Location independent time reporting message retrieval system
AssigneeLucent Technologies Inc.
InventorsStephen M. Milton, Gang Yang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
When a subscriber to message retrieval service retrieves a message, rather than reporting a time of day associated with the message that may not have any meaning to the subscriber if the subscriber, the message originator and the message depository are in diverse worldwide locations, the disclosed message retrieval system reports a delta time indicating to the retrieving subscriber the time elapsed since the message originator delivered the message.
Claims11
A message retrieval system in which a message delivered by a message originator over a telephone network for a subscriber is stored for later retrieval over the telephone network by the subscriber together with a time indicating when the message was received, the system comprising:
- storage means for storing the message and an automatic number identification (ANI) information associated with the message originator when the message is delivered to the system;
- a system clock producing an output representing a current time in a predetermined time standard;
- means for storing a timestamp associated with the message in said storage means, said timestamp being determined from the output of the system clock at the current time the message is delivered to the system;
- means for determining a delta time equal to the difference in time between the output of the system clock at a time at which the subscriber accesses the system to retrieve the stored message and the timestamp associated with the stored message;
- means for converting the delta time associated with the stored message to an audio delta time signal;
- means for providing the audio delta time signal to the subscriber together with the retrieved stored message;
- and
- means for determining the message originator's time zone from the ANI, means for converting the time the subscriber accesses the system to retrieve the message to a time in the message originator's time zone, and means for providing to the subscriber the converted time in the message originator's time zone together with the delta time.
In a message retrieval system in which a message delivered by a message originator over a telephone network for a subscriber is stored for later retrieval over the telephone network by the subscriber, a method for providing the subscriber with a time together with the retrieved message that is independent of the location of the subscriber, the message originator and the location of the system, which time provides the subscriber information relating to when the message was delivered to the system by the message originator, the method comprising the steps of:
- storing a timestamp associated with the message and an automatic number identification (ANI) from the message originator when the message is delivered to the system, the timestamp representing the time at which the message is delivered in a predetermined time standard;
- determining the time at which the subscriber retrieves the message in the same predetermined time standard;
- determining the message originator's time zone from the ANI;
- calculating a delta time equal to the difference in time between the determined time at which the subscriber retrieves the message and the timestamp of the message, converting the time at which the subscriber retrieves the message to the time in the message originator's time zone;
- and
- providing the converted time in the message originator's time zone with the delta time of the message to the subscriber together with the message.
A message retrieval system in which a message delivered by a message originator over a telephone network for a subscriber is stored for later retrieval over the telephone network by the subscriber, the system comprising:
- storage means for storing the message and an automatic number identification (ANI) information associated with the message originator when the message is delivered to the system;
- means for determining the message originator's time zone from the ANI;
- means for storing a timestamp associated with the message in said storage means, said timestamp indicating a delivery time of the message to the system;
- means for converting the time the subscriber accesses the message for retrieval to an access time in the message originator's time zone;
- and
- means for providing to the subscriber the access time in the message originator's time zone together with a delta time equal to the difference in time between the access time and the delivery time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.