MANAGING ELECTRONIC MESSAGES SENT TO REPLY TELEPHONE NUMBERS

• US 20140344385A1
• Filed: 07/31/2014
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Odell, James A., Appelman, Barry, Wick, Andrew L., Keister, Alan, Bergstrom, Raine, Yin, Xiaoyan, McNally, Barbara, Hullfish, Keith C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,033,669 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• 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 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks

Abstract

A graphical user interface on a display device of a computer enables communications using a computer service. The graphical user interface includes a list of potential message recipients selected by a user as significant to the user. The graphical user interface also includes a mobile device identifier associated with one or more of the listed potential message recipients and a user account identifier associated with one or more of the listed potential message recipients. At least one of the listed potential recipients includes a mobile device identifier as the only available conduit for data delivery to the potential message recipient using the computer service.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first type of electronic message addressed to a reply telephone number;

identifying a first user account associated with the reply telephone number;

preparing, using at least one processor, a second type of electronic message based on the content of the first type of electronic message; and

sending the second type of electronic message addressed to the identified first user account.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a message session information entry associated with the first user account; and

assigning the reply telephone number to the message session information entry.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

identifying a mobile telephone number associated with a sender of the first type of electronic message; and

associating the mobile telephone number with the message session information entry.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising selecting the reply telephone number from a pool of reply telephone numbers.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the reply telephone number comprises a temporary reply telephone number.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the reply telephone number comprises a short code.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a second user account associated with a sender of the first type of electronic message;

determining that the first type of electronic message has a reply source indicator that is different from an original intended destination indicator identified by the first user account;

if the second user account indicates to hide reply source indicators, then sending the second type of electronic message having a surrogate reply source indicator that is the same as the original intended destination indicator; and

if the second user account does not indicate to hide reply source indicators, then sending the second type of electronic message having a surrogate reply source indicator that is the same as the reply source indicator.

8. A method comprising:

receiving, from a first client device associated with a mobile telephone number, a first type of electronic message addressed to a reply telephone number associated with a first user account;

identifying a second user account associated with the mobile telephone number;

preparing, using at least one processor, a second type of electronic message based on content of the first type of electronic message; and

sending, from the identified second user account, the second type of electronic message addressed to the first user account.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

identifying a set of computing devices at which the first user account is active;

identifying a second client device from the identified set of computing devices; and

determining that the second client device is available to receive the second type of electronic message.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining that the first user account was active most recently at the second client device.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining that the first user account was active first at the second client device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the second client device comprises a mobile telephone.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining that the first type of electronic message has a reply source indicator that is different from an original intended destination indicator identified by the first user account;

if the identified second user account indicates to hide reply source indicators, then sending the second type of electronic message having a surrogate reply source indicator that is the same as the original intended destination indicator; and

if the second user account does not indicate to hide reply source indicators, then sending the second type of electronic message having a surrogate reply source indicator that is the same as the reply source indicator.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the original intended destination indicator comprises a username associated with the second user account and the reply source indicator comprises the mobile telephone number associated with the second user account.

15. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to;

receive a first type of electronic message addressed to a reply telephone number;

identify a first user account associated with the reply telephone number;

prepare a second type of electronic message based on the content of the first type of electronic message; and

send the second type of electronic message addressed to the identified first user account.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

identify a mobile device at which the first user account is active; and

determine that the mobile device is available to receive the second type of electronic message.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to determine that the first user account was active most recently at the mobile device.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to determine that the first user account is signed in to a communications system through the mobile device.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

identify a second user account associated with a sender of the first type of electronic message;

if the second user account indicates to hide reply source indicators, then send the second type of electronic message having a surrogate reply source indicator that is the same as an original intended destination indicator identified by the first user account; and

if the second user account does not indicate to hide reply source indicators, then send the second type of electronic message having a surrogate reply source indicator that is the same as a reply source indicator of the first type of electronic message.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

receive an indication of whether to hide reply source indicators for reply electronic messages sent by the second user account; and

associate the indication of whether to hide reply source indicators with the second user account.