VOICE MESSAGING SYSTEM WHICH RETRIEVES AND STORES VOICE MESSAGES FROM ANOTHER VOICE MESSAGING SYSTEM

摘要

Apparatus and method to provide downloading and retrieval of a voicemessage from a voice mailbox of a voice messaging system associated with atelephone company central office for storage and playback by a telephoneanswering device at the user's home or office. The telephone answeringdevice includes a voice mail retrieval module which automaticallycommunicates with the central office in response to the receipt of a voicemessage waiting indicator (VMWI) or similar signal. Alternatively, the voicemessages may be downloaded upon request by the user, e.g., by activating anappropriate button or sequence of buttons on the telephone answering device.The voice, messages may be downloaded from the central office in digital oranalog form.