Rule based processing of SMS messages

• US 7,286,840 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2005
• Issued: 10/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jataayu Software Limited
• Original Assignee: Jataayu Software Limited
• Inventors: Jain, Mahesh Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Lester G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERRERA, DIEGO D
• Application Number:
  US11/183,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20060276208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/414.1, 455/414.4, 455/445
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

A method and system for receiving, processing and distributing SMS and MMS messages, which consists of a message processor and virtual or desktop clients. The message processor comprises of a rule processing agent that intelligently analyses incoming messages using a set of predetermined logic rules and directs the dispatching agent to deliver the final processed message to the recipients using one or more communication channels such as SMS, MMS, pop up message, e-mail, fax or phone call. The message processing system consists of virtual secretaries that are customizable for each user of the message processing system, each virtual secretary contains a set of user specific processing rules that accepts the user'"'"'s request and applies its own set of processing rules, conducts a set of processing actions, and if required invokes the message processor to further carry rule processing or uses the dispatching agent to distribute the message.

Claims

1. A system for receiving, processing and routing a message, wherein said message is a short message service or multimedia message service message, comprising:

a message processor for receiving, processing and routing said message, further comprising;

a receiving agent for receiving the message and for forwarding the message to a rule processing agent;

said rule processing agent further comprising;

a rule repository logic that contains a set of logic rules for processing the message;

a natural language processing engine for analyzing the text of said message

a routing engine for routing the message to the intended recipient of the message;

a distribution agent for distributing the processed message received from the rule processing agent, further comprising a short messaging service or multimedia messaging service messages dispatcher, pop-up message dispatcher, e-mail dispatcher, fax dispatcher and phone call dispatcher; and

a plurality of virtual secretary clients serving a plurality of users respectively, wherein each virtual secretary client is created and customized by its respective user, said virtual secretary client further comprising;

a rule repository that contains a set of logic rules for processing the message;

a user personal directory to store personal address contacts of said user;

a text analyzer engine to analyze the incoming message;

an invoke engine, wherein if processing of the message in the virtual secretary client requires inputs of the message processor, said invoke engine invokes actions at the message processor; and

wherein said message processor first receives said message from a user, and if the message is addressed to the virtual secretary client of said user, the message processor forwards the message to the virtual secretary client assigned to the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the message is generated by one or more of mobile phones, user client computers, personal communication devices and direct leased lines to the servers of communication network providers.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user client comprises a computer program for displaying a pop-up message of the incoming message from the individual user on the computer screen of the recipients.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user client comprises a text to audio conversion means for creating and playing the audio of the incoming message.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the message processor is in communication with a fax for transmitting a fax.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual secretary client is directed to execute a computer file and provide the executed results to recipients via the message processor.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the message processor is customized to address needs of customer relationship management systems, supply chain systems, sales force automation systems, material distribution systems, hospitality management systems, hospital systems, retailer systems and communication service provider systems.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the message processor comprises an exchange directory for searching a contact address upon a short message service request and for providing the contact address back to the sender.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the message processor, upon request of a user, can email requested documents to recipients listed by the user.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the message processor, upon request of a user, can initiate a phone call to the user.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the message processor is in communication with the internet for browsing and extracting information from the internet upon request of a user.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the message processor, upon request of a user, can initiate a phone call.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual secretary client has characteristics of any other user in a network, and wherein the message processor treats the virtual secretary client as any other user client of the network.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein if the address and name of the recipients of the message are not specified explicitly in the message, the virtual secretary client applies its logic rules to determine the recipient of the message.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual secretary client contains a set of user specific rules to:

conduct a set of processing actions; and

if required, invoke the message processor to carry out further rule processing and distributing activities.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the invoke engine invokes the message processor to carry out one or more activities of rule processing, distributing messages, file execution, searching the exchange directory and extracting addresses from an exchange directory.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual secretary client schedules the incoming and outgoing messages, and optimises the schedule of the incoming and outgoing messages depending on the traffic load of delivery channels.

18. A method of processing and managing a message sent by a user, wherein said message is a short messaging service or multimedia messaging service message, comprising the steps of:

configuring a virtual secretary client by said user with a set of logic rules for analyzing and acting upon the messages;

receiving said message at a message processor, and if the message is addressed to a virtual secretary client of the user, forwarding the message by the message processor to said virtual secretary client specifically assigned to the user; and

analysing the text content of the short messaging service or multimedia messaging service messages message at the virtual secretary client by applying said set of logic rules and performing one or more of the following functions comprising;

displaying the short messaging service or multimedia messaging service messages on the computer of the recipients of the message in a pop-window;

performing a text to voice conversion of the message and playing the voice to the recipient;

faxing a document to the recipient of the message using the instructions in the message of the short messaging service or multimedia messaging service messages;

initiating a phone call to the recipient using the instructions in the short messaging service or multimedia messaging service messages;

extracting and e-mailing a computer file;

browsing the internet, extracting information from the internet; and

e-mailing or short messaging service or multimedia messaging service messaging the extracted information from the internet to the recipients of the message; and

wherein if the processing of the message in the virtual secretary client requires the inputs of the message processor, said invoke engine performs the step of;

invoking actions at the message processor.