US 8,687,773 B2 · Method and system for interfacing systems unified messaging with legacy systems located behind corporate firewalls

Abstract

A system and method for interfacing unified message processing systems with legacy voice mail, e-mail and facsimile systems, located behind corporate firewalls. The system includes a unified message server, a proxy interface and a message protocol convertor. The proxy interface is configured to access the legacy system in response to a request from a unified message server. Messages stored on the legacy system are converted by a protocol convertor to a predetermined format compatible with the unified message server. The converted messages are then transferred to a unified message server which is capable of providing messages from different messaging system, such as voice mail, e-mail and facsimile to users in a predetermined format. The invention permits enterprise wide communication systems to provide unified messaging without abandoning pre-existing legacy messaging system.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A messaging system, comprising:

a unified message server to provide messages from different messaging systems to users in a predetermined format;
a first firewall server to provide a first firewall between the unified messaging server and a public network;
a second firewall server to provide a second firewall between an enterprise network and the public network;
a proxy interface, coupled to the enterprise network, to access a legacy messaging system coupled to the enterprise network in response to a request receiving from the unified message server from via the public network;
and
a message protocol converter, coupled to the enterprise network, to convert messages stored by the legacy messaging system to a predetermined protocol usable by the unified message server;
wherein the unified message server supports a web page user interface enabling a user to specify the predetermined format selected from an e-mail format, a cellular telephony format, and a public switch telephony format.

4 more elements

A system for providing unified messaging services, comprising:

a unified message server to provide messages from disparate messaging systems to users in a predetermined format;
a first firewall to provide a first firewall between the unified message server and a public network;
a legacy email system, connected to an enterprise network, to receive and store email messages;
a legacy voice mail system, connected to the enterprise network, to receive and store voice mail messages;
a second firewall to provide a second firewall between the enterprise network and the public network;
a middleware server, connected to the enterprise network, including:
an email proxy interface to access the legacy email system in response to a first request of the unified message server received from the unified message server via the first firewall, the public network, and second firewall;
a voice mail proxy interface to access the legacy voice mail system in response to a second request of the unified message server received from the unified message server via the first firewall, the public network, and second firewall;
and
a message protocol converter, operatively associated with the voice mail proxy interface to convert voice mail messages stored by the legacy voice mail system to a predetermined protocol usable by the unified message server;
wherein the unified message server includes a web page user interface enabling a user to specify the predetermined format from an e-mail format, a cellular telephony format, and a public switch telephony format.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

11/651,335Filed 8 Jan 2007 · continuation

Priority

29 Feb 2000

Published

US 2007/0274473 A129 Nov 2007

Granted

1 Apr 2014

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H04M 3/53
Centralised arrangements for answering calls; Centralised arrangements for recording messages for absent or busy subscribers ; Centralised…:…
H04L 12/66
Data switching networks: arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
H04L 51/56
User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail: unified…
H04L 51/224
Monitoring or handling of messages: providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages

Family

Application09/515,030Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Feb 2000

Application10/264,137Parent of this continuation · filed 3 Oct 2002

Application10/881,355Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Jun 2004

US 2007/0274473 A1Pre-grant publication · published 29 Nov 2007

US 7,162,014 B2Parent of this continuation

US 6,868,144 B2Parent of this continuation

US 6,487,278 B1Parent of this continuation

US 2003/0026393 A1Published application

US 2004/0234046 A1Published application

US 8,687,773 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Method and system for interfacing systems unified messaging with legacy systems located behind corporate firewalls

Life of this patent

Method and system for interfacing systems unified messaging with legacy systems located behind corporate firewalls

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12