Voicemail Playback Setup via Virtual MSC Gateway
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current voicemail systems face delays and unreliability in message playback due to the inherent limitations of Short Message Service (SMS) messaging, particularly in areas with poor data coverage and the lack of guaranteed message delivery and acknowledgement.
Innovation Solution
Establishing a virtual Message Service Center (VMSC) that maintains a permanent data connection between the voicemail system and the mobile device, allowing for fast and reliable message transmission through a GPRS connection, with acknowledgement mechanisms to ensure successful message delivery and queuing of voicemail messages for playback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If SMS messaging is used to notify the voicemail system of incoming messages, then the system can send notifications to mobile devices, but the message delivery is slow and unreliable without guaranteed acknowledgement
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by sending a first message through the permanent data connection to notify the voicemail system of the incoming message before the user actually calls in. This allows the voicemail system to prepare the message in advance, so that when the user dials in, the message is already ready for immediate playback, eliminating the delay and ensuring reliable delivery through the permanent connection.
Solution Approach 2:
A permanent data connection acts as an intermediary between the mobile device and the voicemail system, replacing the unreliable SMS messaging path. This permanent connection provides a dedicated communication channel that guarantees message delivery with acknowledgement, resolving the reliability issue while enabling fast message preparation and playback.
2Reliability
If a permanent data connection is established between the mobile device and voicemail system, then message delivery becomes fast and reliable with acknowledgement, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The permanent data connection serves multiple functions: it notifies the voicemail system of incoming messages, transmits message identifiers, and provides a reliable communication path for acknowledgements. By making this connection universal and multi-functional, the system achieves high reliability without adding separate dedicated components for each function, thereby limiting the increase in system complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If SMS messages are used for notification, then the implementation is simple, but data coverage limitations prevent reliable message delivery in certain locations
Solution Approach 1:
The permanent data connection serves as a mediator that bridges the mobile device and voicemail system with a reliable communication path that is not subject to the same coverage limitations as SMS. This intermediary connection ensures that notifications and acknowledgements are delivered reliably regardless of location, while the overall system remains relatively simple by using existing data connection infrastructure.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system and method that enables faster, more reliable setup of voicemail message playback for a mobile device is provided. A mobile device receives an message that alerts the user that a voicemail message has been received. When a user dials into the voiccmail system to retrieve the message, a message is sent from the mobile device to the voicemail system to tell the voicemail system to queue-up the message for playback. The message proceeds from the mobile device through a relay to a virtual Message Service Center (MSC) gateway over a high-speed GPRS connection. The virtual MSC gateway sends the message to the voicemail system over a permanent or substantially permanent connection. Communications are acknowledged to increase reliability. The voicemail system is ready to play the message when the voice call is received.