`
`20070133775A
`
`as) United States
`a2) Patent Application Publication co) Pub. No.: US 2007/0133775 Al
`(43) Pub. Date: Jun. 14, 2007
`
`Winkler
`
`(54)
`
`METHOD FOR REDUCING THE COST OF
`HANDLING INCOMING/OUTGOING PHONE
`CALLS
`
`(75)
`
`Inventor: Yair Winkler, Caesaria (IL)
`
`(30)
`
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`
`Jun. 2, 2003
`
`IL) veces csscescsssesseeseeseeeeess 156271
`
`Publication Classification
`
`Int. Cl.
`Correspondence Address:
`(2006.01)
`HO4M 7/00
`
`Kevin D McCarthy
`(52) US. Cheieeeeceeeeseseeeseeseeneenereneesnesee 379/220.01
`
`Roach Brown McCarthy & Gruber
`1620 Liberty Building
`Buffalo, NY 14202 (US)
`
`(51)
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`(73)
`
`CORP.,
`Assignee: FESTIN ENTERPRISES
`NOTORIAT 4 DER STADT(PA)
`
`(21)
`
`Appl. No.:
`
`10/559,025
`
`(22)
`
`PCT Filed:
`
`Jun. 2, 2004
`
`(86)
`
`PCT No.:
`
`PCT/IL04/00467
`
`§ 371(¢)(),
`(2), (4) Date:
`
`Jul. 3, 2006
`
`A method and system for reducing the cost of handling
`incoming/outgoing calls are disclosed. A plurality of com-
`munication centers deployed in a different geographical
`region and granted permission to use the receiving and
`transmitting infrastructure of a corresponding service pro-
`vider are employed. A default communication center routes
`incoming/outgoing calls associated with a given subscriber
`to a distant communication center via an optimal path
`through the infrastructure of each of said service providers.
`The optimal path is selected after comparing the transmis-
`sion time and cost of call for a plurality of possible com-
`munication paths.
`
`
`
`10
`
`APPLE 1013
`
`APPLE 1013
`
`1
`
`

`

`Patent Application Publication Jun. 14,2007 Sheet 1 of 6
`
`US 2007/0133775 Al
`
`2
`
`

`

`Patent Application Publication Jun. 14,2007 Sheet 2 of 6
`
`US 2007/0133775 Al
`
`10
`
`Sey
`aAC
`
`14
`
`17
`
`21
`
`Fig. 2
`
`
`
`3
`
`

`

`Patent Application Publication Jun. 14,2007 Sheet 3 of 6
`
`US 2007/0133775 Al
`
`"25
`
`26
`
`27
`
`oHOObooedfaaPoHHE00
`
`@=
`2)
`
`QQQ
`
`O a©O
`
`Fig. 3
`
`4
`
`

`

`Patent Application Publication Jun. 14,2007 Sheet 4 of 6
`
`US 2007/0133775 Al
`
`31
`
`33
`
`35
`
`37
`
`39
`
`34 1 t a t ‘ 1 ' { t 4 i] t i i I C t 1 1 i] t 1 4 i 1 1 t 1 t ‘ i ' 1 ‘ ' '
`
`“DISTANT FROM
`DEFAULT PHONE NO.
`
`TRANSMITS SMS
`TO DEFAULT
`COMMUNICATION CNTR
`
`INITIATES
`CALLBACK MODE
`
`COMMUNICATION CNTR
`COMMUNICATION CNTR
`
`DETERMINES OPTIMAL
`-PATH TO DISTANT
`
`TRANSMITS SMS
`TO SUBSCRIBER
`CELL PHONE
`
`ACCESSES DISTANT
`
`Fig. 4
`
`5
`
`

`

`Patent Application Publication Jun. 14,2007 Sheet 5 of 6
`
`US 2007/0133775 Al
`
`wt
`w+
`
`Nw
`
`r
`
`6
`
`

`

`Patent Application Publication Jun. 14,2007 Sheet 6 of 6
`
`US 2007/0133775 Al
`
`Fig.6
`
`7
`
`

`

`US 2007/0133775 Al
`
`Jun. 14, 2007
`
`METHOD FOR REDUCING THE COST OF
`HANDLING INCOMING/OUTGOING PHONE
`CALLS
`
`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
`
`[0001] The present invention relates to the field of tele-
`communication. More particularly, the invention relates to a
`methodfor reducing the cost of handling incoming/outgoing
`phonecalls by deploying communication centers in different
`geographical locations which determine an optimal path for
`calls, routing them through existing infrastructure of service
`providers.
`
`BACKGROUND
`
`[0002] Voice mail is widely used in business and personal
`applications as a meansfor recording andretrieving a voice
`message when the intended recipient of the message is not
`accessible, e.g. the intended recipient is engaged in a tele-
`phone conversation or is distant from his telephone. A
`conventional voice mail system, generally comprising a
`specialized computer, stores each message within a database
`in such a way that subscribers are able to retrieve their
`messages by accessing a password.
`
`It is still another object of the present invention to
`[0009]
`provide a method for reducing time utilization and cost
`associated with phone calls normally directed to a call
`center.
`
`It is yet another object of the present invention to
`[0010]
`provide an alternate last mile communication path to the
`cellular telephone of a subscriber.
`
`{0011] Other objects and advantages of the invention will
`becomeapparent as the description proceeds.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`[0012] The present invention provides a method for reduc-
`ing the cost of handling incoming/outgoing calls compris-
`ing:
`
`a) providing a plurality of communication centers
`[0013]
`in data communication with one another, each of said
`communication centers being deployed in a different geo-
`graphical region and adapted to interface with transmittable
`voice mailboxes, wherein one of said communication cen-
`ters is designated as a default communication center for a
`given group of subscribers and the remaining communica-
`tion centers being designated as distant communication
`centers;
`
`[0003] Many users have access to three different voice
`[0014] b) making an agreementwithaplurality of service
`
`mailboxes: one for personal messages, one for business-
`providers of different telephone networks which allowssaid
`related messages and one for recording messages transmit-
`plurality of communication centers to use the receiving and
`ted via a cellular network. In orderto retrieve a message, the
`transmitting infrastructure of each of said service providers,
`user needs to access each of the mailboxes, usually by
`initiating a call via an appropriate telephone network,result-
`ing in inefficient time utilization and added expenses. The
`expenses for accessing the voice mailbox associated with a
`cellular telephone are further increased due to the greater
`cost of airtime, particularly for a traveler abroad,relative to
`the cost of calling via a landline telephone network. Trav-
`elers also encounter added costs when placing a call from a
`telephone at an instantaneous location to their home, busi-
`ness, or to any other desired phone number. Thesecosts are
`primarily due to the increased number of communication
`lines, switching offices and employees needed to provide
`speedy and effective telephone service relative to a local
`landline call. The high overhead associated with more
`expensive long-distance or oversea calls is borne by tele-
`phone callers as fixed costs.
`
`c) routing incoming/outgoing calls associated with
`[0015]
`a given subscriber by said default communication center to
`a distant communication center via an optimal path through
`the infrastructure of each of said service providers; and
`
`d) accessing the incoming/outgoing calls by an
`[0016]
`accession code.
`
`[0017] The term “call,” as referred to herein, means a
`communication link which is transmitted between twopar-
`ties via a telephone network, wherein the recipient may
`communicate in real-time with the initiator of the call, e.g.
`a telephone conversation, or the recipient mayretrieve a call
`which has been recorded, e.g. in the database of a voice
`mailbox. A “telephone network” includes a conventional
`wire lined telephone network with an exchange and
`switches, a cellular network, a fiber-optic network, and an
`Internet network.
`
`[0018] The term “infrastructure,” as referred to herein,
`means equipment, structures and cables installed by a ser-
`vice provider to allow for effective andefficient transmission
`and receiving ofcalls.
`
`[0019] The optimal path is determined by the default
`communication center after compiling, for the given time of
`the call,
`the usage cost and transmission delays of the
`infrastructure of each service provider with which it has a
`working agreement and a list of possible communication
`paths from the default communication center to the distant
`communication center. The transmission time and cost of
`
`call is determined for each communication path, and an
`optimal path is then selected from the list of possible
`communication paths.
`
`In one aspect, the cost of handling a call is reduced
`[0020]
`by selecting an Internet-based portion of the communication
`
`It is an object of the present invention to provide a
`[0004]
`method for accessing multiple voice mailboxes from a single
`telephone, with reduced costs.
`
`It is an additional object of the present invention to
`[0005]
`provide a method for reducing the cost of placing a long
`distance call via a landline or cellular network.
`
`It is an additional object of the present invention to
`[0006]
`provide a method for reducing the cost of a call transmitted
`via a cellular network, particularly for the purposeofretriev-
`ing messages from a voice mailbox.
`
`It is an additional object of the present invention to
`[0007]
`provide a method for a traveler abroad to access his voice
`mailbox and/or to communicate via a telephone network
`with a desired party by placing a local telephonecall.
`
`It is a further object of the present invention to
`[0008]
`provide a method for reducing the permanent overhead
`associated with phone calls.
`
`8
`
`

`

`US 2007/0133775 Al
`
`Jun. 14, 2007
`
`path-hereinafter referred to as a “segment”—through which
`the call
`is transmitted; encoding said call
`to Voice-over
`Internet Protocol (VoIP) by the communication center clos-
`est to a transitional point between a cable-based segment and
`an Internet-based segment; and decoding said call to an
`audio signal by the communication center closest to the end
`of said Internet-based segment. The provider by not having
`to pay to a service provider the operational costs associated
`with the usage of a cable-based segment.
`
`to a
`the cost of handling a call
`In one aspect,
`[0021]
`cellular telephone is reduced by switching the communica-
`tion path from a telephone network to a wireless network
`and transmitting the call via a last segment of the commu-
`nication path in wireless fashion at non-chargeable radio
`frequencies, e.g. ranging between approximately 2.35-2.45
`MHz. The provider is therefore afforded savings by elimi-
`nating airtime charges during the last segment.
`
`[0022] A transmittable voice mailbox is a database which
`stores voice mail transmitted via different telephone net-
`works and which may be transmitted entirely to a distant
`communication center, upon request by a subscriber. All
`voice mail messages mayberetrieved during anyretrieval
`session. Preferably,
`the voice mail
`transmitted via each
`telephone network is grouped separately, so that a voice
`menu directs the subscriber, at the commencement of a
`retrieval session, to retrieve any desired group of mail.
`
`In one embodiment, all outgoing calls placed by
`[0023]
`subscribers are received by the default communication cen-
`ter, and each call is routed along an optimalpathforthatcall,
`based on the phone number of a corresponding intended
`recipient.
`
`Inanother embodiment, the default communication
`[0024]
`center routes calls based on instructions transmitted thereto
`by a subscriber.
`
`In one aspect, a voice mailbox is routed by per-
`[0025]
`forming the following steps: transmitting a textual message
`from the subscriber to the default communication center,
`indicating access information of the subscriber andinstruc-
`tions as to which telephone the calls are to be accessed;
`determining the optimal path from the default communica-
`tion center to the distant communication center closest to the
`
`instantaneous location of the subscriber; forwarding the
`voice mailbox to the distant communication center via the
`
`recently determined optimal path; and accessing the distant
`communication center by placing a local call and thereby
`retrieving his voice mailbox.
`
`[0026] The term “textual message,” as referred to herein,
`means a textual communication link effected from afar
`between twoparties, such as between the subscriber and
`default communication center, in a much more economical
`fashion than by a call transmitted in a cellular network.
`Examples of a message are a Short Message Service (SMS)
`and an e-mail message. A “voice message,” as referred to
`herein, means an audible message stored in a voice mailbox.
`
`[0027] Preferably, a textual message is transmitted in
`return to the subscriber by the default communication center,
`to indicate that said voice mailbox has been forwardedto the
`distant communication center and may be accessed by the
`indicated telephone.
`
`[0028] Preferably, a subscriber determines which voice
`messages to access from the voice mailbox by reviewing an
`
`additional textual message which is transmitted to the sub-
`scriber, said additional textual message listing, for each
`voice message stored in the voice mailbox, the telephone
`numberwhich transmitted a given stored voice message and
`the duration of said stored voice message.
`
`In another aspect, an incomingcall is routed upon
`[0029]
`the transmission of a textual message by the subscriberto the
`default communication center,
`instructing thereby that
`incoming calls to his cellular telephone, which is used by
`another party to transmit outgoing calls, will be directed to
`a desired telephone number andthat if the subscriber does
`not receive the call, a voice message will be recorded in his
`voice mailbox.
`
`In another aspect, an outgoing call is placed by a
`[0030]
`traveling subscriber by performing the following steps:
`transmitting a textual message from the subscriber to the
`default communication center, indicating access information
`of the subscriber and instructions concerning from which
`telephone numberand from which geographical location the
`call is to be placed; transmitting a command bythe default
`communication center to the distant communication center
`closest to the instantaneous location of the subscriber to
`route an outgoing call; determining the optimal path for the
`outgoing call;
`transmitting a textual message from the
`default communication center to the subscriber that a com-
`munication line is available from said distant communica-
`
`tion center; accessing the distant service provider; and
`placing an outgoing call. The destination of the outgoing call
`may be local with respect to said distant communication
`center.
`
`In another aspect, a previously established optimal
`[0031]
`path remains in a communicable standby mode upon termi-
`nation of a first outgoing call, said previously established
`optimal path being activated by the default communication
`center if the subscriber places a second outgoing call during
`a predeterminedperiod of time following termination of the
`first call.
`
`In another aspect, the subscriber transmits a textual
`[0032]
`message to the default communication center to initiate a
`callback mode. In the callback mode, the default commu-
`nication center performs the following steps: repeatedly
`redials the numberof an intended recipient until a commu-
`nication line becomes available; transmits a pre-recorded
`voice message to the intended recipient in which the name
`of the subscriber and pertinent contact
`information are
`mentioned; and transmits a requestfor the intended recipient
`of the call
`to communicate with the subscriber. If the
`
`recipient desires, he may call the subscriber directly, to the
`phone number mentioned in the pre-recorded voice mes-
`sage. If he prefers notto call the subscriber directly, e.g. the
`subscriber is overseas,
`the recipient
`transmits a textual
`message to the default communication center, if he desires
`not to call the subscriber directly, wherein he indicates that
`his communication line is now available; the default com-
`munication center communicates with the distant commu-
`nication center closest to the instantaneous location of the
`
`subscriber, commanding said distant communication center
`to link the subscriber with the intendedrecipient; the cellular
`telephone of the subscriber receives a voice message indi-
`cating that a communication line became available;
`the
`subscriber accesses said distant communication center; and
`the subscriber speaks with the intended recipient.
`
`9
`
`

`

`US 2007/0133775 Al
`
`Jun. 14, 2007
`
`the default communication center
`[0033] Alternatively,
`transmits to a specified phone number, after a request to
`initiate the callback mode, a menu ofavailable services and
`information-related options, e.g. placing an outgoing call,
`retrieving voice mail, and reviewing news, stock market, or
`weather information, and the subscriber indicates which
`option he desires to activate. In order to utilize his time more
`efficiently, the subscriber may transmit to the default com-
`munication center a message which specifies a preselected
`option, whereupon the default communication center trans-
`mits to the specified phone number voice and/or graphical
`information based on said preselected option.
`
`In another embodimentof the invention, the default
`[0034]
`communication center performs self-billing functions. The
`default communication center determines relevant billing
`information concerning each subscriber in real-time and
`transfers said billing information to the provider.
`
`[0035] As referred to herein, “provider” meansthe entity
`which provides access of the default and distant communi-
`cation centers to the subscribers. At any given time, a
`communication center may be both a default communication
`center to one group of subscribers and a distant communi-
`cation center to another group of subscribers. The provider
`allocates the resources for each communication center so
`
`that each subscriber may quickly and inexpensively place
`and receive calls.
`
`In one aspect, the default communication center
`[0036]
`determines whether the debits of a subscriber are greater
`than a predetermined value, and then prevents the subscriber
`from receiving any incomingcalls or placing outgoing calls
`or initiating a callback mode until a payment is madeto the
`provider.
`
`[0037] The present invention also provides a short-range
`wireless communication system for reducing the cost of
`handling incoming/outgoing calls, comprising a cellular
`telephone provideda first transceiver for transmission over
`a cellular network and a secondtransceiver for short-range
`wireless transmission, such as a Bluetooth transceiver; a
`dongle interfacing with a dedicated subscriber computer;
`and an earpiece,
`
`[0038] wherein the dongle and earpiece are provided with
`short-range wireless transceivers and are in data communi-
`cation with the second transceiver of the cellular telephone,
`
`the subscriber computer being in communication
`[0039]
`with a plurality of communication centers in data commu-
`nication with one another, each of said communication
`centers being deployed in a different geographical region
`and granted permissionto use the receiving and transmitting
`infrastructure of a corresponding service provider, one of
`said communication centers being designated as a default
`communication center for a given group of subscribers and
`the remaining communication centers being designated as
`distant communication centers;
`
`said default communication center suitable for
`[0040]
`routing incoming/outgoing calls associated with a given
`subscriber to a distant communication center via an optimal
`path through the infrastructure of each of said service
`providers.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`[0041]
`
`In the drawings:
`
`[0042] FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of an exemplary
`routing of a call by a communication center deployed in
`Italy, in accordance with the present invention;
`
`[0043] FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of a cellular net-
`work, showing the transferring of a call from a basestation
`to a communication center;
`
`[0044] FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of a communication
`center which comprises three separate servers, each of which
`being in communication with a different telephone network;
`
`FIG.4 is a flow chart of the various steps needed
`[0045]
`to route a voice mailbox;
`
`[0046] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of various options that a
`communication center provides; and
`
`[0047] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a short-range
`wireless communication system that communicates with a
`communication center via the Internet.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED
`EMBODIMENTS
`
`[0048] The present invention is a method for reducing the
`cost of telephone calls, particularly those transmitted
`through a cellular network. The cost of placing a call is
`significantly reduced as a communication center routes the
`call, in the most economical fashion, through existing infra-
`structure installed and maintained by other parties. The
`communication center is in communication with a plurality
`of voice mailboxes, each of which may be remotely pro-
`grammed by a different subscriber, whereby message des-
`tination andcall initiation instructions may be received and
`performed.
`
`[0049] Each communication center may serve for direct-
`ing calls and as a meansfor self-billing, as will be explained
`hereinafter, and therefore the cost of placing a call is further
`reduced.
`
`[0050] As is well known, each service provider of a
`telephone network, whether landline, international or cellu-
`lar, has invested a considerable of money in the necessary
`infrastructure needed to allow subscribers to effectively and
`rapidly place a call to a desired destination. The infrastruc-
`ture typically includes coaxial or fiber-optic cables, switch-
`ing offices, digital concentrators, optical regenerators and
`receivers for fiber-optic cables, base stations having a tower
`and communication equipment for each cell of a cellular
`network, etc. Payments madeto a service provider generally
`include a sum whichhelps to fund the capital costs invested
`within said infrastructure.
`
`[0051] The cost of handling incoming/outgoing calls is
`significantly reduced by the providerof a transmittable voice
`mailbox (hereinafter referred to as “provider’’), in accor-
`dance with the present invention, by obviating the need of
`funding the capital costs of service providers. The provider
`functions as a reseller by making a working agreement with
`service providers, whereby the communication center of the
`transmittable voice mailboxes is allotted blocks of time to
`
`utilize the infrastructure of the given service provider. By
`making an agreement with manydifferent service providers,
`each of which is located in different locations, and even in
`
`10
`
`10
`
`

`

`US 2007/0133775 Al
`
`Jun. 14, 2007
`
`the communication center may route
`different countries,
`calls through many different paths. The communication
`center determines, for the given timeofthe call, the usage
`cost of the infrastructure of each service provider with which
`it has a working agreement. The communication center then
`determines the optimal path for thecall, taking into account
`transmission delays and the usage costs for each infrastruc-
`ture through which the call is to be transmitted.
`
`FIG.1 illustrates an exemplary routing of a call by
`[0052]
`communication center 10 deployedin Italy, which is the sole
`provider of telephone service to subscribers of a transmit-
`table voice mailbox (hereinafterreferred to as a “subscriber”
`or “subscribers,”for brevity) located in a given geographical
`location in Italy. After subscriber 5 accesses communication
`center 10 by inputting his password and dials the phone
`numberof a recipient 7 located in England with whom he
`wishes to communicate during the daytime, the communi-
`cation center compiles a list of various communication
`paths. The most direct path, as indicated by numeral8, is
`from Italy, Switzerland, France, and then to England. How-
`ever, this route may be more expensive than a more circui-
`tous route, such as from,Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia,
`Poland, Sweden, Denmark, and then to England, as indi-
`cated by numeral 9. Communication center 10 determines
`the optimal path within a fraction of a second following
`transmission of the phone numberofrecipient 7, and then
`transmits the call along this path.
`
`large savings may be
`[0053] Referring now to FIG. 2,
`realized when communication center 10 transmits a call
`
`through a cellular network, for which a subscriber normally
`has to pay for both landline time andairtime. The provider
`preferably has a working agreement with the service pro-
`vider of a cellular network whereby calls are forwarded to
`communication center 10 upon detection that a subscriber
`has initiated a call. Without intervention of the provider, a
`call initiated from cellular phone 12 would betransferred to
`base station 14, located within cell 17 which is the cell
`closest to phone 12, and then to regional switching station
`19, which monitors and controls the various base stations
`associated with the switching station, before being transmit-
`ted to the intended recipient, resulting in expensive airtime
`costs. However, since the service provider determines that
`phone 12 belongsto a subscriber, the call is transferred to
`base station 14 and then to communication center 10 located
`within cell 21, which is proximate to cell 17, before being
`routed on an optimal path, as described hereinabove, to the
`intended recipient.
`
`afforded savings by not having to pay to a service provider
`the operational costs associated with the usage of a cable-
`based segment.
`
`[0055] The provider compiles, for each geographical loca-
`tion whereat a communication center is deployed, the esti-
`mated times during when Internet load is minimal. During
`these periods of minimal Internet load, the synchronization
`of VoIP packets being transmitted via an Internet-based
`segment, and consequently the voice quality of the call, is
`the greatest. Accordingly, the default communication center
`determines, following the placing of a call and determina-
`tion of an optimal communication path, at which points
`along the optimal communication path the call is suitable for
`being converted to VoIP.
`
`[0056] Further savings may be realized, when placing an
`outgoing call to a cellular telephone, by transmitting the last
`segment of the communication path, normally referred to as
`the last mile, in wireless fashion at widely accessible radio
`frequencies, e.g. ranging approximately between 2.35-2.45
`MHz. Usersthat transmit signals at such frequencies do not
`incur transmission charges, and the provider therefore may
`eliminate airtime charges during the last mile by transmit-
`ting the call from the base station to the intended recipient
`at such frequencies. The communication center deployed
`proximate to the last segment switches the communication
`path from a telephone network to a wireless network. The
`call is transmitted along the last segment by means of an
`antenna deployed at the local base station, with permission
`from the service provider thereof.
`
`[0057] After establishing an optimal path as described
`hereinabove enabling a subscriber to place an outgoing call,
`the provider may retain the optimal path in a standby mode
`upon termination of the call. Instead of having to incur the
`costs associated with the determination of an optimal com-
`munication path,
`the initialization of the path, and the
`switching from one segment to another, etc., the previously
`established optimal path,
`remains
`in a communicable
`standby mode for a predetermined period of time, e.g. 20
`seconds, following termination of a previous call by the
`subscriber. The majority of the previously established opti-
`mal path, with the exceptionofthe final segmentsthereof, by
`which the previous call was transmitted from the final
`communication center to the recipient of the call, may be
`utilized. If the subscriber places a call to a different party
`during this predetermined period of time, the default com-
`munication center activates the previously established com-
`munication path and commandsthe final communication
`center to transmit the new call to a different recipient, e.g.
`via additional segments. Subscribers are charged a lower
`rate for placing calls within this predetermined period of
`time, as an incentive to retain a previously established
`communication path in a standby mode for as long as
`possible.
`
`[0054] Additional savings may be realized when commu-
`nication center 10 transmits an international or long distance
`call. Instead of transmitting a call solely through coaxial or
`fiber-optic cables as has practiced heretofore in theprior art,
`a portion of the communication path (hereinafter referred to
`[0058] As schematically shown in FIG. 3, communication
`as a “segment”) through whichthecall is transmitted may be
`selected to coincide with the Internet. A call that is trans-
`center 10 comprisesaplurality of servers, e.g. servers 25, 26
`and 27, each of which is in communication with voice
`mitted via an Internet network segment
`is encoded to
`Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and compressed by the
`mailboxesofa different telephone network andis situated in
`communication center closest
`to the transitional point
`a different location. For example, server 25 communicates
`between a cable-based segment and an Internet-based seg-
`with a voice mailbox which receives and transmits personal
`calls, server 26 communicates with a voice mailbox which
`ment. Likewise the call in digital form is decoded back to an
`receives and transmits business-related calls, and server 27
`audio signal by the communication center closest to the end
`communicates with a voice mailbox which receives and
`of the Internet-based segment. The provider is therefore
`
`11
`
`11
`
`

`

`US 2007/0133775 Al
`
`Jun. 14, 2007
`
`transmits calls within a cellular network, as depicted in FIG.
`2. Although each server is physically distant from one
`another, the three servers are in mutual data communication,
`as indicated by the double arrows. That
`is to say,
`the
`database of recorded voice messages from each server is
`combinedso that subscriber 5 may review all recorded voice
`messages at any retrieval session. Preferably the voice
`messages recorded by eachserver are grouped separately, so
`that a voice menu may direct the subscriber, at the com-
`mencement of a retrieval session,
`to retrieve any desired
`group of voice messages. Similarly, the voice mail may
`indicate whether a voice message is a new voice message, or
`may be characterized by any other categorization desired by
`the subscriber.
`
`Aspreviously described, the communication center
`[0059]
`also routes the incoming calls. To provide inexpensive
`communication and accessibility to a transmittable voice
`mailbox, the provider installs a communication center at
`each geographical location. Each communication center is in
`communication with each other, via the infrastructure of
`each service provider with which the provider has a working
`agreement. The communication center (hereinafter referred
`to as the “distant communication center’) which is distant
`from the default communication center of the subscriber
`may receive and transmit calls, in a similar fashion as the
`default communication center. As a resull, a subscriber may
`access his voice mailbox, regardless of whether he is at
`homeor abroad, by placing a local call.
`
`FIG.4 is a flow chart of the various steps needed
`[0060]
`to route his voice mailbox. If the subscriber is distant from
`his default landline phone number,as indicated by step 31,
`he does not have to access his voice mailbox by a long-
`distant call, an international call, or by his cellular telephone.
`If the subscriber does not have accessto a toll-free number,
`he may simply transmit in step 33 a Short Message Service
`(SMS), which is considerably more economical than any
`other form of long-distant communication within a tele-
`phone network, from his cellular telephone to his default
`communication center. In the SMS, the subscriber transmits
`his access information and instructions indicating from
`which landline telephone the voice mailbox is
`to be
`accessed. In step 35,
`the default communication center
`determines the optimal path, as described hereinabove, for
`routing the voice messages recorded in his voice mailbox.
`The recorded voice messages are then forwarded to the
`distant communication center via the recently determined
`optimal path. Accordingly, the default communication cen-
`ter transmits in step 37 an SMSin return to the subscriber,
`to indicate when his voice mailbox may be accessed by his
`temporary landline telephone. Finally,
`the
`subscriber
`accesses in step 39 the distant communication center by
`placing a local call, and therefore may retrieve his voice
`messages.
`
`[0061] The default communication center may transmit,
`following step 37, an additional SMS which lists, for each
`voice messagestored in the voice mailbox of the subscriber,
`the telephone number which transmitted the voice message
`and the duration of the voice message. A subscriber need not
`audibly review each voice message in serial fashion as has
`been practiced heretofore by prior art voice mail systems,
`but rather may selectively determine whether a voice mes-
`sage is of particular importance requiring immediate atten-
`tion, while other voice messages maybelistenedto at a later
`
`time. A subscriber may also determine by a considerably
`short message duration of e.g. less than a second that the
`originator of a voice message terminated the voice message
`before leaving any voice information, and therefore need not
`access that terminated voice message. It will be appreciated
`that
`the subscriber may receive from a communication
`center not only voice messages, but also incomingcalls.
`
`[0062] For example, the subscriber