Abstract: A calling party can by-pass voice mail menu structures and disturbing of a called party by directly dialing into the called party's voice mail. The calling party dials a special code, such as the digit 2, in conjunction with dialing the called party's telephone number. The telephone network detects the call as being a special call by detecting the special code. In response, the calling party is sent directly to the called party's voice mail without ever ringing the called party's access device and without requiring the calling party to make menu selections for routing the call.

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 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 method and apparatus for providing subscribers with an integrated message processing system. The method and apparatus include a first remote client, where a subscriber performs a registration process from the first remote client, the registration process being permissible after the subscriber provides access information. Furthermore, a second remote client allows use thereof without requiring a subscriber to respect the registration process.

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 Voice Extensible Markup Language (VXML) based voicemail system that has a distributed architecture is disclosed. The VXML voicemail system includes a media server and an application server. The media server is in communication with a telephone network. The media server receives a telephone call through the telephone network and invokes a voicemail service of the voicemail system by sending a request to an application server. The application server is adapted to generate a Voice Extensible Markup Language (VXML) page in response to receiving the request and provide the media server with the VXML page to the media server, wherein the media server renders at least a portion of the VXML page. Methods for implementing VXML based voicemail systems are also disclosed.

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 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.

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: An integrated message processing system is provided. The message processing system allows for the management of a plurality of messages all within an integrated graphical environment. Allowable messages types include voice messages, pages, facsimile messages and electronic mail messages. The message processing system stores these messages irrespective of the message format. Upon request from a subscriber, the message processing system converts a message stored in a first format to a second format, if necessary, and transmits the requested message to the subscriber. The message processing system displays information to a subscriber using a self-hosting program such as a JAVA™ application, which is downloaded to the remote client if the remote client does not have such a self-hosting program executing thereon or the remote client has an older version of the program.

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 improved architecture for providing high capacity capability to voice message systems is disclosed. The system includes a plurality of stand-alone voice message processors (VMP), each of which are communicatively connected via a high-speed local area network. Each of the voice message processors are communicatively connected to a network interface module (NIM) that receives all incoming calls from a public switched telephone network (PSTN). A control module is connected to the NIM and also interfaces with each of the VMPs over the local area network. As each incoming call is received, the control module routes the call to the appropriate VMP assigned to the subscriber to whom the call is designated. A terminal server is also connected to the local area network. The terminal server receives calls from subscribers utilizing a personal computer. In this manner, a subscriber can access his or her voice mailbox account.