Messaging system in a hybrid network and mobile communication environment

• US 20060014525A1
• Filed: 07/13/2004
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,321,921 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Providing communication between a network communication device and a mobile communication device is disclosed. A server is in communication with a mobile communications network. The server communicates with mobile communication devices in the mobile communications network using a first protocol. The server monitors the state of each mobile communication device, and provides network state information for a group of mobile communication devices to a network communication device. The network communication device and the server communicate using a second protocol, and the network communication device is adapted to display network state information for the group of mobile communication devices and adapted to provide a user interface for communicating with the mobile communication devices. The network communication device includes logic for receiving network information for a communications network. The network information is related to the presence of a mobile communication device in the communications network. The network communication device also includes logic for transmitting a first message to the communications network

Claims

1. A method of communicating with a mobile communication device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving network information for a communications network related to the presence of a mobile communication device in the communications network;

transmitting a first message to the communications network, wherein the communications network relays the first message to the mobile communication device; and

displaying to a user information related to delivery of the first message.

2. The method of claim 1, further including:

displaying to a user information related to the presence of the mobile communication device in the communications network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the displayed information conveys that the mobile communication device is in a given state, the given state selected from the group consisting of off-network and on-network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying information related to delivery further includes:

prior to receiving a second message from the communications network, displaying to a user information conveying that the first message has not been received by the mobile communication device; and

responsive to receiving the second message from the communications network, displaying to the user information conveying that the first message has been received by the mobile communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, further including:

providing the communications network with one identifier for each mobile communication device in a group of mobile communications devices;

receiving network information for a given mobile communication devices included in the group, wherein the network information is related to the presence of the given mobile communication device in the communications network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the network information indicates that the given mobile communication device is in a given state, the given state selected from the group consisting of off-network and on-network.

7. The method of claim 1, further including:

processing the network information to determine that the mobile communication device is not present on the communications network; and

responsive to determining that the mobile communication device is not present on the communications network, delaying the transmission of the first message, wherein the transmission of the first message is delayed until the mobile communication device is present of the communications network.

8. The method of claim 1, further including:

monitoring the presence of the mobile communication device in the communications network through a series of network information messages;

displaying to a user information indicating the current state of the mobile communications device in the communications network, wherein the current state is one of the group consisting of on-network and off-network; and

responsive to the state of the mobile communication device changing, displaying the new state of the mobile communication device.

9. A method of providing information from a sender to a mobile communication device in a communications network, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting the presence of the mobile communication device in the communications network;

providing the sender with network information related to the presence of the mobile communication device in the communications network;

receiving a first message from the sender, the first message carrying content and formatted according to a first protocol; and

transmitting a second message to the mobile communications device, wherein the second message carries the content of the first message and is formatted according to a second protocol.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first message is an electronic email carried over the internet, and the protocol of the second message is a Short Message Service protocol.

11. The method of claim 9, further including the steps of:

receiving a third message from the mobile communication device, the third message confirming that the mobile communication device received the second message; and

responsive to receiving the third message, transmitting a fourth message to the sender, wherein the fourth message confirms that the mobile communication device received the content of the first message.

12. The method of claim 9, further including the step of:

responsive to transmitting the second message, transmitting a third message to the sender, wherein the third message confirms that the content of the first message was transmitted to the mobile communication device.

13. The method of claim 9, further including:

monitoring the current state of the mobile communication device in the communications network, wherein the current state is one of the group consisting of on-network and off-network; and

responsive to the state of the mobile communication device changing, transmitting network information related to the change of state of the mobile communication device to the sender.

14. A network communication device for communicating with a mobile communication device, the network communication device comprising:

logic for receiving network information for a communications network related to the presence of a mobile communication device in the communications network; and

logic for transmitting a first message to the communications network, wherein the communications network relays the first message to the mobile communication device.

15. The network communication device of claim 14, wherein the logic is embodied in a computer readable medium.

16. The network communication device of claim 14, further including:

logic for displaying to a user information related to the presence of the mobile communication device in the communications network.

17. The network communication device of claim 16, wherein the displayed information conveys that the mobile communication device is in a given state, the given state selected from the group consisting of off-network and on-network.

18. The network communication device of claim 14, further including:

logic for displaying to a user information related to delivery of the first message.

19. The network communication device of claim 14, further including:

logic for providing the communications network with one identifier for each mobile communication device in a group of mobile communications devices;

logic for receiving network information for a given mobile communication devices included in the group, wherein the network information is related to the presence of the given mobile communication device in the communications network.

20. The network communication device of claim 19, wherein the network information indicates that the given mobile communication device is in a given state, the given state selected from the group consisting of off-network and on-network.

21. The network communication device of claim 14, further including:

logic for processing the network information to determine that the mobile communication device is not present on the communications network; and

logic for delaying the transmission of the first message, wherein the transmission of the first message is delayed until the mobile communication device is present of the communications network.

22. The network communication device of claim 14, further including:

logic for monitoring the presence of the mobile communication device in the communications network through a series of network information messages; and

logic for displaying to a user information indicating the current state of the mobile communications device in the communications network, wherein the current state is one of the group consisting of on-network and off-network; and

logic for displaying the new state of the mobile communication device, wherein the new state is displayed responsive to the state of the mobile communication device changing.

23. A system for providing information from a sender to a mobile communication device in a communications network, the system comprising:

a server in communication with a mobile communications network, wherein the server communicates with mobile communication devices in the mobile communications network using a first protocol, wherein the server monitors the state of each mobile communication device, wherein the state of each mobile communications device is one of the group consisting of on-network and off-network, and wherein the server is adapted to provide network state information for a group of mobile communication devices to a network communication device; and

a network communication device in communications with the server, wherein the network communication device and the server communicate using a second protocol, and wherein the network communication device is adapted to display network state information for the group of mobile communication devices and adapted to provide a user interface for communicating with the mobile communication devices.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the network communication device is adapted to transmit a message intended for a specific mobile communication device only if the specific mobile communication device is currently on-network in the mobile communications network.

25. The system of claim 23, further including:

a database having table associating the network communication device to the group of mobile communication devices.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the second protocol is a protocol for electronic email carried over the internet, and the first protocol is a Short Message Service protocol.