Abstract:
A web messaging system allows a subscriber to receive messages from a wide variety of multimedia sources. If a caller attempts to contact a subscriber but the subscriber is unavailable, the system will record the message in digital format, generate a web page and password, and send a web page identification and password to the subscriber via a paging medium. The subscriber can then access the web page, enter the password, and retrieve the message.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     This invention relates to sending and retrieving multimedia messages. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Multimedia services have become increasingly popular. Video, e-mail and facsimiles, for example, are just a few of the wide range of multimedia services available. Thus, sending and retrieving multimedial messages are desirable for all forms of telecommunication. However, not all types of telephones, computers, and other electronic equipment are capable of handling every variety of multimedia available. 
     Since not all electronic equipment is capable of handling multimedia services, sending and retrieving multimedia messages over telephone lines such as long distance lines, for example, may be impractical or even impossible. In addition, the cost of long distance service in order to send and retrieve these messages may be prohibitive. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention provides a system that includes a method and apparatus for sending and retrieving multimedia messages. When one party attempts to contact another party, but that party is unavailable, the system records the message in digital format. After the message is recorded, the system creates a web page, secures it with a password, preferably a random password, and sends an identification of the web page and the password to the recipient via a paging system, for example, or, alternatively, leaves a voice mail message with the information at a specified location. The called party can then access the web, enter the password, and view the message that was left. 
     The invention provides flexibility so that the message may be sent over the Internet, for example. Alternatively, the current telecom company can also participate, using current phone lines and equipment. In addition, instead of accessing a mailbox which requires permission from a subscriber, the system can create a web page that is accessible to any web server. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention is described in detail with reference to the following drawings, wherein like numerals represent like elements, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary web message system; 
     FIG. 2 is a specific example of the web message system shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the outputs of the web messaging device; 
     FIG. 4 is an illustration of a sample web page; 
     FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the web messaging device; 
     FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating sample subscriber profile information for the web messaging device; and 
     FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the web messaging process. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a web message system  100  that includes a communications network  130  connected to several communication terminals  140 ,  150  and  160 . The communication terminals  140 ,  150  and  160  may represent telephone stations, personal computers, or any other device which may send and receive communications. The communications network  130  is also coupled to a web messaging device  110 . When distributed, servers of the communications network  130  interface with the terminals  140 ,  150  and  160  and serve as control units of the web messaging device  110  performing all of its functions. For the following description, the web messaging device  110  is assumed to be centralized for ease of discussion. 
     The web messaging device  110  is connected to a database  120 . The database  120  can be stored on any memory device internal or external to the web messaging device  110 . The web messaging device  110  is coupled to a wireless communications tower, such as pager tower  170  or a mobile base station for cellular phones which provides broadcasting capabilities to wirelessly communicate with portable communication devices, such as a pager  180 . 
     A first party uses the terminal  140  in an attempt to contact (or calls) a second party at the terminal  160 . The terminal  140  calls the terminal  160  through the communications network  130  and the web messaging device  110 . The web messaging device  110  determines if terminal  160  answered the call. If the terminal  160  does not answer the call (e.g., remains on-hook), the web messaging device  110  queries the database  120  to determine whether the second party is a subscriber. If the second party is not a subscriber, the web messaging device  110  connects the terminals  140  and  160  together through the communications network  130  so that features subscribed to by either party may be performed, for example. 
     If the second party is a subscriber, the web messaging device  110  retrieves subscriber profile information from the database  120  and solicits a message from the first party. If the first party decides to leave a message, the message is received by the web messaging device  110  through the communications network  130  and is stored in database  120 . Alternately, an automated message may be generated or simply a notification that the first party called may be provided by the web messaging device  110 , for example. The web messaging device  110  then generates a web page and password. 
     The web messaging device  110  notifies the subscriber (second party) via the method specified in the subscriber profile information stored in database  120 . The subscriber is notified by sending the web page identification of the generated web page and the password to the subscriber via the paging tower  170  and the pager  180 , via a voice mailbox or the computer terminal  150 , in accordance with the subscriber profile information. 
     FIG. 2 shows a specific example of the web message system  100  shown in FIG.  1 . Telephone network  230  is connected to telephone stations  210  and  240  via local exchange carriers  220  and  250 , respectively. The telephone network  230  is also coupled to the web messaging device  110  and terminal  140  through server  280 . 
     The web messaging device  110  is connected to a database  120  and is also coupled to a wireless communications tower, such as pager tower  170  or a mobile base station which provides broadcasting capabilities to wirelessly communicate with portable communication devices, such as a pager  180 . The web messaging device  110  is further connected to the Internet  270 . The Internet  270  is connected to terminals  140  and  150  through servers  280  and  260 , respectively. When a caller, using the telephone station  210 , calls a subscriber at the telephone station  240 , the call is routed through the telephone network  230  and the web messaging device  110 . The web messaging device  110  monitors the terminal  240  to determine whether the subscriber answers the call. If the subscriber does not answer the call (i.e., after a predetermined number of rings), then the web messaging device  110  performs the functions as shown in FIG.  3  and discussed below. 
     If the web messaging device  110  determines that the called party is a subscriber, the web messaging device  110  retrieves the subscriber profile information from the database  120  and solicits the caller to leave a message for the subscriber. The web messaging device  110  receives the message from the caller through telephone network  230  and stores in the message in the database  120 . 
     After receiving the message, the web messaging device  110  generates a web page, as indicated in block  310  of FIG. 3, and a password that correspond to the message and stores them in the database  120 . The web messaging device  110  notifies the subscriber in accordance with the subscriber profile information stored in database  120 . For example, the web messaging device  110  can send the web page identification and the password information to a pager  180  via paging tower  170 . Alternatively, the web messaging device  110  can send the web page identification and password information to a voice mail/answering service connected to telephone station  240 , block  320  of FIG. 3, or directly to the subscriber at telephone station  240 , block  330  of FIG.  3 . The web messaging device  110  can also send the web page identification and the password information to an alternate computer terminal  140 , located in the subscriber&#39;s work or home, for example, through that terminal&#39;s Internet server  280 . 
     A sample web page 400 is shown in FIG.  4 . The web page 400 can be any data network page, such as a World Wide Web (WWW) page, for example. The web page 400 may be generated by any server in the web message device  110 . If the web message device  110  is distributed throughout the Internet  270 , for example, any distributed portion such as an Internet server may generate this web page 400. 
     There are many known methods for creating the web page 400. For example, the web page 400 may be a static web page created when the web messaging device  110  is brought on-line and messages are placed under this static page. The web page also may be generated dynamically following instructions of the subscriber in the subscriber profile. For example, the subscriber may choose a particular graphics display to either attract or repel other parties on the Internet  270 . 
     The password for the web page  400  may be created automatically by using a random number generator, for example, or may be pre-specified by the subscriber in the subscriber profile. The password is associated with the message and access to the message is denied unless the associated password is entered. When a subscriber requests for the message, for example, the web messaging device  110  receives the password and retrieves the message that corresponds to the entered password for delivery to the subscriber. 
     A particular example below shows the web messaging device  10  paging the subscriber with the web page identification and the password information. The pager  180  may read, for example: 
     Message from (123)456-7890@ 
     www.ATT.com (subscriber&#39;s account # and message #) 
     Password: 12345 
     In order to retrieve the message, the subscriber accesses the web page www.ATT.com (subscriber&#39;s account # and message #) and enters the password via computer terminal  150  and server  260 , for example. The web messaging device  110  retrieves the message and sends the message to the computer terminal  150  for display to the subscriber. 
     The web messaging device  110  may also send other information to the subscriber in addition to the web page identification and password. For example, the caller&#39;s number may be recognized by the web messaging device  110  via the caller ID feature, such as Automatic Name Identification (ANI), and the web messaging device  110  may forward the caller&#39;s name, phone number, etc. to the subscriber. 
     FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the web messaging device  110 . The web messaging device  110  may include a controller  530 , a memory  520 , a telephone network interface  540 , an Internet interface  550 , a paging system interface  510  and a database interface  560 . The above-elements of the web messaging device  110  may found as part of a single standalone unit or may be distributed as a part of a local exchange carrier, for example. 
     When a caller calls the subscriber, the call is received by the controller  530  through the telephone network interface  540 . The controller  530  monitors the call using a timer or by counting the number of rings, for example. If the call is not answered by the subscriber before the timer expires, the controller  530  retrieves the subscriber profile information corresponding to the subscriber from either the memory  520  or an external database through the database interface  560 . 
     The controller  530  solicits a message from the caller via telephone network interface  540 . If the caller decides to leave a message for the subscriber, the controller  530  receives the message through communications network interface  540 . The controller  530  digitizes and stores the message in the memory  520  or to the external database through database interface  560 . If the caller does not leave a message, the controller  530  may generate and store an automated message, for example. 
     The controller  530  retrieves the subscriber&#39;s profile from the memory  520  or from the external database through database interface  560 . The controller  530  generates a web page and associates the caller&#39;s message with the generated web page. The controller  530  either generates a password or retrieves a subscriber-selected password from the subscriber&#39;s profile and secures the caller&#39;s message with the password. The web page and the password are stored in memory  520  or in the external database through database interface  560 . 
     The controller  530  retrieves from the subscriber profile the subscriber&#39;s preferred method for notification. For example, if the subscriber profile indicates that paging is the preferred method, the controller  530  pages the subscriber sending the web page identification and the password through the paging system interface  510 . Alternatively, the web page identification and the password may be sent to the subscriber&#39;s voice mailbox through telephone interface  540 , or to an alternate computer terminal via Internet interface  550 . 
     FIG. 6 illustrates a sample of the subscriber profile information  600  which may be stored in database  120 . For example, the subscriber profile  600  may include the subscriber&#39;s ID number  602 , a number of contact preferences  604 - 606  which are methods by which the user wishes to have the web page identification and the password communicated, such as by pager, voice mail, etc. 
     In this manner, a subscriber can give the web messaging device  110  several customized options on how the subscriber may be notified so that vital messages will not be missed or delayed. The controller  530  will attempt to notify a subscriber with the web page identification and password by a first preferred method  604  (paging, for example) and if the subscriber does not respond within a predetermined time period, the controller  530  will attempt to notify the subscriber by a second preferred method  606  (voice mail, for example). If the controller  530  is not successful in leaving the web page identification and the password for the subscriber, the caller is notified that the subscriber could not be notified and that the message was not left. The controller  530  would then discard the message. 
     For example, if the contact preference #1  604  is paging and the contact performance #2  606  is voice mail, the web messaging device  110  first pages the subscriber. If the subscriber does not respond within a predetermined time, the web messaging device  110  leaves a voice mail message. However, if voice mail is does not answer, the caller is notified by the web messaging device  110  that the subscriber was not reached and that no message was left. 
     In addition, the subscriber profile  600  may include personalized passwords  608  to secure the message. Thus, the subscriber may have the freedom to select passwords because they are easy to remember, or they assist the subscriber in easily identifying particular messages, for example. 
     FIG. 7 is a flowchart describing the web messaging device process. At step S 705 , the controller  530  receives a call for the subscriber and goes to step S 710 . At step S 710 , the controller  530  calls the subscriber and goes to step S 715 . At step S 715 , if the subscriber answers, the controller  530  goes to step S 720 ; otherwise, the controller  530  goes to step S 725 . At step S 720 , the controller  530  connects the caller with the subscriber and goes to step S 765  and ends. 
     At step S 725 , the controller  530  informs the caller that the subscriber is not available by outputting a message, for example, prompts the caller to leave a message, and goes to step S 730 . At step S 730 , the controller  530  determines whether the caller left a message. If the caller did not leave a message, the controller  530  generates a message and jumps to step S 745 . If the controller  530  determines that the caller left a message, the controller  530  records, digitizes and stores the caller&#39;s message in the memory  520  or in the external database via the database interface  560  and goes to step S 745 . At step, S 745 , the controller  530  retrieves the subscriber&#39;s profile and goes to step S 750 . 
     At step S 750 , the controller  530  creates a web page and goes to step S 755 . At step S 755 , the controller  530  secures the message with a password and goes to step S 760 . At step S 760 , the controller  530  notifies the subscriber of the web page identification and password based on the subscriber&#39;s profile retrieved at step S 745 , via a pager, for example, and goes to step S 765  and ends. 
     The web messaging device  110  may be implemented on a programmed general purpose computer. However, the web messaging device  110  may also be implemented on a special purpose computer, a programmed microprocessor or microcontroller and peripheral integrated circuit elements, and Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC) or other integrated circuits, a hardwired electronic or logic circuit, such as a discrete element circuit, a programmable logic device such as a PLD, PLA, FGPA, or PAL, or the like. Furthermore, the functions of the web messaging device  110  may be performed by a standalone unit or distributed throughout the communications network  130 . In general, any device with a finite state machine capable of performing the functions of a web messaging device  110 , as described herein, can be implemented. 
     While this invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, preferred embodiments of the invention as set forth herein are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the following claims.