Abstract:
To relieve a user of a first fixed or mobile terminal from consulting messages deposited in a voicemail server, the voicemail server notifies the first terminal of the presence of a deposited message associated with the identifier of a second terminal, immediately after off-hooking and transmission of the identifier. The message is transmitted to the first terminal only if the user wishes to listen to it so as to decide whether or not to hold the call to the second terminal. Otherwise, it proceeds with the setting up of the call to the second terminal.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application is a continuation of the PCT International Application No. PCT/FR01/01463 filed on May 15, 2001, which is based on the French Application No. 00-06720 filed on May 23, 2000. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a method of notifying a user to whom a message is addressed, of the depositing of the message in an electronic mail service of a telecommunication network, such as a switched telephone network or a radiotelephony network. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   Servers for notifying deposited messages are at present designed so that notifications are transmitted either periodically, or as soon as a first user comes off-hook, to the first user terminal for which the messages are intended, to indicate to the first user that he has received messages. 
   If the first user has received a large number of messages, for example during a long absence, the message notification service does not offer the facility to identify among all the messages those which originate from a second user. The first user must listen sequentially to the new messages that have been deposited in the mail service during his absence until he reaches the messages deposited by the second user. 
   If the first user wishes to communicate quickly with the second user, without listening to all the deposited messages, or after listening to only some of them, the first user calls the second user, taking the risk of not knowing information that the second user may have transmitted him in the deposited messages, and that the second user may think the first user has listened to. 
   OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
   The object of the present invention is to provide a method of notifying of the depositing of a message in a mail service informing the first user immediately if the second user that he wishes to call has left him a message, thereby relieving the first user of the constraint of consulting all the messages deposited in the voicemail service before setting up a call if the first user wishes to communicate quickly with the second user. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   To this end, a method of notifying a first terminal of a message deposited by a second terminal in a voicemail server associated with the first terminal, is characterized in that, after a request to call the second terminal from the first terminal, the method comprises the following steps:
         transmitting to the voicemail server an identifier of the second terminal supplied by the first terminal,   looking for the transmitted identifier in a new message table of the voicemail server that maps non-listened messages transmitted by terminals and intented for the first terminal and identifiers of said terminals,   from the voicemail server notifying to the first terminal of the presence of a message associated with the identifier of the second terminal and found in the new message table,   transmitting said message from the voicemail server to the first terminal to listen to the message in response to a message listening request from the first terminal, and   from the voicemail server notifying the first terminal of a prompt to confirm or cancel the setting up of the call of the second terminal after listening to said message.       

   Accordingly, in accordance with the invention, any new message deposited in the voicemail server by the user of a second terminal is systematically signaled to the first user as soon as the first user calls the second user, without constraining the first user to listen to other new messages deposited. Nevertheless, the invention does not impose listening to the new message or messages transmitted by the second terminal, since the first user can decline to listen to a message, in which case the requested call is set up. 
   In different embodiments of the invention, the identifier of the second terminal transmitted to the voicemail server is supplied by the first terminal by entering the identifier on the keypad of the first terminal or by speaking the identifier into the first terminal if the server has a voice recognition device. 
   In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the voicemail server contains a directory set up from the first terminal and mapping telephone numbers of terminals and alphanumeric labels, the identifier of a terminal being the telephone number and/or the label of that terminal. 
   The directory is constructed by the user via the first terminal, preferably before using the service in accordance with the invention, and subsequently as and when he consults messages deposited by new users. Accordingly, after the step of transmitting said message to the first terminal when the identifier of the second terminal is the telephone number of the latter and is not included in the directory, the method of the invention comprises the following steps:
         from the voicemail server notifying the first terminal of a prompt to add to the directory a label of the second terminal in correspondence with the telephone number,   proceeding to the step of notifying the setting up of the call, in response to the first terminal declining to add a label of the second terminal to the directory,   from the voicemail server notifying the first terminal of a label request, in response to the first terminal confirming addition of the label to the voicemail server, and   transmitting said label from the first terminal to the voicemail server and proceeding to the step of notifying the setting-up of the call.       

   As a general rule, after listening to the found message, or declining to listen to the found message, the voicemail server is transferring the found message with the identifier of the second terminal from the new message table to an old message table which can be consulted afterwards. 
   In practice, a response from the first terminal at a step of notifying from the voicemail server is a DTMF code or a voice message if the voicemail server comprises a voice recognition device. 
   The invention also relates to a voicemail server implementing the method of the invention connected to switching and service access means of a public switched telephone network when the first terminal is a fixed terminal, or of a radiotelephony network if the first terminal is a mobile radiotelephone terminal. The voicemail server is characterized in that it comprises means for looking for an identifier of the second terminal supplied by the first terminal to the voicemail server via the switching and service access means in a new message table of the voicemail server that maps non-listened messages transmitted by terminals and intented for the first terminal and identifiers of said terminal, following a request to call a second terminal from the first terminal, and for transmitting to the first terminal a notification of the presence of a message associated with the identifier of the second terminal and found in the new message table. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more clearly apparent on reading the following description of plural preferred embodiments of the invention, which is given with reference to the corresponding accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a message notification system for implementing the method; 
       FIG. 2  is an algorithm of the main steps of a message notification method according to the invention; and 
       FIG. 3  is an algorithm of supplementary steps of the message notification method according to the invention, relating to adding a user label to a directory. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , a first embodiment of a notification system for implementing the notification method according to the invention is described in the context of a fixed switched telephone network RTC and in relation to two users U 1  and U 2  having two telephone terminals T 1  and T 2  respectively connected to routing autonomy exchanges C 1  and C 2  via user telephone lines L 1  and L 2 . In a variant the terminals T 1  and T 2  are connected to the same exchange C 1 . The telephone lines L 1  and L 2  conventionally comprise a pair of conductor wires and transmit analog signals, and in particular voice notification messages, from the exchange to the terminals and user responses in dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) code to the exchanges. 
   The notification service offered by the invention to the first user U 1  is incorporated into the signaling network RS associated with the telephone network RTC, providing diverse functions associated with diverse services offered to users. Accordingly, in the intelligent network, each exchange C 1 , C 2  has a service function referred to as the service access switch CAS 1 , CAS 2 . In a given geographical area, a plurality of service access switches are connected via the signaling network RS to a service server also known as a service control point PCS. 
   The server PCS in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  incorporates at least voicemail services, analogous to telephone answering and recording equipments, for user terminals, such as the user terminal T 1 , served by the exchange C 1 . The voicemail server PCS includes a voice recognition device so that it can accept either spoken instructions or instructions in DTMF code from the user terminals, such as the terminals T 1  and T 2 . In a variant the server PCS does not include any voice recognition system or DTMF code detecting device. 
   It is known in the art that the mail facility associated with the terminal T 1  in the server PCS includes two tables TNM 1  and TAM 1  mapping deposited messages M intended for the terminal T 1  and telephone numbers N of terminals sending the messages, such as the second terminal T 2 . The first table TMN 1  relates to messages deposited recently that have not yet been consulted by the user U 1  of the terminal T 1 . The second table TAM 1  relates to old messages intented for the user U 1 , who has already consulted them and decided to store them until they are consulted again or deleted manually or automatically. 
   In accordance with the invention, the correspondence tables TMN 1  and TAM 1  of the voicemail facility for the user U 1  are associated with a directory R 1  of user telephone numbers N for the user U 1  with associated labels ET. For example, a label can comprise the name, or the nickname, or an abbreviated name, or an alphanumeric word designating a user and associated with his telephone number. In the context of the invention, the number N, or the label ET, or the combination of the number and the label, of a user in the directory constitutes a user identifier ID. 
   In order to describe this first embodiment of the notification method according to the invention, it is assumed that the first user U 1  subscribes to the notification service using the method of the invention; consequently, an indication of the user&#39;s subscription is contained in the service access switch CAS 1  connected to the terminal T 1  in order to initiate the method of the invention each time that the terminal T 1  of the user U 1  signals seizing of the line L 1 , i.e. goes off-hook, to the exchange C 1 . In response to this off-hook condition, the service access switch CAS 1  activates consultation of the mail facility associated with the terminal T 1 , in particular by transmitting an identification number of the user U 1 , for example his telephone number, in order to select in the server PCS the voicemail facility associated with the terminal T 1 . 
   Initially, in a step E 0  shown in  FIG. 2 , the user U 2  of the terminal T 2  has called the terminal T 1 , the terminal T 1  has not responded because the user U 1  is absent, and the voicemail service in the server PCS has prompted the user U 2  to deposit a voice message M 2  in order to store it in the new message table TMN 1  with the telephone number N 2  of the terminal T 2  that the exchange C 2  has transmitted to the server PCS via the exchange C 1  and the switch CAS 1 . 
   The notification method according to the invention shown in  FIG. 2  essentially comprises ten steps E 1  to E 10 . 
   In a first step E 1 , the user U 1  decides to call the user U 2 . The terminal T 1  seizes the line L 1  resulting from an off hook action, i.e. when the user U 1  presses a hands-free key or lifts the handset of the terminal T 1 . In response to this outgoing call request, the exchange C 1  transmits dial tone to the terminal T 1 , which transmits to the exchange C 1  the identifier ID 2  of the terminal T 2  entered by the user U 1 . The identifier ID 2  can be the telephone number N 2  of the user U 2  entered via the keypad of the terminal T 1  by the user U 1 , or the label ET 2  of the terminal T 2 , for example the name of the user U 2 , spoken into the microphone of the terminal T 1  by the user U 1  if the label ET 2  has already been entered into the directory R 1 . 
   After verifying that the subscriber profile of the user U 1  indicates that he has subscribed to the notification service according to the invention, and in response to the outgoing call request in the preceding step E 1 , in step E 2  the switch CAS 1  transmits a message to activate the voicemail facility associated with the terminal T 1  in the voicemail server PCS. The activation message contains the call number N 1  of the terminal T 1 , constituting a mail address, and the identifier ID 2  of the user U 2 , constituting an address of a message stored in the mail service. 
   In step E 3  the voicemail server PCS looks for any message M 2  which is associated with the identifier ID 2  of the terminal T 2  and stored in the table TNM 1 . This is done by comparing the received identifier ID 2  with the identifiers contained in the new message table TNM 1  associated with the terminal T 1 , if necessary by consulting the directory R 1  if the identifier ID 2  is the label ET 2 . If no message has been deposited by the user U 2 , the next step is the final step E 10 , consisting of withdrawing the intervention of the service access function CAS 1  in the exchange C 1  and thereby continuing to set up the outgoing call between the exchanges C 1  and C 2 . 
   Otherwise, if a message M 2  is found in the new message table TNM 1 , the voicemail server PCS transmits to the terminal T 1  a notification to listen to the message M 2  via the switch CAS 1  and the exchange C 1  in step E 4 . The notification to listen to the message is the following voice message, for example: “your voicemail includes a message from N 2 ” if the user entered the number N 2  in step E 1 , or “ET 2  has left you a message”, if the user U 1  spoke the label ET 2  in step E 1 . The notification to listen of step E 4  is followed by the additional message “if you want to listen to the message, press the star key, or if you prefer to go direct to setting up the call, press the hash key”, if the voicemail service in the server PCS has no voice recognition device. If the server PCS has a voice recognition device, the additional message is instead “if you wish to listen to the message, say YES, or if you prefer to go direct to setting up the call say NO”, or a combination of the two additional messages is transmitted. 
   In the next step E 11 , if the terminal T 1  has sent the server PCS a message declining to listen, by pressing the # key on the keypad of the terminal T 1  or saying “NO”, the method continues with step E 9  described below. 
   In response to the user pressing the * key or saying “YES” in step E 5 , in the next step E 6  the server PCS sends the terminal T 1  the message M 2  read in the new message table TMN 1  with the associated identifier ID 2  transmitted in step E 2 . If several messages M 2  from the user U 2  have been stored in the table TMN 1  associated with the user U 1  in the server PCS, the user U 1  uses a “Next” command associated with a predetermined key of the keypad of the terminal T 1  to consult the successive messages M 2 . 
   After the user has consulted the message or messages M 2 , in step E 7  the voicemail server PCS transmits to the terminal T 1  a notification to call the terminal T 2 , in order for the terminal T 1  to confirm or cancel the setting up of the call to the terminal T 2 . This second notification can be the following voice message, for example: “to confirm the call to T 2 , press 1” and/or “or say YES”, depending on whether the voicemail service in the server PCS has a voice recognition device or not. If in step E 8  the user U 1  does not wish to call the user U 2  after listening to the message or messages M 2 , he hangs up or presses an on-hook key on the keypad of the terminal T 1 , which releases the line L 1  in step E 12 . 
   Otherwise, the terminal T 1  confirms the call to the terminal T 2  to the server PCS in step E 8  by pressing the 1 key or saying “YES”. Following step E 8  or step E 11 , in step E 9  the message or messages M 2  that have just been consulted in the new messages table TMN 1  are transferred with the telephone number N 2  of the terminal T 2  into the old message table TAM 1 . 
   Finally, in step  10 , the server PCS confirms the setting up of the outgoing call between the terminals T 1  and T 2  to the exchange C 1 , eliminating the intervention of the switch CAS 1  in further processing of the call. 
   In a more comprehensive embodiment with reference to  FIG. 3 , the notification method further includes steps E 13  to E 17  between steps E 6  and E 7 . After the user has listened to the message or messages M 2  in step E 6 , the supplementary steps consist of adding the caller to the directory R 1  of the user U 1  if, in an initial step E 13 , the server PCS determines that the directory R 1  does not yet list the telephone number N 2  of the second terminal T 2  constituting the identifier ID 2  supplied by the first terminal T 1  to the server PCS in step E 2  and corresponding to at least one new message M 2  that has just been listened to in step E 6 . Otherwise, the directory is not modified (step E 13 , yes) and step E 7  is executed. 
   After step E 13 , in step E 14  the server PCS transmits to the terminal T 1  a notification prompting it to add the label ET 2  in correspondence with the telephone number N 2  to the directory R 1 . This notification can be as follows: “if you would like to add this user to your directory, press 1, or if not press the # key”, if the server PCS does not include a voice recognition device, or: “if you wish to add this number to your directory, say YES, or if not say NO”, if the server PCS includes a voice recognition device. 
   In response to confirmation of adding the label in the form of the DTMF code “1” or the word “YES” in step E 15 , in step E 16  the server PCS transmits to the terminal T 1  another notification to ask “which label is to be associated with the call number N 2 ”. The user U 1  enters the label ET 2  on the keypad of the terminal T 1 , or speaks the label ET 2  into the microphone of the terminal T 1  if the server PCS has already indicated that it includes a voice recognition device by prompting the user to say “YES” or “NO”, in particular in the preceding step E 13 . Accordingly, in step E 17 , the label ET 2  is transmitted from the terminal T 1  to the server PCS and entered in the directory R 1  with the associated telephone number N 2 . It is recalled that the label ET 2  can be the name, or a nickname, or an abbreviated number, or any other alphanumeric word for the user U 2 . 
   Then, after step E 17 , or after step E 15  if the user has pressed the # key or said “NO”, the method proceeds to step E 7  already described with reference to FIG.  2 . 
   In a second embodiment of the invention, for which the reference numbers appear in brackets in  FIG. 1 , the terminal T 1  is a mobile radiotelephone terminal connected to a base station of a radiotelephony network via a traffic radio channel CRT replacing the line L 1 . The equivalent of the exchange C 1  in the network RTC is the mobile services switching center MSC serving the base station previously cited, to which the radiotelephone terminal is temporarily connected. In the fixed network of the radiotelephony network, there is a service access function equivalent to the switch CAS 1  and associated with the combination of the mobile services switching center MSC and the visitor location register VLR associated therewith and containing the subscriber profile of the mobile terminals in its location area, together with at least one voicemail server equivalent to the server PCS and connected to a plurality of mobile services switching centers MSC via the signaling network of the radiotelephony network. The address of the voicemail server PCS associated with the mobile terminal T 1  is included in the subscriber profile stored temporarily in the register VLR and permanently in the home location register HLR of the radiotelephony network. 
   Consequently, with the exception of the interchanging of the functions in step E 1 , during which the identifier ID 2  is first entered in the mobile telephone T 1 , followed by the user of terminal T 1  requesting setting up of the outgoing call by pressing the off-hook traffic channel seizing key, the process steps E 0  to E 17  described above for fixed terminals in the switched telephone network RTC are equally applicable to mobile radiotelephone terminal in a radiotelephony network. 
   The scope of the invention is independent of the fixed or mobile nature of the user terminals: the terminals T 1  and T 2  can both be fixed terminals or mobile terminals, or one of them can be a fixed terminal and the other a mobile terminal.