System for message delivery to field personnel

• US 20060120343A1
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: O'Brien, David, Yashpal, Vikram, Nissley, Greg
• Granted Patent: US 7,990,964 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/351
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• 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

Abstract

System for message delivery to field personnel. The system includes a method for operating a server in a message delivery system. The method includes receiving a message for transmission to a recipient, and determining a message characteristic associated with the message. The method also includes obtaining contact information associated with the recipient based on the message characteristic, and transmitting the message to the recipient using a communication method indicated by the contact information.

Claims

1. A method for operating a server in a message delivery system, the method comprising:

determining a message characteristic associated with a message destined for a recipient;

obtaining contact information associated with the recipient based on the message characteristic; and

transmitting the message to the recipient using a communication method indicated by the contact information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the message to the recipient using a default communication method.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the default communication method comprises sending the message as a text message over a satellite communication network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining contact information comprises obtaining the contact information directly from the message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining contact information comprises accessing a contact database using the message characteristic.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining comprises determining the message characteristic from the content of the message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining comprises determining the message characteristic from an attachment to the message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the message comprises:

converting the message to a voice message; and

transmitting the voice message to the recipient over a selected communication network.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of transmitting the message comprises transmitting the message over one or more of a satellite network, a wireless terrestrial network, the Internet, or a paging network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the message comprises transmitting the message to a communication server.

11. Apparatus for providing a message delivery system, the apparatus comprising:

processing logic that operates to determine a message characteristic associated with a message destined for a recipient and for determining a communication method based on the message characteristic; and

transmitting logic that operates to transmit the message to the recipient using the communication method selected by the processing logic.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

a contact database that operates to provide contact information associated with the recipient based on the message characteristic;

wherein

the processing logic operates to determine the communication method from the contact information corresponding to the message characteristic.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the transmitting logic operates to transmit the message to the recipient using a default communication method.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the default communication method comprises sending the message as a text message over a satellite communication network.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing logic operates to obtain the contact information associated with the recipient from an attachment to the message.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing logic operates to determine the message characteristic from the content of the message.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing logic operates to determine the message characteristic from an attachment to the message.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a text-to-voice converter that operates to convert the message to a voice message that is transmitted to the recipient over a network specified by the communication method.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the transmitter operates to transmit the message over a satellite network, a wireless terrestrial network, the Internet, or a paging network.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the transmitter operates to transmit the message to a communication server.

21. Apparatus for providing a message delivery system, the apparatus comprising:

means for determining a message characteristic associated with a message destined for a recipient;

means for obtaining contact information associated with the recipient based on the message characteristic; and

means for transmitting the message to the recipient using a communication method indicated by the contact information.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for transmitting the message to the recipient using a default communication method.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the default communication method comprises sending the message as a text message over a satellite communication network.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for obtaining contact information comprises means for obtaining the contact information directly from the message.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for obtaining contact information comprises means for accessing a contact database using the message characteristic.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for determining comprises means for determining the message characteristic from the content of the message.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for determining comprises means for determining the message characteristic from an attachment to the message.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for transmitting the message comprises:

means for converting the message to a voice message; and

means for providing the voice message to a communication network associated with the selected communication method.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for transmitting the message comprises means for transmitting the message over one or more of a satellite network, a wireless terrestrial network, the Internet, or a paging network.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for transmitting the message comprises means for transmitting the message to a communication server.

31. A signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for providing a message delivery system, said method comprising operations of:

determining a message characteristic associated a message destined for a recipient;

obtaining contact information associated with the recipient based on the message characteristic; and

transmitting the message to the recipient using a selected communication channel indicated by the contact information.

32. The signal-bearing medium of claim 31, further comprising transmitting the message to the recipient using a default communication method.

33. The signal-bearing medium of claim 32, wherein the default communication method comprises sending the message as a text message over a satellite communication network.

34. The signal-bearing medium of claim 31, wherein the operation of determining a message characteristic comprises evaluating attachment to the message.

35. The signal-bearing medium of claim 31, wherein the operation of obtaining contact information comprises accessing a contact database using the message characteristic.

36. The signal-bearing medium of claim 31, wherein determining a message characteristic comprises evaluating the content of the message.

37. The signal-bearing medium of claim 31, wherein determining a message characteristic comprises evaluating an attachment to the message.

38. The signal-bearing medium of claim 31, wherein transmitting the message comprises:

converting the message to a voice message; and

providing the voice message to a communication network associated with the selected communication method.

39. The signal-bearing medium of claim 31, wherein transmitting the message comprises transmitting the message over one or more of a satellite network, a wireless terrestrial network, the Internet, or a paging network.

40. The signal-bearing medium of claim 31, wherein transmitting the message comprises transmitting the message to a communication server.