Abstract: A voice messaging system with non-user outcalling and auto-provisioning capabilities including an automatic means for configuring a telephone number to become a subscriber to a voice messaging service. The voice messaging system of the present invention facilitates the process of acquiring a voice mailbox by providing non-user outcalling and auto-provisioning. A voice messaging service user will be able to send a non-user voice messages using the voice messaging service, and, the non-user recipient desiring to subscribe to voice mailbox service can acquire a voice mailbox simply by responding to interactive queries after the reception of the voice message. The system also automatically establishes call forwarding at the appropriate central office switch and automatically creates a voice mailbox at the voice messaging system if a non-user recipient desires to become a subscriber to the voice messaging system.

Abstract: A system and method for speech-responsive voice messaging, in which a Speech-Responsive Voice Messaging System (SRVMS) preferably provides a hierarchically-simple speech user interface (UI) that enables subscribers to use speech to specify commands such as mailboxes, passwords, and digits. The SRVMS generates and evaluates candidate results. The SRVMS invokes a speech UI navigation operation or a voice messaging operation according to the outcome of the evaluation of the candidate results. In the preferred embodiment, the SRVMS determines whether the candidate results are good, questionable, or bad; and whether two or more candidate results are ambiguous due to a likelihood that each such result could be a valid command. If the candidate results are questionable or ambiguous, an ambiguity resolution UI prompts the subscriber to confirm whether the best candidate result is what the subscriber intended.

Abstract: A communications system (10) is provided which comprises a plurality of network hubs (12), (14), and (16). Network hubs (12), (14), and (16) are interconnected through a communications network (18). The system (10) interconnects messaging systems (24), (26), (28), (30), (32), (34), (36), (40), (42) and (44) having disparate capabilities and using disparate communications protocols. The network hubs use numbers of connection processors (52) and (54) to interact with the messaging systems. A hub database (68) and message store (58) are used to store control information and messaging information within the network hubs. A network processor (60) is used to interact with other hubs within the communications system (10). A message router (72), connection manager (74), data replicator (76), and an administrative event manager (78) are used to control the operations of the hub in processing a message.

Abstract: A communications system (10) is provided which comprises a plurality of network hubs (12), (14), and (16). Network hubs (12), (14), and (16) are interconnected through a communications network (18). The system (10) interconnects messaging systems (24), (26), (28), (30), (32), (34), (36), (40), (42) and (44) having disparate capabilities and using disparate communications protocols. The network hubs use numbers of connection processors (52) and (54) to interact with the messaging systems. A hub database (68) and message store (58) are used to store control information and messaging information within the network hubs. A network processor (60) is used to interact with other hubs within the communications system (10). A message router (72), connection manager (74), data replicator (76), and an administrative event manager (78) are used to control the operations of the hub in processing a message.

Abstract: Communications system (10) that includes a network hub system (12), (14) and (16) connectable to external voice messaging systems (24), (26), (28), (30), (32), (34), (36), (40), (42) and (44). The network hub system (12), (14) and (16) includes a database storage (68) operable to store a telephone-based address and a globally unique address for the users of the communications system (10). The database storage (68) is also operable to store an address type for the external voice messaging systems (24), (26), (28), (30), (32), (34), (36), (40), (42) and (44).

Abstract: In a system where fax messages are directed to a store and forward system when a fax machine is busy: When fax messages are stored and an attempt is made to re-deliver the message, an ID related to the serial number of the storage system is placed in the fax header. When a message is received by the store and forward system, the header is interrogated and if an ID related to the serial number of the receiving machine is detected, the fax is not again stored and the system notes that the transmission to the fax machine was not successful.

Abstract: A network hub system (200) is connected to a communications cloud (18) as well as messaging systems (202), (204), (206) and (208). A public access port (212) interacts with a public virtual messaging system (202a). A private access port (214) interacts with a private virtual messaging system (202b). Address translation tables are used to provide for identification of members of messaging communities which allow for the implementation of virtual private networks connected to hub system (200) and other hubs.

Abstract: A communications system (10) is provided which comprises a plurality of network hubs (12), (14), and (16). Network hubs (12), (14), and (16) are interconnected through a communications network (18). The system (10) interconnects messaging systems (24), (26), (28), (30), (32), (34), (36), (40), (42) and (44) having disparate capabilities and using disparate communications protocols. The network hubs use numbers of connection processors (52) and (54) to interact with the messaging systems. A hub database (68) and message store (58) are used to store control information and messaging information within the network hubs. A network processor (60) is used to interact with other hubs within the communications system (10). A message router (72), connection manager (74), data replicator (76), and an administrative event manager (78) are used to control the operations of the hub in processing a message.

Abstract: Communications system (200) comprising a receiving messaging system (202 or 215) connectable to a sending messaging system (210). The receiving messaging system (202 or 215) is operable to receive a message addressed to a recipient and a time stamp of a sending system directory entry associated with the recipient from the sending messaging system (210). The sending system directory entry is used by the sending messaging system (210) for a recipient confirmation. Recipient confirmation may be spoken name confirmation. The receiving messaging system (202 or 215) includes a time stamp of a receiving system directory entry associated with the recipient. The receiving messaging system (202 or 215) validates the recipient confirmation by comparing the time stamp of the receiving system directory entry to the time stamp of the sending system directory entry. Messages with an invalid recipient confirmation may be returned to the sending messaging system (210).

Abstract: A network hub system (200) is connected to a communications cloud (18) as well as messaging systems (202), (204), (206) and (208). A public access port (212) interacts with a public virtual messaging system (202a). A private access port (214) interacts with a private virtual messaging system (202b). Address translation tables are used to provide for identification of members of messaging communities which allow for the implementation of virtual private networks connected to hub system (200) and other hubs.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for non-simultaneously creating and storing in electronic format a composite voice/data message having a recorded voice message portion and a facsimile transmittal portion. The method provides for creating a voice message and sending a time-wise separated facsimile transmittal to a voice message/data storage system, and then associating the separate voice message and facsimile transmittal portions to form a composite voice/data message. The methods include a message identification scheme wherein a message identification number is assigned to the first-received message portion, and the caller is prompted to provide that message identification number in connection with the later-received message portion. Apparatus to accomplish these methods steps is also provided.

Abstract: A digital line card is provided for use in an electronic messaging system for enabling the receipt of voice and text or image data over a single communications port. The digital line card includes a digital signal processing integrated circuit, a microprocessor and a random access memory component for storing coding schemes employed by the digital signal processing integrated circuit. The digital line card is programmed to detect the presence of dual-tone multifrequency command signals in the incoming data stream, and to switch between voice and data processing responsive to the command signals.

Abstract: An integrated voice messaging/interactive voice response system in which information given by a caller or known to a system database could be transferred among various application modules of the system is provided. The information is passed in the form of parameters in messages sent by one system module to another.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for distributing news items to the users of a computerized voice mail system. The news items are stored on disk. A news item memory table is stored in active memory. The news items memory table has (a) message descriptors of a limited number of the latest news items and (b) time stamps showing the newest news item not referenced in said shadow table and the last time a news item not listed in the shadow table was changed. Each time a user interrogates an assigned mailbox, the system checks the news item memory table to determine if any items have been added or deleted since the last time the particular mailbox was interrogated. If there are new bulletins, these are read into the mailbox and if some items already in the mailbox have been obsoleted, the obsoleted items are deleted from the mailbox.

Abstract: The present invention provides a highly reliable network of interconnected voice processing modules. The voice processing modules are interconnected by a high speed FDDI network so that information can be transferred between the modules at high speed. All of the incoming lines for all the interconnected modules are connected in a single hunt group. Each user's profile is stored in two modules and each module includes a directory that shows were each user's profile is stored. When a call arrives at a particular module, the directory is first checked to insure that the desired user does have a mailbox somewhere on the network and to determine where the particular user's profile is located. The user's profile is obtained via the FDDI network from one of the modules where it is located. The profile will show where the associated greeting is stored. The greeting is obtained via the FDDI bus (if it is not on the system which received the call) and the greeting is played.

Abstract: The present invention provides a highly reliable network of interconnected voice processing modules. The voice processing modules are interconnected by a high speed FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface) network so that information can be transferred between the modules at high speed. All of the incoming lines for all the interconnected modules are connected in a single hunt group. Each user's profile is stored in two modules and each module includes a directory that shows were each user's profile is stored. When a call arrives at a particular module, the directory is first checked to insure that the desired user does have a mailbox somewhere on the network and to determine where the particular user's profile is located. The user's profile is obtained via the FDDI network from one of the modules where it is located. The profile will show where the associated greeting is stored. The greeting is obtained via the FDDI bus (if it is not on the system which received the call) and the greeting is played.

Abstract: Dual tone multifrequency ("DTMF") signal pulses are detected and identified by subjecting the signal being analyzed to complex bandpass filtering for each of the two DTMF frequency bands. The envelope of the outputs of each of these filters are determined and subjected to a succession of different tests including a ripple or smoothness test to ensure adequate smoothness, a ratio test to ensure the occurrence of a step function, a twist test to ensure the proper amplitude ratio between the two bands, and a minimum energy test to ensure that the signal has sufficient energy. If the signal passes all of the detection tests, then the actual DTMF signal is identified by using the real and imaginary parts of each complex bandpass filter output to compute an associated complex phase angle, and comparing that phase angle to the corresponding phase angles for valid DTMF tones.

Abstract: In order to enable an authorized user of a secured system to detect unauthorized use of that system, the system records identifying information about the user (e.g., a sample of the user's voice) each time the user uses the system. The system also plays back to the user the information recorded the last time that user used the system. If the user does not recognize the information played back or detects anything else wrong with that information, the user knows that someone else has gained access or at least attempted to gain access to the system by posing as him or her.

Abstract: Voice signal information in a telephone-type signal is detected by subjecting the signal to several tests such as a minimum energy test, an amplitude ratio test, and a sequencing test which ensures that the other tests have been satisfied for a sufficient length of time and/or sufficiently frequently over a predetermined time interval. A voice processing system such as a voice mail system may use the detection of voice as above to initiate the transmission of an announcement or message during an automatically placed telephone call.

Abstract: An integrated voice messaging/interactive voice response system in which information given by a caller or known to a system database could be transferred among various application modules of the system is provided. The information is passed in the form of parameters in messages sent by one system module to another.