Message delivery systems and methods

• US 7,133,506 B1
• Filed: 08/12/2002
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Benjamin V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US10/217,283
• Time in Patent Office: 1,548 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/69, 379/79, 379/87, 379/68, 379/88, 379/88.16, 379/114.01, 379/211.03, 705/14, 705/1, 705/8
• US Class Current: 379/88.25
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects

Abstract

An apparatus for allowing a calling party to transmit a message for scheduled delivery from a network-enabled device. The apparatus includes a server for receiving a message request in response to a command from the network-enabled device, for generating one or more message addresses from the message request, and for transmitting the message request to one or more telecommunication networks corresponding to the one or more message addresses.

Claims

1. A method for allowing a requestor to establish a message for scheduled delivery via a network-enabled device, the method comprising:

receiving a message request, the message request including, a first destination address for a primary recipient, a second destination address for an alternate recipient, a schedule for delivery, information identifying the requester, and message content, wherein the message content is edited and deleted by the requestor after being received;

authenticating the requestor based on the information identifying the requester;

determining a first routing address of an intelligent peripheral device associated with the primary recipient based on the first destination address for the primary recipient; and

transmitting the message request to the intelligent peripheral device associated with the primary recipient, wherein the message content is converted at the intelligent peripheral from text to voice and vice versa as required by the primary recipient;

determining a second routing address of a second intelligent peripheral device associated with the alternate recipient based on the second destination address for the alternate recipient if there is no answer in response to a call placed to the primary address;

transmitting the message request to the second intelligent peripheral device associated with the alternate recipient if there is no answer in response to a call placed to the primary address; and

sending the message content from the second intelligent peripheral device to the alternate recipient if there is no answer in response to a call placed to the primary address, wherein the message content is converted at the second intelligent peripheral from text to voice and vice versa as required by the alternate recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a notification of unsuccessful message delivery from the intelligent peripheral device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the message content from the intelligent peripheral device to the primary recipient according to the schedule for delivery.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the schedule for delivery includes at least one of a time for delivery, a date for delivery, a time interval for delivery, and a number of delivery retries to be made if the primary recipient cannot be reached.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step is performed according to the ENUM protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting step further comprises routing the message request through one or more softswitches.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network-enabled device is at least one of a telephone, a personal computer, an Internet appliance, a pocket PC device, a wireless application protocol (WAP) device, a personal digital assistant, and an interactive pager.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first destination address for the primary recipient and the second destination address for the alternate recipient includes an address of a telecommunications device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the telecommunications device is at least one of a telephone, a personal computer, an Internet appliance, a pocket PC device, a wireless application protocol (WAP) device, a personal digital assistant, and an interactive pager.

10. A system for allowing a requestor to establish a message for scheduled delivery via a network-enabled device, the system comprising:

a message server configured for;

receiving a message request, the message request including, a first destination address for a primary callee, and message content, wherein the message content is edited and deleted by the requester after being received;

determining a first routing address of an intelligent peripheral device associated with the primary callee based on the first destination address for the primary callee; and

transmitting the message request to the intelligent peripheral device associated with the primary callee;

the intelligent peripheral device configured for;

receiving the message request from the message server;

sending the message content to the primary callee;

converting the message content from text to voice and vice versa as required by the primary recipient;

determining a second routing address of a second intelligent peripheral device associated with an alternate callee based on the second destination address for the alternate callee if there is no answer in response to a call placed to the primary callee at the first destination; and

transmitting the message request to the second intelligent peripheral device if there is no answer in response to a call placed to the primary callee at the first destination address; and

converting the message content from text to voice and vice versa as required by the alternate recipient, and

an SCP hosting a network database in communication with the message server, the first intelligent peripheral and the second intelligent peripheral, wherein the SCP implements routing between the message server and the primary and alternate callees and stores callee routing information.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the message request further includes information identifying the requester, and wherein the message server is further configured for authenticating the requestor based on the information identifying the requester.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the message request further includes a schedule for delivery.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the schedule for delivery includes at least one of a time for delivery, a date for delivery, a time interval for delivery, and a number of delivery retries to be made if the primary callee cannot be reached.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the intelligent peripheral device is further configured to notify the message server if the primary callee cannot be reached.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the message server is further configured for determining the first routing address of the intelligent peripheral device associated with the primary callee according to the ENUM protocol.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising one or more softswitches for transmitting the message request between the message server and the intelligent peripheral.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the message server provides a web based graphical user interface to allow a user to submit the message request by accessing the web based graphical user interface over the Internet and providing textual information of the message request into the web based graphical user interface and wherein the message server performs a text to speech translation of the textual information to provide an audible message to the primary recipient.

18. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

receiving a message request, the message request including, a first destination address for a primary recipient, a second destination address for an alternate recipient, a schedule for delivery, information identifying the requestor, and message content, wherein the message content is edited and deleted by the requestor after being received;

authenticating the requestor based on the information identifying the requestor;

determining a first routing address of an intelligent peripheral device associated with the primary recipient based on the first destination address for the primary recipient;

transmitting the message request to the intelligent peripheral device associated with the primary recipient, wherein the message content is converted at the intelligent peripheral from text to voice and vice versa as required by the primary recipient;

determining a second routing address of a second intelligent peripheral device associated with the alternate recipient based on the second destination address for the alternate recipient if there is no answer in response to a call placed to the primary address; and

transmitting the message request to the second intelligent peripheral device associated with the alternate recipient if there is no answer in response to a call placed to the primary address, wherein the message content is converted at the second intelligent peripheral from text to voice and vice versa as required by the alternate recipient.