United States Patent [19]
`Milton et al.
`
`I ~Ill ~111111111111111111111111~ 11111
`
`US005631949A
`[11] Patent Number:
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
`5,631,949
`May 20, 1997
`
`[54] LOCATION INDEPENDENT TIME
`REPORTING MESSAGE RETRIEVAL
`SYSTEM
`
`[56]
`
`References Cited
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`[75]
`
`Inventors: Stephen M. Milton, Freehold; Gang
`Yang, Hohndel, both of N.J.
`
`[73] Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc., Murray Hill,
`N.J.
`
`[21] Appl. No.: 445,486
`
`May 22, 1995
`
`[22] Filed:
`Int. Cl.6
`...................................................... H04M 1/64
`[51]
`[52] U.S. Cl •............................ 379/67; 379/142; 379/201;
`379/245
`[58] Field of Search .................................. 379/67, 88, 89,
`3791142, 201, 242, 245
`
`4,625,081 1111986 Lotito et al ...•.•...•••..•••..•••....••••• 379/67
`5,539,809 7/1996 Mayer et al .............•.............•.. 379/67
`Primary Examiner-Fan Tsang
`ABSTRACT
`[57]
`
`When a subscriber to message retrieval service retrieves a
`message, rather than reporting a time of day associated with
`the message that may not have any meaning to the subscriber
`if the subscriber, the message originator and the message
`depository are in diverse worldwide locations, the disclosed
`message retrieval system reports a delta time indicating to
`the retrieving subscriber the time elapsed since the message
`originator delivered the message.
`
`11 Claims, 3 Drawing Sheets
`
`11
`
`TELEPHONE
`NETWORK
`
`22
`
`23
`SYSTEM
`CLOCK
`
`21
`
`MESSAGING
`PLATFORM
`
`28
`DELTA
`TIME
`
`DATA
`BASE
`24
`
`MESSAGE
`LIST
`
`MESSAGE
`STORAGE
`
`26
`
`25
`
`MESSAGE
`
`GOOGLE EXHIBIT 1006
`
`Page 1 of 7
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`

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`U.S. Patent
`
`May 20, 1997
`
`Sheet 1of3
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`5,631,949
`
`Page 2 of 7
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`

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`U.S. Patent
`
`May 20, 1997
`
`Sheet 2 of 3
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`5,631,949
`
`FIG.2
`1 1
`
`22
`
`TELEPHONE
`NETWORK
`
`23
`
`21
`
`MESSAGING
`SYSTEM
`CLOCK ~
`PLATFORM
`
`28
`
`DELTA
`TIME
`
`DATA
`BASE
`24
`
`MESSAGE
`UST
`
`TIMESTAMP
`
`POINTER
`
`ANI
`
`MESSAGE
`STORAGE
`
`MESSAGE
`
`26
`
`25
`
`Page 3 of 7
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`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`May 20, 1997
`
`Sheet 3 of 3
`
`5,631,949
`
`FIG.3
`31
`
`MESSAGE RECORDED
`
`32
`
`QUERY TO SYSTEM CLOCK-RETURNS
`32 BIT QUANTITY REPRESENTING
`TIME IN SECONDS FROM
`12:00 M GMT JAN 1, 1970
`
`33
`
`STORE TIMESTAMP IN MESSAGE LIST ALONG
`WITH INTERNAL MESSAGE IDENTITY USED
`TO TRACK MESSAGE FOR A SUBSCRIBER
`
`34
`
`FIG.4
`41
`
`PLAYBACK INVOKED
`
`42
`
`QUERY THE SYSTEM CLOCK
`FOR CURRENT TIME (TIME 8)
`
`43
`
`OBTAIN TIMESTAMP OF CURRENT
`MESSAGE FROM MESSAGE LIST (TIME A)
`
`44
`
`48
`
`REPORT DELTA
`TIME TO
`SUBSCRIBER
`
`i---...i
`
`47
`CONVERT TO
`HOURS & MIN.
`(ROUNDED TO
`5 MINUTES)
`
`PERFORM: TIME B - TIME A
`STORE IN DELTA TIME MEMORY
`
`45
`
`YES
`
`IS DELTA TIME
`> 87,400 SEC.
`NO
`
`46
`
`REPORT MONTH AND DAY
`OF TIME A TO SUBSCRIBER
`
`49
`
`Page 4 of 7
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`5,631,949
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`2
`termined time interval, such as twenty-four hours, rather
`than reporting the elapsed time, the system can report the
`actual month and day on which the message originator
`delivered the message.
`
`1
`LOCATION INDEPENDENT TIME
`REPORTING MESSAGE RETRIEVAL
`SYSTEM
`
`TECHNICAL FIELD
`
`This invention relates to message retrieval systems, and
`more particularly, to a message retrieval system which
`reports an associated time with each message retrieved by
`the subscriber from his mailbox.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`5
`
`10
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
`FIG. 1 is a partial world map showing diverse global
`locations of a message originator, a subscriber, and a mes(cid:173)
`sage repository;
`FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the message repository
`showing a data base including a messaging platform and a
`message storage database;
`FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the recording module
`employed in the messaging platform used for recording a
`15 message and an associated timestamp with each received
`message; and
`FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the retrieval module
`employed in the messaging platform used for accessing a
`message for playback to the subscriber together with its
`associated delta time for that message.
`
`20
`
`Message retrieval systems are well known in the art.
`Generally, in such systems, subscribers are provided with a
`voice mailbox into which non-subscribers or other subscrib(cid:173)
`ers can deliver voice messages for the mailbox subscriber,
`which can be retrieved by that subscriber at his or her
`convenience at any later time. Such message retrieval sys(cid:173)
`tems are expanding world-wide, allowing both messages to
`be originated and retrieved from any place in the world
`having access to a telephone. A useful piece of information
`usually provided to the subscriber with each retrieved voice
`message is the time at which the message was inputed into
`the system by the originator. This information may be
`critical to the subscriber to determine what action and when
`that action needs to be taken after listening to the message.
`In smaller, more localized message retrieval systems, the
`message repository, the subscriber, and the message origi(cid:173)
`nator are likely to be located in the same time zone or
`separated by at most one or two time zones. Thus, the time 30
`reported to the subscriber for a retrieved message that is
`based on the time standard at the message repository, or the
`time standard of the subscriber's home location, or some
`other time standard, such as Eastern Standard Time (EST),
`may be sufficiently informative to the subscriber. In a 35
`world-wide system, however, in which messages could be
`both originated and retrieved from dilferent ones of the
`twenty-four possible time zones, and in which the message
`repository could exist anywhere, associating a time with
`each message that has real meaning to the subscriber is 40
`difficult Since automatic number identification (ANI) infor(cid:173)
`mation that provides the calling party's number, and from
`that an identifiable location, is not always available from
`either the originator when the message is left or from the
`subscriber when retrieving the message, the system would 45
`be unable to associate a time with the message other than the
`local time at the message repository or a time based on an
`assumed location of the subscriber.
`
`25
`
`DEfAlLED DESCRIPTION
`With reference to FIG. 1, a world-wide message retrieval
`system is shown in which a message repository 11 is located
`in the south-eastern portion of the United States in the
`Eastern Standard Time (EST) Zone, which is five hours
`behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), which is determined
`at the prime meridian 15 that passes through Greenwich,
`England. A message originator 12 is located in the western
`United States in the Pacific Standard Time (PST) Zone,
`which is eight hours behind GMT, and a subscriber 13, who
`resides in Chicago, 19, in the Central Standard Time (CST)
`Zone, which is six hours behind GMT, is traveling on
`business in France, which is one hour ahead of GMT. The
`subscriber 13 accesses his voice mailbox over the telephone
`network from France to retrieve and then respond to the
`messages left in his voice mailbox.
`The message retrieval 11 system operates in a standard
`manner, well known in the art The message originator 12
`accesses the system by dialing an 800 number on the the
`telephone network 16, which collllects him to the message
`repository 11. By following a set of instructions, the origi(cid:173)
`nator can leave a message for a designated subscriber in the
`subscriber's mailbox for later retrieval. The subscriber when
`later accessing the message repository 11 over the telephone
`network 17 from France and identifying himself to the
`system by means of a touch-tone inputed identification code,
`retrieves this and all other messages left in his voice mail-
`50 box.
`The message repository 11, shown in block diagram in
`FIG. 2, includes a messaging platform 21, connected to the
`POTS telephone network 22, a system clock 23, and a
`database 24. The messaging platform 21 receives calls from
`55 the telephone network 22 from a message originator; vali(cid:173)
`dates access to the system by the message originator for
`delivery of messages to a subscriber's mailbox; and converts
`the incoming message to digital format for storage in the
`database 24. Similarly, the messaging platform 21 receives
`60 calls from the telephone network 22 from a subscriber;
`validates access to the system by the subscriber by means of
`a touch-tone inputed subscriber identification and password;
`and retrieves selected messages from the system's digital
`memory and converts the stored digital messages to analog
`65 format for playback to the subscriber.
`The database 24 includes an area of memory 25 allocated
`for storing the digitally converted messages for each sub-
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`The present invention eliminates the aforedescribed prob(cid:173)
`lems by associating and reporting with each message
`retrieved by the subscriber, not an actual time, but the
`elapsed time, delta time, between the absolute time at which
`the subscriber retrieves the message as referenced to a
`predetermined time standard, such as Greenwich Mean Time
`(GMT), and the absolute time at which the message was
`delivered by the message originator to the message reposi(cid:173)
`tory as referenced to that same predetermined time standard.
`Thus, when being informed of that elapsed time, the sub(cid:173)
`scriber can better determine his course of action. If auto(cid:173)
`matic number identification (ANI) information can be
`detected from the message originator's call, then the current
`time in the time zone associated with the identified area code
`or the time in that time zone at which the message was left
`may also be provided to the subscriber together with the
`delta time. Furthermore, if the delta time exceeds a prede-
`
`Page 5 of 7
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`5,631,949
`
`3
`scriber and a message list memory area 26. The message list
`memory area 26 stores message header information for each
`message in each subscriber's voice mailbox. As shown in
`FIG. 2, the message header for each message includes an
`associated timestamp derived from the system clock 23, a
`pointer pointing to the address in the memory area 25 in
`which the message is actually stored, and, if available, the
`detected ANI associated with that message's originator.
`As previously discussed, the value of the time associated
`and reported with each message retrieved by the subscriber
`will be diminished without the benefit of the present inven(cid:173)
`tion. For example, if message originator 12 leaves a voice
`message at 9: 15 AM PST, and subscriber 13 accesses the
`message retrieval system at 8:15 PM, in local French time,
`the system, might report to the subscriber that the message
`was received at 12:15 PM EST, the local time at which
`message repository received and stored the message.
`Alternatively, by identifying the subscriber with his Chicago
`home CST zone, the system might report that the message
`was received at 11: 15 AM. In order to avoid these problems,
`the messaging platform 21 stores in the message list a
`timestamp for each message that is an absolute time derived
`from a system clock 23, which is based on a predetermined
`time standard. When the subscriber later accesses this
`message, the then current time in that same predetermined
`time standard is determined by the messaging platform 21
`from system clock 23, and the elapsed time between events,
`delta time, is calculated based on the difference between the
`then value of the system clock 23 and the stored timestamp
`associated with the retrieved message. That delta time is
`then converted by the messaging platform 21 to an analog
`voice signal and transmitted to the subscriber together with
`the decoded message.
`With reference to FIG. 3, a flowchart 31 for the recording
`module included within the messaging platform 21 of the
`message retrieval system is shown. At step 32, the message
`originator, such as 12 in FIG. 1, records the message to be
`delivered to the designated and identified subscriber, such as
`13 in FIG. 1. After the message originator records the
`message, the system clock 23 is queried at step 33, which
`returns a 32-bit quantity representing the time in seconds
`from a standard worldwide reference time of 12:00 Midnight
`GMT, Jan. 1, 1970. At step 34 that 32-bit quantity, the
`timestamp for the message, is stored in the message list
`together with the message pointer that points to the locations 45
`of the stored message in the message storage memory area
`25.
`When the subscriber 13 later accesses the system to
`retrieve his messages, a retrieve module of the messaging
`platform 21 is activated. A flowchart 41 of this retrieve
`module is shown in FIG. 4. At step 42 message playback is
`invoked to retrieve, decode and convert into a voice signal
`a selected message stored in the message storage memory
`area 25. After decoding and outputting of that message, the
`system clock 23 is queried at step 43 for the current time
`(time B), which is also returned to the messaging platform
`as a 32-bit quantity representing the time in seconds from
`12:00 Midnight GMT Jan. 1, 1970. At step 44, the 32-bit
`timestamp of the just retrieved message is obtained from the
`message list (time A). The digital difference between time B 60
`and time A is then calculated at step 45, and the resultant
`time difference, delta time, is stored in a delta time memory
`28 associated with the messaging platform. If the decimal
`equivalent of delta time is less than the number of seconds
`in one day (87 ,400), then delta time is converted into hours 65
`and minutes and the subscriber is provided with the amount
`of time, in hours and minutes, that has elapsed since the
`
`4
`message originator inputed the message to the system. Thus
`at decision box 46, the decimal equivalent of delta time is
`compared with 87,400 (the number of seconds in a day). If
`delta time is less than 87 ,400, it is converted at step 47 to ''x"
`5 hours and ''y" minutes, where ''y" has been rounded to the
`nearest 5-minute interval. The converted delta time is then
`decoded and transformed into an analog voice signal and
`reported to the subscriber at step 48 with a voice message
`indicating the month and day. If, at decision box 46, the
`10 calculated delta time is greater than 87 ,400, then time A is
`converted into a month and a day and reported to the
`subscriber at step 49 with a voice message indicating that
`month and day.
`In order to provide the elapsed time information with each
`15 retrieved message, the ANI associated with the message
`originator is not required. If however, the ANI is available,
`the system may have the option to provide additional
`information to the retrieving subscriber. Thus, in addition to
`providing the subscriber with the elapsed time information,
`20 the software in the messaging platform can further deter(cid:173)
`mine the message originator's local time zone. The then
`current time accessed from the system clock, time B, can be
`converted into the current time in the message originator's
`time zone, which can then also be provided to the subscriber
`25 with the elapsed time.
`Although described hereinabove in connection with the
`retrieval by a subscriber of a message at an earlier delivery
`of the message by a message originator to the system, where
`upon retrieval the subscriber is provided with the elapsed
`30 between the delivering and accessing the message, the the
`messaging system of the present invention can also be used
`to specify a time a subscriber wishes to later deliver an
`inputed message through the system to one or more sub(cid:173)
`scriber or non-subscriber message recipients. Thus, if a
`35 message is to be simultaneously delivered to multiple recipi(cid:173)
`ents around the globe regardless of the recipient's local time,
`the subscriber can specify a delta time relative to the input
`at which the message is to be delivered to designated
`recipients.
`The above-described embodiment is illustrative of the
`principles of the present invention. Other embodiments
`could be devised by those skilled in the art without departing
`from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
`The invention claimed is:
`1. A message retrieval system in which a message deliv(cid:173)
`ered by a message originator over a telephone network for
`a subscriber is stored for later retrieval over the telephone
`network by the subscriber together with a time indicating
`when the message was received, the system comprising:
`•
`storage means for storing the message and an automatic
`number identification (ANI) information associated
`with the message originator when the message is deliv(cid:173)
`ered to the system;
`a system clock producing an output representing a current
`time in a predetermined time standard;
`means for storing a timestamp associated with the mes(cid:173)
`sage in said storage means, said timestamp being
`determined from the output of the system clock at the
`current time the message is delivered to the system;
`means for determining a delta time equal to the difference
`in time between the output of the system clock at a time
`at which the subscriber accesses the system to retrieve
`the stored message and the timestamp associated with
`the stored message;
`means for converting the delta time associated with the
`stored message to an audio delta time signal;
`
`40
`
`50
`
`55
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`5,631,949
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`10
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`15
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`5
`means for providing the audio delta time signal to the
`subscriber together with the retrieved stored message;
`and
`means for determining the message originator's time zone
`from the ANI, means for converting the time the
`subscriber accesses the system to retrieve the message
`to a time in the message originator's time zone, and
`means for providing to the subscriber the converted
`time in the message originator's time zone together
`with the delta time.
`2. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for deter(cid:173)
`mining a delta time determines delta time in hours and
`minutes.
`3. The system of claim 2 wherein delta time is rounded to
`a nearest predetermined number of minutes.
`4. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for
`comparing delta time with a time equal to a predetermined
`time duration.
`5. The system of claim 4 wherein said means for con(cid:173)
`verting the delta time converts delta time to an audio signal 20
`representing the day the message was delivered to the
`system by the message originator if delta time is greater than
`said predetermined time duration.
`6. In a message retrieval system in which a message
`delivered by a message originator over a telephone network 25
`for a subscriber is stored for later retrieval over the telephone
`network by the subscriber, a method for providing the
`subscriber with a time together with the retrieved message
`that is independent of the location of the subscriber, the
`message originator and the location of the system, which 30
`time provides the subscriber information relating to when
`the message was delivered to the system by the message
`originator, the method comprising the steps of:
`storing a timestamp associated with the message and an
`automatic number identification (ANI) from the mes- 35
`sage originator when the message is delivered to the
`system, the timestamp representing the time at which
`the message is delivered in a predetermined time stan(cid:173)
`dard;
`determining the time at which the subscriber retrieves the
`message in the same predetermined time standard;
`determining the message originator's time zone from the
`ANI;
`calculating a delta time equal to the difference in time 45
`between the determined time at which the subscriber
`retrieves the message and the timestamp of the
`message, converting the time at which the subscriber
`retrieves the message to the time in the message
`originator's time zone; and
`'
`
`40
`
`6
`providing the converted time in the message originator's
`time zone with the delta time of the message to the
`subscriber together with the message.
`7. The method of claim 6 wherein delta time is provided
`5 to the subscriber in hours and minutes.
`8. The method of claim 7 wherein the delta time provided
`to the subscriber is rounded to the nearest predetermined
`number of minutes.
`9. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:
`comparing delta time with a time equal a predetermined
`interval of time; and
`providing the subscriber with the day the message was
`delivered instead of delta time if delta time is greater
`than said predetermined interval of time.
`10. A message retrieval system in which a message
`delivered by a message originator over a telephone network
`for a subscriber is stored for later retrieval over the telephone
`network by the subscriber, the system comprising:
`storage means for storing the message and an automatic
`number identification (ANI) information associated
`with the message originator when the message is deliv(cid:173)
`ered to the system;
`means for determining the message originator's time zone
`from the ANI;
`means for storing a timestamp associated with the mes(cid:173)
`sage in said storage means, said timestamp indicating a
`delivery time of the message to the system;
`means for converting the time the subscriber accesses the
`message for retrieval to an access time in the message
`originator's time zone; and
`means for providing to the subscriber the access time in
`the message originator's time zone together with a delta
`time equal to the difference in time between the access
`time and the delivery time.
`11. The message retrieval system of claim 10, further
`comprising:
`a system clock producing an output representing a current
`time in a predetermined time standard, wherein said
`timestamp being determined from the output of the
`system clock at the current time the message is deliv(cid:173)
`ered to the system;
`means for converting the delta time associated with the
`stored message to an audio delta time signal; and
`means for providing the audio delta time signal to the
`subscriber together with the retrieved stored message.
`
`·* * * * *
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`Page 7 of 7
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