Patent ID: 7769364

Claim:
An on-demand voice mail system for recording messages transmitted via a telephone network from a remote party to a telephone stationset operated by a stationset user wherein said stationset comprises, in combination: a communications port connecting said stationset to said telephone network for establishing a voice connection via said telephone network between said remote party and said stationset, a keypad for accepting control commands from said stationset user, a voice recorder, a memory storage unit for persistently storing messages recorded by said voice recorder, and a processor coupled to said communications port, said keypad, said voice recorder and said memory storage unit for: responding to a request command accepted from said stationset user during a two-way voice conversation via said voice connection by employing said voice recorder to record an incoming message received from said remote party via said voice connection that is maintained after said stationset user hangs up the stationset or otherwise terminates said two-way voice conversation, storing said incoming message in said memory storage unit as an audio voice message file, and thereafter reproducing said audio voice message file as stored in said memory storage unit upon request by said stationset user.