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.

1. A mobile video- and/or voicemail messaging method, comprising at least one mobile subscriber terminal and at least one server, said method comprising the steps of:
 choosing at least one message recipient or a group at a mobile subscriber terminal; 
 forming at least one packet switched wireless communications connection between said mobile subscriber terminal and at least one server; 
 transferring at least one contact directory of at least one recipient to said at least one server via said packet switched wireless connection; 
 recording at least one voice/video message to at least one data file on said at least one server via said at least one packet switched wireless communications connection; 
 disconnecting said packet switched wireless connection to said at least one server; and 
 said at least one server relaying the data file message to at least one recipient terminal via telephony network or the Internet. 
 
     
     
       2. A mobile video- and/or voicemail messaging method, comprising at least one mobile subscriber terminal and at least one server, said method comprising the steps of:
 choosing at least one message recipient or a group; 
 forming at least one packet switched wireless communications connection between a mobile subscriber terminal and a server; 
 transferring at least one contact directory of at least one recipient to said server via said at least one packet switched wireless connection; 
 recording at least one voice/video message to at least one data file on said server via said at least one packet switched wireless communications connection; 
 disconnecting the packet switched wireless connection to said server; 
 transferring at least one said data file message and at least one said contact directory to a Store and Forward Server Network (SFSN); and at least one server in the SFSN or said server relaying said at least one data file message to at least one recipient terminal device through the Internet or a telephony network. 
 
     
     
       3. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein undelivered messages are stored at the SFSN or the server, and attempts to resend said at least one data file message to said at least one recipient are made, and/or attempts to resend to alternative contact directories of said at least one recipient are made. 
     
     
       4. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein undelivered messages are stored at the SFSN or the server for a given time, after which they are deleted. 
     
     
       5. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said recipient contact directory may be a telephone number, ISDN number, URL-address, email, IP-address, and the recipient contact information is readily and transparently converted from one directory to the next in accordance with message delivery requirements. 
     
     
       6. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein charging and/or billing for the message delivery may be realized during, before, in between or after any of the steps, and may be fixed price, cost per connection minute or cost per transmitted bit based. 
     
     
       7. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein during, before, in between or after any of the steps, at least one of the sender and said at least one recipient may reply, save and/or forward messages on the network, the server and/or a subscriber terminal. 
     
     
       8. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein communications connections used between said at least one terminal and said at least one server or in the SFSN are dial connections, data connections or packet switched connections, compliant with: SS7-, GSM-, H323-, HTTP-, GSM-data, IP-RAN-, UMTS-, WAP-, Teldesic-, Inmarsat-, Iridium-, GPRS-, CDMA-data-, WCDMA-data-, SMS-, MMS-, USSD-, email-LAN-, TCP/IP-, UDP-, POTS-, NDC-, PDC-, imode-, Globalstar- and/or WLAN-connections. 
     
     
       9. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one subscriber terminal and at least one server form a Virtual Private Network (VPN). 
     
     
       10. A video- and/or voicemail messaging server, comprising:
 at least one media player and/or a DSP and at least one data storage means and communications connections in and out of a telephony network, SFSN and/or the Internet, wherein 
 a recording is arranged to be made to at least one of the media player and DSP through an established packet switched communications connection from a mobile subscriber terminal; 
 a capture of recipient contact information and/or other message attributes from the mobile subscriber terminal is arranged wirelessly via said packet switched connection on a server, and the contact information is arranged to be stored to the storage means; 
 at least one media player and/or DSP is arranged to store the recording to a data file; 
 at least one data file is arranged to be stored on the data storage means; 
 at least one data file, or at least one copy of the data file is arranged to be sent to another server in the SFSN and/or a connection is arranged to be formed to at least one recipient. 
 
     
     
       11. The video- and/or voicemail messaging server as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said storage means is a database associated with a data management utility. 
     
     
       12. A video- and/or voicemail messaging mobile subscriber terminal, wherein:
 for a user of the mobile subscriber terminal is arranged with the possibility to select configured to receive a selection of at least one recipient from the mobile subscriber terminal; 
 at least one packet switched wireless communications connection is arranged to be formed to a server upon selection of said at least one recipient; , recipient contact information is arranged to be sent wirelessly via said packet switched wireless communications connection to the server; the terminal is arranged to relay at least one video and/or audio signal to the server for recording to a data file via said at least one packet switched wireless connection; and 
 the packet switched wireless communication connection is arranged to be disconnected upon a dedicated action or upon the fulfillment of dedicated criteria. 
 
     
     
       13. The video- and/or voicemail messaging mobile subscriber terminal as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the mobile subscriber terminal is a PC, PDA-mobile station and/or a Apple Macintosh computer with a wireless communication connection compliant with at least one of the following: SS7-, GSM-, H323-, HTTP-, GSM-data, IP-RAN-, UMTS-, WAP-, Teldesic-, Inmarsat-, Iridium-, GPRS-, CDMA-data, WCDMA-data, SMS-, MMS-, USSD-, email-LAN-, TCP/IP-, UDP-, POTS-, PDC-, NDC-, imode-, Globalstar- and/or WLAN-connections. 
     
     
       14. The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein undelivered messages are stored at the SFSN or the server, and attempts to resend at least one message to at least one recipient are made, and/or attempts to resend to alternative contact directories of at least one recipient are made. 
     
     
       15. The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein undelivered messages are stored at the SFSN or the server for a given time, after which they are deleted. 
     
     
       16. The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein recipient contact directory may be a telephone number, ISDN number, URL-address, email, IP-address, and the recipient contact information is readily and transparently converted from one directory to the next in accordance with message delivery requirements. 
     
     
       17. The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein charging and/or billing for the message delivery may be realized during, before, in between or after any of the steps, and may be fixed price, cost per connection minute or cost per transmitted bit based. 
     
     
       18. The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein during, before, in between or after any of the steps, the sender and/or at least one recipient may reply, save and/or forward messages on the network, the said server and/or a subscriber terminal. 
     
     
       19. The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein communications connections used between at least one terminal and at least one server or in the SFSN are dial connections, data connections or packet switched connections, typically compliant with: SS7-, GSM-, H323, HTTP-, GSM-data, IP-RAN-, UMTS-, WAP-, Teldesic-, Inmarsat-, Iridium-, GPRS-, CDMA-data-, WCDMA-data-, SMS-, MMS-, USSD-, email-LAN-, TCP/IP-, UDP-, POTS-, NDC-, PDC-, imode-, Globalstar- and/or WLAN-connections. 
     
     
       20. The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein at least one subscriber terminal and at least one server form a Virtual Private Network (VPN). 
     
     
       21. A mobile messaging method comprising:
 receiving, at a server, at least one contact directory corresponding to a selected message recipient, wherein the at least one contact directory is received from a mobile subscriber terminal via a packet switched wireless communications connection between the server and the mobile subscriber terminal;   recording at least one voice/video message to at least one data file, wherein the at least one voice/video message is received from the mobile subscriber terminal;   disconnecting the packet switched wireless connection; and   communicating the data file to one of a telephony network or an Internet to be relayed to at least one recipient terminal associated with the at least one contact directory.   
     
     
       22. A mobile messaging method comprising:
 receiving, at a server, at least one contact directory corresponding to a selected message recipient, wherein the at least one contact directory is received from a mobile subscriber terminal via at least one packet switched wireless communications connection between the server and the mobile subscriber terminal;   recording at least one voice/video message to at least one data file on said server, wherein the at least one voice/video message is received from the mobile subscriber terminal via said at least one packet switched wireless communications connection; and   communicating the at least one data file to a Store and Forward Server Network (SFSN) for relaying of said at least one data file to at least one recipient terminal device associated with the at least one contact directory.   
     
     
       23. The method of claim 22, wherein undelivered messages are stored at the SFSN, and any one of attempts to resend said at least one data file to said selected message recipient or attempts to resend to alternative contact directories of said selected message recipient are made. 
     
     
       24. The method of claim 22, wherein undelivered messages are stored at the SFSN for a given time, after which they are deleted. 
     
     
       25. The method of claim 21, wherein said at least one contact directory is any one of a telephone number, ISDN number, URL-address, email, or an IP-address, and wherein recipient contact information in the recipient contact directory is readily and transparently converted from one directory to the next in accordance with message delivery requirements. 
     
     
       26. The method of claim 21, wherein billing for message delivery is realized during any one of before, in between or after any of the steps, and is any one of fixed price, cost per connection minute, or cost per transmitted bit based. 
     
     
       27. The method of claim 21, wherein during, before, in between or after any of the steps, at least one of a sender or the selected message recipient may reply, save or forward messages. 
     
     
       28. The method of claim 22, wherein communications connections used between said mobile subscriber terminal and the SFSN are any one of dial connections, data connections or packet switched connections, compliant with: SS7-, GSM-, H323-, HTTP-, GSM-data, IP-RAN-, UMTS-, WAP-, Teldesic-, Inmarsat-, Iridium-, GPRS-, CDMA-data-, WCDMA-data-, SMS-, MMS-, USSD-, email-LAN-, TCP/IP-, UDP-, POTS-, NDC-, PDC-, imode-, Globalstar-or WLAN-connections. 
     
     
       29. The method of claim 21, wherein the mobile subscriber terminal and the server form a Virtual Private Network (VPN). 
     
     
       30. A messaging server, comprising:
 data storage means; and   a processor having programmed instructions configured to:   establish communications connections with at least one of a telephony network, a store and forward server network (SFSN), and an Internet, wherein a recording is arranged to be made to at least one of a media player or a digital signal processor (DSP) through an established packet switched communications connection from a mobile subscriber terminal;   receive recipient contact information from the mobile subscriber terminal;   store at least one data file on the data storage means, wherein the at least one data file corresponds to a message received from the mobile subscriber terminal;   communicate the at least one data file to a server in the SFSN for relay to at least one recipient associated with the recipient contact information.   
     
     
       31. The messaging server of claim 30, wherein said data storage means is a database associated with a data management utility. 
     
     
       32. A messaging mobile subscriber terminal comprising:
 an input interface configured to receive a selection of at least one recipient;   a communication interface configured to communicate using at least one packet switched wireless communications connection upon selection of the at least one recipient, wherein recipient contact information is sent wirelessly via the packet switched wireless communications connection to a server, wherein the terminal is arranged to relay at least one video signal or audio signal to the server for recording to a data file via said at least one packet switched wireless communications connection; and   programmed instructions to disconnect the packet switched wireless communication connection upon a dedicated action or upon the fulfillment of dedicated criteria.   
     
     
       33. The messaging mobile subscriber terminal of claim 32, wherein the mobile subscriber terminal is any one of a PC, PDA-mobile station or a Apple Macintosh computer with a wireless communication connection compliant with at least one of the following: SS7-, GSM-, H323-, HTTP-, GSM-data, IP-RAN-, UMTS-, WAP-, Teldesic-, Inmarsat-, Iridium-, GPRS-, CDMA-data, WCDMA-data, SMS-, MMS-, USSD-, email-LAN-, TCP/IP-, UDP-, POTS-, PDC-, NDC-, imode-, Globalstar-or WLAN-connections. 
     
     
       34. The method of claim 21, wherein undelivered messages are stored at a store and forward server network (SFSN) and wherein any one of attempts to resend at least one message to the selected message recipient or attempts to resend to alternative contact directories of the selected message recipient are made. 
     
     
       35. The method of claim 21, wherein undelivered messages are stored at a store and forward server network (SFSN) for a given time, after which they are deleted. 
     
     
       36. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one contact directory is any one of a telephone number, ISDN number, URL-address, email, or IP-address, and wherein the at least one contact directory is readily and transparently converted from one directory to the next in accordance with message delivery requirements. 
     
     
       37. The method of claim 22, wherein billing for message delivery is realized during any one of before, in between or after any of the steps, and is fixed price, cost per connection minute, or cost per transmitted bit based. 
     
     
       38. The method of claim 22, wherein during, before, in between or after any of the steps, any one of a sender or the selected message recipient may reply, save or forward messages. 
     
     
       39. The method of claim 22, wherein communications connections used between the mobile subscriber terminal, the server, and the SFSN are any one of dial connections, data connections or packet switched connections, compliant with any one of: SS7-, GSM-, H323, HTTP-, GSM-data, IP-RAN-, UMTS-, WAP-, Teldesic-, Inmarsat-, Iridium-, GPRS-, CDMA-data-, WCDMA-data-, SMS-, MMS-, USSD-, email-LAN-, TCP/IP-, UDP-, POTS-, NDC-, PDC-, imode-, Globalstar-or WLAN-connections. 
     
     
       40. The method of claim 22, wherein the mobile subscriber terminal and the server form a Virtual Private Network (VPN).