US 7,599,476 B2 · System and method for voice-mail and e-mail synchronization

Abstract

Disclosed is a unified messaging system and method for combining a voice-mail system with an e-mail system. The present invention is a hybrid event driven system that polls a universal e-mail box for receipts, with the voice-mail system being fully event driven. The present invention maintains two persistent log-ins to the universal e-mail box, one to deliver messages and one to read message receipts. Thus, the system and method does not need to log-in and -out or read the entire list of messages. The present invention uses a file system instead of a state database. The system and method acts in real time such that messages in the unified messaging systems are synchronized within a pre-determined real-time. The system and method uses a “fail-safing” technique in which, after copies of messages are made and stored by each messaging component, allows one system to work if another is down.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A unified messaging system, comprising:

identifier means for identifying a corresponding e-mail box of an e-mail system for a voice mail-box of a voice-mail system;
a connector component configured as an event handler that for at least one message event for the voice-mail box, uses the identifier means to identify the corresponding e-mail box and causes at least one message transaction for the corresponding e-mail box;
receiver means for receiving at least one transaction receipt for message transactions from the e-mail box that corresponds to the voice-mail box;
and
a poller component configured to poll for the at least one transaction receipt from the e-mail box, to use the means to identify the corresponding voice-mail box, and to cause at least one action in the voice-mail box.

2 more elements

A method for synchronizing contents of an e-mail box of an e-mail system with contents of a voice-mail box of a voice-mail system, comprising the steps of:

providing a universal e-mail box in the e-mail system;
maintaining by an event handler, a persistent log-on to the universal e-mail box for the purpose of delivering e-mail counterparts to voice-mail messages;
when a message event occurs to an existing voice-mail message in the voice-mail system, the event handler logging in to the corresponding e-mail box to effect a corresponding message transaction in the e-mail system;
periodically polling the universal e-mail box for transaction receipts;
and
when a transaction receipt is found in the universal e-mail box, causing a corresponding action for the voice-mail box in the voice-mail system.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for voice-mail and e-mail synchronization

Life of this patent

System and method for voice-mail and e-mail synchronization

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19