Method and system for short message service exchange and teleconferencing

• US 20030054844A1
• Filed: 12/20/2001
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level Z LLC
• Original Assignee: Level Z LLC
• Inventors: Sundaram, Sridhar, Anvekar, Dinesh Kashinath, Mangla, Rajiv, Gopinath, Bhaskarpillai
• Granted Patent: US 7,221,951 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

In a short message service (SMS) wireline/wireless message system, a separate SMS exchange subsystem implements value-added service capability. The value addition service may range, for example, from simple data insertion in the SMS message to the more complex initiation of a teleconference call using inter-exchanged SMS messages.

Claims

1. A method for processing a short message service (SMS) message comprising

embedding a value-added directive in the SMS message by the originator of the SMS message, the directive being indicative of a value-added service requested by the originator, and

implementing the value-added service based upon the directive.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the implementing includes generating a value-added message based upon the requested value-added service.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 further including recording information about the value-added service.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the SMS message includes a destination and the implementing includes modifying the SMS message in accordance with the value-added service and then sending the modified SMS message to the destination.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the originator is identified by a member identifier, the directive associates the member identifier with information about the member stored in a database, and the implementing includes substituting information about the member into the SMS message based upon the directive and with reference to the database.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the directive relates to a teleconference and includes telephone numbers or member identifiers of participants and the implementing includes initiating a teleconference call to each of the participants.

7. A method for processing a short message service (SMS) message comprising

embedding a value-added directive in the SMS message by the originator of the SMS message, the directive being indicative of a value-added service requested by the originator,

processing the directive, and

implementing the value-added service based upon the processed directive in the SMS message.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the processing includes extracting the directive from the SMS message and converting the directive into a format suitable for efficient processing.

9. The method as recited in claim 7 further including recording information about the value-added service.

10. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the SMS message includes a destination and the implementing includes modifying the SMS message in accordance with the value-added service and then sending the modified SMS message to the destination.

11. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the originator is identified by a member identifier, the directive associates the member identifier with information about the member stored in a database, and the implementing includes substituting information about the member into the SMS message based upon the directive and with reference to the database.

12. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the directive relates to a teleconference and includes telephone numbers or member identifiers of participants and the implementing includes initiating a teleconference call to each of the participants.

13. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the directive is a tele-message and includes information relating to a destination and an appointed time of the tele-message and the implementing includes sending the tele-message to the destination at the appointed time.

13-1. A method for establishing a teleconference via a short message service (SMS) message comprising

embedding a teleconference directive in the SMS message by the initiator of the teleconference, and

implementing the teleconference based upon the teleconference directive.

14. A system for processing a short message service (SMS) message comprising

means for embedding a value-added directive in the SMS message by the originator of the SMS message, the directive being indicative of a value-added service requested by the originator, and

means for implementing the value-added service based upon the directive.

15. A system for delivering a short message service (SMS) message transmitted over a channel and having an embedded value-added directive, the system comprising

an input gateway for detecting the SMS message on the channel,

a format converter, responsive to the gateway, for extracting the directive and for re-formatting the directive,

a processor, responsive to the format converter, for performing specialized value-added data processing functions to modify the SMS message based upon the value-added directive, and

an output gateway, responsive to the SMS processor, for reconverting the modified SMS message to a form suitable for delivery and for transmitting the modified SMS message onto the channel.

16. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the processor includes a SMS processor for adding routing information to the SMS message.

17. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the processor includes a memory for recording information about the value-added data processing functions performed.

18. A system for initiating a teleconference via a short message service (SMS) message comprising

means for embedding a teleconference directive in the SMS message by the initiator of the teleconference, and

a teleconference bridge for establishing the teleconference based upon information in the teleconference directive.