FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to messaging systems and relates more particularly to messaging system features that enhance the utility of the messaging system. 
   BACKGROUND 
   Numerous messaging techniques exist, including electronic mail systems (e-mail) and voice messaging (voice mail) systems. However, existing systems rely on the user being able to contact the messaging system service and interact with the service. For example, if a phone company supports voice messaging, the user is advised of the arrival of the voice message only when he or she checks with the relevant service to find out if such a voice message has been received. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,907 issued Jul. 18, 1995 to Hurstel et al describes a voice mail notification system. A message count, representing the number of pending voice mail messages for telecommunication service subscriber, is updated and the subscriber is automatically notified. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,091,947 issued Jul. 18, 2000 to Summer describes a wireless messaging system used to determine when link performance is inadequate for a live connection, so that the voice call can be rediverted to a voice message box. A wireless base unit conveys the accepted voice mail to a mobile handset using a store and forward protocol. The mobile handset stores the conveyed voice mail message for playback by the user. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,466 issued Sep. 1, 1998 to Gallant et al describes a system in which a voice mail messaging center directs a call to a voice mailbox associated with a mobile communication device, to record a message when the mobile communication device is unable to receive the call. The voice mail messaging center optimizes communication from the messaging center to the mobile communication device by sending a first message indicator to the mobile communication device when a voice mail is recorded and the voice mailbox contains no messages. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,683 issued Jun. 16, 1998 to Mulford describes a method for automatic re-transmission of voice messages by a mobile communication unit. An identification code is continuously embedded in the voice mail message and, where this code matches that stored in the mobile communication unit, retransmitting the voice mail message after a predetermined period of time. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,103 issued Nov. 19, 1996 to Foti describes a method of providing service information to subscribers in a cellular telecommunications network using the short message service. A subscriber in a cellular telephone network is provided with information via SMS, from a subscriber service profile. The service profile information is appended to a short message service (SMS) message which is transmitted from the mobile switching center to the mobile station. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,684,862 issued Nov. 4, 1997 to Finnigan describes a voice message store and forward service. This reference describes a method of conveying a voice message between an originating voice message system and a destination voice message system employing a different set of features. The described system is limited to providing the mechanism for storing and forwarding voice messages. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,160 issued Mar. 16, 1999 to Kanazaki describes a mechanism to temporarily store voice mail message from callers in correspondence with called mobile terminals when the called mobile terminals are in a “communication disabled” state. This reference also describes a method of notifying at least one of the called mobile terminals to receive voice mail messages stored in the message storing means that are destined for the called mobile terminals. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,962 issued Aug. 1, 2000 to Corriveu et al describes a method of handling SMS messages in a radio telecommunications network when an originating mobile station-based Short Message Entity (MS-SME) sends a SMS origination message while operating in a Mobile Switching (MSC) and then moves into a second MSC before the MS-SME receives a SMS acknowledgment message. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,281 issued Sep. 6, 2000 to Wells et al. describes a real-time SMS application messaging using a SMSC-linked server. This reference describes a method of operating a wireless mobile station of a type that is capable of bi-directional communication and which has a SMS center. 
   Despite various existing prior art systems, a need clearly exists for a messaging system which at least attempts to address one or more of the limitations of the prior art. 
   SUMMARY 
   A messaging system support service advantageously allows various types of messaging systems to send notification alerts to message recipient(s). Recipient(s) can respond to such alerts by sending a message in reply that instructs a predetermined action in relation to the received message. Such messaging support can be provided to messages that are text or multimedia in nature. Network operators can desirably use such a system to facilitate the transmission and reception of messages over a communications network. 
   In described implementations, the Short Message System (SMS) can be used with Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) cellular telephone networks to send an intelligent alert to a pervasive device (for example, a mobile phone in this case) to send, after a voice message has been delivered, from the sending mobile network to the receiving mobile network&#39;s voice mail box for the recipient. 
   Voice messages are sent between cellular phones and the end recipient is near-instantaneously alerted to the arrival of the voice message. This can provide an economically attractive option for messaging, especially when the cellular phones are in different home networks, and a regular call between the cellular phones would typically incur relatively expensive charges from the caller&#39;s and/or receiver&#39;s cellular carrier. 
   The described techniques also apply to other types of messaging systems in which it is desirable that the end-recipient be intelligently and near-instantaneously alerted to the arrival of a message, so that the user can take any one or more of a number of predetermined actions on that message. Such a feature can maintain or even enhance the value of the received message. 


   
     DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic drawing representing the various components involved in a described messaging system. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic representation of a message format of messages sent in the messaging system of FIG.  1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart of the steps that occur in transmitting a message using the message system of FIG.  1 . 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart of the steps that occur in a participating communications network once an incoming message is received using the messaging system of FIG.  1 . 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic representation of a computer system that can be used in the unified messaging system of FIG.  1 . 
   


   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1  provides an overview of the components of a messaging system for which a support service is provided. The message originator  110  can be a person or an automated system that sends information to another person or system (in a different network, in the example shown in FIG.  1 ). The message is sent to the sender&#39;s network  120 , which generates metadata for the message and encodes the message. The encoded message (and the metadata) is sent to the receiving network  130  as a data package consisting of header data (that is, the metadata) and the message. 
   The receiving network  130  transmits an alert to the pervasive device  140  operated by a receiving person/receiving application  150 . As described is further detail below, the receiving person/receiving application  150  can perform a predetermined set of operations on the message without retrieving the message. Such operations include: forwarding the message, archiving the message, deleting the message etc. The receiving person/receiving application  150  can also retrieve the message from the receiving network  130 . 
     FIG. 2  represents a message  210 , of the type referred to above, consisting of a message header  220 , and message information  230 . The message header  220  contains all required meta-data for the message. This meta-data may include, for example, sender information, receiver or destination information, and other message meta-data. The message information  230  contains the actual information (that is, semantic) content of the message  210  that is passed to the recipient  150 . 
     FIG. 3  represents the steps that occur when a message  210  is transmitted in the messaging system of FIG.  1 . In this case, the sending network  120  is a mobile telephony network, the receiving network  130  is also a mobile telephony network, and the message  210  sent is a voice mail message. Each of the steps shown in  FIG. 3  is outlined below using the same numbering scheme. 
   Step  305   
   The message originator  110  is a mobile phone user. The sender&#39;s network  120  (referred to as the transmitting network in this example) is therefore a mobile telephone network. The user transmits a voice message, via the transmitting communications network  120 , directed to the intended receiving user or users  150 . The transmitting user  110  may elect to include a subject or text header to indicate the content of the message  210  to the receiving user  150 . The transmitting user  110  has the option of specifying whether receiving users  150  can view which other receiving users  150  may have also received the message  210 . This option is analogous to the carbon copy (cc)/blind copy (bc) messaging options typical in email client programs. 
   Step  310   
   The message  120  produced by the transmitting user  110  is encoded for transmission by the network operator of the transmitting communications network  120 . The transmitting network  120  adds the sender&#39;s options and preferences and the sender details as a message  220  header (header data is the metadata of the message). The transmitting network  120  may also convert a part of the voice message  230  to text and add that to the header data  220 . 
   Step  315   
   The network operator of the transmitting communications network  120  transmits the message  210  to the network operator of the receiving communications network  130  that services the receiving user  150 . The message  210  is transmitted through the communications network  130 . 
   Step  320   
   As an alternative, the transmitting user  110  sends a message directly to a receiving user&#39;s network  130 , specifying the receiving user&#39;s cellular telephone number. 
   Step  325   
   A server used in the receiving communications network  130  polls and receives the transmitted message  210  for the receiving user  150  who uses the receiving communications network  130 . 
   Step  330   
   The network operator for the receiving communications network  130  updates the message box for the receiving user  150 . The message  210  may be stored in the message box of the receiving user  150 , or stored elsewhere for retrieval by the receiving user  150 , either directly or through the message box. 
   Step  335   
   The network operator of the receiving communications network  130  sends the receiving user  150  an intelligent alert in the form of a SMS message. The alert consists of the header data  220  of the message  210 . Since the message  210  is a voice message, the first few words of the message  210  may be converted into text and transmitted as part of the alert. This message “summary” may be treated as part of the message meta-data. Depending on the instructions of the transmitting user  150  in generating the message  210 , the list of other receiving users  150  may also be part of the alert. 
   Step  340   
   The receiving user  150  may perform certain actions on the message  210  using SMS, without actually retrieving the message  210 . The receiving user  150  may also retrieve the message  210  from the receiving communications network  130  using, for example, the public switched telephone network and a regular telephone or facsimile machine. 
   Step  345   
   The receiving user  150  can also retrieve the message  210  using an Internet-enabled device via the Internet. 
   In the above steps, the receiving user  150  may obtain a list of the other receiving users  150  to whom a received message  210  has also been sent, if such an action is permitted by the transmitting user. The receiving user  150  can forward the received message  210  to others using a DTMF-based (that is, touch tone) menu, or by sending appropriate SMS messages. The receiving user  150  may elect to delete a message  210  (based on the text summary of the message) before it is downloaded. 
   In summary, the receiving user  150  can perform the following actions in relation to a received message  210 :
     1. Append to the message  210 .   2. Delete a part of the message  210 .   3. Append one message to another  210 .   4. Specify the time period for which the message  210  is to be retained.   5. Redirect the message  210  to another location (such as an email address).   6. Request that a print copy of the message  210  be delivered (such as to a facsimile machine).   7. Forward the message  210  to another user/system   

     FIG. 4  is a flowchart that represents the steps that occur at the receiving communications network when an incoming message is received for a receiving user  150  who uses that communications network  150 . 
   In step  405 , the message  210  is received by the receiving communications network  150 . The receiving user  150  to whom the message is directed is determined from the message header  220 . Receiving user&#39;s message box is updated to indicate that the message  210  has been received, in step  410 . In step  415 , that receiving user  150  is alerted that the message  210  has arrived, and is awaiting collection at the message box. In response, the receiving user  150  can perform various operations, as specified above, in step  420 . The billing system for that receiving user  150  is updated accordingly, depending on the charging scheme used, in step  425 . 
   Computer Hardware and Software 
     FIG. 5  is a schematic representation of a computer system  500  which can be used to perform steps in a process which implements the techniques described herein. The computer system  500  is provided for the purpose of executing computer software which is programmed to assist in performing the described techniques. This computer software executes under a suitable operating system installed on the computer system  500 . 
   The computer software involves a set of programmed logic instructions that are able to be interpreted by the computer for instructing the computer to perform predetermined functions specified by those instructions. 
   The computer software is programmed by a computer program comprising statements an appropriate computer language. The computer program is processed using a compiler into computer software which has a binary format suitable for execution by the operating system. The computer software is programmed in a manner which involves various software components, or code means, that perform particular steps in the process of the described techniques. 
   The components of the computer system  500  include: a computer  520 , input devices  510 ,  515  and video display  570 . The computer  520  includes: processor  540 , memory module  550 , input/output (I/O) interfaces  560 ,  565 , video interface  545 , and storage device  555 . 
   The processor  540  is a central processing unit (CPU) that executes the operating system and the computer software executing under the operating system. The memory module  550  include random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM), and is used under direction of the processor  540 . 
   The video interface  545  is connected to video display  590  and provides video signals for display on the video display  570 . User input to operate the computer  530  is provided from input devices  510 ,  515  consisting of keyboard  510  and mouse  515 . The storage device  555  can include a disk drive or any other suitable non-volatile storage medium. 
   Each of the components of the computer  520  is connected to a bus  530  that includes data, address, and control buses, to allow these components to communicate with each other via the bus  530 . 
   The computer system  500  can be connected to one or more other similar computers via a input/output (I/O) interface  565  using a communication channel  585  to a network  580 , represented as the Internet. 
   The computer software program may be provided as a computer program product, and recorded on a portable storage medium. In this case the computer software program is accessed by the computer system  500  from the storage device  562 . Alternatively, the computer software can be accessed directly from the network  580  by the computer  520 . In either case, a user can interact with the computer system  500  using the keyboard  510  and mouse  515  to operate the programmed computer software executing on the computer  520 . 
   The computer system  500  is provided by example only for illustrative purposes: other configurations or types of computer systems can be equally well used to implement the described techniques. The foregoing is only an example of a particular type of computer system suitable for implementing the described techniques. 
   It is understood that various alterations and modifications can be made to the techniques and arrangements described herein, as would be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art.
A messaging system support service advantageously allows various types of messaging systems to send intelligent notification alerts to message recipient(s). The Short Message System (SMS) can be used with Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) cellular telephone networks to send an intelligent alert to a mobile phone after a voice message has been delivered to the recipient's voice mail box. In reply, the recipient can respond with a SMS message that directs the voice mail box to take one or more predetermined directions in relation to the message.