Voice Message Recall via ANI Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing voice messaging systems require senders to manually check and retrieve messages, and recipients to enable message retrieval features, making it cumbersome for senders to retract messages before retrieval by the recipient.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows callers to cancel messages sent to recipients' voice mailboxes by mapping their automatic number identifier (ANI) with call records, enabling access to the recipient's mailbox to determine if the message has been retrieved, and providing the option to cancel if it hasn't, without the need for the recipient to enable message retrieval features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a sender manually checks and retrieves messages in prior art voice messaging systems, then the sender can access messages, but the process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming when the sender needs to retract messages before recipient retrieval
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically monitoring message retrieval status and maintaining a pending message list before the recipient actually retrieves the message. This allows the sender to retract messages without having to manually check or navigate through complex retrieval processes, as the system has already prepared the message status information in advance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by automatically tracking message retrieval status and presenting retraction options to the sender without requiring manual intervention to check message status. The system serves itself by monitoring its own message delivery state and providing automated retraction capabilities, eliminating the need for senders to perform complex manual checks.
2Ease of operation
If prior art systems require recipients to enable message retrieval features, then message security and control are maintained, but the complexity of the system increases and ease of operation for senders decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the message retrieval monitoring function from the recipient's control domain and places it in the system's automated domain. By taking out the requirement for recipients to enable retrieval features, the system eliminates the need for complex recipient-side configurations while maintaining the ability to monitor and enable message retraction through automated system processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies universality by creating a message retraction mechanism that works regardless of whether the recipient has enabled retrieval features. The system's automated monitoring and pending message tracking provide universal retraction capability across different recipient configurations, eliminating the need for recipient-specific setup while maintaining system security and control.
3Reliability
If senders must access recipient mailboxes to retract messages in prior art systems, then message control is possible, but the process requires recipient cooperation and increases operational complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary mechanism in the form of automated message status monitoring and pending message tracking. This intermediary layer between the sender and recipient mailbox allows the sender to retract messages without directly accessing the recipient's mailbox or requiring recipient cooperation. The intermediary system translates the retraction request into automated actions that achieve the desired outcome reliably and easily.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring message retrieval status and providing real-time information to the sender about whether messages have been retrieved or are still pending. This feedback mechanism allows the sender to make informed retraction decisions without manually checking mailbox status or requiring recipient input, thereby improving both reliability and ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for canceling a message sent to a recipient prior to retrieval by the recipient. A telephone call is received by a network from a calling party who desires to cancel a message left for a recipient through an earlier call from the calling party to the recipient after termination of the earlier call. By mapping the calling party's automatic number identifier (ANI) with at least one call record, a voice mailbox of the recipient may be accessed to determine whether the message has been retrieved by the recipient. If the message is still pending, the calling party is provided with the option to cancel the message. Alternatively, the calling party provides the telephone number from where the earlier call originated to a network server, which looks up the ANI of the originating number and then maps the ANI of that number with the at least one call record to enable the cancellation procedure.