System and method to facilitate voice message retrieval
Some embodiments provide transmission of a request to access a voice message mailbox to a voice mailbox provider, transmission of caller information to the voice mailbox provider, and reception of a voice message associated with the caller information from the voice mailbox provider. According to various embodiments, the caller information may be associated with a selected contact, with a caller who initiated a missed voice call, and/or with a particular voice message mailbox.
1. A method for voice message retrieval comprising:
a voice mailbox provider receiving a selection of a caller that is to be associated with a first voice message and also receiving caller information for the caller that is to be associated with the first voice message mailbox, the voice mailbox provider comprising at least two voice message mailboxes comprising the first voice message mailbox and a second voice message mailbox;
the voice mailbox provider assigning the caller to the first voice message mailbox and associating the caller information with the caller so that a voice message left by the caller is retrievable from the first voice message mailbox by the voice mailbox provider based on the caller information;
receiving an incoming communication from the caller associated with the first voice message mailbox;
the voice mailbox provider detecting the caller information associated with the caller to identify the caller;
the voice mailbox provider receiving a voice message from the caller associated with the first voice message mailbox;
the voice mailbox provider associating the voice message with the caller information assigned to the first voice message mailbox and storing the voice message in the first voice message mailbox;
a communication device presenting an indicator to a user of the communication device, the indicator displaying information indicating that the voice message from the caller associated with the first voice message mailbox was received by the voice mailbox provider;
the communication device transmitting a request to access the voice message of the caller to the voice mailbox provider, the request comprising the caller information associated with the caller;
the voice mailbox provider retrieving the voice message from the first voice message mailbox based on the caller information provided in the request received from the communication device; and
the voice mailbox provider transmitting the voice message to the communication device for output at the communication device.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the indicator displaying information indicating that the incoming communication was associated with contact information contained in a contact list.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the communication device presenting the voice message to the user of the communication device and wherein the indicator displaying different information prior to receiving the voice message at the communication device than after the communication device presenting the voice message to the user.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the communication device providing information indicating that the incoming communication was not answered, the information indicating that the incoming communication was not answered comprises at least one of an identification number of the caller, an address of the caller, and a time that the incoming call was received at the communication device.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the communication device storing the received voice message for future playback.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the mailbox provider sending an information request for caller information to the communication device when the voice mailbox provider receives a voice message, periodically, or when the communication device contacts the voice mailbox provider.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the voice mailbox provider receiving authorization information from the communication device to access the at least two voice message mailboxes.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication device transmitting the request to access the voice message of the caller to the voice mailbox provider comprises the communication device transmitting the request to access the voice message in response to a pressing and holding of a single key of the communication device.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the caller is a first caller, the caller information is first caller information, the incoming communication is a first incoming communication, and the voice message of the first caller is a first voice message, the method further comprising:
the voice mailbox provider receiving a second selection of a second caller that is to be associated with the second voice message mailbox and also receiving second caller information for the second caller that is to be associated with the second voice message mailbox;
the voice mailbox provider assigning the second caller to the second voice message mailbox and associating the second caller information with the second caller so that a second voice message left by the second caller is retrievable by the voice mailbox provider based on the second caller information;
receiving a second incoming communication from the second caller associated with the second voice message mailbox;
the voice mailbox provider detecting the second caller information associated with the second caller to identify the second caller;
the voice mailbox provider receiving a second voice message from the second caller associated with the second voice message mailbox;
the voice mailbox provider associating the second voice message with the second caller information assigned to the second voice message mailbox and storing the second voice message in the second voice message mailbox;
the communication device presenting a second indicator to the user of the communication device, the second indicator displaying information indicating that the second voice message from the second caller associated with the second voice message mailbox was received by the voice mailbox provider;
the communication device transmitting a second request to access the second voice message mailbox to the voice mailbox provider, the second request comprising the second caller information associated with the second voice message mailbox;
the voice mailbox provider retrieving the second voice message from the second voice message mailbox based on the second caller information provided in the second request to access the second voice message in response to the second request; and
the voice mailbox provider transmitting the second voice message to the communication device for output at the communication device.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is carried out according to a network protocol, the network protocol selected from the group consisting of Asynchronous Transfer Mode (“ATM”), Internet Protocol (“IP”), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (“HTTP”), and Wireless Application Protocol (“WAP”).
11. A system for message retrieval comprising:
a communication device;
a voice mailbox provider comprising at least two voice message mailboxes, the at least two voice message mailboxes comprising a first voice message mailbox and a second voice message mailbox;
the voice mailbox provider receiving a selection of a first caller that is to be associated with the first voice message mailbox and also receiving first caller information for the first caller that is to be associated with the first voice message mailbox;
the voice mailbox provider assigning the first caller to the first voice message mailbox and associating the first caller information with the first caller so that a first voice message left by the first caller is retrievable by the voice mailbox provider based on the first caller information;
the communication device receiving an incoming communication from the first caller;
the voice mailbox provider detecting the first caller information associated with the first caller to identify the first caller;
the voice mailbox provider receiving a first voice message from the first caller;
the voice mailbox provider associating the first voice message with the first caller information assigned to the first voice message mailbox and storing the first voice message in the first voice message mailbox;
the communication device presenting a first indicator to a user of the communication device, the first indicator displaying information indicating that the first voice message from the first caller was received by the voice mailbox provider;
the communication device transmitting a first request to access the first voice message to the voice mailbox provider, the first request comprising the first caller information;
the voice mailbox provider retrieving the first voice message from the first voice message mailbox based on the first caller information in the first request corresponding with the first caller information associated with the first voice message; and
the voice mailbox provider transmitting the first voice message to the communication device for output at the communication device.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein the communication device has a non-transitory computer readable medium, the communication device storing a contact list in the non-transitory computer readable medium, and wherein the selection of the caller is made by selecting a contact from the contact list.
13. The system of claim 11 wherein the communication device outputs the first voice message to the user of the communication device at a speaker of the communication device and wherein the indicator displays different information prior to the communication device receiving the first voice message than after the communication device presents the first voice message.
14. The system of claim 11 wherein the indicator indicating that the incoming communication was not answered comprises at least one of an identification number of the caller, an address of the caller, and a time that the incoming call was received at the communication device.
15. The system of claim 11 wherein the communication device stores the received first voice message for future playback.
16. The system of claim 11 wherein the voice mailbox provider transmits a first information request for caller information to the communication device when the voice mailbox provider receives a voice message, periodically, or when the communication device contacts the voice mailbox provider.
17. The system of claim 11 wherein the voice mailbox provider receives authorization information from the communication device to access the first voice message mailbox.
18. The system of claim 11 wherein the communication device transmits the request to access the first voice message in response to a pressing and holding of a single key of the communication device.
19. The system of claim 11 further comprising:
the voice mailbox provider receiving a second selection of a second caller that is to be associated with the second voice message mailbox and also receiving second caller information for the second caller that is to be associated with the second voice message mailbox;
the voice mailbox provider assigning the second caller to the second voice message mailbox and associating the second caller information with the second caller so that a second voice message left by the second caller is retrievable by the voice mailbox provider based on the second caller information;
the communication device receiving a second incoming communication from the second caller associated with the second voice message mailbox;
the voice mailbox provider detecting the second caller information associated with the second caller to identify the second caller;
the voice mailbox provider receiving a second voice message from the second caller associated with the second voice message mailbox;
the voice mailbox provider associating the second voice message with the second caller information assigned to the second voice message mailbox and storing the second voice message therein based on the detected second caller information;
the communication device presenting a second indicator to the user of the communication device, the second indicator displaying information indicating that the second voice message was received by the voice mailbox provider;
the communication device transmitting a second request to access the second voice message to the voice mailbox provider, the second request comprising the second caller information associated with the second voice message mailbox;
the voice mailbox provider retrieving the second voice message from the second voice message mailbox based on the second caller information provided in the second request corresponding with the second contact information associated with the stored second voice message; and
the voice mailbox provider transmitting the second voice message to the communication device for output at the communication device.
20. The system of claim 11 wherein the communication device is a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, a digital media player, or a wireless email device.