WO2006008714A1

WO2006008714A1 - System and method for providing offline created voicemail messages with range timestamp defined by the current and latest docking of a portable device

Info

Publication number: WO2006008714A1
Application number: PCT/IB2005/052363
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paul J. Rankin; Vijayananda Jagannatha; David A. Bell
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
Priority date: 2004-07-16
Filing date: 2005-07-15
Publication date: 2006-01-26
Also published as: KR20070034057A; BRPI0513369A; JP2008507188A; GB0415955D0; CN1985504A; EP1772002A1

Abstract

A comunication system comprises a gateway and a plurality of docking stations, each for receiving a device, and each connected to the gateway, each docking station adapted to identify a received device, to download voicemail messages from the received device to the gateway. A gateway clock provides earliest (ECD) and latest (Ty) possible creation date timestamps for messages, defining an interval rangestamp for each voicemail message. The latest (Ty) timestamp is applied to messages subsequently created offline, and may be updated by offine interaction with a further user device carrying a later timestamp (Ty).

Description

DESCRIPTION

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING OFFLINE CREATED VOICEMAIL MESSAGES WITH RANGE TIMESTAMP DEFINED BY THE CURRENT AND LATEST DOCKING OF A PORTABLE DEVICE

This invention relates to an asynchronous distributed communication system and to methods for operating and maintaining the timing integrity of said system. The invention has particular, but not exclusive, application to asynchronous communication systems in which low cost user devices or io handsets are provided without accurate timing or clocking ability, and in which said handsets exchange content and voicemail messages with central components of the system and with other handsets at unpredictable times.

Voicemail systems are well known. Systems in which users are

15 provided with handheld computing devices (such as personal digital assistants or handheld computers) suitable for email and other communication via the internet or other wide area network are also well known. Such known systems may be asynchronous in that the receiving and replying to communications or messages may be usually separated by a reasonable time period of minutes,

20 hours or days. Such systems rely on the accurate timestamping of messages and communications both at the central (for example an email or news/usenet server) components of the network and in particular at the handheld device itself.

For example, email messages may be prepared by the user offline, that

25 is without being connected to the internet and hence to the email server. The computing device of the user has a clock/calendar however, and so each email is stamped with a creation time by the email application on the device. Subsequently, at a later time or date, the user connects to the server and the messages are uploaded to the server for subsequent download by the

30 intended recipients when those recipients next connect to the server. The email server typically further provides the message with a timestamp corresponding to the receipt (upload) of the message by the server, and to the transmission of the message by the server to the intended recipient device (download).

Since the messages are accurately timestamped by both the devices creating and receiving the messages, and by the central server when receiving the email for transmission (upload) and when transmitting the email to the recipient device (downloading), it is a relatively simple and straightforward task for the email application of the recipient device to order the emails by date and time for the user.

In a similar fashion, usenet discussions are ordered by "post" time and subject into "threads", which are grouped and presented to the users accordingly.

In these known systems, both the devices and the central components have access to accurate clocks enabling event timestamping.

However, a problem exists for asynchronous communication systems in which the devices, being low cost, have no independent timing ability. How then does a receiving device order temporally, downloaded messages or uploaded messages?

Furthermore, the problem is worsened considerably when one considers a system in which the low cost devices have "offline" or direct device-to-device message exchange capabilities, since a message may be old or out of date with no means of the receiving device indicating such.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve upon the known art.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a communication system comprising a gateway and a plurality of docking stations, each for receiving a device, and each connected to the gateway, each docking station adapted to identify a received device, to download voicemail messages from the gateway to the received device, and to upload voicemail messages from the received device to the gateway, wherein the gateway comprises clock means which provide: at a first docking event an earliest possible creation date (ECD) timestamp for messages, and at a second docking event a latest possible creation date timestamp (Ty) for messages, thereby defining an interval rangestamp for each voicemail message.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for maintaining voicemail message integrity in a communication system comprising: providing at a docking event a message uploaded to the gateway with an earliest possible creation date (ECD) timestamp, and providing a latest possible creation date timestamp (Ty) for downloaded messages, thereby defining an interval rangestamp (ECD - Ty) for each voicemail message downloaded.

In the above aspects, only the central gateway has access to a clock, and hence the gateway provides messages with an earliest creation time (ECD) when uploaded to the gateway, and a latest creation time (Ty) when subsequently downloaded from the gateway. Hence, a recipient device receives a message tagged with an interval rangestamp corresponding to the upload (first docking event) and download (second docking event) of the voicemail message.

Hence, messages on the device may be ordered according to the interval rangestamp representing an upload/download period for a message.

In an embodiment, the latest creation time Ty is used by the recipient device as a timestamp marker for voicemail messages subsequently created by the user of the device. <perhaps this is the invention, using last download time as a creation time for newly created offline messages - incorporate claim 2 into claim 1?>

Owing to this feature, messages created offline, that is in periods between docking with the central gateway, can be ordered for upload according to the. currently stored Ty timestamp.

Advantageously, if a recipient device having no clock communicates with another similar device in the inter-docking period, then a comparison of the stored Ty of exchanged messages enables the recipient device to update its stored Ty. This new Ty is then applied as the earliest creation date for new messages created on the device from that point forward. Therefore, messages created offline are advantageously at least ordered for upload in view of earliest creation dates. In particular, messages created offline are tagged with an earliest creation date corresponding to the later of a docking event (online to gateway) or a device exchange (offline).

Therefore, the messages received by a device having no or little clock/timing ability may at least be ordered by rangestamp interval and sequence providing the user with at least worst case timing intervals. For example, the recipient user will know that the message was created on or after an earliest creation date representing the last time the creator/sender of the message either docked with the central system, or exchanged messages with another device offline, and furthermore was downloaded to the users device at time Ty.

In another embodiment, content and/or voicemail messages for download to a device are tagged with additional rangestamps defining a validity or response period. The additional rangestamp being determined in part in dependence on stored records indicating the frequency of previous docking events. The device may then advantageously compare the additional rangestamp period with a stored ECD and indicate the validity or response period to the user accordingly.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figures 1 and 2 are example system schematics; and Figure 3 is a pictorial representation of message exchange and timing updates.

Figure 1 shows a communication' system for providing content and personal communications in an asynchronous manner. The programme of content downloaded to a portable device 10 is determined by a user profile that is initially determined by user demographics. This user profile can be modified using an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) application from any telephone on the public switched telephone network (PSTN). In addition, subscribers can access and playback their interactive content through a standard telephone. Refreshing the content of a device (upload of voicemails to be delivered and programme responses, as well as download of new voicemails received and new programming) can also be performed over the PSTN. The billing system of the PSTN operator used to collect micro- payments can be used to bill users for use of these services.

In the system, a portable device 10 has the facility to receive and store structured audio programs in memory for later playback. This offline playback is interactive, the user's responses are stored on the device and subsequently uploaded to content or service providers. Content is exchanged between the network and the handset 10 in a periodic wired docking process. The public telephone networks are used as a means to configure programmes and downloaded content. As various content providers (governmental organisations, job centres, health centres, NGOs, Radio stations) make new content available, it is marked up (in a markup language Voice Interactive Media Format - VIMF) and the Regional Content Centres (RCC) 12 take editorial control and make initial proposals for distribution to the various interest groups. The RCC 12 then has responsibility to get the new content out to the distribution centres - Internet Tele-Centres (ITCs) 14 and Data Card Refresh Services (DCRSs) 16 with the DCRS optionally also being responsible for Data Card production. The ITC is an internet access point and may be in the form of a tele-centre, a kiosk, a suitably configured ATM, a postal office or a dedicated DCRS. By caching the content at these centres, the burden of distributing a great deal of content over limited bandwidth is much reduced. The proposed synchronisation process for handsets 10 can take two routes, either docking of the handset (or card alone) at an ITC 14 or refreshing a data card 18 (that would be used in a hand set 10) on its own at a DCRS 16. If docking at an ITC 14, the user ID will be checked, and there will be an opportunity for the user to refine his/her configuration online and modify sensitive information such as their security code. At the same time, the usual information exchange can take place. This information exchange typically takes the following form:

1. Voice Messages ("Voicemails") from the user, awaiting delivery, are uploaded,

2. Responses that the user has previously made to programmes are uploaded,

3. Unnecessary programming and data on the card is deleted,

4. New voicemails for the user are downloaded, 5. New programmes are downloaded.

If a user is docking at a DCRS, the data card owners will probably not be present, and the cards 18 will simply be "docked" and refreshed, before being dispatched for return to their owners. The refresh process will be the same as above, except of course that the users will not be present to authorise the refresh, or to interact with any services (e.g. to modify profile etc.).

The handsets 10 have a USB 2.0 data connection, giving up to 480Mbit/s data rate. A data card 18 used in the handset 10 may have between 32MB and 256MB of on-board flash memory, which will require a few minutes at most to refresh, assuming the ITC 14 or DCRS 16 has the capacity for upload, and pre-cached content ready for download.

Communication to and from the devices 10 via the ITCs 14 travels through a gateway 20. The ITCs 14 connect to the gateway 20 via the telephone network (PSTN) in most instances. The communication system comprises the gateway 20 and the plurality of docking stations (the ITCs or DCRS) 14,16. Each docking station 14 or 16 is connected to the gateway 20 and is for receiving a device, which is either a handset 10 or a data card 18. Each station 14 or 16 is arranged to identify the handset 10 or data card 18, and downloads voicemails from the gateway 20 to the handset 10 or data card 18, and uploads voicemails to the gateway 20. Each docking station 14 or 16 is also arranged to download programs to the handset 10 or data card 18 and receives back responses to those programs from the handset 10 or data card 18.

The gateway 20 can receive messages in a format other than voicemail, and can convert those messages into voicemails. Likewise, the gateway 20 can receive a voicemail from a handset 10 or data card 18, and can convert that message into a format other than voicemail. The gateway 20 is also arranged to resolve the destination of the received voicemail, and to communicate with a server to deliver the voicemail. The system provides a simple "phone-number" oriented addressing system for voicemail, which makes addressing as simple as a phone call. Users select a recipient (or reply to a voicemail) and then speaks the message into the handset 10. The message will be routed to the recipient at the next docking opportunity. The system (via the RCC, and ITCs) provides the absolute reference for any time stamping and timing calculations for the stakeholders - content creators, Service Providers and Users, as represented by Figure 2.

The RCC maintains databases of transaction records with each user, as well as databases of all published content. When a user synchronises their handset, the RCC is able to aggregate the most relevant content to meet the various application subscriptions of the user. The RCC can minimise upload and download of content from/to the device by accounting for various users of a shared data card, and avoiding download of any objects that are already present on the card. This includes upload/download of voicemails and voicemail assets as well as applications and application assets (including user responses and service-provider feedback). As illustrated at 100, users may be physically remote from a system connection, with the user device or data card being sent (e.g. by courier service) for periodic refreshing.

Inaccuracy of time-stamping by handsets is expected and managed, so that communications between stakeholders can progress with trust and confidence. Time-stamping of events such as message playback, message creation, or application responses are recorded as events within a range of earliest and latest times ("bookends" or "range-stamps"). As represented at 104, applications from content providers are given a system-accurate timestamp at publication time - that is to say at the time they are uploaded to the core system/gateway 20. At 106, voicemails from service providers are also given such a timestamp on uploading.

Propagation of system time amongst offline components further reduces inaccuracy of timestamps on events that are disconnected, or "away" from the core system. For example, when a user's data carrier such as a flash memory data card is refreshed with the core system, the system time of that synchronisation event is updated on the card as represented at 102. If this card is a card shared by different users, the card may be read or written offline by different users (noting the sequence on the card) before the next system refreshing. Then on the next refreshing, this sequence can be re-synchronised with the core system. As an instance, one user A may write a single message in their out-box, addressed to both another user B who shares the card and a user C who is only reachable via the central system. B can read the message, now in their in-box by putting the card in their handset without connection to the system, B may then 'delete' their access to it. However, the message in A's out-box must still be retained on the card, so that at next docking with the system, the message will be forwarded by the core system to user C.

More details of different techniques to manage the system despite the offline uncertainties are given below in this section.

The system includes a central gateway (server) and clock means for timestamping messages uploaded from devices to it and also for timestamping messages when downloaded by the recipient. Each voicemail message passed through the gateway has therefore associated with it a rangestamp.

One of the problems that can occur with lengthy periods without dock and refresh with the central system is that more and more messages created and exchanged within a community will have no definitive creation date (no upload or download timestamp). If the last dock and refresh cycle is used as the earliest creation date, it may have been weeks ago, and the recipient of a message cannot readily tell when in the last weeks the message was created and how relevant the content is now.

In order to help reduce the error in estimating the age of a message the propagation of timestamps from one device to another during offline voicemail exchanges with single-user or shared data-carriers is supported.

For example, in the scenario shown in Figure 3:

^■ Maria docks at Time TO, and TO is adopted by her device as last docking time, and is implicitly the earliest creation date (ECD) for the messages she creates from this point onwards. ^■ Maria creates a message, M1 for Ronaldo

^■ Maria passes her card to Ronaldo, and at time T1 , Ronaldo put the card into his handset to read the message. o Ronaldo's handset takes a copy of the timestamp (TO) on

Maria's card (it is the ECD tagged to message M1). o IFF TO is later than the ECD on Ronaldo's handset, the

ECD on Ronaldo's handset is updated to TO.

^■ Ronaldo creates a message R1 , this message is tagged with an ECD of TO

^■ Maria creates message M2 to send to Paolo, and docks and refreshes at time T3. T3 is now the ECD on her device

^■ Maria creates message M3 to send to Ronaldo, and undertakes an offline voicemail exchange with him at T4 o Ronaldo's handset takes a copy of the timestamp (T3) on

Maria's card (it is the ECD tagged to message M3). o T3 is later than the ECD on Ronaldo's handset (TO), the

ECD on Ronaldo's handset is updated to T3.

■ At T5, Ronaldo delivers message R1 to Jorge by passing his data-card to Jorge. Jorge (and Jorge's device) can discern that the message was created since TO. The ECD (T3) can also be adopted by Jorge's device, if the ECD he has is older. From reading the present disclosure, other modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. Such modifications may involve other features which are already known in the design, manufacture and use of communications systems, infrastructure and component parts thereof and which may be used instead of or in addition to features already described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

In the present specification and claims the word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising a gateway and a plurality of docking stations, each for receiving a device, and each connected to the gateway, each docking station adapted to identify a received device, to download voicemail messages from the gateway to the received device, and to upload voicemail messages from the received device to the gateway, wherein the gateway comprises clock means which provide: at a first docking event an earliest possible creation date (ECD) timestamp for messages, and at a second docking event a latest possible creation date timestamp (Ty) for messages, thereby defining an interval rangestamp for each voicemail message.

2. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the device is adapted to apply the latest possible creation date (Ty) of the second docking event to each subsequent voicemail message created on the device after that event, and to store that latest possible creation date (Ty) as a new earliest creation date (ECD).

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the device is adapted to compare the stored ECD with the ECD provided in a subsequent voicemail message received from another device in an offline or device-to-device message exchange event, and if the received ECD represents a time later than the stored ECD, to replace the stored ECD with the received ECD for subsequent voicemail message creation.

4. A system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the device is adapted to further provide sequence numbers to each subsequently created message.

5. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the system is adapted to store records of previous device docking events and to utilise said records to provide additional rangestamps to content and/or voicemail messages for download from the gateway to the device, said additional rangestamps defining validity or response periods associated with the content or voicemail messages for download.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the device is adapted to compare a stored ECD with the additional rangestamp for downloaded content or voicemail, and to indicate the validity of the content or voicemail in dependence on the comparison.

7. A method for maintaining voicemail message integrity in a communication system comprising: providing at a docking event a message uploaded to the gateway with an earliest possible creation date (ECD) timestamp, and providing a latest possible creation date timestamp (Ty) for downloaded messages, thereby defining an interval rangestamp (ECD - Ty) for each voicemail message downloaded.

8. A method according to claim 7, further comprising applying the latest possible creation date (Ty) of the second docking event to each subsequent voicemail message created on the device after that event, and to store that latest possible creation date (Ty) as a new earliest creation date (ECD).

9. A method according to claim 8 further comprising comparing the stored ECD with an ECD provided in a subsequent voicemail message received from another device in an offline or device-to-device message exchange event, and, if the received ECD represents a later docking event than the stored ECD, replacing the stored ECD with the received ECD for subsequent voicemail message creation.

10. A method according to claim 7, further comprising: storing a record of previous device docking events, and utilising said records to provide additional rangestamps to content or voicemail messages for download, said additional rangestamps defining validity or response periods.

11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising: comparing a stored ECD with the additional rangestamp for downloaded content or voicemail, and indicating the validity of the content or voicemail in dependence on the comparison. .