Subscriber migration system

Abstract

The present invention is a system that uses a migration server to access voicemail of a source system through a front-end switch via a telephony interface, obtain voice messages stored on the source system and store them on a destination system via a data interface. A host processor initiates a migration based on a mailbox migration status stored in a host database and controls the switch to provide a path from the migration server to the source system. The host processor also controls call flow and initiates pass code (PIN) digit capture of a subscriber's pass code by the switch for mailboxes to be migrated. Call flow control includes determining to which system to route an arriving call based on migration status and determining whether to output a message-waiting indicator for newly stored messages. A migration server controls call tree navigation aspects of call flow during migration. Automated speech recognition is used to help capture the voice message as opposed to the voice message envelope and to capture message attribute information as well as the subscriber's greeting and voice announcement, and to assist in voicemail menu navigation.

1 . A voice mailbox migration process for migrating voicemail from a source system to a destination system, comprising: 
 capturing a pass code of a subscriber without requesting active subscriber participation;    accessing the source system via a voice telephony interface using the captured pass code; and    moving the voicemail from the source system to the destination system.    
   
   
       2 . A process as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the pass code is captured through analysis of signals on a telephony voice circuit as the subscriber logs in to the source system.  
   
   
       3 . A process as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the pass code is captured as the subscriber logs in to the source system by a switching system coupled to a telephony interface of the source system.  
   
   
       4 . A process as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the data is moved from the source system over a public telephony user interface.  
   
   
       5 . A voice mailbox migration process for migrating a voicemail message from a source system to a destination system, comprising: 
 accessing the source system via a voice telephony interface, playing the message stored in the source system and recording the message as the message is played; and    storing the recorded voice message in the destination system, wherein the voice mailbox migration process is implemented without requesting active subscriber participation.    
   
   
       6 . A process as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the recorded message has a message envelope and said process further comprises determining a message envelope in the recorded message and removing the audio envelope from the recorded message.  
   
   
       7 . A process as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the recording records an end-of-message prompt and said process further comprises determining a start of the prompt in the recorded message and removing the prompt from the recorded message.  
   
   
       8 . A process as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the determining comprises searching for one of a first word and phrase in the prompt using automated speech recognition.  
   
   
       9 . A process as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the message has audible message attributes and said process further comprises determining the message attributes in the recorded message.  
   
   
       10 . A process as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the determining comprises searching for attribute words in the recorded message using automated speech recognition.  
   
   
       11 . A process as recited in  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 playing a mailbox greeting and a name announcement for the voice mailbox from the source system:    recording the greeting and name announcement as played; and    storing the recorded greeting and announcement in the destination system.    
   
   
       12 . A process as recited in  claim 5 , further comprising changing a pass code for the voice mailbox in the source system.  
   
   
       13 . A process as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the accessing comprises obtaining a connection to the source system via a switching system.  
   
   
       14 . A process as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the accessing comprises: 
 supplying a subscriber's pass code to the source system; and    navigating a voicemail menu system using a menu structure and DTMF.    
   
   
       15 . A process as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the accessing comprises supplying a subscriber's automatic number identification to the source system allowing the source system to skip a pass code entry operation by a subscriber.  
   
   
       16 . A process as recited in  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 capturing the pass code without requesting active subscriber participation by sampling a talk path to the source system when a subscriber logs in to the source system.    
   
   
       17 . A process as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the messages are transferred as audio and the attributes are transferred as data.  
   
   
       18 . A process as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the user need not be presented with a migration prompt during or after the migration.  
   
   
       19 . A process as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the messages are stored in the destination system through a voice interface.  
   
   
       20 . A voice mailbox migration process for migrating a voicemail message from a source system to a destination system, comprising: 
 initiating a migration of a mailbox from the source system to the destination system;    blocking an MWI from the source system when the mailbox has been migrated, migrating a new message from the source system to the destination system and releasing the MWI;    holding the MWI until a successful completion of the migration; and    passing the MWI when the mailbox has not been migrated.    
   
   
       21 . A process as recited in  claim 20 , further comprising initiating migration of a new message when a MWI is issued by the source system for a mailbox that has been migrated.  
   
   
       22 . A process as recited in  claim 20 , further comprising merging MWI from the source and destination systems during the migration.  
   
   
       23 . A system for migrating a voice message from a source system to a destination system in a telephone system, comprising: 
 a digital switching system coupled to the source system, the destination system and the telephone system via voice telephony interfaces; and    a migration machine coupled to the digital switching system via a telephony interface and to the destination system via a data interface, accessing the source system through the digital switching system, retrieving the voice message and storing the message in the destination system without requesting active subscriber participation.    
   
   
       24 . A system as recited in  claim 23 , wherein the digital switching system comprises a digit capture function capturing a subscriber pass code as the pass code is transmitted through the switching system to the source system.  
   
   
       25 . A system as recited in  claim 24 , further comprising a host machine coupled to the switching system and the migration machine, controlling the switching system to provide a connection to an available port of the source system for the machine, initiating a migration operation by the machine and storing the captured pass code.  
   
   
       26 . A system as recited in  claim 25 , further comprising a database coupled to the host machine and storing mailbox identifiers of mailboxes to be migrated, storing pass codes of the mailboxes, and storing migration status of the mailboxes.  
   
   
       27 . A system as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the host computer merges MWI data from the source and destination systems.  
   
   
       28 . A system as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the host computer initiates migration of a mailbox responsive to a call load on the source system.  
   
   
       29 . A system as recited in  claim 23 , wherein the switching system is connected to the telephonic system by a single set of telephone facilities.  
   
   
       30 . A computer readable storage storing a program for controlling a computer to execute a voice mail migration process including accessing a source system via a voice telephony interface, storing a voice message, playing the message stored in the source system, recording the message as the message is played, and storing the recorded voice message in a destination system, where the voice mail migration is executed without requesting active subscriber participation.  
   
   
       31 . A computer readable storage controlling a computer to migrate a voice message from a source system to a destination system via a data structure comprising a voice mailbox identifier, a mailbox pass code and a migration status for each voice mailbox.  
   
   
       32 . A voice mailbox migration process, comprising: 
 capturing a pass code of a subscriber as the subscriber enters the pass code into a system through analysis of signals on a telephony voice circuit without requesting the subscriber's active participation; and    performing a system migration function on behalf of the subscriber using the pass code.    
   
   
       33 . A voice mailbox migration process for migrating voicemail from a source system to a destination system, comprising: 
 accessing an existing mailbox in the destination system;    identifying a position of a message in an audio stream from the source system using ASR; and    storing the message in the destination system, where the voice mail migration is executed without requesting active subscriber participation.    
   
   
       34 . A voice mailbox migration, comprising: 
 accessing a source system via a voice telephony interface upon a request from a migration server;    playing a voice message stored in the source system and recording the voice message as the voice message is played; and    storing the recorded voice message in the destination system using a data interface, where the voice mail migration is executed without requesting active subscriber participation.    
   
   
       35 . A voice mailbox migration process for migrating voicemail from a source system to a destination system, comprising: 
 capturing a pass code of a subscriber through analysis of signals on a telephony voice circuit to allow voice mailbox access without participation of a subscriber;    accessing the source system via a voice telephony interface without participation of the subscriber using the captured pass code; and    moving the voicemail from the source system to the destination system.    
   
   
       36 . A method of migrating a voicemail from a source system to a destination system, comprising: 
 obtaining a pass code of a subscriber while executing an operation in response to a request from the subscriber independent of the voice mailbox migration; and    migrating the voicemail from the source system to the destination system by accessing the source system via a voice telephony interface using the pass code obtained.