Instant video and voicemail messaging method and means

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of instant messaging. More specifically the invention relates to a server centric method and unit for instant voice and video mail messaging. Even more particularly the invention relates to voicemail messaging with mobile terminals. The inventive methods and units under study allow faster voice messaging and enable similar, but not identical audio/video message “ping ball”. The sending of voicemail in accordance with the invention is instantaneous and involves no different telephone numbers for the sender to remember. The reception of messages is always instantaneous, provided the recipient is available, and only if not available, may the delivery of the messages be delayed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 establishing a packet switched wireless communications connection between a subscriber terminal and a server;   receiving a contact directory of a recipient at the server via the packet switched wireless communications connection;   recording a message to a data file at the server via the packet switched wireless communications connection; and   communicating the data file from the server to a recipient terminal via a network.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein communicating the data file includes transferring the data file and the contact directory to a Store and Forward Server Network (SF SN). 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein undelivered messages are stored at the SFSN or the server, and attempts to resend the data file to the one recipient are made. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein undelivered messages are stored at the SFSN for a given time, after which they are deleted. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the recipient contact information is readily and transparently converted from one directory to the next in accordance with message delivery requirements. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein billing for the message delivery may be realized during, before, in between or after any operation, and may be fixed price, cost per connection minute or cost per transmitted bit based. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein during, before, in between or after any operation, a sender and a recipient may reply, save and/or forward messages on the network, the server and/or a subscriber terminal 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein communications connections used between the terminal and said at least one server or in the SFSN are dial connections, data connections or packet switched connections. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subscriber terminal and the server form a Virtual Private Network (VPN). 
     
     
         10 . A system comprising:
 a media device configured to record a message communicated from a subscriber terminal;   a data storage device configured to store recipient contact information from the subscriber terminal in a data file; and   a communications interface configured to communicate the data file.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the data storage device is a database associated with a data management utility. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus comprising:
 an input configured to receive a selection of a recipient;   a communications interface configured to establish a packet switched wireless communications connection with a server upon receipt of the selection of the recipient and receive recipient contact information via the packet switched wireless communications connection; and   a processor configured to communicate a media signal to the server, wherein the server is configured to store the media signal to a data file and to disconnect the packet switched wireless communications connection after a dedicated action is fulfilled.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the recipient is selected from a contact list. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein undelivered messages are stored at a Store and Forward Server Network (SFSN). 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein undelivered messages are stored at the SFSN or the server for a given time, after which they are deleted. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein recipient contact information is readily and transparently converted from one directory to the next in accordance with message delivery requirements. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein billing for message delivery is fixed price, cost per connection minute or cost per transmitted bit based. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to reply, save and forward messages on the network to the server. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein communications connections are dial connections, data connections or packet switched connections. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the server and the apparatus form a Virtual Private Network (VPN).