EP0885509A1 - Systemes de messagerie - Google Patents

Systemes de messagerie

Info

Publication number
EP0885509A1
EP0885509A1 EP97905289A EP97905289A EP0885509A1 EP 0885509 A1 EP0885509 A1 EP 0885509A1 EP 97905289 A EP97905289 A EP 97905289A EP 97905289 A EP97905289 A EP 97905289A EP 0885509 A1 EP0885509 A1 EP 0885509A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
customer
message
messaging system
service
network
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP97905289A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Toby James Stockton
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
British Telecommunications PLC
Original Assignee
British Telecommunications PLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from GBGB9604514.1A external-priority patent/GB9604514D0/en
Application filed by British Telecommunications PLC filed Critical British Telecommunications PLC
Priority to EP97905289A priority Critical patent/EP0885509A1/fr
Publication of EP0885509A1 publication Critical patent/EP0885509A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L51/00—User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
    • H04L51/06—Message adaptation to terminal or network requirements
    • H04L51/066—Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to messaging systems and more particularly to such systems accessible through a switched telecommunications network. Messaging systems are no longer restricted to voice communication.
  • Telecommunications customers expect access to store and forward systems for fax, data, video communication, electronic mail messages and for sending advertising materials through such systems.
  • telecommunications users become more sophisticated in their demand communications suppliers the number of platforms on which the services are provided may multiply.
  • a customer who requires a messaging service across more than one network may be required to contact several different telephone numbers in order to check for the presence of any communications waiting.
  • each provider may be different. It is also possible that where multiple/switched telephony network providers operate, each having its own messaging service, interworking between network message services will be required
  • a messaging system accessible by way of a switched telecommunications network, comprising storage means for storing messages, control means for directing the storage and retrieval of messages and conversion means for converting received messages into a form suitable for storage characterised in that the storage means comprises a plurality of data stores each connected to a communications switch for access by way of the telecommunications network, the control means on a receipt of a message being arranged to cause storage of the message in one of the data stores by effecting switching through the network, the control means holding, in respect of each messaging customer, a record of the location of the or each message for such customer whereby messages for any one customer may be stored in any of the accessible data stores
  • control means has access through the switched network to a plurality of service modules each comprising data processing means to provide a respective part of the storage and for retrieval function, the control means causing a calling customer to be sequentially connected to appropriate service modules and interacting with the respective modules to complete the storage or retrieval of a message.
  • the messaging system may have a plurality of operating modes in a deposit mode of which a caller may leave a message for a messaging system customer, the control means connecting in turn a first service module to provide a system greeting, a second service module to collect a customer response if required and a further service module to prompt deposit of a message.
  • control means may connect the first service module and the second service module as above followed by a different service module which collects a further customer response to validate the customer access to retrieval service
  • the customer may be connected through the switched network to a retrieval management service module which uses data retrieved by the control means to identify to the customer what (if any) messages are stored and to collect from the customer an indication of which stored message is to be retrieved such that the control means may cause the connection of the customer of the appropriate accessible data store for retrieval of the selected message.
  • the control means After retrieval of the selected message the control means causes reconnection of the customer to the retrieval management service module which may be arranged to offer a plurality of options to a customer in respect of the message retrieved
  • a plurality of service modules in each type may be available and may be located in different parts of the network, the control means selecting and , ⁇ ford., mod,., , O 97/33413
  • a network management system or control processor of a communications switch detects that a ⁇ incoming call to a telephony customers is not being answered it may cause the calling customer to be connected to the messaging system and the control means may cause connection of a service module arrangement to provide to the calling customer a dedicated user greeting in respect of the called customer
  • the dedicated user greeting may be held in a data store which holds customer profile data in respect of each of a multiplicity of messaging system customers.
  • the network management system or control processor may also be arranged to cause connection of calling customer to the messaging system if the called customer line is not available or if the called customer has requested connection of all incoming calls to the messaging system.
  • Figures 1 a, 1 b and 1 c are block schematic diagrams showing various methods of providing messaging services to multiple switched networks
  • FIG. 2 is a block schematic diagram showing an interpretation of the messaging service in accordance with the invention
  • FIG 3 is a block schematic diagram of the public switched telephone network including the messaging system of the invention, Figure 4 shows schematically interaction between some of the functions of the messaging system shown in Figure 3;
  • FIG. 5 shows communication paths of the messaging system of Figure 4.
  • FIGS 6, 7, 8 and 9 are flow charts showing the sequence of operation of the messaging system of the invention.
  • a customer on one of the networks 2, 3 and 4 linked to a multimedia message service platform 9 or 1 0 as a subscriber could use a single mailbox for all of their messaging requirements.
  • network 3 for example, were a mobile network and network 4 a PSTN network
  • access to the customer's mailbox would be of a common type.
  • full interworking between message platforms is not practical.
  • the platform 8 is not connected to all of the networks, such that customers of networks 3 and 4 may not have direct communication with messaging service customer of that platform.
  • Figure 1 c if a single message platform providing all available messaging types is provided as shown, then the possibility of all customers having the same message functionality enables e-mail or pre-created voice messages to be exchanged between subscribers.
  • FIG 2 if access to a number of message service platforms 1 2, 1 3, 1 4 from the networks 1 , 2, 3, 4, is controlled through an integrated message service provider 1 5 then as message service functionality on new platforms develops subscribers can switch platforms regardless of the network on which the subscribing customer has a residence. Thus new messaging platforms can be fitted behind the message service provider 1 5 without modifying customer access.
  • the present invention seeks to provide a messaging service of the kind shown in Figure 2 in which message service provision is from a number of different message service platforms and is consistently provided to customers regardless of the network 1 , 2, 3, 4, on which the customer is present.
  • one of the networks is represented by digital main switching units (DMSUs) 1 7, 1 8 which may be two switches of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) connected to a local switch 1 6 which provides service to customer premise equipment 1 9, 20 It will be appreciated that if the local switch 1 6 was in fact a mobile telephone network interlinking to the PSTN at the DMSUs 1 7, 1 8 then the customer premises equipment would be suitable mobile telephony equipment
  • an intelligent peripheral as referred to herein is a service module connected to the network and accessible through the network.
  • An IP includes processing means (for example a microprocessor) for providing dedicated functionality in response to control data transmitted across the network by the SCF.
  • IP's connectable to calling customers by way of the network may include voice synthesis capability to provide instruction information or acknowledgement to customers and for may included response collection capability for detecting and for analysing tones, voice response or other signalling IP's are sometimes referred to in the art as "Service Engines"
  • SMS service data function
  • control function or message resource function 33 has signalling access to and from the SCF through virtual paths or signalling channels of the network shown at 34 and physical connections 35 to and from customers switched in as required.
  • message data is held in a message data function store 36
  • the service switching function 22 has switchable access via the network to a number of different platforms some of which may have specific functionality for (e.g.) voice, fax or electronic mail services and the service control function will normally seek to cause access via an appropriate message resource function for each such service. It will however be appreciated the once converted to an appropriate medium for storage voice, fax or e-mail are storable in any MDF 36 and provided that an appropriate MRF 33 for the recovery medium is used, the stored message will be recovered appropriately. Effectively the MRFs 331 to 333 must translate data appropriately.
  • the messaging platform 28 may not necessa ⁇ ly be operated by the network operator provided it is accessible through the network and is capable of providing signalling to the SCF 23
  • the SSF using signalling paths through the network forwards the mailbox access request to the SCF 23 at the DMSU 1 7.
  • the SCF responds to the signalling by returning signalling requesting the calling line identity of the originating customer and an indication of the message medium (i.e. voice, fax, e-mail) .
  • the SCF 23 receives the CLI information it recovers from the SDF 24, again via a signalling path, the profile of the originating user.
  • the profile from the originating user will include information such as the level of service access permitted, any password associated with message retrieval and data defining the users greeting for depositing customer, for example.
  • the control function Having received the profile from the SDF at step 725 by way of the virtual signalling channel, the control function causes the physical connection through the network of the caller to an intelligent peripheral, say 25, and forwards signals to the peripheral 25 to cause the peripheral to transmit an appropriate welcome message. Either the same peripheral or another one of the peripherals 25, 26 is then linked through the network to the caller to request an indication from the customer of the service required. This peripheral will await an indication from the customer and will then use the signalling path to return to the SCF 23 the customer's indication as to whether he wishes to deposit a message for another mailbox customer or to retrieve messages previously left.
  • the SCF 23 causes a path to be set up through the network to a peripheral which forwards an appropriate prompting message to enable the destination customer to be identified and to inform the customer when to commence depositing of the message.
  • step 31 0 the network connection is to one of the messaging platforms 27, 28 to an appropriate message resource 331 , 332, 333 of Figure 5.
  • the MRF will receive the message directly from the customer by way of the switched network and will convert the message appropriately at step 81 5 for storage by one of the MDFs within the messaging platform. This is indicated at step 820 and at step 825 the message is stored and a message number indicative of the location within the specific MDF is passed back to the MRF which then uses the signalling path at step 835 to return the message number and identity of the
  • the SCF 23 now causes the call to be cleared at step 840 possibly by reconnecting the caller to step 740 to permit a further message to be deposited or to another peripheral to enable replay and/or editing of the deposited message for example.
  • the message location is stored against the receiving customer's identity in an appropriate SDF 24. This also cause the SCF data to be set updating the customer status of the receiving customer to indicate the number of messages waiting.
  • peripherals 25, 26 which are sequentially connected at different stages of a call.
  • a single peripheral 25 having appropriate voice, fax or e-mail interactively may be signal controlled by the SCF to provide appropriate prompts to a calling customer.
  • the customer is only connected through the network i.e. having a communications channel which may be a TDM channel rather than a physical channel through the network to the various parts of the messaging service on an as needed basis.
  • the SCF 23 causes a password access peripheral to connect through the network to the customer and the customer is prompted to enter a personal identification number (PIN) This is validated against the data previously collected from the SDF 24 at step 910 and, assuming the password is valid causes the customer to be connected to one of the peripherals 25, 26 through the network for management of the retrieval process.
  • PIN personal identification number
  • the SCF 23 uses its signalling path to forward SDF data to the management peripheral which will make an appropriate announcement to the customer concerning the number of messages, times and dates of receipt, sources etc. which information was previously stored in the SDF.
  • the management peripheral will then prompt the customer to determine which, if any, of the messages the customer wishes to retrieve.
  • the management peripheral will forward the customer's response to the SCF which will collect the identity of the message to be retrieved at step 920 and causes a connection to appropriate MRF of messaging platform 27, 28 at step 930 passing the message number as previously stored to the MRF which is now physically connected back through the network to the customer.
  • the MRF effectively connects the customer to his message in the MDF and plays the message appropriately.
  • the MRF forwards a signalling message to the SCF 23 indicating that the message has been played and the SCF 23 releases the connection to the MRF and reconnects the caller to the management peripheral at step 945 to enable the caller to request that the message be repeated or to request further calls, to make replies or any other function normally associated with a messaging service.
  • the local switch 1 6 will determine the current status at step 610 and will examine the customer's class of service to determine whether call answering is currently selected by the customer. If not, then, assuming the customer's line is not currently engaged at step 620, then normal incoming telephony signals will be applied to the customer's premises or mobile communications system at step 625, if at step 630 the call is answered in the normal manner then a normal telephony connection through the network is completed.
  • the local switch causes the call to be connected to the SSF 22 at step 640.
  • the SSF 22 forwards the request to the SCF 23 which obtains the appropriate called line indication and message medium to be determined and obtains the profile of the receiving customer at step 655 from the SDF 24.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Data Exchanges In Wide-Area Networks (AREA)
  • Telephonic Communication Services (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un système qui est commandé par une fonction de commutation des services (22), ou 'SSF', et par une fonction de régulation des services (23), ou 'SCF', qui peuvent se trouver en différents emplacements du réseau afin que n'importe quel client puisse utiliser n'importe quelle plate-forme de messagerie (27, 28) pour le stockage de messages et qu'il soit possible d'utiliser les protocoles de messagerie habituels. Dès la détection d'une requête de service de messagerie, la SSF (22) alerte la SCF (23) via les chemins de signalisation du réseau en transitant par le central numérique local (16) et les unités principales de commutation numériques (17), ou 'DMSU'. La SCF prend en charge la communication du client, et, utilisant des données conservées dans une mémoire de données de services (24) ou 'SDF', réalise les messages d'interrogation appropriés, les contrôles d'accès voulus et remplit les fonctions de stockage. Le stockage des messages se fait en mode distribué, c'est-à-dire qu'une séquence de messages pour un même client ne seront pas systématiquement conservés au niveau de la même plate-forme de messagerie, la SDF (24) ne connaissant que l'emplacement de chacun des messages conservés. Tous les messages FAX, de messagerie vocale, de messagerie de données et de messagerie électronique peuvent être stockés de la même manière.
EP97905289A 1996-03-04 1997-02-26 Systemes de messagerie Withdrawn EP0885509A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP97905289A EP0885509A1 (fr) 1996-03-04 1997-02-26 Systemes de messagerie

Applications Claiming Priority (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP96301435 1996-03-04
EP96301435 1996-03-04
GBGB9604514.1A GB9604514D0 (en) 1996-03-04 1996-03-04 Messaging systems
GB9604514 1996-03-04
PCT/GB1997/000545 WO1997033413A1 (fr) 1996-03-04 1997-02-26 Systemes de messagerie
EP97905289A EP0885509A1 (fr) 1996-03-04 1997-02-26 Systemes de messagerie

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0885509A1 true EP0885509A1 (fr) 1998-12-23

Family

ID=26143584

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP97905289A Withdrawn EP0885509A1 (fr) 1996-03-04 1997-02-26 Systemes de messagerie

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0885509A1 (fr)
JP (1) JP2000506338A (fr)
AU (1) AU736777B2 (fr)
NZ (1) NZ331519A (fr)
WO (1) WO1997033413A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ES2249795T3 (es) * 1997-09-25 2006-04-01 Alcatel Sistema con facultades de impresion para intercambiar datos entre un terminal y medios de acceso.
EP0907271A1 (fr) * 1997-09-25 1999-04-07 Alcatel Système individualisé pour échanger des données entre un terminal et des moyens d'accès via un réseau téléphonique
EP0907273B1 (fr) * 1997-09-25 2005-11-16 Alcatel Système unifié d'échanges de données entre un terminal et des moyens d'accès via un réseau téléphonique
DE19801563B4 (de) * 1998-01-19 2006-04-20 Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (Publ) Kommunikationssystem mit Unterstützung mobiler Teilnehmer und automatischer Informations- und Medienumsetzung
US20010050978A1 (en) * 1998-06-24 2001-12-13 Bjorn Jonsson Generic distributed message box
US6463293B1 (en) 1998-09-25 2002-10-08 Alcatel Method for preparing a terminal to be used in a system, and system and terminal
AUPQ827500A0 (en) * 2000-06-21 2000-07-13 Bhatia, Dinesh Singh Unified addressing system
AUPR064200A0 (en) * 2000-10-10 2000-11-02 Dinesh Singh Bhatia S/O Amarjeet Singh Proxy-client multiplatform messaging enabler system
DE10133472A1 (de) * 2001-07-10 2003-01-23 Siemens Ag Verfahren, Vorrichtungen und Software-Programme zur Nachrichtenübermittlung zwischen Telekommunikations-Netzwerkelementen

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4837798A (en) * 1986-06-02 1989-06-06 American Telephone And Telegraph Company Communication system having unified messaging
US5333266A (en) * 1992-03-27 1994-07-26 International Business Machines Corporation Method and apparatus for message handling in computer systems
SG43031A1 (en) * 1994-02-28 1997-10-17 British Telecomm Service provision in communications networks

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO9733413A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU1889497A (en) 1997-09-22
AU736777B2 (en) 2001-08-02
NZ331519A (en) 2000-05-26
JP2000506338A (ja) 2000-05-23
WO1997033413A1 (fr) 1997-09-12

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