Voicemail user interface methods and apparatus for mobile communication devices

A mobile communication device, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a memory coupled to the one or more processors;
• a user interface comprising a visual display, the user interface being coupled to the one or more processors;
• a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors;
• the wireless transceiver being configured to receive a first voicemail notification message associated with a first voicemail message received at the first remote voicemail system, and a second voicemail notification message associated with a second voicemail message received at the second remote voicemail system, each of the first and the second voicemail notification messages comprising voicemail retrieval information related to the first or the second remote voicemail system, the voicemail retrieval information related to the first remote voicemail system comprising a first dual tone-multiple frequency (DTMF) command set for voicemail messages processing functions of the first remote voicemail system, the voicemail retrieval information related to the second remote voicemail system comprising a second DTMF command set for voicemail messages processing functions of the second remote voicemail system which is different from the first DTMF command set for the first remote voicemail system;
• the user interface providing a plurality of selectable visual objects or switches corresponding to a plurality of voicemail message processing functions, each visual object or switch having a visual indicator indicative of its voicemail message processing function;
• the one or more processors configured to perform the following acts in response to detecting a selection of one of the visual objects or switches:
• select a DTMF command code associated with the voicemail message processing function of the selected visual object or switch from the voicemail retrieval information related to the first or the second remote voicemail system;
• and
• send the DTMF command code to the first or the second remote voicemail system to invoke the voicemail message processing function at the first or the second remote voicemail system indicated by the visual indicator of the visual object or switch.

A communication device, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a user interface coupled to the one or more processors, the user interface comprising a visual display;
• a transceiver coupled to the one or more processors;
• a memory coupled to the one or more processors;
• the user interface being configured with a plurality of 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;
• the transceiver being configured to receive a first voicemail notification message associated with a first voicemail message received at the first remote voicemail system, and a second voicemail notification message associated with a second voicemail message received at the second remote voicemail system, each of the first and the second voicemail notification messages comprising voicemail retrieval information related to the first or the second remote voicemail system the voicemail retrieval information related to the first remote voicemail system comprising a first dual tone-multiple frequency (DTMF) command set for voicemail messages processing functions of the first remote voicemail system, the voicemail retrieval information related to the second remote voicemail system comprising a second DTMF command set for voicemail messages processing functions of the second remote voicemail system which is different from the first DTMF command set for the first remote voicemail system;
• the one or more processors being configured to select a DTMF command code associated with the voicemail processing function of a selected visual object or switch from the voicemail retrieval information associated with the first or the second remote voicemail system;
• and
• the one or more processors being configured to send the DTMF command code to the first or the second remote voicemail system to invoke the voicemail message processing function at the first or the second remote voicemail system.

A method for use in processing voicemail messages in a communication device, the communication device including a memory, a user interface comprising 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, the method comprising:

• receiving a first voicemail notification message associated with a first voicemail message received at the first remote voicemail system, the first voicemail notification message comprising first voicemail retrieval information related to the first remote voicemail system, the voicemail retrieval information related to the first remote voicemail system comprising a first dual tone-multiple frequency (DTMF) command set for voicemail messages processing functions of the first remote voicemail system;
• in response to detecting end-user selections of the visual objects or switches in connection with the first voicemail message, selecting DTMF command codes from the first voicemail retrieval information associated with the voicemail functions associated with the end-user selections;
• invoking voicemail message functions at the first remote voicemail system with use of the selected DTMF command codes from the first voicemail retrieval information;
• receiving a second voicemail notification message associated with a second voicemail message received at the second remote voicemail system, the second voicemail notification message comprising second voicemail retrieval information related to the second remote voicemail systems, the voicemail retrieval information related to the second remote voicemail system comprising a second DTMF command set for voicemail messages processing functions of the second remote voicemail system which is different from the first DTMF command set for the first remote voicemail system;
• in response to detecting end-user selections of the visual objects or switches in connection with the second voicemail message, selecting DTMF command codes from the second voicemail retrieval information associated with the voicemail message functions associated with the end-user selections;
• invoking the voicemail message functions at the second remote voicemail system with use of the selected DTMF command codes from the second voicemail retrieval information.