Voice and text group chat techniques for wireless mobile terminals

• US 20040015547A1
• Filed: 09/18/2002
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Yomobile, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Jin Woo, Wilson, Christopher Robert Dale, Mihaylova, Mihaela Kamenova, Jano, Bashar, Griffin, Chris Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,072,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/365 Application layer names, e.g. buddy names, unstructured names chosen by a user or home appliance name
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/301 Name conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 : Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 : for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 : Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

Abstract

A system and method for providing chat group services to wireless mobile terminals is disclosed. The chat forum permits integrated voice and text messaging. The system includes plural mobile terminals, each being capable of running a chat client application. A server complex is connected to one or more wireless carrier networks by way of a packet-based network, such as the Internet. The server complex includes server applications and components for supporting the chat group services and communicating with the chat clients on the mobile terminals. The system also includes features that permit the integration of legacy mobile terminals, communication with machine interfaces using a chat metaphor, and robustness and reliability of operation across various wireless operators.

Claims

1. A method for chat-based communications between a legacy wireless mobile terminal and a non-legacy wireless mobile terminal, comprising:

receiving an outbound chat message from the non-legacy mobile terminal, the outbound message including a legacy address corresponding to the legacy mobile terminal;

detecting the legacy address;

upon detecting the legacy address, building an inbound message that includes an originator address;

injecting the inbound message into an out-of-band messaging system for delivery to the legacy mobile terminal; and

receiving a reply message at the non-legacy mobile terminal, sent from the legacy mobile terminal in response to the inbound message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

directly transferring the reply message from the legacy mobile terminal to the non-legacy mobile terminal over the out-of-band messaging system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transferring the reply message from the legacy mobile terminal to a server complex;

at the server complex, binding the reply message to a chat thread; and

transferring the reply message from the server complex to the non-legacy mobile terminal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the chat thread involves at least one legacy mobile terminal and at least one non-legacy mobile terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the originator address corresponds to the non-legacy mobile terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the originator address corresponds to a server complex.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the originator address is selected from the group consisting of a long code and a short code.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the outbound message includes content suitable for presentation at the legacy mobile terminal.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the inbound message to an aggregator for injection into the out-of-band messaging system.

10. A communication system, comprising:

a message broadcaster capable of building an inbound message in response to an outbound chat message having a recipient address corresponding to a legacy mobile terminal;

an aggregator, operatively coupled to the message broadcaster, for injecting the inbound message into an out-of-band messaging system for delivery to the legacy mobile terminal; and

a non-legacy mobile terminal capable of executing a chat application operable over an in-band messaging system and capable of receiving a reply message from the legacy mobile terminal over the out-of-band messaging system.

11. The communication system of claim 10, wherein the out-of-band messaging system supports a service selected from the group consisting of Short Messaging Service (SMS), Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), email, and Internet messaging (IM).

12. The communication system of claim 10, wherein the inbound message includes an originator address.

13. The communication system of claim 12, wherein the originator address is selected from the group consisting of a long code, a short code and the non-legacy mobile terminal address.

14. The communication system of claim 10, further comprising a server complex that includes the message broadcaster.

15. A system for chat-based communications between a legacy wireless mobile terminal and a non-legacy wireless mobile terminal, comprising:

means for receiving an outbound chat message from the non-legacy mobile terminal, the outbound message including a legacy address corresponding to the legacy mobile terminal;

means for detecting the legacy address;

means for building an inbound message that includes an originator address;

means for injecting the inbound message into an out-of-band messaging system for delivery to the legacy mobile terminal; and

means for receiving a reply message at the non-legacy mobile terminal, sent from the legacy mobile terminal in response to the inbound message.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for directly transferring the reply message from the legacy mobile terminal to the non-legacy mobile terminal over the out-of-band messaging system.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for transferring the reply message from the legacy mobile terminal to a server complex;

means for binding the reply message to a chat thread; and

means for transferring the reply message from the server complex to the non-legacy mobile terminal.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the originator address corresponds to the non-legacy mobile terminal.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the originator address corresponds to a server complex.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the originator address is selected from the group consisting of a long code and a short code.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the injecting means includes an aggregator.

22. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for sending the reply message to at least one legacy mobile terminal and at least one non-legacy mobile terminal included in a group chat thread.