Location based messaging

• US 20050186969A1
• Filed: 02/23/2004
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Longhorn Acquisition LLC (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Lohtia, Sunit
• Granted Patent: US 7,458,184 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.300
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• 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 8/14 between corresponding nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for messages, such as short messages and multi-media messages. In one implementation a message is received from a sender, a location of the sender is determined, the message is modified to include the location of the sender, and the modified message is transmitted to a recipient.

Claims

1. A method of processing a message, the method comprising:

receiving a message from a sender;

determining a location of the sender;

modifying the message to include the location of the sender; and

transmitting the modified message to a recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message includes a request to include the location of the sender in the message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the request comprises a location-request code added to a destination number included in the message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein transmitting the modified message to a recipient comprises transmitting the modified message to a recipient associated with the destination number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is a multi-media message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is a short message.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on the location-request code, transmitting the message to a location server;

receiving from the location server the modified message;

wherein, the location server performs the steps of determining a location of the sender and modifying the message to include the location of the sender.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

the location server further modifying the message to remove the location-request code from the destination number.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the location server performing the step of determining a location of the sender comprises sending a request from the location server to a location-enabled server and receiving at the location server a location of the sender from the location-enabled server.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the location server performing the step of determining a location of the sender comprises retrieving a location for the sender from a cache of location information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein retrieving a location for the sender from a cache of location information further comprises:

receiving location information from a plurality of network probes about locations of a plurality of network users including the sender;

periodically caching the location information for the plurality of network users including the sender; and

retrieving at the location server a location for the sender from the cache of location information.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying the message to add a location-request code to a sender number included in the message, where the location-request code is a request to include the recipient'"'"'s location in a reply message to the message.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein modifying the message to add a location-request code to a sender number further comprises:

determining if a location of the recipient can be included in a message originating from the recipient;

if a location of the recipient can be included, then modifying the message.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a location of the sender comprises:

querying a location enabled server for a location of the sender; and

receiving a location of the sender from the location enabled server.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a location of the sender comprises:

retrieving a location for the sender from a cache of location information

16. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving a location for the sender from a cache of location information comprises:

receiving location information from a plurality of network probes about locations for a plurality of network users including the sender;

periodically caching the location information for the plurality of network users including the sender; and

retrieving a location for the sender from the cache of location information.

17. A method of processing a message, comprising:

receiving a message from a first messaging service center;

determining a location of a sender of the message;

modifying the message to include the location of the sender; and

transmitting the modified message to a second messaging service center.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the message is a short message, and the first messaging service center and the second messaging service centers are short messaging service centers.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the message is a multi-media message, and the first messaging service center and the second messaging service centers are multi-media messaging service centers.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the first messaging service center and the second messaging service center are the same messaging service centers.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the first messaging service center services a mobile network used by a sender of the message and the second messaging service center services a mobile network used by a recipient of the message.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the message includes a location-request code added to a destination number, the method further comprising:

before transmitting the modified message to the second messaging service center, further modifying the message to remove the location-request code from the destination number.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein determining a location of the sender comprises sending a request to a location-enabled server and receiving a location of the sender from the location-enabled server.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein determining a location of the sender comprises retrieving a location for the sender from a cache of location information.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein retrieving a location for the sender from a cache of location information further comprises:

receiving location information from a plurality of network probes about locations for a plurality of network users including the sender;

periodically caching the location information for the plurality of network users including the sender; and

retrieving a location for the sender from the cache of location information.

26. A method of processing a message, comprising:

inputting a message into a mobile station;

inputting into the mobile station a location-request code and a destination number, where the location-request code specifies a request to modify the message to include a location of the mobile station in the message and where the destination number specifies a destination for delivery of the message; and

transmitting the message from the mobile station to a messaging service center.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the message is a short message.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the message is a multi-media message.

29. A system for processing a message, comprising:

a sender mobile station configured to receive a user input and based on the user input transmit a message over a mobile network for delivery to a recipient messaging entity associated with a destination number, where the message includes a request to include a location of the sender mobile station in the message;

a messaging service center configured to;

receive from a sender mobile station a message including a request to include a location of the sender mobile station in the message;

transmit the message to a location server;

receive a modified message from a location server;

transmit the modified message to a recipient messaging entity;

a location server configured to;

receive a message from a messaging center, the message including a request to include a location of a sender mobile station in the message;

determine a location of the sender mobile station;

modify the message to include the location; and

transmit the modified message to a messaging center; and

a recipient messaging entity configured to receive a message including a location of a sender mobile station from which the message originated.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein:

the message is a short message, and

the messaging service center is a short messaging service center.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein:

the message is a multi-media message, and

the messaging service center is a multi-media messaging service center.

32. A method of processing a multi-media message, comprising:

receiving a multi-media message originating from a sender mobile station, the multi-media message including destination information;

determining a location of the sender mobile station;

modifying the multi-media message to include the location of the sender mobile station; and

transmitting the modified multi-media message to a recipient based on the destination information.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the transmitting step further comprises:

accessing a user profile associated with the sender mobile station;

based on the user profile and the destination information, determining an e-mail address associated with the recipient; and

transmitting the modified multi-media message to the recipient e-mail address.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein determining a location of the sender mobile station comprises:

querying a location enabled server for a location of the sender mobile station; and

receiving a location of the sender mobile station from the location enabled server.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein determining a location of the sender mobile station comprises:

retrieving a location for the sender mobile station from a cache of location information.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein retrieving a location for the sender mobile station from a cache of location information comprises:

receiving location information from a plurality of network probes about locations for a plurality of network users including the sender mobile station;

periodically caching the location information for the plurality of network users including the sender mobile station; and

retrieving a location for the sender mobile station from the cache of location information.