Visual Voicemail Server Consolidating Multimedia Retrieval

Solution Overview

Problem

Current visual voicemail systems require separate communications sessions to retrieve multimedia content, leading to resource intensity and a poor user experience due to the need for multiple application interactions.

Innovation Solution

A visual voicemail system configured to store multimedia content on a personal media storage system, allowing the visual voicemail server to transmit content using the same communications link, reducing the need for multiple sessions and enhancing user experience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If separate communications sessions are established for each multimedia content retrieval, then content can be obtained from different servers, but network resource usage increases and user experience deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent retrieval completenessVSAvoidnetwork resource usage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple separate communications sessions into a single unified session. The visual voicemail server establishes one communication link with the user device and retrieves all multimedia content (videos, songs, text messages) associated with voicemails during this single session, rather than requiring separate sessions for each content type from different servers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The visual voicemail server is designed to perform multiple functions within a single communication session. It not only delivers visual voicemail data but also retrieves and transmits various types of multimedia content (video files, audio files, text messages) all through the same communication link, making the server a universal access point for all voicemail-related content.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If separate communications sessions are established for each multimedia content retrieval, then content can be obtained from different servers, but the number of application interactions increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent retrieval completenessVSAvoidapplication interaction complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple separate communications sessions into a single unified session. The visual voicemail server establishes one communication link with the user device and retrieves all multimedia content (videos, songs, text messages) associated with voicemails during this single session, rather than requiring separate sessions for each content type from different servers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The visual voicemail server is designed to perform multiple functions within a single communication session. It not only delivers visual voicemail data but also retrieves and transmits various types of multimedia content (video files, audio files, text messages) all through the same communication link, making the server a universal access point for all voicemail-related content.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Quantity of substance

If multimedia content is stored externally to the visual voicemail system, then storage capacity is increased, but system complexity increases and content retrieval requires multiple sessions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage capacityVSAvoidsystem architecture complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The visual voicemail server acts as an intermediary between the distributed multimedia content storage and the user device. Although content is stored externally at different locations (video server, audio server, messaging server), the visual voicemail server coordinates with these external storage systems and retrieves all content through a single communication session with the user device, hiding the complexity of distributed storage from the user.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9119041B2Personal media storage and retrieval for visual voice mail

Publication Date: 2015.08.25 AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I L P

AI summary

A personal media storage system within a visual voicemail system may be implemented. A visual voicemail server may receive and store multimedia content on a personal media storage system and associate such content with a voicemail. A visual voicemail server may obtain such content if provided with location data for the content rather than the actual content. A visual voicemail client on a wireless device may transmit a request for content to the visual voicemail server, which may retrieve the content and send to the visual voicemail client using the communications link between the visual voicemail client and the visual voicemail server. The visual voicemail client may render the content within the client.