Methods and apparatus for providing voice mail services
Methods and apparatus for retrieving and providing voice mail messages from a server are described. In accordance with the invention voice mail messages may be retrieved via requests made via a set top box. Voice mail messages are retrieved in response to the request from a voice mail server which is also accessible via the telephone network. Retrieved voice mail is transcoded and included in a video on demand (VOD) file. Text, call ID information and/or other information as, e.g., an automatically generated transcript of the voice mail message, may be included in the VOD file. The VOD file is supplied to a VOD server which provides the file including the message to the set top box for display. A user can view the messages and switch from viewing one message to the next by using video play back commands.
1. A method of operating a device, the method comprising:
receiving voice mail content from a voice mail server;
generating a video on demand (VOD) file including the received voice mail content, said step of generating a VOD file including:
including a customer premise device executable application along with said voice mail content in said VOD file; and
communicating said VOD file including said customer premise device executable application and voice mail content to another device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said customer premise device executable application is an application which when executed by a processor controls the customer premise device to provide a user with voice mail functionality which was otherwise not available.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said customer premise device executable application is an application that allows the customer premise device to perform at least one of: play said voice mail content or display information communicated in the VOD file.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said voice mail content is received in a first format, the method further comprising:
transcoding the voice mail content in the first format to a second format which is different from the first format.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said first format is one of: a G711Ulaw compliant format, a G.729 compliant format, an Adaptive Multi-Rate (AMR) format, a G.726 compliant format, or a Enhanced variable rate codec (EVRC) format.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein said second format is a format supported by a video on demand server and being one of: an MPEG-2 format or AC3 audio format.
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the generated VOD file includes the voice mail content in the second format.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of generating a VOD file further includes:
including an EBIF trigger in said video on demand file.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said voice mail content includes multiple different voice mail messages which were requested.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said another device is a video on demand server which delivers video on demand content to a customer premise device.
11. An apparatus, comprising:
an interface configured to receive voice mail content from a voice mail server; and
a processor configured to:
generate a video on demand (VOD) file including the received voice mail content, said processor being further configured to include a customer premise device executable application along with said voice mail content in said VOD file as part of being configured to generate the VOD file; and
control said interface to communicate said VOD file including said customer premise device executable application and voice mail content to another device.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said customer premise device executable application is an application which when executed by a processor in the customer premise device controls the customer premise device to provide a user with voice mail functionality which was otherwise not available.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said customer premise device executable application is an application that allows the customer premise device to perform at least one of: play said voice mail content or display information communicated in the VOD file.
14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said apparatus is a transcoder; and
wherein said voice mail content includes multiple different voice mail messages which were requested.
15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said voice mail content is received in a first format; and
wherein said processor transcodes the voice mail content in the first format to a second format which is different from the first format.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said first format is one of: a G711Ulaw compliant format, a G.729 compliant format, an Adaptive Multi-Rate (AMR) format, a G.726 compliant format, or a Enhanced variable rate codec (EVRC) format.
17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said second format is a format supported by a video on demand server and being one of: an MPEG-2 format or AC3 audio format.
18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the generated VOD file includes the voice mail content in the second format.
19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said processor includes an EBIF trigger in said video on demand file, as part of being configured to generate the VOD file.
20. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said another device is a video on demand server which delivers video on demand content to a customer premise device.