Method and system for generating a user-accessible internet-based mobile messaging log

• US 7,149,537 B1
• Filed: 02/12/2002
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Kupsh, Jerry, Lim, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREZ, JULIO R
• Application Number:
  US10/074,586
• Time in Patent Office: 1,764 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/403, 455/445, 455/412, 455/414, 455/416, 455/517, 455/413, 455/566, 455/38.1, 455/38.2, 455/567, 455/415, 455/38.4, 340/825.44, 709/219, 709/206, 709/313, 370/352
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• 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 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A system and method for providing a user-accessible Internet-based mobile messaging log that records messages communicated between an Internet-based sending device and an SMS-capable mobile device. An SMS messaging log is created for each Internet-based user that sends messages to SMS-capable mobile devices. The mobile user is then able to access their SMS messaging log via the Internet and view the SMS messages sent to the SMS-capable device. The message log also records and displays replies sent by the SMS-based user in response to the sent message. The system and method utilize a unique tracking identification number to match original messages to replies in the mobile messaging log.

Claims

1. A method for tracking messages delivered via a short message service (SMS) comprising the steps of:

receiving, at a gateway, a message destined for a mobile device;

assigning a unique identifier to the received message;

recording the received message and the unique identifier to a record in a database accessible to the gateway;

forwarding the received message from the gateway to the mobile device, wherein the forwarded message sent from the gateway to the mobile device includes an origination address, the origination address being derived from the unique identifier;

receiving, at the gateway, a reply to the message from the mobile device;

correlating the reply to the sent message by means of the unique identifier;

recording the correlated reply in the database record storing the sent message; and

allowing either of a sender or a recipient of the message to log in to the gateway to retrieve the database record to access and view each of the received message and the reply.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the forwarding step includes the step of sending the message to a short message service center (SMSC).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the sender of the message received at the gateway communicates with the gateway via the Internet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the gateway is an Internet Gateway identified by a domain name, the domain name being included in the origination address of the message sent from the gateway to the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the origination address of the message sent from the gateway to the mobile device includes the unique identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination address of the reply sent to the gateway is the origination address of the forwarded message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the message and reply are accessed using a web browser.

8. A system for recording a message sent from a first communication device connected to a first network to a second communication device connected to a second network, the system comprising:

a database and a gateway, the database connected to the gateway and the gateway connected to the first and second network, the gateway including a microprocessor which is programmed to;

receive the message sent from the first communication device destined for the second communication device,

assign a unique identifier to the message,

record the message and unique identifier to a record in the database,

forward the message to the second communication device connected to the second network, wherein the origination address of the forwarded message is derived from the unique identifier;

receive a reply to the message from the mobile device;

correlate the reply to the sent message by means of the unique identifier;

record the correlated reply in the database record storing the sent message; and

allow a user of either of the first or second communication devices to log in to the gateway to retrieve the database record to access and view each of the message and the reply.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first network is the Internet and the second network is the short message service (SMS) network.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the first communication device is a personal computer and the second communication device is a mobile device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the first communication device communicates with the gateway via the Internet using a web browser.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the second network is a short message service (SMS) network and the gateway is connected to a short message service center (SMSC).