SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING USER NAMES FOR NETWORK ADDRESSES

• US 20100159963A1
• Filed: 12/18/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cenciarelli, Fulvio Arturo, Lewis, John, Mikan, Jeffrey, McNamara, Justin
• Granted Patent: US 8,457,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing user names for network addresses in messages such as SMS, MMS and EMS are disclosed. A data base is provided for storage in a mobile device that associates a user name with at least a portion of a network address. A system is provided for a mobile device that converts the network address transmitted with the message into a user name and displays the message with the user name.

Claims

1. A method of providing a user name for a network address in Message Service message comprising:

storing a user name associated with at least a portion of a network address in a storage component in a mobile device;

receiving a Message Service message from the network address in the mobile device;

extracting at least the portion of the network address from the Message Service message;

searching said directory for said extracted portion of the network address;

determining the user name associated with said extracted portion of the network address; and

displaying the Message Service message and the user name on the mobile device display.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said network address comprises an alphanumeric string with N characters;

and said portion of the network address comprises an alphanumeric string with M characters where N and M are positive integers and M is less than or equal to N.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said network address comprises ten numeric characters and said portion of the network address comprises the first five numeric characters of the network address.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said user name include information identifying the Message Service message as billable.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said user name include information identifying the Message Service message as non-billable.

6. A method of providing a user name for a network address in Message Service message comprising:

associating a user name with at least a portion of a network address;

instructing a mobile device to store the portion of the network address and associated user names in a storage component of the mobile device; and

instructing the mobile device to display the user name associated with the portion of network address in Message Service message displays in the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said method element of instructing a mobile device to store the portion of the network address and associated user names in a storage component of the mobile device comprises instructing the mobile device to store the portion of the network address and associated user names in a hidden directory in a storage component of the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said network address comprises an alphanumeric string with N characters;

and said portion of the network address comprises an alphanumeric string with M characters where N and M are positive integers and M is less than or equal to N.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein said method element of instructing the mobile device to display the user name associated with the portion of network address in Message Service message displays in the mobile device comprises transmitting an executable application to the mobile device.

10. A system for providing a user name for a network address in Message Service message comprising at least one subsystem that:

stores a user name associated with at least a portion of a network address in a storage component in a mobile device;

receives a Message Service message from the network address in the mobile device;

extracts at least the portion of the network address from the Message Service message;

searches said directory for said extracted portion of the network address;

determines the user name associated with said extracted portion of the network address; and

displays the Message Service message and the user name on the mobile device display.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said network address comprises an alphanumeric string with N characters;

and said portion of the network address comprises an alphanumeric string with M characters where N and M are positive integers and M is less than or equal to N.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said network address comprises ten numeric characters and said portion of the network address comprises the first five numeric characters of the network address.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein said user name include information identifying the Message Service message as billable.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein said user name include information identifying the Message Service message as non-billable.

15. A System for providing a user name for a network address in Message Service message comprising at least one subsystem that:

associates a user name with at least a portion of a network address;

instructs a mobile device to store the portion of the network address and associated user names in a storage component of the mobile device; and

instructs the mobile device to display the user name associated with the portion of network address in Message Service message displays in the mobile device.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said subsystem that instructs a mobile device to store the portion of the network address and associated user names in a storage component of the mobile device comprises a subsystem that instructs the mobile device to store the portion of the network address and associated user names in a hidden directory in a storage component of the mobile device.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein said network address comprises an alphanumeric string with N characters;

and said portion of the network address comprises an alphanumeric string with M characters where N and M are positive integers and M is less than or equal to N.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein said subsystem that instructs the mobile device to display the user name associated with the portion of network address in Message Service message displays in the mobile device comprises at least one subsystem that transmits an executable application to the mobile device.

19. A mobile device configured to receive messages comprising:

a receiver adapted to receive Message Service messages;

a data storage component;

a database stored in said data storage component, said database having a plurality of user names, each associated with at least a portion of respective network addresses;

a processor that extracts at least a portion of a network address from an originator of a Message Service message, compares the portion of the network address of the originator to at least some of the portions of network addresses stored in the database, and returns the associated user name; and

a display that displays the Message Service message and user name of the originator of the message.

20. The mobile device of claim 19 wherein said network address comprises an alphanumeric string with N characters;

and said portion of the network address comprises an alphanumeric string with M characters where N and M are positive integers and M is less than or equal to N.