SMS messaging
First Claim
1. A method of providing an interactive short messaging service (SMS) from a short messaging service provider (SMP) to a user having a communications device connected to a communications network, the communications device including a keypad or voice activator for establishing communications between it and the SMP and an alphanumeric display device comprising initially:
- storing short messages each with a unique identifier for access by the communications device as content short messages (CSM);
the SMP stores the unique identifier for a plurality of CSMs in a menu of short messages to provide a short messages menu (SMM) with its own unique identifier;
and then on a communications device accessing the SMS, the steps are performed of;
the SMP downloads the SMM to the communications device; and
the SMP terminates the call on completion of the downloading.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides an interactive short messaging service (SMS) in which the short messaging service provider (SMP) stores short messages as content short messages (CSMs) which CSMs are then stored in a short messages menu (SMM). A user dials up the desired SMM, the SMP downloads the SMM and immediately terminates the call. The user now has a menu which may lead directly to CSMs which can be contacted directly or which can be a list of further SMMs. For example, the first SMM downloaded could be airline arrivals from one airport and on being downloaded could list all airlines servicing that airport each with a unique contact number i.e. a further SMM. The user clicks onto the desired airline from this SMM. A second CSM is downloaded in this case the times of arrivals of all that airline'"'"'s flights that day. This may be sufficient for the user. The time taken for the two calls is minimal. The advantage is that it overcomes the problems inherent in present SMSs.
69 Citations
77 Claims
-
1. A method of providing an interactive short messaging service (SMS) from a short messaging service provider (SMP) to a user having a communications device connected to a communications network, the communications device including a keypad or voice activator for establishing communications between it and the SMP and an alphanumeric display device comprising initially:
-
storing short messages each with a unique identifier for access by the communications device as content short messages (CSM);
the SMP stores the unique identifier for a plurality of CSMs in a menu of short messages to provide a short messages menu (SMM) with its own unique identifier;
and then on a communications device accessing the SMS, the steps are performed of;
the SMP downloads the SMM to the communications device; and
the SMP terminates the call on completion of the downloading. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
-
-
31. A method of providing an interactive short messaging service (SMS) from a short messaging service provider (SMP) to a user having a communications device connected to a communications network, the communications device including a keypad or voice activator for establishing communications between it and the SMP and an alphanumeric display device comprising initially:
-
storing short messages each with a unique identifier for access by the communications device as content short messages (CSM);
the SMP stores the unique identifier for a plurality of CSMs in a menu of short messages to provide a short messages menu (SMM) with its own unique identifier;
the unique identifier of the SMM is stored in another SMM with its own unique identifier as a CSM, the SMMs being stored in hierarchial fashion;
and then on a communications device accessing the SMS, the steps are performed of;
the SMP downloads the SMM to the communications device; and
the SMP terminates the call on completion of the downloading. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
-
-
56. A method of providing an interactive short messaging service (SMS) from a short messaging service provider (SMP) to a user having a communications device connected to a communications network, the communications device including a keypad or voice activator for establishing communications between it and the SMP and an alphanumeric display device comprising initially:
-
storing short messages each with a unique identifier for access by the communications device as content short messages (CSM);
the SMP stores the unique identifier for a plurality of CSMs in a menu of short messages to provide a short messages menu (SMM) with its own unique identifier;
the unique identifier of the SMM is stored in another SMM with its own unique identifier as a CSM, the SMMs being stored in hierarchial fashion;
and then on a communications device accessing the SMS, the steps are performed of;
the SMP downloads the SMM to the communications device;
the SMP terminates the call on completion of the downloading; and
the SMP considers the SMM and uses the unique identifier of the CSMs in the SMM to access the required CSM. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70)
-
-
71. A short messaging service system comprising:
-
an SMP computer having storage for content short messages (CSMs) and programmed to assn a unique identifier to the CSMs and to store the unique identifiers of a plurality of CSMs in a menu of short messages to provide a short messages menu (SMM) with its own unique identifier;
a communications device including activation means;
a communications network connecting the SMP computer and the communications device; and
a computer program for operating the SMP computer on being contacted by the communications device to download a requested SMM to the communications device and to terminate the call when the downloading is completed. - View Dependent Claims (72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
-
Specification