Voicemail user interface methods and apparatus for mobile communication devices

A mobile communication device, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors;
• the wireless transceiver configured to receive one or more voicemail notification messages associated with one or more voicemail messages received at one or more voicemail systems which include a first voicemail system and a second voicemail system;
• memory for storing a first dual tone-multiple frequency (DTMF) command set for voicemail message processing functions of the first voicemail system and a second DTMF command set for voicemail message processing functions of the second voicemail system which is different from the first DTMF command set for the first voicemail system;
• a user interface having a visual display;
• the visual display configured to display voicemail message header information associated with the one or more voicemail notification messages received at one of the first and the second voicemail systems;
• the user interface providing a plurality of end-user selectable visual objects or switches corresponding to a plurality of voicemail message processing functions;
• the plurality of voicemail message processing functions including PLAY, SKIP BACK, and SKIP FORWARD;
• each visual object or switch having a visual indicator indicative of its voicemail message processing function;
• and
• the one or more processors configured to perform the following acts in response to detecting an end-user selection of one of the visual objects or switches:
• select, from one of the first and the second DTMF command sets corresponding to the one of the first and the second voicemail systems at which the voicemail message was received, a DTMF command code corresponding to the voicemail message processing function and to cause the DTMF command code to be sent to the one of the first and the second voicemail systems to invoke the voicemail message processing function at the one of the first and the second voicemail systems indicated by the visual indicator of the visual object or switch.

A mobile communication device, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors;
• the wireless transceiver configured to receive a first voicemail notification message associated with a first voicemail message received at a first voicemail system;
• the wireless transceiver configured to receive a second voicemail notification message associated with a second voicemail message received at a second voicemail system;
• a user interface having a visual display;
• the visual display configured to display first voicemail message header information associated with the first voicemail message and second voicemail message header information associated with the second voicemail message;
• the user interface providing a plurality of end-user selectable visual objects or switches corresponding to a plurality of voicemail processing functions;
• each visual object or switch having a visual indicator indicative of its voicemail processing function;
• memory coupled to the one or more processors;
• the memory for storing a first set of voicemail processing information for the first voicemail system, the first set of voicemail processing information including a first dual tone-multiple frequency (DTMF) command set for voicemail message processing functions of the first voicemail system;
• the memory for storing a second set of voicemail processing information for the second voicemail system, the second set of voicemail processing information including a second DTMF command set for voicemail message processing functions of the second voicemail system which is different from the first DTMF command set;
• the one or more processors configured to use the first DTMF command set to invoke voicemail message functions at the first voicemail system through the wireless transceiver in response to detecting end-user selections of the visual objects or switches in connection with the first voicemail message;
• and
• the one or more processors configured to use the second DTMF command set to invoke the voicemail message functions at the second voicemail system through the wireless transceiver in response to detecting end-user selections of the visual objects or switches in connection with the second voicemail message.

In a mobile communication device having a user interface which includes a visual display and a plurality of end-user selectable visual objects or switches corresponding to a plurality of voicemail processing functions, each visual object or switch having a visual indicator indicative of its voicemail processing function, a method for use in processing voicemail messages comprising the acts of:

• storing, in memory, a first set of voicemail processing information for a first voicemail system, the first set of voicemail processing information including a first dual tone-multiple frequency (DTMF) command set for voicemail message processing functions of the first voicemail system;
• storing, in the memory, a second set of voicemail processing information for a second voicemail system, the second set of voicemail processing information including a second DTMF command set for voicemail message processing functions of the second voicemail system which is different from the first DTMF command set;
• receiving, through a wireless transceiver, a first voicemail notification message associated with a first voicemail message received at the first voicemail system;
• displaying, in the visual display, first voicemail message header information associated with the first voicemail message;
• in response to detecting end-user selections of the visual objects or switches in connection with the first voicemail message, invoking voicemail message functions at the first voicemail system through the wireless transceiver with use of the first DTMF command set stored in memory;
• receiving, through the wireless transceiver, a second voicemail notification message associated with a second voicemail message received at the second voicemail system;
• displaying, in the visual display, second voicemail message header information associated with the second voicemail message;
• and
• in response to detecting end-user selections of the visual objects or switches in connection with the second voicemail message, invoking the voicemail message functions at the second voicemail system through the wireless transceiver with use of the second DTMF command set stored in memory.