Addressing in a network of voice mail systems

Claim 1

A method for performing Enhanced Addressing in a VM system network that supports the AMIS Analog Protocol, comprising the steps of: (a) defining locally, at an Originating Site, a set of Enhanced Addresses; (b) inputting a defined Enhanced Address at the Originating Site to target a message to a Destination Site on the network; and (c) converting the input Enhanced Address into a Casual Address for interfacing with the network and accessing the Destination Site and subscriber mailbox at the Destination Site.

Claim 4

A method for performing Enhanced Addressing in a VM system network that supports the AMIS Analog Protocol, comprising the steps of: (a) configuring an Originating Site data base to include network address information relating to the Originating Site and at least one Site Profile for each Destination Site and one extension range covering each subscriber mailbox at the Destination Site to be accessed from the Originating Site utilizing Enhanced Addressing; (b) inputting an Enhanced Address, defined in a Site Profile at the Originating Site, to target a message to the corresponding Destination Site and mailbox at the Destination Site on the network; (c) addressing the Destination Site and mailbox corresponding to the input Enhanced Address by converting the input Enhanced Address into a Casual Address; and (d) delivering a voice message, input by a user at the Originating Site, to the Destination Site and subscriber mailbox at the Destination Site corresponding to the input Enhanced Address.

Claim 8

A method for performing Enhanced Addressing in a VM system network that supports the AMIS Analog Protocol, comprises the steps of: (a) configuring an Originating Site data base, defining at least the network address of the Originating Site; and (b) identifying whether said network address is a PSTN or TIE line number;

Claim 9

A method for performing Enhanced Addressing in a VM system network that supports the AMIS Analog Protocol, comprises the steps of: (a) defining a Site Profile for each Destination Site to be accessible from said Originating Site utilizing Enhanced Addressing, wherein said Site Profile includes at least the following information: (a1) a Remote Site Address identifying the remote Destination Site to be accessed, where the Remote Site address is defined by the network numbering plan; (a2) an access code identifying any special access code that needs to be included in addressing said Destination Site; (a3) access code type information for indicating whether said access code is associated with a PSTN number of a TIE line number; and (a4) a set of extension ranges for identifying users at the Destination Site to be accessed, wherein each defined extension range in said set uniquely enables users at said Destination Site to be distinguished from local Originating Site users and from users at any other Destination Sites included as part of the VM network, and further wherein each specific member of an Extension Range is an Enhanced Address; and (b) converting a locally defined Originating Site, Enhanced Address into a Casual Address for interfacing with the network and accessing the Destination Site and subscriber mailbox at the Destination Site.

Claim 14

A method for converting the address of an Originating Site provided to a local Destination Site, on a VM system network that supports the AMIS Analog Protocol, from a Casual Address provided by said protocol, to an Enhanced Address defined at said local Destination Site, comprising the steps of: (a) converting the Originating Site Casual Address provided as protocol data to said local Destination Site, to an Adjusted System Number; (b) determining if a Site Profile is defined at said local Destination Site containing a Site Address/Adjusted System Number match; and (c) building a local Enhanced Address defined in any such Site Profile whenever a Site Address in said profile matches said Adjusted System Number, using a Site independent locally defined addressing scheme.

Claim 15

A method for defining an AMIS Analog Protocol compatible System Number in a VM system network that supports the AMIS Analog Protocol, and, whenever a network supports both PSTN and TIE accesses, selecting at the Originating Site the appropriate System Number to use, comprising the steps of: (a) configuring a data base at the Originating Site, defining at least the network address of the Originating Site, including: (a1) Home Country Code, Home Trunk Code and AMIS PSTN Telephone Number whenever use of the PSTN by the Originating Site is supported; and (a2) an AMIS TIE Line Telephone Number whenever use of a TIE line by the Originating Site is supported; (b) determining, when selecting the System Number to send to a Destination Site, if the destination AMIS address dialed by the user is prefaced by a defined External Access Code, signifying the use of the PSTN; (c) selecting as the System Number, whenever thedestination AMIS address dialed by the user is prefaced by a defined External Access Code, a PSTN System Number including Home Country Code, Home Trunk Code and AMIS PSTN Telephone Number; (d) determining, when selecting the System Number to send to a Destination Site, if the destination AMIS address dialed by the user is prefaced by a defined TIE Trunk Access Code, signifying the use of a TIE line; (e) selecting as the System Number, whenever the destination AMIS address dialed by the user is prefaced by a defined TIE Access Code, a TIE System Number that includes the AMIS TIE Line Telephone Number and a prefix to the AMIS TIE Line Telephone Number to identify the System Number as a TIE System Number; (f) determining, in the event no Access Codes are defined, if the AMIS PSTN telephone number has been configured in step (a); (g) selecting as the System Number, whenever no Access Codes are defined and the AMIS PSTN Telephone Number has been configured in step (a), a PSTN System Number including Home Country Code, Home Trunk Code and AMIS PSTN Telephone Number; and (h) otherwise selecting as the System Number a TIE System Number including the AMIS TIE Line Telephone Number and a prefix to the AMIS TIE Line Telephone Number to identify the System Number as a TIE System Number.

Claim 16

A method for defining an AMIS Analog Protocol compatible System Number in a VM system network that supports the AMIS Analog Protocol, and, whenever a network supports both PSTN and TIE accesses, selecting at the Originating Site the appropriate System Number to use, comprising the steps of: (a) configuring a data base at the Originating Site, defining at least the network address of the Originating Site, including: (a1) Home Country Code, Home Trunk Code and AMIS PSTN Telephone Number whenever use of the PSTN by the Originating Site is supported; and (a2) an AMIS TIE Line Telephone Number whenever use of a TIE line by the Originating Site is supported; (b) determining, when selecting the System Number to send to a Destination Site, if the destination AMIS address dialed by the user is prefaced by a defined External Access Code, signifying the use of the PSTN; (c) selecting as the System Number, whenever thedestination AMIS address dialed by the user isprefaced by a defined External Access Code, a PSTN System Number including Home Country Code, Home Trunk Code and AMIS PSTN Telephone Number; (d) determining, when selecting the System Number tosend to a Destination Site, if the destination AMIS address dialed by the user is prefaced by a defined TIE Trunk Access Code, signifying the use of a TIE line; (e) selecting as the System Number, whenever the destination AMIS address dialed by the user is prefaced by a defined TIE Access Code, a TIE System Number that includes the AMIS TIE Line Telephone Number and a prefix to the AMIS TIE Line Telephone Number to identify the System Number as a TIE System Number; (f) determining, in the event no Access Codes are defined, if the AMIS TIE Line Telephone Number has been configured in step (a); (g) selecting as the System Number, whenever no Access Codes are defined and the AMIS TIE Line Telephone Number has been configured in step (a), a TIE System Number including the AMIS TIE Line Telephone Number and a prefix to the AMIS TIE Line Telephone Number to identify the System Number as a TIE System Number; and (h) otherwise selecting as the System Number a PSTN System Number including Home Country Code, Home Trunk Code and AMIS PSTN Telephone Number.

Claim 19

A method for adjusting a received System Number at a local Destination Site, in support of local dialing plans, to facilitate replying to an AMIS message, comprising the steps of: (a) determining whether the System Number supplied by the AMIS Analog Protocol is a PSTN System Number or a TIE System Number; and (b) constructing, as a function of whether the received System Number is a PSTN System Number or a TIE System Number, a Return Address that is compatible with local dialing patterns.

Claim 20

A method for compressing/encoding System Number address information, and by extension AMIS destination address information, to conserve memory usage and improve processing efficiency in VM system networks supporting the AMIS Analog Protocol, comprising the steps of: (a) defining compressed Trunk Identifier codes which reflect the type of Access Code(s) dialed; and (b) storing the compressed Trunk Identifier Codes, instead of encoded dialed Access Codes per se, to conserve storage otherwise needed to store dialed Access Codes.

Claim 22

A method for automatically reflecting data base changes to Access Codes for pending calls in a VM system network that supports the AMIS Analog Protocol, comprising the steps of: (a) utilizing Trunk Identifier compression codes to select Access Codes defined in a Site's configuration data base; (b) modifying Access Code information stored in said data base prior to dialing a pending call; and (c) retrieving Access Code Configuration data corresponding to a given Trunk Identifier code for placing a pending call when dialing said call.

Claim 24

A method for performing Enhanced Addressing in a VM system network that supports the AMIS Analog Profile, comprising the steps of: (a) defining, at each Site in a network using Enhanced Addressing, a numbering plan that is independent of every other network Site's numbering plan; (b) utilizing locally defined data at an originating Site to convert an Enhanced Address to a Casual Address and to extract information from an Enhanced Address to provide to the AMIS Analog Protocol; (c) reconverting an address, at a Destination Site, specified in Casual Address format to Enhanced Address format by combining information supplied during the AMIS protocol exchange with locally supplied data to build a local Enhanced Address; (d) utilizing the information furnished during the AMIS protocol exchange, together with locally defined data, to distinguish between PSTN and TIE line destinations; and (e) defining an addressing scheme which can be used to support both Casual and Enhanced addressing over the same system network.

Claim 25

A method for utilizing a VM system network that supports the AMIS Analog Protocol to send a message between a first Site and a second Site on said network, comprising the steps of: (a) defining and selecting an AMIS compatible System Number at said first Site, to be provided to said second Site as part of protocol data; and (b) adjusting any System Number received at said second Site, as part of protocol data, to construct an Adjusted System Number that may be utilized at said second Site to send a reply to said first Site.