Method and system for associating related messages of different types

• US 20060031523A1
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scenera Technologies LLC (Scenera Research LLC)
• Original Assignee: Scenera Technologies LLC (Scenera Research LLC)
• Inventors: Morris, Robert P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,464,141 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

The invention provides a system and method for associating related messages of different types. The system has a message server in communication with a client device over a network. The message server receives a message from the client device. The server determines whether a former session identification (ID) was transmitted with the message. If the former session ID was not transmitted with the message, the server associates a current session ID with the message. Finally, the server stores the message, whereby a user may retrieve the message using one of the former session ID or the current session ID.

Claims

1. A method for associating related messages of different types in a system having a message server in communication with a client device over a network, the method comprising:

receiving a message from the client device;

determining, in the server, whether a former session identification (ID) is transmitted with the message;

associating a current session ID with the message if the former session ID is not transmitted with the message; and

storing the message, whereby a user may retrieve the message using one of the former session ID or the current session ID.

2. The method of claim 1, associating a current session ID with the message further comprising:

determining whetherthe current session ID is transmitted with the message;

creating the current session ID if the current session ID is not transmitted with the message.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the current session ID is created by the message server.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the current session ID is created by the client device and associated with the message by the client device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the message is one of a voice message, an email, a short messaging service (SMS) message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message, a file transfer protocol FTP file, and a hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP) link.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the message is one of a plurality of messages, and each one of the plurality of messages is one of a voice message, an email, a short messaging service (SMS) message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message, a file transfer protocol FTP file, and a hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP) link.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the message is a voice message, the method further comprising:

providing information to the client device that a second message may be transmitted with the session ID of the voice message; and

providing instructions on how to transmit the second message with the session ID of the voice message.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

storing the voice message and the second message, each associated with one of the former session ID and current session ID.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the second message is one of an email, a short messaging service (SMS) message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message, a file transfer protocol FTP file, and a hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP) link.

10. A computer readable medium containing programming instructions for associating related messages of different types in a system having a message server in communication with a client device over a network, the programming instructions for:

receiving a message from the client device;

determining, in the server, whether a former session identification (ID) is transmitted with the message;

associating a current session ID with the message if the former session ID is not transmitted with the message; and

storing the message, whereby a user may retrieve the message using one of the former session ID or the current session ID.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, associating a current session ID with the message further comprising:

determining whether the current session ID is transmitted with the message;

creating the current session ID if the current session ID is not transmitted with the message.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein the current session ID is created by the message server.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 10 wherein the current session ID is created by the client device and associated with the message by the client device.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 10 wherein the message is one of a voice message, an email, a short messaging service (SMS) message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message, a file transfer protocol FTP file, and a hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP) link.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 10 wherein the message is one of a plurality of messages, and each one of the plurality of messages is one of a voice message, an email, a short messaging service (SMS) message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message, a file transfer protocol FTP file, and a hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP) link.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 10 wherein the message is a voice message, the method further comprising:

providing information to the client device that a second message may be transmitted with the same session ID as the voice message; and

providing instructions on how to transmit the second message with the same session ID as the voice message.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16 further comprising:

storing the voice message and the second message, each associated with one of the former session ID and current session ID.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the second message is one of an email, a short messaging service (SMS) message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message, a file transfer protocol FTP file, and a hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP) link.

19. A method for associating related messages of different types with a client device, the method comprising:

determining, in the client device, whether a former session identification (ID) applies;

associating a current session ID with a message if the former session ID does not apply;

associating the former session ID with the message if the former session ID does apply; and

transmitting the message, whereby a user may retrieve the message using one of the former session ID or the current session ID.

20. The method of claim 19, associating a current session ID with the message further comprising:

creating the current session ID if the former session ID does not apply.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the message is one of a voice message, an email, a short messaging service (SMS) message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message, a file transfer protocol FTP file, and a hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP) link.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the message is one of a plurality of messages, and each one of the plurality of messages is one of a voice message, an email, a short messaging service (SMS) message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message, a file transfer protocol FTP file, and a hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP) link.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the message is a voice message, the method further comprising:

receiving information that a second message may be transmitted with one of the former session ID and the current session ID; and

receiving instructions on how to transmit the second message with one of the former session ID and the current session ID.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the second message is one of an email, a short messaging service (SMS) message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message, a file transfer protocol FTP file, and a hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP) link.

25. A system for associating messages of different types comprising:

a message server comprising;

a session manager configured to receive a message, the session manager further configured to determine whether the message includes a former session identification (ID), if the message does not include the former session ID then the session manager is configured to associate a current session ID with the media; and

a message manager configured to store the message, whereby a user may retrieve the message using one of the former session ID or the current session ID.

26. The system of claim 25, the session manager further configured to determine whether the current session ID is transmitted with the message, and create the current session ID if the current session ID is not transmitted with the message.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein the message is one of a voice message, an email, a short messaging service (SMS) message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message, a file transfer protocol FTP file, and a hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP) link.

28. The system of claim 25 wherein the message is one of a plurality of messages, each one of the plurality of messages is one of a voice message, an email, a short messaging service (SMS) message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message, a file transfer protocol FTP file, and a hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP) link.

29. The system of claim 25 wherein the message is a voice message, the session manager further configured to provide information that a second message may be associated with one of the former session ID and the current session ID, and to provide instructions on how to transmit the second message with one of the former session ID and the current session ID.

30. The system of claim 29, the message manager further configured to store the voice message and the second message, each associated with one of the former session ID and current session ID.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the second message is one of an email, a short messaging service (SMS) message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message, a file transfer protocol FTP file, and a hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP) link.

32. The system of claim 25 further comprising:

a client device coupled to the message server and configured to transmit the message.

33. The system of claim 32, the client device further configured to create the current session ID and to transmit the message to the server with the current session ID.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the message is one of a voice message, an email, a short messaging service (SMS) message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message, a file transfer protocol FTP file, and a hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP) link.

35. The system of claim 33 wherein the message is one of a plurality of messages, each one of the plurality of messages is one of a voice message, an email, a short messaging service (SMS) message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message, a file transfer protocol FTP file, and a hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP) link.

36. The system of claim 33 wherein the message is a voice message, the session manager further configured to provide information that a second message may be associated with one of the former session ID and the current session ID, and to provide instructions on how to transmit the second message with one of the former session ID and the current session ID.

37. The system of claim 36, the message manager further configured to store the voice message and the second message, each associated with one of the former session ID and current session ID.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the second message is one of an email, a short messaging service (SMS) message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message, a file transfer protocol FTP file, and a hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP) link.

39. A client device for associating related messages of different types comprising:

a processor; and

a memory configured to determine whether a former session identification (ID) applies, to associate a current session ID with a message if the former session ID does not apply, to associate the former session ID with the message if the former session ID does apply, and to transmit the message, whereby a user may retrieve the message using one of the former session ID or the current session ID.

40. The client device of claim 39, the memory further configured to create the current session ID if the former session ID does not exist.

41. The client device of claim 39 wherein the message is one of a voice message, an email, a short messaging service (SMS) message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message, a file transfer protocol FTP file, and a hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP) link.

42. The client device of claim 39 wherein the message is one of a plurality of messages, and each one of the plurality of messages is one of a voice message, an email, a short messaging service (SMS) message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message, a file transfer protocol FTP file, and a hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP) link.

43. The client device of claim 39 wherein the message is a voice message, the memory is further configured to receive information that a second message may be transmitted with one of the former session ID and the current session ID, and to receive instructions on how to transmit the second message with one of the former session ID and the current session ID.

44. The client device of claim 43 wherein the second message is one of an email, a short messaging service (SMS) message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message, a file transfer protocol FTP file, and a hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP) link.