Patent ID: 7184536

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving an incoming call at a voice mail system from a connected private telephone switch, the switch being coupled between the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) and a plurality of individual subscriber telephones, the incoming call coming to the switch through the PSTN, the voice mail system having greeting and message storage for at least some of the plurality of individual subscriber telephones, the incoming call being directed to one of the plurality of individual subscriber telephones; assigning the call to a first voice mail port of the voice mail system; receiving a call handle associated with the incoming call at the voice mail system from the switch; receiving a personal selection from the caller during the call; associating the personal selection with the call handle in a voice mail system database; transferring the call to the switch; releasing the first voice mail port from the call; receiving the same call again from the switch; assigning the incoming call to a second voice mail port of the voice mail system; receiving the same call handle associated with the incoming call at the voice mail system from the switch; receiving an indication from the switch that the incoming call has been previously handled by the voice mail system; applying the call handle to a database of the voice mail system to retrieve the previously received personal selection stored in the voice mail system database that is associated with the call handle, in response to the indication that the incoming call has been previously handled by the voice mail system; and using the retrieved personal selection at the voice mail system to handle the incoming call.