Abstract: A telecommunications system that supports the provision of video messaging, yet maintains compatibility and operation with user equipment that is not capable of processing, receiving or rendering video content. Based on the type of user equipment, as well as user selected options, network configurations and status, and class-of-service characteristics, the telecommunications systems can revise the manner in which content is provided to the user equipment. Variations in the content provision include providing synchronized audio and video content, audio content only, video content only, video content with closed-captioning and closed-captioning only.

Abstract: A voice messaging system comprises a common message store, a local data store located remotely from the common message store, and a media server. The media server is operable to receive a call directed to a number serviced by the media server, prompt the user for a voice message, direct the voice message to the local data store for temporary storage, notify the common message store that the voice message is present in the local data store, respond to a request to transfer the voice message to the common message store, and direct the local data store to erase the message upon receipt of a communication from the common message store that the voice message was successfully saved.

Abstract: A telecommunications system that supports the provision of video messaging to certain user devices, based on the calling line identifier or ANI associated with the user devices. Based on the CLID or the ANI, as well as user selected options, network configurations and status, and class-of-service characteristics, the telecommunications systems can revise the manner in which content is provided to the user equipment. Variations in the content provision include providing synchronized audio and video content, audio content only, video content only, video content with closed-captioning and closed-captioning only.

Abstract: A health monitor subsystem detects and responds to faults within a geographically disperse voice messaging system. The health monitor subsystem comprises agent, manager, interface, and common processes. The agent process monitors a respective voice messaging system component operative on the host. The manager process monitors and manages detected faults on the host. The interface process exposes a status responsive to the host. The common process monitors and manages a platform of hosts. The health monitor subsystem enables monitoring at the component, host, and platform levels.

Abstract: Outbound calling from a Voice eXtensible Markup Language (VXML) based voicemail system, which has distributed architecture, is disclosed. The voicemail system includes a media server, which is in communication with a telephone network. The media server includes multiple communication termination-link components, and the communication termination-link components are adapted to couple to trunks that extend to the telephone network. The media server also includes a network interface that is adapted to receive and provide communications to components of the telecommunications platform. The media server also includes a link-selector, a browser module, and a processor. The link-selector is adapted to select a given communication termination-link component from the plurality of communication termination-link components.

Abstract: A message retrieval subsystem comprises a voice extensible mark-up language browser, a message server, and a message library. The VXML browser is configured with an application programming interface that enables a subscriber of a distributed voice messaging service to request a stored message. The message server receives a request to open a connection from a client process operative on the voice extensible mark-up language browser, spawns a thread to enable the connection, uses the thread to queue one or more subscriber requests for respective blocks of audio information, removes and processes the one or more subscriber requests, and uses the thread to forward a retrieved block of audio information to a subscriber. The message library is coupled to the message server and interposed between the message server and a common message store. The upper library isolates the VXML browser from a streaming protocol used to access the stored message.

Abstract: A voicemail system enabling various components of the voicemail system to be distributed geographically yet operate as a seamlessly integrated system is disclosed. A signal gateway interfaces with a telephone network. In addition, one or more media servers interface with the signal gateway as well as the telephone network. The signal gateway is configured to block calls to malfunctioning media servers. The signal gateway monitors the media servers, and responsive to determining that a media server has malfunctioned, the signal gateway initiates auto-blocking such that the telephone network does not route calls to the malfunctioning media server. In addition, the signal gateway is configured to auto-detect a media server responsive to the media server being initialized. The voicemail system can include a variety of other elements, such as one or more system management units and one or more central data and message store systems.

Abstract: A voice mail system that allows for the delivery of voice messages by chunks, thereby optimizing the delivery of the information. When a subscriber attempts to listen to his or her voice mail message, the header information for the first voice mail message is down loaded and played back to the subscriber. While the subscriber listens to the header information, the next two blocks of data of the voice message are downloaded. Upon the completion of the playback of the header information, the first two blocks of the voice mail message are available for playback and the first block is immediately available for playback. As the subscriber listens to the voice mail message subsequent blocks of the first voice mail message, and optionally header information and blocks of subsequent voice mail messages are simultaneously down loaded.

Abstract: An enhanced Voice extensible Markup Language (VXML) based voicemail system that has a distributed architecture and methods for implementing enhanced VXML based voicemail systems are disclosed. The voicemail system includes a media server, which is in communication with a telephone network. The media server is adapted to invoke a voicemail service of the distributed voicemail system and adapted to render at least a first portion of a Voice extensible Markup Language (VXML) page. An application server, which is in communication with the media server, is adapted to generate a VXML page and provide the VXML page to the media server. The XVML page has a tag embedded therein, and the media server processes the tag. A voicemail-account monitorer, which monitors at least a portion of the voicemail system, is invoked by the media server processing the tag.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for service level recognition and registration processing in a wireless communication device are provided. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for transitioning between service modes and indicating a current service mode to a user of a wireless communication device. The status of a signal associated with a forward channel from a messaging system to the wireless communication device is determined. A quality metric is determined based upon the status over a predetermined period of time. Three service modes, including a full service mode, a basic service mode, and a storing service mode are provided. In the storing service mode, after determining the quality metric is better than a first predetermined threshold a transition is made to the basic service mode. In the basic service mode, after verification of a reverse channel from the wireless communication device to the messaging system a transition is made to the full service mode.

Abstract: An authorization-update process for use in a user-operated device re-authorizes an operating session after a rapid idle timeout using the authorization-update process, which has fewer steps than a normal authorization process. The re-authorization process can require only a single entry or input event by the user in response to a prompt by the device to re-authorize the user and continue to the operating session. Thus, the authorization-update process is significantly faster than re-authorization in the conventional manner. In one embodiment, the prompt includes a display of several characters. The user selects a predetermined character to re-authenticate the user, thereby continuing the operating session from the same point at which the idle timeout occurred. In a further aspect, the user has a predetermined time period to select the correct character to continue the operation session.

Abstract: A voice message repositioning process is provided for a voice message system that stores voice messages for a user of the system and provides feedback to the user of the progress of repositioning the playback of a voice message. A voice message is repositioned upon receipt of a command to begin repositioning. Feedback is provided to the user via a supervisory signal during repositioning. The repositioning is stopped upon receipt of a command by the user to stop repositioning.

Abstract: A network operations center comprised of hardware and software that tests paging devices, such as two-way paging devices to determine that they conform to a specified protocol.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing subscribers with an integrated message processing system. The message processing system allows for the receipt, transmission and management of messages. Allowable message types include voice messages, pages, facsimile messages and electronic mail messages. The message processing system displays the information to the subscriber using a web browser. The majority of the graphical user interface resides locally in order to minimize the amount of data downloaded at run-time. The message processing system may be used locally in a closed environment or over the Internet.

Abstract: An integrated voice navigation system 40 is disclosed. The voice navigation system (40) includes a voice messaging system (44), a speech recognition system (46), a voice channel (50) and a control link (52). A caller is connected to the voice messaging system (44) via PSTN (42). The voice messaging system (44) is in turn connected to the speech recognition system (46). Specifically, the voice messaging system (44) and speech recognition system (46) are connected via both the voice channel (50) and the control link (52). The voice channel (50) provides an audio communications pathway between the caller and the speech recognition system (46), while the control link (52) provides an out-of-band communications pathway between the voice messaging system (44) and the speech recognition system (46).

Abstract: A pager capable of origination of and transmission of messages. The pager, in one embodiment, features two-way communication capability and stores both a transmit and receive antenna within a single housing. The pager also features a data entry device which allows entry of alphanumeric characters. The data entry device provide for numerous advantages including allowing the pager to transmit original, non-responsive messages to any of a variety of addresses either selected from a stored address list or input by the user. In addition, messages may be received/stored in a number of folders leading to advantages in message management.

Abstract: Forward and Reverse Channel Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) communication is described in which a Forward Channel Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) session between a first unit and a second unit is performed, in which a command is send to the second unit to start a forward channel ARQ session, where the command includes a message length field specifying the length of an ARQ message to be sent by the first unit to the second unit. The second unit may refuse the command because of the length of the ARQ message.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing subscribers with an integrated message processing system. The message processing system allows for the receipt, transmission and management of messages. Allowable message types include voice messages, pages, facsimile messages and electronic mail messages. The message processing system displays the information to the subscriber using a web browser. The majority of the graphical user interface resides locally in order to minimize the amount of data downloaded at run-time. The message processing system may be used locally in a closed environment or over the Internet.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing subscribers with an integrated message processing system. The message processing system allows for the receipt, transmission and management of messages. Allowable message types include voice messages, pages, facsimile messages and electronic mail messages. The message processing system displays the information to the subscriber using a web browser. The majority of the graphical user interface resides locally in order to minimize the amount of data downloaded at run-time. The message processing system may be used locally in a closed environment or over the Internet.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing subscribers with an integrated message processing system. The message processing system allows for the receipt, transmission and management of messages. Allowable message types include voice messages, pages, facsimile messages and electronic mail messages. The message processing system displays the information to the subscriber using a web browser. The majority of the graphical user interface resides locally in order to minimize the amount of data downloaded at run-time. The message processing system may be used locally in a closed environment or over the Internet.