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  Message durability and retrieval in a geographically distributed voice messaging systemUSPTO Application #: 20080049909Title: Message durability and retrieval in a geographically distributed voice messaging system Abstract: A message retrieval subsystem comprises a voice extensible mark-up language browser, a message server, and a message library. The VXML browser is configured with an application programming interface that enables a subscriber of a distributed voice messaging service to request a stored message. The message server receives a request to open a connection from a client process operative on the voice extensible mark-up language browser, spawns a thread to enable the connection, uses the thread to queue one or more subscriber requests for respective blocks of audio information, removes and processes the one or more subscriber requests, and uses the thread to forward a retrieved block of audio information to a subscriber. The message library is coupled to the message server and interposed between the message server and a common message store. The upper library isolates the VXML browser from a streaming protocol used to access the stored message. (end of abstract) Agent: Smith Frohwein Tempel Greenlee Blaha, LLC - Atlanta, GA, US Inventors: Sonny R. Bettis, Jon S. Plotky, Ian M. Moraes, Philip L. Lowman, James H. Spencer, Hannah W. Wang USPTO Applicaton #: 20080049909 - Class: 379088170 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Telephonic Communications, Audio Message Storage, Retrieval, Or Synthesis, Interaction With An External Nontelephone Network (e.g., Internet) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080049909. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE To RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/170,459 which was filed on Jun. 29, 2005 under the title of MESSAGE DURABILITY AND RETRIEVAL IN A GEOGRAPHICALLY DISTRIBUTED VOICE MESSAGING SYSTEM, which application claims priority to U.S. provisional application entitled, "MESSAGE DURABILITY AND RETRIEVAL," filed on Jun. 30, 2004 and assigned application No. 60/584,046, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. [0002] This application is related to co-pending U.S. utility patent application entitled "Distributed IP Architecture For Telecommunications System," filed on Mar. 15, 2005 and accorded application Ser. No. 11/080,744, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] 1. Field of the Invention [0004] Systems and methods that relate generally to voice messaging are invented and disclosed. More particularly, systems and methods for managing messages communicated using a voice messaging architecture with geographically distributed components. [0005] 2. Related Art [0006] Over the past several decades, voice mail has continued to expand and establish itself as a key element in the successful operations of most businesses. Some voice mail systems consist of components that communicate with each other on the client side of a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and thus, have been geographically co-located. This can be a great disadvantage for companies that have geographically dispersed offices. [0007] In today's global economy, even small businesses may have a need for multiple offices for serving clients, interacting with vendors, or various other reasons. Presently available wide area networks including the Internet support email, video conferencing and other products that allow dispersed business sites appear more seamless and integrated. In addition, wired and wireless telephonic networks provide network-based voice mail services that are used by small business and personal consumers to communicate with others wherever they may be located. Other telecommunication products have been developed to provide voice mail service to small businesses, and other institutions such as schools, hospitals, government offices, and the like. These other telecommunication products generally include local voice message storage. [0008] However, a significant problem that still exists for geographically dispersed offices is providing a telephonic system that operates as a single, co-located system while still serving the specialized needs of the various offices. Establishing a separate data storage facility at each office can be a costly endeavor as duplicative hardware must be purchased and maintained at each site. Furthermore, logistics for enabling inter-office voice mail access can become complex. [0009] A centralized storage facility could reduce cost and provide a seamless voice mail platform. However, integrating a centralized storage facility for voice messages across a geographically disperse enterprise is problematic because of system latency when processing voice messages between remotely located sites. One component of system latency is the time it takes to identify the particular storage medium where the message was stored and correctly position a read/write mechanism proximal to the identified medium. System latency is also affected by the speed and capacity of the underlying network or networks used to couple remotely located sites to the central storage facility. [0010] System latency presents a new challenge. On the one hand, the subscriber desires a reliable and accurate retrieval and playback of a previously stored voice message. On the other hand, requiring the subscriber to wait for delivery of the entirety of the stored voice message prior to initiating playback of the voice message is not desirable. Accordingly, further improvements to geographically disperse voice mail systems are desired. SUMMARY [0011] An embodiment of a message retrieval subsystem that provides streaming audio in a distributed voice messaging system comprises a voice extensible mark-up language browser, a message server, and a message library. The message server receives a request to open a connection from a client process operative on the voice extensible mark-up language browser, spawns a thread to enable the connection, uses the thread to queue one or more subscriber requests for respective blocks of audio information, removes and processes the one or more subscriber requests, and uses the thread to forward a retrieved block of audio information to a subscriber. The message library comprises an upper library and a lower library. The upper library is communicatively coupled to the message server, interposed between the message server and the lower library, and isolates the voice extensible mark-up language browser from a streaming protocol used to access a stored message. [0012] Related methods of operation are also provided. An embodiment of a method for providing streaming audio information in a distributed voice messaging system comprises providing a voice extensible mark-up language browser on a media server, providing a message server on a document server communicatively coupled to the media server and a common message store configured with message information, receiving a request to open a connection between the voice extensible mark-up language browser and the message server, spawning a connection thread for processing a subsequent request for information stored in the common message store, receiving the subsequent request for information, using the connection thread to queue the subsequent request, using a worker thread to remove and process the subsequent request, and using the connection thread to forward a response to the voice extensible mark-up language browser. [0013] Other features and advantages of the systems and methods for message durability and retrieval will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. All such additional features and advantages are within the scope of the systems and methods for message durability and retrieval in a geographically distributed messaging system as protected by the accompanying claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES [0014] The systems and methods for message durability and retrieval can be better understood with reference to the following figures. The components within the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of message durability and retrieval in a geographically distributed messaging system. Moreover, in the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views. [0015] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of geographically distributed messaging system. [0016] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a message durability subsystem that can be implemented within the distributed messaging system of FIG. 1. [0017] FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of a message channel from the document server to the common message store of the message durability subsystem of FIG. 2. [0018] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of the distributed messaging system of FIG. 1 when a subscriber generates a voice message. [0019] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of the distributed messaging system of FIG. 1 when a subscriber retrieves a voice message. [0020] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method for generating and locally storing a voice message. Continue reading... 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