Systems and Methods for Providing Communications Services Using Assigned Codes

• US 20080096591A1
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: nGageLabs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: nGageLabs, Inc.
• Inventors: Stone, Eric T., Waytena, William L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,504,081 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A communications service (and components thereof) have one or more communication addresses (e.g. short codes, telephone numbers, IM names/domains, IP addresses, etc.) for receiving text-based messages, a service platform for carry out a number of communication services, and a database of registered subscribers. Subscribers access the database preferably through a web-enabled interface. A subscriber associates a selected communications service with a unique alphanumeric code and conveys the alphanumeric code to other individuals as desired. The individual enters the alphanumeric code as part of a text-based message communicated to the communications address of the service. The service includes logic that receives the text-based messages over the diverse messaging formats and processes the text embedded in each message to extract the alphanumeric code therein. The logic accesses the database to identify the subscriber and communication service that is uniquely associated with the particular alphanumeric code received as part of a given text-based message. The logic then controls the service platform to carry out the communication service that is associated with the alphanumeric code and subscriber. The plurality of communications services supported by the service platform and alphanumeric codes preferably include at least one of voice call functions, voice mail functions, text message functions, text broadcast functions, and media delivery functions.

Claims

1. An apparatus for delivering communications services to users comprising:

a service platform for carrying out a plurality of communication services;

first interface means for creating an association between an alphanumeric code that is uniquely assigned to a particular user and one of the plurality of communications services;

a database coupled to said first interface means, said database storing the associations created by said first interface means;

means for receiving a text-based message from a requesting party, the text-based message including said alphanumeric code; and

a control block, coupled to said database and said service platform, for controlling said service platform to provide one of the plurality of communications services as dictated by the alphanumeric code included in the received text-based message.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said text-based message is an SMS-type message.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said text-based message is an IM-type message.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said text-based message is an IP-type message.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of communication services carried out by the service platform include a calling service wherein the service platform connects to the requesting party, connects to a stored telephone number for the particular user associated with the alphanumeric code included in the received text-based message, and bridges the two connections together for voice communication therebetween.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the service platform communicates with the particular user associated with the alphanumeric code included in the received text-based message to allow for call screening.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

the communication between the service platform and the particular user includes a set of unique codes that allow the particular user to invoke specific functions for the call (e.g., accept the call, block the call, direct the call to voicemail, send a text message to the requester).

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of communication services carried out by the service platform include a messaging service wherein the service platform generates and send a text-based message to the particular user associated with the alphanumeric code included in the received text-based message, wherein content of the text-based message sent to the particular user includes content from the received text-based message.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of communication services carried out by the service platform include a group messaging service wherein the service platform generates and sends text-based messages to a set of recipients associated with the alphanumeric code included in the received text-based message, wherein content of the text-based message sent to the set of recipients includes content from the received text-based message.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of communication services carried out by the service platform include a voice mailbox service wherein the service platform connects to the requesting party, records a voicemail message provided by the requesting party, and stores the recorded voicemail message in the mailbox of a particular user associated with the alphanumeric code included in the received text-based message.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

logic for assigning a unique code to the voicemail message, the unique code referring to the voicemail message for subsequent operations carried out by the particular user (e.g., forwarding the voicemail message, or recording and sending a reply to the voicemail message).

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein:

the unique code assigned to a given voicemail message comprises a two-part code having a first part and a second part, the first part designating the requesting party that provided the voicemail message and the second part is a system generated code for the particular voicemail message.

13. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of communication services carried out by the service platform include a media access service wherein the service platform connects to the requesting party and plays or streams media content over the connection to the requesting party, the media content associated with the alphanumeric code included in the received text-based message.

14. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of communication services carried out by the service platform include a record status service wherein the service platform connects to the particular user associated with the alphanumeric code included in the received text-based message and enables the particular user to record an audible status message.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

means for assigning a unique code to the status message, the unique code for referring to the status message for subsequent operations carried out by the subscriber and/or other users.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15,

the unique code assigned to a given status message comprises a two-part code having a first part and a second part, the first part designating the user that generated the status message and the second part being a system generated code.

17. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said alphanumeric code is assigned to the particular user by said apparatus.

18. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said alphanumeric code is assigned based in part on input from the particular user.

19. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for deleting the association between said alphanumeric code and one of the plurality of communications services.

20. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said first interface means is a graphical user interface.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein:

said graphical user interface includes at least one pull down menu for selecting among the plurality of communications services.

22. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein:

said graphical user interface includes at least one text entry field associated with said at least one pull down menu.

23. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said first interface means is an IVR interface.

24. A method for delivering a plurality of communications services to users comprising:

generating a unique alphanumeric code for a particular user;

interacting with the particular user to associate the unique alphanumeric code with a given one of the plurality of communications services;

receiving a text-based message from a requesting party, the text-based message including said alphanumeric code; and

providing one of the plurality of communications services as dictated by the alphanumeric code included in the received text-based message.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein:

said text-based message is an SMS-type message.

26. A method according to claim 24, wherein:

said text-based message is an IM-type message.

27. A method according to claim 24, wherein:

said text-based message is an IP-type message.

28. A method according to claim 24, wherein:

said plurality of communications services include at least one of voice call functions, voice mail functions, text-based message functions, text broadcast functions, and media access functions.

29. A method according to claim 24, wherein:

said unique alphanumeric code is machine generated.

30. A method according to claim 24, wherein:

said unique alphanumeric code is assigned based in part on input from the particular user.

31. A method according to claim 24, wherein:

the interacting is provided by a graphical user interface.