AU2005100799A4 - Telephony Network Platform combining the interface of a voicemail server and an originating Multimedia Messaging Service Client - Google Patents

Description

Australia Patents Act 1990 Complete Specification for Innovation Patent Telephony network platform combining the interface of a voicemail server and an originating Multimedia Messaging Service client The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me.

Submitted by: John Thomas O'Brien Sydney, 2 6 th September 2005 0 Description of Invention The presented invention relates to traditional voicemail systems and to multimedia messages

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O transmitted in the so-called Multimedia Messaging System The Multimedia Messaging System is the logical evolution of the Short Message Service SMS, which is a text-only messaging system for mobile networks. MMS-enabled mobile handsets permit subscribers to compose, send and receive messages with one or more Smultimedia parts. In comparison with SMS messages, messages in the MMS environment are composed of truly multimedia elements. Mobile phones with built-in or attached cameras, or with built-in MP3 players are often equipped with an MMS messaging client a software C1 program that interacts with the mobile subscriber to compose, address, send, receive, and view MMS messages. The MMS architecture involves the software messaging application in the MMS-capable handset, which is necessary for the composition, sending and receipt of multimedia messages. In addition, other network elements are required to submit, route and deliver messages as well as adapt their contents to the receiving device. The presented invention only relates to the creation of an MMS message and not to its subsequent delivery.

Specifically, it relates to the adaptation of traditional voicemail messages for subsequent relay to an MMS Center ("MMSC").

The creation of a multimedia message normally occurs on the handset in case of person-toperson MMS exchange or on the system of a value added service provider, e.g. for the provision of applications such as ringtones, wallpapers etc.

The MMS data flow starts with a subscriber using an MMS application on the mobile handset to compose, address, and send an MMS message to one or more recipients. Normally, in order to send an MMS, the sender must have an MMS-enabled handset, i.e. a handset with a MMS client. In order to receive MMS messages, the called party must also have an MMSenabled handset, i.e. a handset with a MMS client. In other words, in order to send and receive MMS messages both communicating parties must use MMS-capable devices.

An important element of the MMS architecture is the MMS Center The MMSC is responsible for accepting messages from the sender, routing messages within the MMS environment and for storing messages for subsequent retrieval. The MMSC also manages messages and produces associated reports and notifications. Most importantly, the MMSC receives messages submitted by the sender's client device and relays them to the MMSC of t the recipient for subsequent retrieval. Technically, the MMSC consists of two functional units, the MMS Relay and the MMS Server. The MMS Relay is responsible for routing messages within the MMS environment, whereas the MMS Server is in charge of storing 0 messages that await retrieval or relay. The MMS Relay and MMS Server may be provided separately or combined. In the latter configuration, the name given to the combined MMS Relay/Server is MMSC.

The initial submission by an MMS client to the originating MMSC is accomplished using HTTP with specialized commands and encodings (as defined in technical standards specified by the Open Mobile Alliance). Upon receipt of the MMS message from the originating MMSC, the recipient MMSC sends a notification to the recipient's mobile phone using e.g. a WAP Push. The methods of retrieving, or accessing, MMS messages from the recipient's MMSC by the user of an MMS-enabled device are not relevant for the presented invention and shall not be further discussed. If both communicating parties use the same network provider, i.e. remain within the same MMS environment, there may only be one intermediating MMSC. In many cases there will be an originating MMSC and a recipient

MMSC.

Depending on the method of delivery to the recipient's MMS-capable handset, the MMS message can be accessed with a single command from the handset user interface.

The message format for MMS is based on existing content presentation formats used by Internet systems. MMS messages are formatted in accordance with RFC 822 (obsoleted by RFC 2822) specifications. According to RFC 822 each message consists of an envelope and message contents. The envelope contains instructions for the delivery of the message and the interpretation of its contents. The inclusion of non-textual elements, such as audio, in multimedia messages is rendered possible by formatting message contents in the form of a multipart message, in accordance with Multipurpose Internet Mail Extentions (MIME). The non-textual multimedia elements of an MMS message do not take the form of attachments, but form the content of the message itself.

MMS has been deployed world-wide and across both GSM/GPRS and CDMA networks. The standardization of the MMS architecture has been the subject to concerted efforts by numerous organizations combining various bodies from different countries. MMS was originally developed within the Third-Generation Partnership Program (3GPP), a standards organization focused on standards for the UMTS/GSM networks. MMS has also been standardized within the Third-Generation Partnership Program 2 (3GPP2), a standards organization focused on specifications for the CDMA networks. Both 3GPP and 3GPP2 have

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delegated the development of the Stage 3 Technical Realizations to the Open Mobile Alliance a standards organization focused on specifications for the mobile wireless O networks.

Unlike MMS, which is still in its burgeoning phase, voicemail services are widely known and accepted by virtually all users of fixed and mobile telephone services. Voicemail is a centralized system of managing telephone messages for a large group of people. In its simplest form voicemail performs the functions of an answering machine, but uses a _centralised server rather than equipment at the individual telephone. Most voicemail systems are more sophisticated than answering machines, with the ability to forward messages to other voice mailboxes, send messages to multiple voice mailboxes, add voice notes to a message, store messages for future delivery, make calls to a telephone or paging service when a message is received (outbound notification), transfer callers to another phone for personal assistance and play different message greetings. Voicemail systems are associated with public telephone lines, as network services, and with mobile telephony services, which generally have voicemail as a standard network feature.

Voicemail is traditionally offered by mobile service providers. In a typical mobile voicemail system, when subscribers are not available to answer incoming calls, the call is routed to a voicemail server. The voicemail server plays the subscribers' prerecorded greetings and prompts callers to leave messages. The messages are received and stored for future playback.

In a typical scenario, to listen to voicemail messages, subscribers connect to their service provider's voicemail system and navigate through a series of audible prompts to select and playback voicemail messages. After the voicemail messages are played, the subscribers disconnect from the voicemail system. One of the numerous disadvantages of this type of voicemail system is that subscribers must reconnect to the voicemail system each time they want to playback a voice message. Another disadvantage of this voicemail system is that its menu structure can be difficult to interact with because it is audibly presented. As a mobile handset's keypad is usually located next to its earpiece, a subscriber must navigate though the audible menus by moving the telephone to his ear, listening to the audible menu, putting the handset into his line of sight and then using the keypad for selecting menu options. Another inconvenience of this system is that the voicemail messages must be stored in relatively large storage device for long periods of time until they are deleted by the subscriber or the service provider).

Voicemail systems are separate and unrelated to MMS systems. It is technically impossible to

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Ssend MMS messages from handsets, which are not equipped with an MMS client. The _presented invention consists in adapting traditional voicemail messages for delivery to an O MMSC of the recipient, i.e. the called party.

The presented invention overcomes the traditional limitations of both voicemail systems and MMS. The presented telephony network platform, in accordance with this invention, combines the interface of a voicemail server and an originating Multimedia Messaging Service Center. It comprises; a unit for accepting calls and call parameters, a unit for capturing incoming audio messages; a unit for enhancing audio content to preserve audio Vquality, a unit for re-encoding the so obtained audio content into a standard media content format supported by Multimedia Messaging Systems, a unit for encapsulating the so obtained audio content into an MMS message for transfer to a Multimedia Messaging Service Center, a unit for transferring the so obtained MMS message to a recipient MMSC.

The presented invention consists both in the telephony network platform, as described above, and in the method of combining the interface of voicemail servers and originating Multimedia Messaging Service clients.

In one embodiment of this invention, a called party does not answer an incoming call. The calling party listens to a pre-recorded greeting requesting the submission of a voicemail message. If the called party decides to leave a voicemail message, the voicemail message is accepted and captured by the voicemail unit 1 of the network platform, as presented in the accompanying diagram. It must be noted that from the perspective of the calling party, the process of leaving a voicemail message on the voicemail unit of the network platform is identical to the process of leaving a voicemail message on a traditional voicemail system.

Unlike in traditional voicemail systems, where each user is assigned a separate mailbox or other area for the persistent storage of voicemail messages, there is no intermediate or longterm storage on the voicemail unit of the network element. As described below, audio messages are received, processed and transferred to the recipient MMSC, which handles the storage of the MMS message, if any.

In order to preserve the quality of the audio content of the voicemail message, the audio content is subjected to audio enhancement, which consists of improving the audio content to allow for subsequent processing and compression. This operation is performed in unit 2. The output of this process is re-encoded, i.e. the audio format is converted, at unit 3, into a t standard audio format, which is supported by the MMS environment. For example, as all MMS-enabled handsets support the adaptive multi-rate format (.amr) and many voicemail messages are captured in the WAVE audio format, the process of re-encoding may consist in o converting .amr into .wav. Subsequently, the so obtained output is encapsulated, (in accordance with the "OMA MMS Encapsulation Protocol", Open Mobile Alliance, OMA- IOP-MMS-ENC-v1.2) at unit 4. The process of creating an MMS that contains audio content involves creating a suitable header that indicates the presence of an audio data object, describes the format of that audio and specifies the length of the audio object. In addition to the audio component of the voice message, call parameters captured in unit 1, such as the _date/time of the call, the calling party identifier and the length of the message may also be Vincluded in the MMS in the form of the subject or a text object that is included along side the Saudio. At this stage, an MMS message is created. The MIMS message is identical to any other MMS message, which originated from an MMS-enabled handset or system and complies with relevant standards (as described in the 3 rd Generation Partnership Project documents TS23 140 and TS26 140). Subsequently, the MMS message is relayed to the MMSC of the recipient, by unit It must be noted that the telephony network platform presented in this invention, and the said method of combining the interface of voicemail servers and originating Multimedia Messaging Service client, do not participate in the subsequent processing, storage and delivery of the MMS message to the recipient. At the most basic level, their role is limited to converting the audio content of a voicemail message into a format, which is compliant to the MMS suite of specifications defined by 3GPP TS22 140, TS23 140 or TS26 140). In practical terms, the voicemail message is adapted for delivery as an MMS message.

Any subsequent actions are described for illustrative purposes only and do not form part of the invention. After having been notified that a new MMS message has been received, the recipient can retrieve the MSS message like any other traditional MMS message, e.g. with one instruction of the user interface, such as pressing the "read" or "play" button.

Accordingly, the need to dial into a voicemail system and navigate through menu options is obviated.

The process of adapting a voicemail message for delivery as an MMS is initiated by the called party, i.e. the recipient of the MMS. Such instruction, however, can only be given if the mobile service provider of the recipient offers such possibility, e.g. in the form of a premium or value added service.

t The above method and apparatus are transparent to the calling party, i.e. the calling party leaves a voicemail message in the same manner as in traditional voicemail system and remains unaware that the voicemail message will be relayed and accessed as a MMS U message.

In some existing voice messaging systems, the calling party has an MMS-enabled handset and creates the MMS message by recording his or her voice and submitting it to the originating MMSC, i.e. the voice message originates as an MMS. The current invention differs from voice messaging systems in that the MMS message is not created by the calling party but by _an intermediating network platform, which combines the interface of voicemail servers and originating MMS clients. The MMS message originates on the network, not on the handset of Sthe calling party. The process remains transparent to the calling party. The calling party only leaves a voicemail message on the called party's voicemail system. The possibility to receive voicemail in the form of MMS messages is a value added service offered by the mobile service provider of called party.

To preserve clarity it must also be added that the presented invention differs from the process of so-called "content adaptation" in that it transforms a non-MMS message into an MMS message, whereas content adaptation usually refers to MMS messages which were sent by the calling party and occurs on the recipient's MMSC. Content adaptation serves the purpose of overcoming the heterogenous message handling capabilities of different MMS-enabled handsets and environments. Thus, "content adaptation" refers solely to the adaptation of the media content to the capabilities of the receiving handset.

Claims (4)

1. A telephony network platform combining the interface of a voicemail server and an 0 originating Multimedia Messaging Service client, comprising; a unit for accepting calls and call parameters, a unit for capturing incoming audio messages; a unit for enhancing audio content to preserve audio quality, a unit for re-encoding the so obtained audio content into a standard audio format supported by the Multimedia Messaging Service, a unit for encapsulating the so obtained audio content for transfer to a Multimedia Messaging Service Center, a unit for transferring the so obtained MMS message to a recipient Multimedia Messaging Service Center.

2. A network platform as described in claim 1, wherein the network platform interfaces with the Public Switched Telephone Network and a Multimedia Messaging Service Center.

3. A method of combining the interface of a voicemail server and an originating Multimedia Messaging Service client, comprising the steps of: accepting calls and call parameters, capturing incoming audio messages, enhancing audio content to preserve audio quality, re-encoding the so obtained audio content into a standard audio format supported by the Multimedia Messaging Service, (e) encapsulating the so obtained audio content for transfer to a Multimedia Messaging Service Center, transferring the so obtained audio MMS message to a recipient Multimedia Messaging Service Center.

4. A method as described in claim 4, wherein the process of adapting the audio message for delivery to a Multimedia Messaging Service Center is initiated by the instructions of the called party. A telephony network platform substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawing.