Abstract:
An apparatus and method are disclosed that enable a terminal such as a computer-based softphone to retrieve and handle, transparently for its user, the voicemail that has been left by calling parties who called the user&#39;s cell-phone number. Furthermore, the softphone is able to integrate the presentation to its user of the voicemail associated with the cell phone with the voicemail that has been left by calling parties who called the softphone itself. The softphone features both i) a personal area network interface that is used to communicate directly with the cell phone and ii) a local area network interface that is used to retrieve the cell-phone voicemail from a voicemail system. Once the softphone is paired with the cell phone, the softphone is able to retrieve signals directly from the cell phone and, based on those signals, retrieves the voicemail from the cell phone&#39;s voicemail system.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]    The present invention relates to telecommunications in general, and, more particularly, to the retrieval and handling of a second terminal&#39;s voicemail by a first terminal. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]    A cellular telephone is a portable communication device that is used extensively by business enterprise personnel. As a portal of telephony communication, the cellular telephone (or “cell phone”) provides mobile communication to its user, thereby enabling the user to be reached most anywhere and at any time. And when a calling party is unable to reach the called user—for instance, because the cell phone user is currently on an airplane—the calling party is able to leave a voicemail message for the cell phone user. Later, the cell phone user can then retrieve the voicemail message left. 
         [0003]    A personal computer is another communication device that is used extensively by business enterprise personnel. As a portal of data communication, enabling exchanges of email and instant messaging, the computer can also be furnished with a “softphone” software application that enables the computer to act as a telephone. A notebook computer, or other type of portable computer, further enhances its user&#39;s ability to communicate with others most anywhere and at any time. 
         [0004]    Given the extensive use of the cell phone and a softphone on a personal computer, integrating at least some aspects of these two portals of communication through one device would be desirable. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]    One aspect of communication that is common to both a cell phone and a softphone running on a personal computer is the ability to retrieve and handle voicemail. Typically, however, the voicemail system associated with the cell phone user account and the voicemail system associated with the softphone user account are different from each other. In other words, the common user of the cell phone and softphone has to manage separate voicemail accounts. This can be cumbersome to the user, especially when there are voicemails important to the common user that are left on two different voicemail systems. 
         [0006]    The present invention enables the softphone functionality that is resident on a personal computer to retrieve and handle, transparently for its user, the voicemail that has been left by calling parties who called the cell-phone number (i.e., the “cell-phone voicemail”). Furthermore, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the softphone is able to integrate the presentation to its user of the cell-phone voicemail with the voicemail that has been left by calling parties who called the softphone itself (i.e., the “softphone voicemail”). This is in contrast to some techniques in the prior art, in which the softphone handled only its own voicemail, and the user had to explicitly call into the voicemail system associated with the cell phone in order to retrieve the cell-phone voicemail messages. 
         [0007]    The softphone of the illustrative embodiment features both i) a personal area network (PAN) interface that is used to communicate directly with the cell phone and ii) a local area network (e.g., Ethernet, etc.) interface that is used to retrieve the cell-phone voicemail from a voicemail system. The PAN is a computer network used for direct communication between the personal computer-based softphone and the cell phone. The coverage area of the PAN is considered short-range, in that it is typically only a few meters across. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, the PAN used by the terminals to communicate directly with each other operates in conformity with the Bluetooth specification. 
         [0008]    The softphone of the illustrative embodiment receives from the cell phone, via the personal area network, an indication that a voicemail message is waiting or that the cell phone missed a call, in which case a voicemail message might have been left. Transparently to its user, the softphone then retrieves the voicemail from the cell phone&#39;s voicemail system. The softphone then converts to text some or all of the retrieved audio and displays the text on an associated display, such as the computer monitor. The softphone&#39;s user can then manipulate the displayed messages by using the softphone&#39;s user interface. 
         [0009]    Although the illustrative embodiment features a personal computer-based softphone paired with a cellular telephone, it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this specification, how to make and use alternative embodiments that feature another type of terminal that is capable of performing the tasks described herein and a second terminal for which voicemail has been left and is to be retrieved by the first terminal. 
         [0010]    A first telecommunications terminal of the illustrative embodiment comprises: a personal area network interface for receiving, directly from a second telecommunications terminal, a first signal that represents one of i) an indication that a message is waiting and ii) an indication that a call has been missed; a processor for dialing an access number of a voicemail system that stores voicemail messages on behalf of the second terminal, the dialing being based on the receiving of the first signal; and a local area network interface for i) transmitting a second signal that represents the access number and ii) receiving, in response to the transmitting of the second signal, a third signal that represents a first audio portion of a voicemail message. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  depicts a schematic diagram of telecommunications system  100  in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the salient components of terminal  101 , which operates within system  100 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  depicts flowcharts of the salient tasks performed by terminal  101 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  depicts a flowchart of the salient subtasks, in which terminal  101  receives and processes signals that represent the audio from one or more voicemail messages. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  depicts a schematic diagram of telecommunications system  100  in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. System  100  comprises voicemail-retrieving terminal  101 , wireless terminal  102 , telecommunications network  103 , and voicemail system  104 , interconnected as shown. 
         [0016]    Terminal  101  is a voicemail retrieving, telecommunications device that is capable of handling a telephone call for its user, as well as retrieving and handling voicemail that has been left for the user of wireless terminal  102 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. Terminal  101  is able to call, or to be called by, another terminal or device within telecommunications system  100 . For example, terminal  101  is able to dial an access number that routes to voicemail system  104 . 
         [0017]    In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, terminal  101  is a softphone terminal. A softphone terminal is the combination of a general-purpose, personal computer and a softphone software application that runs on the computer. The resident softphone application enables terminal  101 &#39;s user to make and receive telephone calls through the computer (e.g., notebook, desktop, handheld, etc.). However, it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this specification, how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which terminal  101  is another type of terminal that is capable of executing software or firmware that embodies at least some of the tasks of the illustrative embodiment, such as a SIP- or IP-capable deskset or even another cellular phone in addition to terminal  102 . 
         [0018]    Telecommunications terminal  101  is capable of performing the voicemail retrieval-related tasks and voicemail handling-related tasks of the illustrative embodiment. The salient components of terminal  101  that enable the performing of the tasks are described below and with respect to  FIG. 2 . The salient tasks that are performed by terminal  101  are described below and with respect to  FIG. 3 . 
         [0019]    Wireless terminal  102  is a telecommunications device that is capable of handling a telephone call for its user. Terminal  102  is able to call, or to be called by, another terminal or device within telecommunications system  100 . For example, a calling party might attempt to call terminal  102  by dialing a telephone number that routes to wireless terminal  102 . 
         [0020]    For pedagogical purposes, terminal  102  is a cellular telephone. However, it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this specification, how to make and use embodiments of the present invention in which terminal  102  is a different type of terminal than a cell phone. 
         [0021]    In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, retrieving terminal  101  is able to communicate directly with wireless terminal  102  via a personal area network connection, depicted as connection  105 . As is known in the art, a personal area network (PAN) is a computer network used for communication among computer devices and telecommunications devices close to a person, such as terminals  101  and  102 . The coverage area of a PAN is considered short-range, in that it is typically only a few meters across. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, the PAN used by terminals  101  and  102  to communicate directly with each other operates in accordance with the Bluetooth specification. Additionally, the direct communications between terminals  101  and  102  is conducted over a secure, globally unlicensed Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) radio-frequency bandwidth in the 2.4 GHz range. 
         [0022]    In some alternative embodiments, terminals  101  and  102  communicate directly with each other via a different radio-frequency bandwidth and/or another type of wireless PAN, such as one based on the IrDA, UWB, or ZigBee specification. In some other alternative embodiments, terminals  101  and  102  communicate directly via a wired PAN, such as one based on USB or FireWire. 
         [0023]    Telecommunications network  103  provides the connectivity among various telecommunications terminals in system  100  and enables the transport and control of communications signals between two or more terminals per call. The communications signals convey bitstreams of encoded media such as audio, video, and so forth. To this end, network  103  comprises one or more interconnected data-processing systems such as switches, servers, routers, and gateways, as are well-known in the art. 
         [0024]    In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, network  103  comprises a variety of subnetworks for the purpose of providing connectivity to their constituent devices. For example, network  103  comprises a local area network (LAN) for the purpose of providing connectivity to terminal  101 . In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, terminal  101  connects to the LAN via wired Ethernet connection  106 , while in some alternative embodiments, the connection to the LAN is wireless. Additionally, network  103  comprises a cellular network for the purpose of providing connectivity to wireless terminal  102 . In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, terminal  102  connects to the cellular network via radio-frequency link  107 , which is provided by whatever radio base station is assigned to handle terminal  102  at any particular moment. 
         [0025]    Network  103  further comprises an Internet Protocol-based (IP-based), service provider&#39;s network for the purpose of transporting voice signals-between voicemail system  104  and terminal  101 , for example. Although network  103  in the illustrative embodiment comprises an IP-based network, such as a Voice-over-IP (VoIP) network, network  103  could alternatively or additionally comprise another type of network. These alternative types of service provider networks might be the Internet, some other type of IP-based network, or some other type of packet-based network, such as the Public Switched Telephone Network, as those who are skilled in the art will appreciate. 
         [0026]    Voicemail system  104  comprises a server that stores voicemail associated with wireless terminal  102 , as well as for other wireless terminals supported by the same cellular service provider. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, system  104  does not store the voicemail associated with retrieving terminal  101 ; this is because system  104  is operated by the cellular service provider of wireless terminal  102 , and the cellular service provider provides voicemail system  104  only for use by its own wireless users. In some alternative embodiments, however, voicemail system  104  might also provide voicemail storage for terminal  101 &#39;s voicemail as well, but even in this case the storage for terminal  101 &#39;s voicemail is separate from the storage for terminal  102 &#39;s voicemail (i.e., is managed under a separate telephone number or customer account). 
         [0027]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the salient components of voicemail-retrieving terminal  101  in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. The depicted components are interconnected as shown. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, telecommunications terminal  101  comprises:
       i. personal area network interface  201 ,   ii. local area network interface  202 ,   iii. processor  203 ,   iv. memory  204 ,   v. microphone  205 ,   vi. display  206 ,   vii. loudspeaker  207 , and   viii. keyboard/pointer  208 .
 
It will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which telecommunications terminal  101  comprises any subcombination of the components listed above.
         
         [0036]    Personal area network (PAN) interface  201  enables terminal  101  to receive signals directly from and transmit signals directly to terminal  102 , in well-known fashion. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, terminal  101  receives and transmits control signals via PAN interface  201  in well-known fashion. For example, PAN interface  201  receives an indication from terminal  102  that a voicemail message is waiting for the user of terminal  102 . In some embodiments, terminal  101  receives and transmits audio signals as well via PAN interface  201 . In any event, it will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and user PAN interface  201 . 
         [0037]    Local area network (LAN) interface  202  enables terminal  101  to receive signals from and transmit signals to one or more devices within telecommunications network  103 , as well as voicemail server  104 , in well-known fashion. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, terminal  101  receives and transmits control signals via LAN interface  202  in well-known fashion. Additionally, LAN interface  202  receives and transmits media waveform signals in well-known fashion, such as audio signals that are encoded via the ITU G.729 standard (or other standard) and represented in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) packet streams of data. As those who are skilled in the art will appreciate, in some alternative embodiments terminal  101  receives and transmits media waveform signals that are encoded and/or represented in a different format. It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and user LAN interface  202 . 
         [0038]    Processor  203  is a general-purpose processor that is capable of receiving information from PAN interface  201 , LAN interface  202 , microphone  205 , and keyboard/pointer  208 , of executing instructions stored in memory  204  such as those that correspond to some or all of the tasks of the illustrative embodiment, of reading data from and writing data into memory  204 , and of transmitting information to PAN interface  201  and LAN interface  202 . Additionally, processor  203  is able to provide signals to display  206  and loudspeaker  207 . Processor  203  is also able to perform voice recognition on signals received from microphone  205  and speech-to-text conversion on signals received from PAN interface  201  or LAN interface  202 . 
         [0039]    In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, processor  203  might be a special-purpose processor. In some other alternative embodiments, the functionality performed by processor  203  might be divided up among multiple processors (e.g., one for speech-to-text conversion, another for general processing, etc.). 
         [0040]    Memory  204  stores the instructions and data used by processor  203 , in well-known fashion. Memory  204  can be any combination of dynamic random-access memory (RAM), flash memory, disk drive memory, and so forth. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, memory  204  is further capable of storing audio signals received from voicemail system  104 , as well as text converted from those audio signals received. 
         [0041]    Microphone  205  is a transducer that is able to receive acoustic signals and to convert them to electrical signals for transmission and/or storage. It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use microphone  205 . 
         [0042]    Display  206  is a device that is able to present the terminal&#39;s user with a visual representation of information, including text that has been converted from audio signals received from system  104 . It will be clear to those skilled on the art how to make and use display  206 . 
         [0043]    Loudspeaker  207  is an electro-acoustic transducer that is able to present the terminal&#39;s user with an audible representation of information. As those who are skilled in the art will appreciate, in some alternative embodiments of terminal  101 , loudspeaker  207  can instead be a type of electro-acoustic transducer other than a loudspeaker, such as an earpiece. In any event, it will be clear to those skilled on the art how to make and use loudspeaker  207 . 
         [0044]    Keyboard/pointer  208  is a keyboard-based and/or pointer-based device that is able to accept user input signals and to convert them to electrical signals for the purpose of controlling other elements of terminal  101 . It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use keyboard/pointer  208 . 
         [0045]    In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, processor  203  of terminal  101  performs the tasks described below and with respect to  FIG. 3 . As those who are skilled in the art will appreciate, in some alternative embodiments, two or more components within terminal  101  can perform different subsets of the described tasks. 
         [0046]      FIG. 3  depicts a flowchart of the salient tasks performed by telecommunications terminal  101 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. As those who are skilled in the art will appreciate, in some alternative embodiments, only a subset of the depicted tasks is performed. At least some of the tasks might be performed simultaneously or in a different order from that depicted. 
         [0047]    In the example that follows, terminal  101 &#39;s user and terminal  102 &#39;s user is the same person. Terminal  101  is a notebook computer, which runs a softphone application, and terminal  102  is a cellular telephone. The user of the two terminals has situated terminal  102  within close enough proximity to terminal  101 , so that the two terminals are able to communicate directly with each other via a personal area network that they share. Also, the personal area network shared by terminals  101  and  102  has been initialized, so that terminals  101  and  102  are able to exchange information directly with each other. 
         [0048]    At task  301 , terminal  101  receives a first signal that represents an indication that a message is waiting. Terminal  101  receives the indication directly from terminal  102  via the personal area network interface. The message that is waiting is a voicemail message that has been left for terminal  102 &#39;s user and is stored at voicemail system  104 . 
         [0049]    In some alternative embodiments, terminal  101  receives a different type of indication. For example, terminal  101  might be notified that one or more calls have been missed by terminal  102 , which would cause terminal  101  to go ahead and check for any possible voicemail messages left by one or more of those callers. As those who are skilled in the art will appreciate, terminal  101  might be notified that one or more calls have been missed by terminal  102 , but then presents to its user some or all of the information received from terminal  102  as part of the missed call notification; this can occur without having checked for voicemail or after having determined that no voicemail had been left. 
         [0050]    At task  302 , terminal  101  dials an access number. The dialing of the access number is based on the receiving of the first signal at task  301 . In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, terminal  101  maintains a database for one or more terminals such as terminal  102 , in which a voicemail access number is stored for each terminal for which voicemail is to be retrieved by terminal  101 . In this example, terminal  101  dials the particular access number that corresponds to the voicemail system of terminal  102 , which in this case is voicemail system  104 . 
         [0051]    At task  303 , terminal  101  transmits a second signal that represents the access number dialed at task  302 . In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, terminal  101  transmits the second signal to voicemail system  104  via local area network interface  202 . 
         [0052]    Depending on the voicemail system being accessed, terminal  101  might also need to transmit one or more signals (e.g., an in-band DTMF signal, etc.), in order to command system  104  to enter a voicemail access mode. If prompted, terminal  101  then transmits a personal information number (PIN) or some other type of password in well-known fashion, in order to be granted access to the voicemail stored at system  104 . It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use alternative embodiments that interact with voicemail systems that require other exchanges of information prior to retrieving the actual voicemail messages. 
         [0053]    With respect to tasks  302  and  303 , in the illustrative embodiment terminal  101  calls voicemail system  104  directly. In some alternative embodiments, terminal  101  might instead transmit a command to terminal  102 , via personal area network interface  201 , to originate the call to voicemail system  104 . Subsequently, terminal  102  (i.e., the user&#39;s cell phone) originates the call to voicemail system  104  by calling system  104 &#39;s access number and then retrieving the voicemail in well-known fashion, on behalf of terminal  101 . 
         [0054]    At task  304 , which is described in detail below and with respect to  FIG. 4 , terminal  101  receives signals that represent the audio of at least a portion of each voicemail message, for one or more voicemail messages that are stored at voicemail system  104 . Terminal  101  receives the signals in response to the access number of voicemail system  104  having been called at task  303 . Each audio portion represents at least part of the voicemail message header or at least part of the actual voicemail message left by the caller, or a combination of the two. The audio portion received for the voicemail message header might comprise the time and date that the voicemail message was recorded, the length in time of the voicemail message, the calling party&#39;s number, and so forth. 
         [0055]    Terminal  101  then converts to text those audio signals that are received and displays, via display  206 , the corresponding strings of text for the audio signals that are converted. As those who are skilled in the art will appreciate, terminal  101  can format and order the multiple strings of text displayed, based on some user-defined criteria such as by the date/time the message was left, by the calling number of the party who left the message, and so forth. 
         [0056]    Additionally, terminal  101  might retrieve and store audio (or text) signals for one or more voicemail messages that have been left for the telephone number associated with the terminal&#39;s own softphone functionality, in contrast to the telephone number associated with terminal  102  (i.e., the user&#39;s cell phone). Terminal  101  might also convert these additional audio signals to strings of text and then display the strings of text. As those who are skilled in the art will appreciate, the softphone&#39;s voicemail messages and the cell phone&#39;s voicemail messages can be displayed separately or in an integrated format. 
         [0057]    At task  305 , terminal  101  accepts a user input that results in a displayed string of text being selected. For example, the user can use keyboard/pointer  208  to select a string. 
         [0058]    At task  306 , terminal  101  plays an audio signal that corresponds to the selected string of text. The audio signal played is accessed from memory  204  and is either i) the audio signal previously retrieved from voicemail system  104  that corresponds to the text string selected at task  305  or ii) a generated audio signal synthesized from the text that was converted and stored at task  304 . 
         [0059]    Terminal  101  can accept user selections and play audio signals that correspond to those selections for multiple voicemail messages that have been retrieved. 
         [0060]    In some alternative embodiments, terminal  101  is also capable of tagging the retrieved voicemail message or messages in various ways, such as by keyword, by policy, and so forth, based on user interaction with terminal  101  in reading the messages. Additionally, terminal  101  can mark the status of each voicemail message (e.g., read/unread, high/medium/low priority, etc.), based on input from the user or according to a user-specified policy. 
         [0061]      FIG. 4  depicts a flowchart of the salient subtasks that make up task  304 , in which terminal  101  receives and processes signals that represent the audio from one or more voicemail messages. As those who are skilled in the art will appreciate, in some alternative embodiments, only a subset of the depicted tasks is performed. At least some of the performed tasks might be performed simultaneously or in a different order from that depicted. 
         [0062]    At task  401 , terminal  101  transmits, in well-known fashion, one or more commands to receive an audio portion of the voicemail message that is currently being retrieved. 
         [0063]    At task  402 , terminal  101  receives a signal that represents an audio portion of the voicemail message that is currently being retrieved. As explained earlier, each audio portion represents at least part of the voicemail message header or at least part of the actual voicemail message left by the caller, or a combination of the two. 
         [0064]    In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, terminal  101  receives the signal from voicemail system  104  via local area network interface  202 . In some alternative embodiments, however, terminal  101  instead receives the signal through terminal  102  (i.e., the user&#39;s cell phone) and personal area network interface  201 . 
         [0065]    At task  403 , terminal  101  converts to text the received audio portion, which results in a string of text. Depending on the content of the received audio portion, the resulting string of text might represent part of or all of the voicemail message header, part of or all of the actual message left by a calling party, or some combination of the two. 
         [0066]    At task  404 , terminal  101  displays the string of text via display  206 . 
         [0067]    At task  405 , terminal  101  determines whether there are additional voicemail messages to retrieve. If there are, task execution proceeds back to task  401 . Otherwise, task execution proceeds to task  406 . 
         [0068]    At task  406 , terminal  101  plays, or otherwise presents, an alert that coincides with the displaying of the string or strings of converted text. The alert serves to notify the user that one or more voicemail messages have been retrieved. Terminal  101  plays the alert via loudspeaker  207 . Task execution then proceeds to task  305 , which is described above and with respect to  FIG. 3 . 
         [0069]    The example described above features terminal  101  retrieving voicemails that are associated with a single terminal (i.e., terminal  102 ). It will be clear, however, those skilled in the art how to make and use embodiments of the present invention in which terminal  101 , or a different terminal, communicates directly with one or more terminals other than or in addition to terminal  102  and retrieves the voicemails associated with the additional terminals, regardless of whether the voicemails are all stored at a single voicemail system (i.e., voicemail system  104 ) or at different voicemail systems. 
         [0070]    It is to be understood that the disclosure teaches just one example of the illustrative embodiment and that many variations of the invention can easily be devised by those skilled in the art after reading this disclosure and that the scope of the present invention is to be determined by the following claims.