Systems And Methods For Electronic Distribution Of Messages Over Communication Channels

• US 20110179126A1
• Filed: 01/20/2011
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wetherell, William G., Louie, David G., Sabat, Jeffry B.
• Granted Patent: US 10,122,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• 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 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/563 of the wireless resources

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for electronically distributing messages over communication channels. In accordance with one implementation, a system is provided that comprises at least one database for storing instructions for operating an input field and transmitting messages over a plurality of different communication channels, and at least one processing system configured to execute the instructions, to perform a method. The method may include displaying to a user, over a network, an input field for entering messages and receiving from the user, over the network and by entry into the input field, a message, an identification of one or more recipients, and a selection of at least one communication channel. The method may also include determining whether an identifier is stored in relation to each recipient for the selected communication channel and electronically sending, to each recipient with a stored identifier, the message via the selected communication channel.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for electronically distributing messages, comprising:

displaying to a user, over a network, an input field for entering messages;

receiving from the user, over the network and by entry into the input field, a message, an identification of one or more recipients, and a selection of a communication channel;

determining whether an identifier is stored in relation to each recipient for the selected communication channel; and

electronically sending, to each recipient with a stored identifier, the message via the selected communication channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication channel includes at least one of an email, SMS text messaging, instant messaging, and social network messaging.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein if an identifier is not stored in relation to a recipient for the selected communication channel, the method further comprises at least one of the following steps:

transmitting an error message to the user;

requesting, via the input field, entry of an address, phone number, or unique ID for the recipient; and

requesting, via the input field, the selection of an alternative communication channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises displaying the input field to the user using an application running on an operating system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the input field is displayed to the user as a toolbar of a web browser.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the input field is implemented as an SMS messaging recipient in a mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the input field is displayed to the user at the top of an e-mail based web portal.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the selected communication channel is SMS text messaging and the message exceeds a length permitted for SMS text messaging, separating the message into a plurality of text messages and displaying, to the user, the number of text messages that will be sent to transmit the message.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a plurality of user interface functions with the input field, by which the user can switch between selected communication channels, add or remove selected recipients, and add or remove text in the message.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a plurality of icons in the input field, each icon representing a different communication channel that the user can manipulate to select a communication channel for sending the message.

11. A system for electronically distributing messages over communication channels, the system comprising:

at least one database for storing instructions for operating an input field and transmitting messages over a plurality of different communication channels; and

at least one processing system configured to execute the instructions and perform a method including;

displaying to a user, over a network, an input field for entering messages;

receiving from the user, over the network and by entry into the input field, a message, an identification of one or more recipients, and a selection of a communication channel;

determining whether an identifier is stored in relation to each recipient for the selected communication channel; and

electronically sending, for each recipient with a stored identifier, the message via the selected communication channel.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing system is further configured such that:

if the selected communication channel is SMS text messaging and the message exceeds a length permitted for SMS text messaging, the processing system separates the message into a plurality of text messages and presents, to the user, the number of text messages that will be sent to transmit the message.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing system is further configured for providing user interface functions with the input field, by which the user can switch between selected communication channels, add or remove selected recipients, and add or remove text in the message.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing systems is further configured for displaying a plurality of icons in the input field, each icon representing a different communication channel that the user can manipulate to select a communication channel for sending the message.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the communication channel includes at least one of email, SMS text messaging, instant messaging, and social network messaging.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein, if an identifier is not stored in relation to a recipient for the selected communication channel, the processing system is further configured to perform at least one of the following steps:

transmitting an error message to the user;

requesting, via the input field, entry of an address, phone number, or unique ID for the recipient for the selected communication;

or

requesting, via the input field, the selection of an alternative communication channel.

17. A computer-implemented method for electronically distributing messages, the method comprising:

displaying to a user, over a network, an input field for entering messages;

receiving from the user, over the network and by entry into the input field, a message, an identification of one or more recipients, and a request for auto-selection of a communication channel;

determining whether an address, phone number, or unique ID is stored in relation to each recipient for each of a plurality of available communication channels;

ranking the available communication channels for which an address, phone number, or unique ID is stored in relation to each recipient, according to one or more criteria; and

sending the message to at least one recipient based on the ranking.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the one or more criteria include at least one of available contact information, communication history, current availability, and social norms.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising:

sending the message via the available communication channel that is highest ranked after completion of the ranking.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying to the user the reason why the highest-ranked communication channel is highest ranked after completion of the ranking.