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: The playback of video content delivered over a wireless network can be controlled by the provision of various control functions that can be actuated by the user. The controlled playback can be implemented on a system level, in which the delivery of the video content is controlled in response to receiving control actuation signals from a receiver device or can be implemented at the receiver device level by storing the video content and controlling the rendering of the content based on user actuations. In either implementation, the playback control can include pausing, stopping, fast-forwarding, rewinding, reversing, fast-reversing and skipping of the video content.

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 mailbox system that has a distributed architecture is disclosed. The system includes an application server, a media server, and message storage system having subscriber mailboxes. Application messages may be stored in a subscriber's mailbox. When the subscriber accesses an application message, the application server uses the application message to create an application, which is then provided to the media server. The media server then executes the application for the subscriber.

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: A message engine for analyzing or examining a message and generating a textual description of the message. The message engine can provide a textual description of a voice message. The message engine does not present a speech to text conversion of the complete voice message (that is, it does not convert the entire message to text and present the textual version of the entire voice message to the user). Rather, the message engine presents only the conceptual key words that describe the essence of the voice message to the user. As such, the message engine is a more intelligent version of a speech-to-text convertor. An exemplary message engine will only present in text the key conceptual words of the message rather than the entire speech to text translation of the whole message.

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 telecommunications platform that provides redundant interfaces to a telecommunications system for multiple IP based telecommunication devices. The telecommunications platform includes a gateway cluster with two or more signaling gateways. Each signaling gateway is assigned a point code for being accessed by devices in the telecommunications system. The gateway cluster is assigned a virtual point code. Any of the IP based telecommunications devices can be accessed by the telecommunications system by routing to the virtual point code through one of the signaling gateways in the gateway cluster. Thus, if one of the signaling gateways is not available, the IP based telecommunications devices can still be accessed through one of the other signaling gateways in the gateway cluster.

Abstract: The user interface to a video based telecommunications system is enriched by the provision of multi-media user interfaces. The user interface may include active video portions along with instructional audio or may be icons or thumbnails representing available video information. Menu structures can be animated by changing the color or characteristics of the menu items in synchronization with the audio information and responsive to actions taken by the user.

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: 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 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 telecommunications platform that provides redundant interfaces to a telecommunications system for multiple IP based telecommunication devices. The telecommunications platform includes a gateway cluster with two or more signaling gateways. Each signaling gateway is assigned a point code for being accessed by devices in the telecommunications system. The gateway cluster is assigned a virtual point code. Any of the IP based telecommunications devices can be accessed by the telecommunications system by routing to the virtual point code through one of the signaling gateways in the gateway cluster. Thus, if one of the signaling gateways is not available, the IP based telecommunications devices can still be accessed through one of the other signaling gateways in the gateway cluster.

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: Community Messaging Service (CMS) is a system and method for operators in developing countries to provide a messaging service to subscribers who cannot yet afford a wireless telephone or personal landline service or for which such infrastructure is not readily available, but have the basic requirement to communicate with each other. CMS makes it possible for callers to leave messages for people who would otherwise be unreachable and allow subscribers to reply back to those callers. More specifically, CMS involves the use of a pre-paid account to allow callers without telephones to have a non-gsm telephone number that can be used for communication via voicemail over a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

Abstract: A telephone system architecture enabling various components of a video based telephone system to be distributed geographically yet operates as a seamlessly integrated system. A transcoding gateway provides an interface to a third generation wireless network and received video messages in a plurality of formats. These video messages are converted to a single format and provided to the video media server. The video media server can store the video messages in a message store, separated as a video component and an audio component. The entire video message can be provided to compatible equipment over the third generation wireless network. For non-compatible equipment, the audio component of the video messages can be provided.

Abstract: A tool that enables a technologically unsophisticated user to develop and deploy what could be considered a technically complex video application without requiring the user have knowledge in the workings of various programming technologies. A wizard-driven web-based approach to dynamically and intelligently generate video media (e.g., menus) for mobile devices, map user actions to defined functions, and intelligently create the application artifacts (VoiceXML scripts, JSP's) required that use the generated video menus. It can securely deploy the application artifacts to platforms accessible by the targeted mobile devices. Thus, using a point and click web-based tool, a complete video portal application for mobile devices can be developed and deployed in a few minutes by users who do not have developer expertise.

Abstract: Enhanced messaging provided by allowing a subscriber to send a message to the system, and in response to the message, providing an enhanced messaging service. The enhanced messaging service may include receiving and forwarding content to intended recipients, providing previously received content to a requesting party, or obtaining content commensurate to a request from the subscriber and delivering that content to the subscriber.