Voice notification to the destination of a text message that is engaged in a voice call

1. A system comprising:

a message delivery component comprising at least one processor configured to receive a text message intended for a destination via a serving network element, and to initiate delivery of the text message to the destination,

wherein the serving network element is operable to detect whether the destination is engaged in an active call and inform the message delivery component accordingly; and

a message notification component comprising at least one processor configured to process the text message received from the serving network element and to detect that the destination is engaged in an active voice call during the delivery of the text message, to identify information for the text message, to convert the text message information into voice data to generate a voice notification, to establish a media session, and to initiate transmission of the voice notification to the destination to be played during the active voice call.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the voice notification includes at least a sender identifier and a portion of the content of the text message.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the voice notification is transmitted to the destination to be played as a background to a voice conversation of the voice call.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein a volume of the voice notification is less than a volume of the voice conversation.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the message notification system is further operable to process criteria responsive to detecting that the destination is engaged in an active voice call to determine whether to initiate transmission of the voice notification to the destination.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the criteria includes an identifier for a sender of the text message.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the criteria includes a time of day or day of the week.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein the criteria includes a location of the destination.

9. A method comprising:

receiving a text message intended for a destination via a serving network element, wherein the serving network element is operable to detect whether the destination is engaged in an active call;

initiating delivery of the text message to the destination;

processing the text message received from the serving network element and detecting that the destination is engaged in an active voice call during the delivery of the text message;

identifying information for the text message;

converting the text message information into voice data to generate a voice notification;

establishing a media session; and

initiating transmission of the voice notification to the destination to be played during the active voice call.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the voice notification includes at least a sender identifier and a portion of the content of the text message.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the voice notification is transmitted to the destination to be played as a background to a voice conversation of the voice call.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein a volume of the voice notification is less than a volume of the voice conversation.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

processing criteria responsive to detecting that the destination is engaged in an active voice call to determine whether to initiate transmission of the voice notification to the destination.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the criteria includes an identifier for a sender of the text message.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the criteria includes a time of day or day of the week.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the criteria includes a location of the destination.

17. A system implemented in an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network, the system comprising:

a message delivery component comprising at least one processor configured to receive a Short Message Service (SMS) message intended for an IMS device via a serving network element, and to initiate delivery of the SMS message to the IMS device, wherein the serving network element is operable to detect whether the IMS device is engaged in an active call and inform the message delivery component accordingly; and

a message notification component comprising at least one processor configured to process the text message received from the serving network element and to detect that the IMS device is engaged in an active voice call during the delivery of the SMS message, to identify information for the SMS message, to convert the SMS message information into voice data to generate a voice notification, to establish a media session, and to initiate transmission of the voice notification to the IMS device to be played during the active voice call.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the voice notification includes at least a sender identifier and a portion of the content of the text message.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the message notification component is implemented in an IP Short Message Gateway (IP-SM-GW) and a Media Resource Function (MRF).

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the IP-SM-GW is operable to establish a media session between the MRF and the IMS device during the voice call so that the MRF is able to play the voice notification to the IMS device over the established media session.