Command based group SMS with mobile message receiver and server

• US 7,251,495 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Issued: 07/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Keyani, Pedram, Farnham, Shelly D
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sabouri; Mazda
• Application Number:
  US10/955,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20050170856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/414.3, 455/404.1, 455/73, 455/403, 455/466, 455/563, 455/416
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Disclosed is a unique system and method that facilitate group communication using SMS text messaging and a plurality of SMS based commands. More specifically, the system and method make use of mobile communication devices such as mobile or cellular phones, smart phones, and/or PDAs which are equipped with SMS capabilities. Communication within a group of users can be accomplished in part by creating a text message and sending it to at least one communication server by way of at least one common access number. The communication server can analyze the message to determine the recipient group and broadcast the message to the members of the group in real-time or near real-time. Groups can be user-defined and managed dynamically by users using either a website interface or a mobile communication device interface at any time or anywhere. The communication server can be a suitably equipped mobile communication device or a separate server can be employed.

Claims

1. A command-based group text messaging system comprising:

an initiating mobile communication device that creates a message for subsequent broadcast to a recipient group; and

a communication server that analyzes the message received from the initiating mobile communication device and broadcasts the message to a recipient group;

wherein the initiating mobile communication device employs any one of a plurality of commands to communicate with the communication server;

wherein the plurality of commands facilitates creation, management, and removal of users or user-defined groups and communication within a group, via the communication server;

wherein the communication server is a smart phone that enables group management to be performed directly from the smart phone by hosting user groups and maintaining message logs, the smart phone operates as the communication server for at least one group and belongs to at least one group the communication server hosts; and

wherein the communication server creates and updates the message logs by storing each message broadcasted per group for later viewing.

2. The system of claim 1, the initiating mobile communication device comprises any one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, and a smart phone.

3. The system of claim 1, the recipient group comprises a plurality of users and their respective mobile communication devices.

4. The system of claim 1, the recipient group comprises the initiating mobile communication device and at least one other mobile communication device.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a broadcasting component that broadcasts the message from the communication server to the recipient group.

6. The system of claim 1, the plurality of commands is SMS based.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one database that is accessible by the communication server to facilitate broadcasting the message to the recipient group.

8. The system of claim 7, the at least one database comprises at least one of the following:

user information, group information, and message logs.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a group management sub-system that facilitates user maintenance or creation of groups.

10. The system of claim 1 is employed on at least one of a web interface or a mobile communication device interface.

11. The system of claim 1, the recipient group comprises at least one owner of the group that controls communication within or to and from the group.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a polling component that identifies at least one of a user'"'"'s status or a group'"'"'s status.

13. The system of claim 1, the communication server is serially or wirelessly connected to a group of users, each user having at least one mobile communication device equipped to send or receive text messages.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a voice recognition system that detects a user'"'"'s voice and converts the user'"'"'s voice to text to facilitate creating a text message on the initiating mobile communication device.

15. The system of claim 1, farther comprising an artificial intelligence component operatively connected to the communication server that associates one or more words in the text message with at least one group and infers the recipient group.

16. A method that facilitates real-time group communication comprising:

creating a text message on an initiating mobile communication device for subsequent broadcast to a recipient group;

sending the text message from the initiating mobile communication device to a communication server, wherein the communication server is a smart phone, the smart phone operates as the communication server for at least one group and belongs to at least one group the communication server hosts;

analyzing the text message received from the initiating mobile device; and

broadcasting the text message to the recipient group;

managing one or more recipient groups at least in part by utilizing a plurality of commands, wherein the plurality of commands facilitates creation, management, and removal of users or user-defined groups and communication within a group, via the communication server;

enabling group management to be performed directly from the smart phone by hosting user groups and maintaining message logs directly on the smart phone; and

creating and updating message logs by storing each message broadcasted per group for later viewing.

17. The method of claim 16, analyzing the message comprises determining the recipient group.

18. The method of claim 16 is performed using at least one of a web interface or a mobile communication device interface.

19. A method that facilitates real-time group communication and microcoordination comprising:

sending a text message to a communication server via at least one access number;

determining a recipient group of the text message;

broadcasting the text message from the communication server to the recipient group; and

managing one or more recipient groups at least in part by utilizing one or more SMS based commands, wherein the SMS based commands facilitate creation, management, and removal of users or user-defined groups and communication within a group, via the communication server, wherein the communication server is a smart phone, the smart phone operates as the communication server for at least one group and belongs to at least one group the communication server hosts;

enabling group management to be performed directly from the smart phone by hosting user groups and maintaining message logs directly on the smart phone; and

creating and updating message logs by storing each message broadcasted per group for later viewing.

20. The method of claim 19, determining the recipient group of the text message comprises:

recognizing a group name specified in the message; and

accessing one or more databases to locate information about members of the group.

21. The method of claim 19, determining the recipient group of the text message comprises accessing one or more databases for information about a default group selected by message author when no group name is specified in the message.

22. The method of claim 19, determining the recipient group of the text message comprises learning to associate one or more words from the message with at least one group based at least in part upon a user'"'"'s behavior and inferring the recipient group.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising at least one of the following:

determining any one of a group status or a member status;

determining any one of a group profile or a member profile;

creating a new group;

adding a new member to a group;

removing an existing member from the group;

modifying group information;

modifying member information;

modifying access rights of a member;

modifying access rights to any one group;

modifying group status;

viewing any group'"'"'s message log; and

joining any group.

24. The method of claim 23 performed at least in part by utilizing one or more SMS based commands.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising parsing the text message and recognizing at least one command to determine a desired action to be performed.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein modifying group status is performed by at least one group owner.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein modifying access rights to a group is performed by at least one group owner.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein joining a group comprises sending a text message via the communication server to the group requesting membership to the group.

29. A system that facilitates real-time group communication and microcoordination comprising:

means for sending a text message to a communication server via at least one access number;

means for determining a recipient group of the text message;

means for broadcasting the text message from the communication server to the recipient group; and

means for managing one or more recipient groups at least in part by utilizing a plurality of SMS based commands, wherein the plurality of SMS based commands facilitate creation, management, and removal of users or user-defined groups and communication within a group, via the communication server, wherein the communication server is a smart phone, the smart phone operates as the communication server for at least one group and belongs to at least one group the communication server hosts;

means for enabling group management to be performed directly from the smart phone by hosting user groups and maintaining message logs directly on the smart phone; and

means for creating and updating message logs by storing each message broadcasted per group for later viewing.