# US 10,374,864 B2 · Converged voice mail services

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- Number: US 10,374,864 B2
- Document ID: US10374864B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/030,150
- Filed: 2018-07-09
- Published: 2018-11-01
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2010-10-13
- Assignees: Qwest Communications International Inc.
- Applicants: Qwest Communications International Inc.
- Inventors: Richard Cerami; John Verbil; Paul D. Jaramillo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10374864B2

## CPC

- H04L 65/102: Gateways (arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66)
- H04L 65/1045: Proxies, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
- H04L 65/1063: Application servers providing network services (systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42)
- H04L 65/1069: Session establishment or de-establishment
- H04L 65/1096: Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding (systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42)
- H04L 65/1104: Session initiation protocol [SIP]
- H04M 1/2535: {adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network (Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16)}
- H04M 1/658: Means for redirecting recorded messages to other extensions or equipment
- H04M 3/53366: {Message disposing or creating aspects}
- H04M 7/006: {Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer (H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42)}
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)

## Abstract

Novel tools and techniques for providing enhanced services to telephone subscribers with multiple telephone lines, which can include one or more traditional telephone lines, wireless telephone lines, Internet protocol-based telephone lines, and/or the like. For example, certain tools can provide a subscriber with a unified voice mailbox for a plurality of the subscriber's telephone lines. In some cases, the subscriber does not need to check multiple voice mailboxes (each associated with one of the subscriber's telephone numbers) in order to ensure that the subscriber has received all messages intended for that subscriber. Instead, any incoming call on any of the subscriber's lines can be routed to a converged voice mailbox for easy retrieval by the subscriber of all messages from one location. Some tools employ a VoIP switch to handle routing of the incoming call to the correct voice mailbox.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for providing converged voice mail service, the system comprising:
a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) switch comprising a processor and configured to:
receive, via a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a first call from a calling party to one of a plurality of telephone numbers associated with a voice mail subscriber; and
send a first Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) INVITE in response to receiving the first call;
a SIP server implemented on a computer comprising a processor, the SIP server being configured to:
receive the first SIP INVITE;
identify the voice mail subscriber as a subscriber to the converged voice mail service; and
invoke a voice mail controller based on an identification of the voice mail subscriber as a subscriber to the converged voice mail service;
the voice mail controller implemented on a computer comprising a processor, the voice mail controller being configured to:
determine subscriber configuration information;
send a second SIP INVITE to a destination messaging platform;
the destination messaging platform implemented on a computer comprising a processor, the destination messaging platform being configured to:
receive the second SIP INVITE;
establish a voice connection with the calling party; and
record a voice mail message in a voice mailbox associated with the voice mail subscriber.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
the VoIP switch is further configured to:
receive a voice message retrieval request from the voice mail subscriber;
send a third SIP INVITE to the SIP server;
the SIP server is further configured to:
receive the third SIP INVITE;
identify the voice mail subscriber as a subscriber to the converged voice mail service, in response to receiving the third SIP INVITE; and
invoke the voice mail controller for message retrieval, based on an identification of the voice mail subscriber as a subscriber to the converged voice mail service;
the voice mail controller is further configured to:
send a fourth SIP INVITE to the destination messaging platform; and
the destination messaging platform is further configured to:
establish a second connection with the voice mail subscriber;
interact with the voice mail subscriber; and
replay the voice message for the voice mail subscriber.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the destination messaging platform is further configured to send a message waiting notification to each of the plurality of telephone numbers associated with the voice mail subscriber.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the voice mail controller is a servlet, and wherein the SIP server comprises the servlet.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein an application server comprises the SIP server and the voice mail controller.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the SIP server comprises a service capability interaction manager (SCIM) that is configured to:
receive the first SIP INVITE;
identify the voice mail subscriber as a subscriber to the converged voice mail service; and
invoke the voice mail controller based on an identification of the voice mail subscriber as a subscriber to the converged voice mail service.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a route server in communication with the VoIP switch, wherein:
the VoIP switch is configured to query the route server to determine a call route and send the first SIP INVITE in accordance with the call route.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a network profile database, wherein the SIP server is configured to query the network profile database to identify the voice mail subscriber as a subscriber to the converged voice mail service.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the voice mail controller is configured to query the network profile database to determine the subscriber configuration information.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the network profile database is a home subscriber server.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the voice mail controller is configured to act as a SIP proxy, and wherein sending a second SIP INVITE comprises rerouting the first SIP INVITE.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the voice mail controller is configured to act as a back-to-back user agent (B2BA), and wherein sending a second SIP INVITE comprises receiving the first SIP INVITE and generating a new, second SIP INVITE.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a telephony switch configured to receive the call from the calling party and route the call to a specified number associated with the VoIP switch.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the telephony switch is a service switching point (SSP).

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the telephony switch is a mobile switching center (MSC).

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of telephone numbers associated with the voice mail subscriber includes a plain old telephone system (POTS) wireline number and a wireless number.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of telephone numbers does not include a VoIP number.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the voice mailbox serves as a converged voice mailbox for all of the plurality of telephone numbers.

### Claim 19

A method of providing a converged voice mail service, the method comprising:
receiving, at a VoIP switch, a call forwarded from a telephony switch in from a public switched telephone network (PSTN), the call being from a calling party to one of a plurality of telephone numbers associated with a voice mail subscriber;
sending a first Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) INVITE in response to receiving the call;
receiving the first SIP INVITE;
identifying the voice mail subscriber as a subscriber to the converged voice mail service;
sending a second SIP INVITE to a destination messaging platform;
establishing a connection between the calling party and the destination messaging platform; and
recording the voice mail message at the destination messaging platform in a voice mailbox that is associated with the voice mail subscriber.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the telephone number to which the call is directed to a plain old telephone system (POTS) wireline telephone number associated with the voice mail subscriber.