Devices, systems and methods for delivering text messages

• US 7,535,922 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2002
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Potts, Karl W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad; Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed; Salman
• Application Number:
  US10/255,888
• Time in Patent Office: 2,427 Days
• Field of Search: 370/271, 379157-158
• US Class Current: 370/465
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72478 for hearing-impaired users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42391 where the subscribers are hearing-impaired persons, e.g. telephone devices for the deaf
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages

Abstract

A network switch. The network switch includes a processor configured to execute a set of instructions to access a recorded announcement with attendant text and to transmit the recorded announcement with the attendant text to a telecommunications device.

Claims

1. A network switch, comprising:

communications logic configured to facilitate communication with a telecommunications device; and

a first processor coupled to the communications logic, said first processor executing a set of instructions to access a plurality of words and assemble the plurality of accessed words to form a recorded announcement, the first processor further configured to transmit said recorded announcement to the telecommunications device, the first processor further configured to route an alerting tone to the telecommunications device, the alerting tone configured to indicate that a text message will be sent, the first processor further configured to determine whether the text message will fit on a display screen of the telecommunications device, the first processor configured to, in response to determining that the text message will not fit on the display screen of the telecommunications device, send a summary of the text message to the telecommunications device, the first processor further configured to, in response to determining that the text message will fit on the display screen of the telecommunications device, route the text message to the telecommunications device, after routing the recorded announcement to the telecommunications device, wherein the recorded announcement is audibly presented followed by presentation of the alerting tone, followed by presentation of the text message, where audible presentation of the recorded announcement is suspended for presentation of the alerting tone.

2. The network switch of claim 1, wherein said telecommunications device is selected from the group consisting of a wireless telephone and a wireline telephone.

3. The network switch of claim 1, wherein said switch is in communication with a device for storing said recorded announcement and wherein said device for storing said recorded announcement includes a plurality of recorded announcements and a plurality of phrases of said recorded announcements.

4. The network switch of claim 3, wherein said device for storing said recorded announcement is in communication with a second processor and wherein said second processor executes a set of instructions to convert said recorded announcement into one of a frequency shift keyed (FSK) modulated signal, a short message service (SMS) message, and a multimedia message service (MMS) message and to transmit one of said FSK signal, said SMS message, and said MMS message to said network switch.

5. The network switch of claim 1, wherein the recorded announcement is stored separately from the text message.

6. The network switch of claim 1, wherein the recorded announcement is stored together with the text message.

7. The network switch of claim 1, wherein the telecommunications device is configured to receive the text message and display the text message.

8. The network switch of claim 1, wherein the telecommunications device is configured to convert the text message into a series of characters for display.

9. The network switch of claim 1, wherein the telecommunications device is configured to operate in a digital wireless system.

10. The network switch of claim 9, wherein the digital wireless system includes a time division multiple access (TDMA) system.

11. The network switch of claim 9, wherein the digital wireless system includes a code division multiple access (CDMA) system.

12. A network switch, comprising:

means for facilitating communication with a telecommunications device;

means for executing a set of instructions to access a plurality of words and assembling the plurality of accessed words to form a recorded announcement;

means for transmitting said recorded announcement to the telecommunications device;

means for routing an alerting tone to the telecommunications device, the alerting tone configured to indicate that a text message will be sent;

means for determining whether the text message will fit on a display screen of the telecommunications device;

means for, in response to determining that the text message will not fit on the display screen of the telecommunications device, sending a summary of the text message to the telecommunications device; and

means for, in response to determining that the text message will fit on the display screen of the telecommunications device, routing the text message to the telecommunications device, after routing the recorded announcement to the telecommunications device, wherein the recorded announcement is audibly presented followed by presentation of the alerting tone, followed by presentation of the text message, where audible presentation of the recorded announcement is suspended for presentation of the alerting tone.

13. The network switch of claim 12, wherein said switch is in communication with a means for storing said recorded announcement and wherein said means for storing said recorded announcement includes a plurality of recorded announcements and a plurality of phrases of said recorded announcements.

14. The network switch of claim 13, wherein said means for storing said recorded announcement is in communication with a means for processing and wherein said means for processing further includes a means for executing a set of instructions to convert said recorded announcement into one of a frequency shift keyed (FSK) modulated signal, a short message service (SMS) message, and a multimedia message service (MMS) message and to transmit one of said FSK signal, said SMS message, and said MMS message to said network switch.

15. The network switch of claim 12, wherein the recorded announcement is stored accordingly to at least one of the following:

separately from the text message and together with the text message.

16. The network switch of claim 12, wherein the telecommunications device is configured to receive the text message and display the text message.

17. The network switch of claim 12, wherein the telecommunications device is configured to convert the text message into a series of characters for display.

18. The network switch of claim 12, wherein the telecommunications device is configured to operate in a digital wireless system, wherein the digital wireless system includes a time division multiple access (TDMA) system, and wherein the digital wireless system includes a code division multiple access (CDMA) system.

19. A computer-readable medium that includes a program that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform at least the following:

facilitate communication with a telecommunications device;

execute a set of instructions to access a plurality of words and assemble the plurality of accessed words to form a recorded announcement;

transmit said recorded announcement to the telecommunications device;

route an alerting tone to the telecommunications device, the alerting tone configured to indicate that a text message will be sent;

determine whether the text message will fit on a display screen of the telecommunications device;

in response to determining that the text message will not fit on the display screen of the telecommunications device, send a summary of the text message to the telecommunications device; and

in response to determining that the text message will fit on the display screen of the telecommunications device, route the text message to the telecommunications device, after routing the recorded announcement to the telecommunications device, wherein the recorded announcement is audibly presented followed by presentation of the alerting tone, followed by presentation of the text message, where audible presentation of the recorded announcement is suspended for presentation of the alerting tone.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising means for processing and wherein said means for processing further includes a means for executing a set of instructions to convert said recorded announcement into one of a frequency shift keyed (FSK) modulated signal, a short message service (SMS) message, and a multimedia message service (MMS) message and to transmit one of said FSK signal, said SMS message, and said MMS message to said network switch.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the program is further configured cause the computer to determine whether the recorded announcement is needed and, in response to a determination that the recorded announcement is needed, assembling the recorded announcement from the plurality of words that are stored in a database.