System and method for synchronizing voice mailbox with e-mail box

A voice mail system, for use in conjunction with an e-mail system, comprising:

• a mass storage memory for storing voice mail;
• a central processing unit (CPU);
• a voice mail module, for execution by the CPU;
• a synchronization module, for execution by the CPU;
• and
• a respective voice mailbox associated with each of a plurality of respective users of the voice mail system, each voice mailbox for storing voice messages;
• the voice mail module including instructions for storing a voice message in the voice mailbox of a particular user, and for sending for storing in a e-mail box of the particular user a corresponding e-mail message having a predefined portion that identifies the voice message;
• wherein the e-mail box is in a computer system distinct from the voice mail system;
• the synchronization module including instructions for performing a synchronization operation by:
• retrieving from the e-mail box predefined portions of the messages therein that correspond to voice messages in the voice mailbox, each retrieved predefined portion identifying the corresponding voice message;
• comparing the retrieved predefined portions with the voice messages in the voice mailbox to identify the voice messages, if any, for which there is no corresponding message in the e-mail box;
• and
• deleting the identified voice messages;
• wherein the voice mail module instructions and synchronization module instructions do not create and do not utilize a database identifying respective voice messages corresponding to respective messages in the e-mail box;
• whereby when the particular user deletes from the e-mail box a message corresponding to a voice message, the voice message is automatically deleted from the voice mailbox by the synchronization module.

A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising:

• a voice mail module, for execution by the computer system;
• a synchronization module, for execution by the computer system;
• and
• a respective voice mailbox associated with each of a plurality of respective users of the voice mail system, each voice mailbox for storing voice messages;
• the voice mail module including instructions for storing a voice message in a voice mailbox of a particular user, and for sending for storing in a e-mail box of the particular user a corresponding e-mail message having a predefined portion that identifies the voice message;
• wherein the voice mailbox and e-mail box are in distinct computer systems;
• the synchronization module including instructions for performing a synchronization operation by:
• retrieving from the e-mail box predefined portions of the e-mail messages therein that correspond to voice messages in the voice mailbox, each retrieved predefined portion identifying the corresponding voice message;
• comparing the retrieved predefined portions with the voice messages in the voice mailbox to identify the voice messages, if any, for which there is no corresponding message in the e-mail box;
• and
• deleting the identified voice messages;
• whereby when the particular user deletes from the e-mail box a message corresponding to a voice message, the voice message is automatically deleted from the voice mailbox by the synchronization module.