Method and apparatus for monitoring a message in a voice mail system

A method, in a telephone switching system with a voice mail box for a called party's extension, for the system to transmit to the called party a voice mail message being left by a caller while the called party is using the extension for a call with a third party, comprising:

• (a) connecting the caller to the voice mail box,
• (b) transmitting to the called party a signal that a message is being recorded in the voice mail box,
• (c) receiving voice sounds of the voice mail message from the caller and recording the voice sounds in the mail box,
• (d) receiving from the called party a command to put the third party on hold,
• (e) putting the third party on hold,
• (f) while the voice sounds are being recorded, transmitting at least part of the voice sounds to the called party;
• (g) receiving a call from a second caller, connecting the second caller to the voice mail box, and transmitting to the called party a second signal that a message is being recorded in the voice mail box, and
• (h) transmitting to the called party at least part of the voice sounds of the second caller.

A method, in a telephone switching system with a voice mail box for a called party's extension, for the system to transmit to the called party, with a delay, a voice mail message being left by a caller, comprising:

• (a) receiving voice sounds of the voice mail message from the caller and recording the voice sounds in the mail box,
• (b) notifying the called party that the system is receiving and recording voice sounds of the voice mail message from the caller
• (c) receiving a command from the called party to play the voice sounds, and
• (d) while the voice sounds are being recorded, but with a delay of more than 1 second from the time that the voice sounds were received from the caller, playing at least part of the recorded voice sounds to the called party.

A method, in a telephone switching system with a voice mail box for a called party with an extension, which extension includes a multi-item display, for the system to transmit to the called party a voice mail message left by a caller, comprising:

• (a) receiving a plurality of calls directed to the called party's extension, including a first call from a first caller and a second call from a second caller, and, for each of the plurality of calls, transmitting to the called party's extension's display items identifying the call,
• (b) connecting the first call to the called party's extension,
• (c) connecting the second call to the called party's voice mail box,
• (d) receiving a set of voice sounds of a voice mail message from the second caller, recording the set of voice sounds in the mail box, and storing in a memory an association between the set of voice sounds and the items displayed on the called party's extension's display for the call from the second caller,
• (e) displaying on the called party's extension's display a list comprised of each of the items transmitted to the extension for each of the plurality of calls directed to the called party's extension, including the first call and the second call,
• (f) receiving at the called party's extension a selection by a user of the displayed items for the second call, and
• (g) transmitting the set of voice sounds corresponding to the selected items to the called party's extension.

A telephone switching system with a voice mail box for a called party's extension, which system may transmit to the called party a voice mail message being left by a caller while the called party is using a first communication channel for a call with a third party and may allow the called party to cause the system to interrupt the caller, comprising:

• (a) means for connecting the caller to the voice mail box,
• (b) means for receiving voice sounds of the voice mail message from the caller,
• (c) means for recording the voice sounds in the mail box,
• (d) means for, while the voice sounds are being recorded, transmitting at least part of the voice sounds to the called party via a second communication channel,
• (e) means for receiving from the called party via the second communication channel a command to interrupt the caller leaving a message, and
• (f) means for interrupting the caller leaving a message with one of (i) a connection to the called party or (ii) a recorded greeting offering to connect the caller to the called party.

A telephone switching system with a voice mail box for a called party's extension, which system transmits to the called party a voice mail message being left by a caller while the called party is using the extension for a call with a third party, comprising:

• (a) means for connecting the caller to the voice mail box,
• (b) means for transmitting to the called party a signal that a message is being recorded in the voice mail box,
• (c) means for receiving voice sounds of the voice mail message from the caller and recording the voice sounds in the mail box,
• (d) means for receiving from the called party a command to put the third party on hold,
• (e) means for putting the third party on hold,
• (f) means for, while the voice sounds are being recorded, transmitting at least part of the voice sounds to the called party;
• (g) means for receiving a call from a second caller, connecting the second caller to the voice mail box, and transmitting to the called party a second signal that a message is being recorded in the voice mail box, and
• (h) means for transmitting to the called party at least part of the voice sounds of the second caller.

A telephone switching system with a voice mail box for a called party's extension, which system transmits to the called party, with a delay, a voice mail message being left by a caller, comprising:

• (a) means for receiving voice sounds of the voice mail message from the caller and recording the voice sounds in the mail box,
• (b) means for notifying the called party that the system is receiving and recording voice sounds of the voice mail message from the caller;
• (c) means for awaiting a command from the called party before transmitting at least part of the voice sounds to the called party;
• and
• (d) means for, while the voice sounds are being recorded, but with a delay of more than 1 second from the time that the voice sounds were received from the caller, playing at least part of the recorded voice sounds to the called party.

A telephone switching system with a voice mail box for a called party with an extension, which extension includes a multi-item display, which system transmits to the called party a voice mail message left by a caller, comprising:

• (a) means for receiving a plurality of calls directed to the called party's extension, including a first call from a first caller and a second call from a second caller, and, for each of the plurality of calls, transmitting to the called party's extension's display items identifying the call,
• (b) means for connecting the first call to the called party's extension,
• (c) means for connecting the second call to the called party's voice mail box,
• (d) means for receiving a set of voice sounds of the voice mail message from the second caller, recording the set of voice sounds in the mail box, and storing in a memory an association between the set of voice sounds and the items displayed on the called party's extension's display for the call from the second caller,
• (e) means for displaying on the called party's extension's display a list comprised of each of the items transmitted to the extension for each of the plurality of calls directed to the called party's extension, including the first call and the second call,
• (f) means for receiving at the called party's extension a selection by a user of the displayed items for the second call, and
• (g) means for transmitting the set of voice sounds corresponding to the selected items to the called party's extension.