailbox; one of the VMTE and the CIS receiving an originating address associated with the calling party; one of the VMTE and the CIS accessing a database of records associated with respective potential calling parties, each of the records in the database comprising a respective originating address field and a respective contact information field, the originating address field of the record associated with a given potential calling party containing an originating address associated with the given potential calling party and the contact information field of the record associated with the given potential calling party containing an alternative address at which the given potential calling party is contactable, the alternative address being different from the originating address associated with the given potential calling party, the alternative address having been obtained during a prior registration phase involving the given potential calling party; wherein accessing the database of records comprises attempting to identify a particular record in the database for which the originating address contained in the respective originating address field corresponds to the originating address associated with the calling party; responsive to successful identification of a particular record in the database for which the originating address contained in the respective originating address field matches the originating address associated with the calling party, one of the VMTE and the CIS retrieving the alternative address contained in the contact information field of the particular record; one of the VMTE and the CIS delivering the retrieved alternative address to the owner of the mailbox; wherein delivering the retrieved alternative address to the owner of the mailbox comprises sending a message indicative of the alternative address to a particular address learned during interaction with the owner of the mailbox.