Voicemail Recall via Caller Network Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional voice mail systems require callers to enter PIN codes or passwords to access and manage stored messages, leading to inefficiencies and administrative overhead, particularly when callers need to retract or update previously recorded messages, causing confusion and potential embarrassment.
Innovation Solution
The system automatically authenticates callers by matching their phone number and network information, eliminating the need for PIN codes or passwords, allowing callers to delete or reprioritize messages through DTMF or voice recognition, and enabling multiple message alterations in a single call session.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If PIN codes or passwords are required to access and manage stored messages, then security is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to additional command interactions and administrative overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the calling party's own phone number and network information to automatically authenticate them, eliminating the need for external PIN codes or passwords. The authentication process serves itself by using inherently available identification data rather than requiring separate security credentials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces network information (such as carrier ID, cell tower location, or network authentication data) as an intermediary element that bridges the gap between simple phone number matching and secure authentication. This intermediary provides enhanced security without requiring direct user input of passwords or PINs.
2Reliability
If multiple command prompts and responses are required for message management, then security is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to increased time and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication by matching the calling party's phone number and network information before the message management operations begin. This preliminary action establishes security credentials in advance, eliminating the need for repeated authentication commands during the message retrieval or modification process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the authentication process with the existing call setup process. Instead of separating authentication as a distinct multi-step procedure, it merges authentication verification into the natural flow of establishing a voicemail call, thereby reducing the total number of commands and responses required.
3Reliability
If PIN code recovery procedures are implemented, then security is improved, but device complexity deteriorates due to administrative overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the dependency on user-managed PIN codes and passwords from the system. By removing these separate security credentials and relying instead on inherent phone number and network information for authentication, the system eliminates the need for PIN code assignment, storage, and recovery mechanisms, thereby reducing administrative complexity.
4Ease of operation
If phone number matching alone is used for authentication, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential spoofing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite authentication approach by combining multiple identification elements: the calling party's phone number together with network-specific information (such as carrier identification, cell tower location, or network authentication data). This composite verification method is analogous to using composite materials that combine multiple properties to achieve superior performance, providing both ease of operation and enhanced reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A voicemail apparatus comprises a voicemail database for storing messages awaiting retrieval by a subscriber, wherein each stored message comprises a message header and message data, the message header including a calling party phone number and calling party network information. A voicemail controller is coupled to the voicemail database for handling an incoming call from a calling party to the subscriber. The voicemail controller compares the calling party phone number of the incoming call with calling party phone numbers of each of the stored messages for the subscriber. If the calling party phone number of the incoming call matches at least one calling party phone number of the stored messages then the incoming call is authenticated by comparing the calling party network information for the incoming call with calling party network information stored for the calling party phone number matching messages. If authenticated, then an option is presented to the calling party of the incoming call to alter those stored message for which the calling party network information matches.