METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ASSIGNING A VIRTUAL ADDRESS TO AND TEXT-MESSAGING TO MULTIPLE TEXT-CAPABLE DESTINATION ENTITIES

• US 20080273535A1
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Syniverse ICX Corp. (Syniverse Corp.)
• Original Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Inventors: Murthy, Vikas Sanathana, Reddy, Rajesh Tanamala Srinivas, Kamble, Sanjay, Philips, Julian
• Granted Patent: US 8,571,065 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/301 Name conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4547 for personal communications, i.e. using a personal identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A virtual address is configured. A destination address and a capability information associated with each destination entity of a set of destination entities associated with a destination party are configured. Each destination entity from the set of destination entities is a push-capable, text-message-capable entity. Each destination entity from the set of destination entities is associated with a virtual address. The virtual address defines a destination remote from the destination party and remote from premises associated with the destination party.

Claims

1-8. -8. (canceled)

9. A method for routing electronic messages to at least one of a plurality of destination entities, comprising:

receiving at a messaging service platform an electronic message addressed to a virtual address associated with a destination party, the virtual address defining a destination remote from the destination party and the destination party premises; and

replacing the destination address of the electronic message with a destination address associated with a first destination entity from a plurality of destination entities associated with the destination party and designated as available, wherein the first destination entity has an associated capability information, and wherein whether a particular destination entity is available is stored as status variable in a database record for the destination party.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

reformatting the electronic message based on the capability information associated with the first destination entity.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

dynamically sensing an availability of a first destination entity from the plurality of destination entities without sending a user-perceivable indication to the first destination entity,

the destination address of the electronic message being reassigned to a destination address associated with the first destination entity when the sensed availability associated with the first destination entity indicates that the first destination entity is available.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

dynamically sensing an availability of a first destination entity from the plurality of destination entities without sending a user-perceivable indication to the first destination entity,

the destination address of the electronic message being reassigned to a destination address associated with a second destination entity when the sensed availability associated with first destination entity indicates that the first destination entity is unavailable.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving an electronic message having a destination address, the destination address corresponding to a virtual address associated with a destination party, the electronic message having at least a text-based portion, the virtual address defining a destination remote from the destination party and the destination party premises; and

means for reassigning the destination address of the electronic message to a destination address associated with a first destination entity from the plurality of destination entities associated with destination party, the plurality of destination entities each being a push-capable, text-message-capable entity, the reassigning of the destination address being performed without sending a user-perceivable indication to the first destination entity.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for reformatting the electronic message based on the capability information associated with the first destination entity.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for dynamically sensing an availability of the first destination entity without sending a user-perceivable indication to the first destination entity,

the destination address of the electronic message being reassigned to a destination address associated with the first destination entity when the sensed availability associated with the first destination entity indicates that the first destination entity is available.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for dynamically sensing an availability of the first destination entity without sending a user-perceivable indication to the first destination entity,

the destination address of the electronic message being reassigned to a destination address associated with a second destination entity when the sensed availability associated with first destination entity indicates that the first destination entity is unavailable.

17-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method for configuring a virtual address, comprising:

sending a destination address and a capability information associated with each destination entity from the plurality of destination entities associated with a destination party, the plurality of destination entities each being a push-capable, text-message-capable entity; and

receiving a message indicating a virtual address, the plurality of destination entities being associated with the virtual address, the virtual address defining a destination remote from the destination party and the destination party premises.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

sending a message indicating a destination address and a capability information associated with a destination entity also associated with the destination party and not from the plurality of destination entities, the message indicating the destination address and the capability information being configured to associate the destination entity with the virtual address.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

sending an indicator associated with a destination entity from the plurality of destination entities, the indicator indicating that the destination entity is no longer associated with the destination party, the indicator being configured to disassociate the virtual address with the destination entity.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

sending an indicator associated with a destination entity from the plurality of destination entities, the indicator designating the associated destination entity as available.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving, at a first destination entity from the plurality of destination entities, a second message having at least a text-based portion, a destination address of the second message having been previously reassigned from the virtual address to a destination address associated with a first destination entity when a sensed availability associated with first destination entity indicates that the first destination entity is available, the availability of a first destination entity having been dynamically sensed.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving, at a first destination entity from the plurality of destination entities, a second message having at least a text-based portion, a destination address of the second message having been previously reassigned from the virtual address to a destination address associated with a first destination entity when a sensed availability associated with first destination entity indicates that the first destination entity is available,

the availability of a first destination entity having been dynamically sensed without sending a user-perceivable indication to the first destination entity.

27. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

sending a second message to a potential source, the second message indicating the virtual address; and

receiving, at a first destination entity from the plurality of destination entities, a third message from the potential source, the third message having at least a text-based portion, a destination address of the third message having been previously reassigned from the virtual address to a destination address associated with a first destination entity.

28-34. -34. (canceled)