Method and Apparatus Providing Multimode Response Options to an Incoming Voice or Text Message

• US 20080248818A1
• Filed: 04/05/2007
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jin, Yucheng, Garrison, William J., Venkatesulu, Prema, Folk, Robert H.
• Application Number:
  US11/697,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20080248818A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53341 Message reply

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided for allowing a recipient to reply to an inbound message. The method begins by receiving a message from a sender using a first communication service. The message includes a first contact identifier for the sender. A plurality of user-selectable contact identifiers is presented to the recipient for communicating with the sender using a plurality of different communication services associated therewith. A selected one of the plurality of contact identifiers other than the first contact identifier is selected or otherwise identified by the recipient. A second message is transmitted to the sender using the selected contact identifier and the communication service associated therewith.

Claims

1. At least one computer-readable medium encoded with instructions which, when executed by a processor, performs a method including:

receiving a message from a sender using a first communication service, said message including a first contact identifier for the sender;

presenting a plurality of user-selectable contact identifiers for communicating with the sender using a plurality of different communication services associated therewith;

identifying a selected one of the plurality of contact identifiers other than the first contact identifier; and

sending a second message to the sender using the selected contact identifier and the communication service associated therewith.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein the first communication service is a telephony communication service and the first contact identifier is a telephone number.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of different communication services includes an e-mail service and the contact identifier is an e-mail address.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of different communication services includes a Short Message Service and the contact identifier is an Short Message Service identifier.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of different communication services includes an IP telephony service and the contact identifier is a telephone number.

6. At least one computer-readable medium encoded with instructions which, when executed by a processor, performs a method including:

identifying a sender associated with an incoming message;

accessing a database that includes a plurality of contact entries each of which includes one or more contact identifiers to locate a contact entry associated with the sender;

prompting a user to select one of the contact identifiers associated with the sender; and

launching a communication application associated with the selected contact identifier.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the communication application is selected from the group consisting of a voice communication application, a Short-Message-Service (SMS) application, an Enhanced Message Service (EMS) application, a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) application, an Instant Messaging (IM) application, an IP-telephony application and an e-mail application

8. The computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the database is accessed in response to a user request to reply to the incoming message.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the contact identifiers are selected from the group consisting of a telephone number, a Short-Message-Service (SMS) identifier, an Enhanced Message Service (EMS) identifier, a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) identifier, an Instant Messaging (IM) identifier and an e-mail address.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 6 further comprising sending a message to the selected contact identifier using the communication application that is launched.

11. A communication device, comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium configured to store a database having a plurality of contact entries each of which includes one or more contact identifiers;

a processor responsive to the computer-readable storage medium and to a software program, the software program, when loaded into the processor, operative to;

map a contact identifier associated with an incoming message to a contact entry stored in the database;

access the contact entry;

present to a user a plurality of contact identifiers associated with the accessed contact entry from among which the user may select; and

launch a communication application associated with a selected one of the contact identifiers.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the software program is further operative to establish communication over a communication network using the selected contact identifier.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the communication network is a wireless network.

14. The device of claim 12 wherein the communication network is a cellular network.

15. The device of claim 11 wherein the communication application is selected from the group consisting of a voice communication application, a Short-Message-Service (SMS) application, an Enhanced Message Service (EMS) application, a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) application, an Instant Messaging (IM) application, an IP-telephony application and an e-mail application

16. The device of claim 11 wherein the database is accessed in response to a user request to reply to the incoming message.

17. The device of claim 11 wherein the contact identifiers are selected from the group consisting of a telephone number, a Short-Message-Service (SMS) identifier, an Enhanced Message Service (EMS) identifier, a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) identifier, an Instant Messaging (IM) identifier and an e-mail address.

18. The device of claim 11 further comprising sending a message to the selected contact identifier using the communication application that is launched.