Method and apparatus for delivering messages to a device

• US 6,771,749 B1
• Filed: 07/23/1999
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Begeja, Lee, Bansal, Pradeep K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US09/360,882
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/88.24, 379/88.25, 379/905, 379/908, 455/412, 455/413, 455/466
• US Class Current: 379/88.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sending messages to a portable device. The apparatus broadcasts query signals and receives an identification code from a portable device as a reply. The identification code can identify a portable device user, user preferences and portable device capabilities. Messages of various formats are retrieved from local and/or remote messaging systems based on the identification code. The apparatus can send the retrieved messages to the portable device and receive messages from the portable device.

Claims

1. A method of delivering messages to a portable device comprising:

selecting a query signal at a controller for broadcasting the query signal to the portable device;

broadcasting the query signal from a detector, the detector being in communications with the controller;

receiving a device identifier at the detector in response to the query signal, the device identifier uniquely identifying the portable device and the capabilities of said portable device; and

supplying stored messages to the portable device based on both the device identifier and the capabilities of said portable device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of supplying stored messages comprises forwarding messages of various formats to the portable device, the messages of various formats including at least one of e-mail, voice-mail, text messages, pager messages and facsimile messages.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of supplying stored messages comprises forwarding messages of various formats to the portable device depending upon at least one of format capabilities of the portable device and user preferences.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving messages from the portable device and forwarding the messages received from the portable device to a message device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

retrieving messages from a plurality of messaging systems; and

forwarding the messages retrieved from the plurality of messaging systems to the portable device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the device identifier includes at least one of a user identification that identifies the user of the portable device and a device capability indicator that identifies capabilities of the portable device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the device identifier of the portable device includes receiving device identifiers and capabilities of more than one portable device, and forwarding the device identifiers and capabilities to the controller.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the device identifier comprises,

detecting a reply signal from the portable device, the reply signal including the device identifier and the device capabilities.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the steps of broadcasting a query signal from the detector and receiving the device identifier and capabilities at the detector are performed using a transceiver that is capable of sending and receiving signals to and from the portable device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

storing the messages in at least one messaging system; and

retrieving messages from the messages stored in at least one messaging system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the device identifier and capabilities and supplying messages to the portable device are performed automatically.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of supplying stored messages comprises:

accessing a messaging system and based on the device identifier and capabilities, retrieving messages corresponding to the device identifier and capabilities.

13. An apparatus for delivering messages to a portable device comprising:

a controller operative for selecting a query signal;

a detector in communications with the controller and for broadcasting the query signal to the portable device and for receiving a device identifier in response to the query signal that uniquely identifies the portable device and the capabilities of said portable device; and

a messaging system that supplies stored messages to the portable device based on the device identifier and the capabilities of said portable device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the messaging system forwards stored messages of various formats to the portable device, the various formats including at least one of e-mail, voicemail, text messages, pager messages or facsimile messages.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the messaging system forwards stored messages of various formats to the portable device depending upon format capabilities of the portable device or user preferences.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the messaging system receives messages from the portable device and forwards the messages received from the portable device to a message device.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the detector detects a reply signal from the portable device, the reply signal comprising the device identifier and the capabilities of the device.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the messaging system retrieves one or more messages from other messaging systems.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the device identifier comprises at least one of a user identification that identifies the user of the portable device and a device capability indicator that identifies capabilities of the portable device.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the detector is operative for detecting the presence of more than one portable device.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a database that stores messages to be sent to the portable device, the database in communications with the controller.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the detector comprises a transceiver.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the detector automatically receives the device identifier that uniquely identifies the portable device and the capabilities of the portable device and the messaging system automatically forwards stored messages to the portable device.

24. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the detector detects a query signal transmitted from the portable device and the detector forwards the query signal to the controller and transmits a reply message to the portable device.

25. A method of delivering messages to a portable device comprising:

selecting a query signal at the portable device;

broadcasting the query signal from the portable device to a detector transceiver, the detector transceiver in communications with the controller;

receiving a device identifier at the detector transceiver in response to the query signal, the device identifier uniquely identifying the portable device and the capabilities of said portable device; and

supplying stored messages to the portable device based on the device identifier and the capabilities of said portable device.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of transmitting a reply signal to the portable device in response to the query signal.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of receiving the device identifier includes receiving device identifiers and capabilities of more than one portable device, and forwarding the device identifiers and capabilities to the controller.