SMS proxying

• US 10,499,205 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2016
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Circosta, Nicholas J., de Filippis, Pierre J., Garcia, Roberto, Wood, Justin N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Barry W
• Application Number:
  US15/293,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20170034676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/33 using wearable devices, e.g. using a smartwatch or smart-glasses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/182 Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy

Abstract

A system and method are described for establishing two-way communication between proxy devices that have a certain set of hardware and/or capabilities allowing the proxy devices to send and receive SMS/MMS messages using cellular networks on behalf of proxied devices that lack the hardware and/or capabilities. The proxy device can receive a message from a service provider. The message may be associated with information, and the proxy device can determine a recipient of the message based at least in part on the information. The proxy device can determine whether delivery of the message to the recipient is restricted and, if not, transmit the message the proxied device and/or the recipient.

Claims

1. A method performed by a proxy host device, the method comprising:

receiving a message from a service provider;

determining a recipient for the message based at least in part on an item of information associated with the message, the recipient being a user associated with the proxy host device and a proxied client device;

determining whether delivery of the message to the proxy host device or the proxied client device is restricted based at least in part on content of the message;

determining whether the proxy host device has been designated by the user, via input received at a user interface of the proxied client device, for the proxied client device to utilize messaging capabilities of the proxy host device; and

when the delivery of the message is not restricted and the proxy host device is designated for the proxied client device to utilize the messaging capabilities of the proxy host device, transmitting the message to the proxied client device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises a short messaging service (SMS) message or a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the messaging capabilities of the proxy host device comprise sending short messaging service (SMS) messages to the service provider or receiving SMS messages from the service provider.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the proxied client device is not capable of performing the messaging capabilities of the proxy host device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the item of information associated with the message comprises a topic that identifies the message as one to be sent to the recipient using SMS/MMS capabilities of the proxy host device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the message further comprises receiving the message in a native format other than an SMS format or an MMS format.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining whether a payload of the message is to be sent as an SMS/MMS message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of whether the delivery of the message to the proxy host device or the proxied client device is restricted is further based at least in part on a subject matter of the message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the message received by the proxy host device is designated for delivery to the recipient, and wherein the designation is identified in the item of information associated with the message.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a proxy host device, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a message from a service provider;

determining a recipient for the message based at least in part on information included in the message, the recipient being a user associated with the proxy host device and a proxied client device;

determining that delivery of the message to the proxy host device or the proxied client device is not restricted based at least in part on content of the message;

determining that the proxy host device has been designated by the user, via input received at a user interface of the proxied client device, for the proxied client device to utilize messaging capabilities of the proxy host device; and

transmitting the message to the proxied client device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a transport acknowledgement to the service provider, wherein the transport acknowledgement is configured to indicate, to the service provider, that the proxy host device received the message and is attempting to transmit the message to the proxied client device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a notification to the proxied client device, wherein the notification enables the proxied client device to display message status information on a user interface of the proxied client device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining whether the message was successfully transmitted; and

generating a response based at least in part on whether the message was successfully transmitted.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the response to one or more of the service provider, the proxied client device, or another authorized device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the determination that the delivery of the message to the proxy host device or the proxied client device is not restricted is further based at least in part on a subject matter of the message.

16. A proxy host device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory storing a set of instructions which when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to;

receive a message from a service provider;

determine a recipient for the message based at least in part on an item of information associated with the message, the recipient being a user associated with the proxy host device and a proxied client device;

determine whether delivery of the message to the proxy host device or the proxied client device associated with the user is restricted based at least in part on content of the message;

determine whether the proxy host device has been designated by the user, via input received at a user interface of the proxied client device, for the proxied client device to utilize messaging capabilities of the proxy host device; and

transmit the message to the proxied client device when the delivery of the message is not restricted and the proxy host device is designated for the proxied client device to utilize the messaging capabilities of the proxy host device.

17. The proxy host device of claim 16, wherein the message from the service provider is received via a persistent connection with the service provider.

18. The proxy host device of claim 16, wherein the determination of whether the delivery of the message to the proxy host device or the proxied client device is restricted is further based at least in part on a subject matter of the message.

19. The proxy host device of claim 16, wherein the item of information associated with the message comprises a topic that identifies the message as one to be sent using SMS/MMS capabilities of the proxy host device.