Personal message delivery system

• US 20050015443A1
• Filed: 10/10/2001
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thumbspire, Inc. (Register SpA)
• Original Assignee: Thumbspire, Inc. (Register SpA)
• Inventors: Merner, Peter W, Wulfson, Harris, Lafford, Llewellyn, Martino, Carlo, Gould, Gordon, Levine, Alex
• Application Number:
  US10/398,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20050015443A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0048 where the text-based messaging service is a Short Message Service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0054 where the data service is an electronic mail service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/123 where the packet-switched network is an Internet Protocol Multimedia System-type network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1235 where one of the core networks is a wireless network

Abstract

The present invention provides for a personal message system comprised of a plurality of interfaces configured to interface with a plurality of subscribers communication devices using a plurality of formats. A group services module is provided configured to maintain communications among groups of the subscribers. A platform conversion module is also provided and is coupled to the plurality of interfaces and the group services modules configured to connect each of the plurality of subscribers within a group, regardless of the communication protocols used by the subscribers.

Claims

23. A personal message system comprising:

a plurality of interfaces configured to interface with a plurality of subscribers communication devices using a plurality of formats;

a channel services module configured to maintain communications from a content provider to said subscribers; and

a platform conversion module coupled to said plurality of interfaces and said channel services modules configured to connect each of said plurality of subscribers with said content providers, regardless of the communication protocols used by said subscribers.

1. A personal message system comprising:

a plurality of interfaces configured to interface with a plurality of subscribers communication devices using a plurality of formats;

a group services module configured to maintain communications among groups of said subscribers; and

a platform conversion module coupled to said plurality of interfaces and said group services modules configured to connect each of Said plurality of subscribers within a group, regardless of the communication protocols used by said subscribers.

2. A personal message system as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of interfaces is an Hypertext Transfer Protocol/Wireless Application Protocol interface.

3. A personal message system as claimed in claim 2, wherein one of said plurality of interfaces is a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol interface.

4. A personal message system as claimed in claim 3, wherein one of said plurality of interfaces is a Short Message Service/2-way paging protocol interface.

5. A personal message system as claimed in claim 4, wherein one of said plurality of interfaces is an Interactive Voice Response protocol interface.

6. A personal message system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a personal home page service module configured to provide personal mobile home pages for subscribers on said messaging system.

7. A personal message system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said group service module further comprises an alert module configured to provide alerts to said plurality of subscribers so as to alert them to incoming messages.

8. A personal message system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said group service module further comprises a send message module such that said plurality of subscribers can formulate messages to be sent through said messaging system to other said subscribers.

9. A personal message system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said group service module further comprises a group module configured to allow said subscribers to create, and send messages to and receive messages from subscribers of said groups.

10. A personal message system as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a group main page utility configured to display of a list of said groups.

11. A personal message deliver system as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a group details utility configured to list the details of said groups including number of members, number of messages per day.

12. A personal message system as claimed in claim 9, further comprising group administration utility configured to provide administration function for said group including allowing in new subscribers, removing existing subscribers and setting parameters for group actions.

13. A personal message system as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a group history page configured to store the history of messages sent by said subscribers to said group.

14. A personal message system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a group search results utility configured to provide search results for searches conducted from said group main page utility.

15. A personal message system as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a create group utility configured to allow said subscribers to create a new group for said messaging system.

16. A personal message system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said group service module further comprising a group membership module configured to allow said subscribers with the necessary utilities-to facilitate the membership functions of said groups.

17. A personal message system as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a request to join utility configured to allow a subscriber to request to join one of said groups.

18. A personal message system as claimed in claim 16, further comprising an invite to group utility configured to allow a subscriber of one of said groups to invite another non-member subscriber to said group.

19. A personal message system as claimed in claim 16, further comprising an accept invite utility configured to allow a subscriber who receives an invite to one of said groups to accept or reject the invitation.

20. A personal message system as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a member directory utility configured to provide a list of the member subscribers to said groups.

21. A personal message system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a user database configured to store information relating to the accounts of said plurality of subscribers.

22. A personal message system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a multimedia database configured to store information relating to multimedia data for delivery to said plurality of subscribers.

24. A personal message system as claimed in claim 23, wherein one of said plurality of interfaces is an Hypertext Transfer Protocol/Wireless Application Protocol interface.

25. A personal message system as claimed in claim 24, wherein one of said plurality of interfaces is a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol interface.

26. A personal message system as claimed in claim 25, wherein one of said plurality of interfaces is a Short Message Service/2-way paging protocol interface.

27. A personal message system as claimed in claim 26, wherein one of said plurality of interfaces is an Interactive Voice Response protocol interface.

28. A personal message system as claimed in claim 23, further comprising a personal home page service module configured to provide personal mobile home pages for subscribers on said messaging system.

29. A personal message system as claimed in claim 23, wherein said channel service module further comprises an alert module configured to provide alerts to said plurality of subscribers so as to alert them to incoming messages.

30. A personal message system as claimed in claim 23, wherein said channel service module further comprises a send message module such that said content provider can formulate messages to be sent through said messaging system to said subscribers.

31. A personal message system as claimed in claim 23, wherein said channel service module further comprises a poll module configured to provide said content provider with the ability to send polls to said channel subscribers.

32. A personal message system as claimed in claim 23, wherein said channel service module further comprises a channel module configured to allow said content providers create and send messages to said subscribers of said channel.

33. A personal message system as claimed in claim 32, further comprising a channel main page utility configured to display of a list of said channels.

34. A personal message system as claimed in claim 32, further comprising a channel details utility configured to list the details of said channels including the number of messages per day and a description of the content of those channels.

35. A personal message system as claimed in claim 32, further comprising a channel categories utility configured to list said channels into categories based on their content.

36. A personal message system as claimed in claim 32, further comprising a channel history utility configured to store the history of messages sent by said content provider to said channel.

37. A personal message system as claimed in claim 32, further comprising a channel configuration utility configured to allow said channel subscribers to control the content that they receive from said channel.

38. A personal message system as claimed in claim 23, wherein said channel service module further comprising a channel administration module configured to allow said content providers administrate said channels.

39. A personal message system as claimed in claim 38, further comprising a channel text message utility configured to allow said content provider to generate a text message to be sent to said member subscribers of said channel.

40. A personal message system as claimed in claim 38, further comprising a channel voice message utility configured to allow said content provider to generate a voice message to be sent to said member subscribers of said channel.

41. A personal message system as claimed in claim 38, further comprising a channel toolset utility configured to allow said content provider to administrate the content of said channel.

42. A personal message system as claimed in claim 38, further comprising a channel message scheduling utility configured to allow a content provider to pre-schedule the deliver of messages to said member subscribers of said channel in advance.

43. A personal message system as claimed in claim 38, further comprising a channel poll utility configured to allow said channel provider to enter the information necessary to conduct a poll.

44. A personal message system as claimed in claim 23, further comprising a user database configured to store information relating to the accounts of said plurality of subscribers.

44-1. A personal message system as claimed in claim 23, further comprising a multimedia database configured to store information relating to multimedia data of said content providers for delivery to said plurality of subscribers.

45. A personal message system comprising:

a plurality of interfaces configured to interface with a plurality of subscribers communication devices using a plurality of formats;

a group services module configured to maintain communications among groups of said subscribers;

a platform conversion module coupled to said plurality of interfaces and said group services modules configured to connect each of said plurality of subscribers within a group, regardless of the communication protocols used by said subscribers; and

a message delivery subsystem coupled to one of said plurality of interfaces configured to create a virtual number based on a the devices of both said receiving and sending said subscriber and a randomly generated virtual number which are stored in a call completion data table.

46. A personal message system as claimed in claim 45, wherein said call completion data table maintains a receiving subscriber device field configured to store the wireless number associated with the device of the call receiving subscriber.

47. A personal message system as claimed in claim 45, wherein said call completion data table maintains a virtual number field configured to store the virtual number associated with the call between said devices of the call receiving and call sender subscribers.

48. A personal message system as claimed in claim 45, wherein said call completion data table maintains a sending subscriber device field configured to store the wireless number associated with the device of the call sending subscriber

49. A personal message system comprising:

a plurality of interfaces configured to interface with a plurality of subscribers communication devices using a plurality of formats;

a group services module configured to maintain communications among groups of said subscribers;

a platform conversion module coupled to said plurality of interfaces and said group services modules configured to connect each of said plurality of subscribers within a group, regardless of the communication protocols used by said subscribers; and

a wireless application protocol—

short message service/interactive voice response handler module coupled to said platform conversion module configured to provide interactive voice response links into a wireless application protocol sessions such that a subscriber in said wireless application protocol sessions can directly link to an interactive voice response session so as to directly download a multimedia file.

50. A personal message system as claimed in claim 49, further comprises an interactive voice response subsystem handler module, coupled to said wireless application protocol—

short message service/interactive voice response handler module configured to provide an external interactive voice response session from an independent multimedia content provider.

51. A personal message system as claimed in claim 50, further comprises an interactive voice response multimedia database, coupled to said interactive voice response subsystem handler module configured to store multimedia content to be delivered by said interactive voice response subsystem handler module and said wireless application protocol—

short message service/interactive voice response handler module.

52. A personal message system comprising:

a plurality of interfaces configured to interface with a plurality of subscribers communication devices using a plurality of formats;

a group services module configured to maintain communications among groups of said subscribers;

a platform conversion module coupled to said plurality of interfaces and said group services modules configured to connect each of said plurality of subscribers within a group, regardless of the communication protocols used by said subscribers; and

a subscriber information table configured to store the information necessary for said platform conversion module to send messages to said subscribers in the proper format.

53. A personal message system as claimed in claim 52, further comprising a username field configured to store information pertaining to said subscribers username, used to identify said subscriber to said other subscribers on said message system.

54. A personal message system as claimed in claim 52, further comprising a personal information/e-mail field configured to store information pertaining to said subscribers personal information such as real name, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address for use by said message system in contacting said subscriber.

55. A personal message system as claimed in claim 52, further comprising a Personal Identification Number (PIN) field configured to store information pertaining to said subscribers personal identification number used by said message system to restrict access to said subscribers account.

56. A personal message system as claimed in claim 52, further comprising a validation list field configured to store information pertaining to said subscribers personal communication devices which are recognized by said message system.

57. A personal message system as claimed in claim 52, further comprising a preferred voice field configured to store information pertaining to said subscribers preferred device for receiving voice messages from said message system.

58. A personal message system as claimed in claim 52, further comprising a preferred text field configured to store information pertaining to said subscribers preferred device for receiving text messages from said message system.

59. A personal message system as claimed in claim 52, further comprising a groups field configured to store information pertaining to said subscribers group membership record.

60. A personal message system as claimed in claim 52, further comprising a channel field configured to store information pertaining to said subscribers channel membership record.

61. A personal message system as claimed in claim 52, flier comprising a addresses field configured to store information pertaining to said subscribers address book of all other subscribers on said message system that said subscriber has previously contacted.

62. A personal message system as claimed in claim 52, further comprising a history field configured to store information pertaining to said subscribers recently received messages from said message system

63. A method for sending a message on a personal messaging system having a plurality of interfaces, a group services module and a platform conversion module, said method comprising the steps of:

sending a message to said message system via any one of said plurality of interfaces;

sending said message to said group services module for sending said message to said subscriber members of said group;

reformatting said message in said platform conversion module into various formats corresponding to said group member subscriber preferences; and

delivering said message through said plurality of interfaces to said members of said group.

64. A method for delivering a message on a personal messaging system having a plurality of interfaces, a channel services module and a platform conversion module, said method comprising the steps of:

creating a channel message on said message system;

sending said message to said channel services module for sending said message to said subscribers members of said channel;

reformatting said message in said platform conversion module into various formats corresponding to said channel member subscriber preferences; and

delivering said message through said plurality of interfaces to said members of said channel.