Interactive communications system
First Claim
1. A method, being executed on hardware, of coordinating a communications session involving a plurality of users, the method comprising:
- receiving a SMS message comprising within the content of the message data indicative of a group of users as keywords entered by a sender of the SMS message identifying subject matter of the SMS message; and
transmitting, responsive to identifying members of the group, a message to at least some members of the group, the message having a message body comprising data providing access to a communications session and a destination address determined from the keywords,wherein the communications session accessible via said transmitted message involves participants other than the group members, andwherein the data providing access to the communications session comprises a user selectable link comprising a URL, which when selected enables a member'"'"'s terminal to retrieve data from the destination address.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An interactive system and method for controlling access to a plurality of communications sessions involving a plurality of users including controlling access to a plurality of communications sessions, each of said communications sessions being for access by a plurality of users, wherein data identifying said plurality of communications sessions have been stored in association with data indicative of one or more characteristics thereof. The method includes receiving a request to initiate communications among members of a group of users, wherein said request includes data identifying the group of users, responsive to receiving said request, selecting a communications session on the basis of data identifying the group and at least some of said stored data indicative of characteristics of a given communications session, and transmitting messages to at least some members of the group. Each message has a message body including data providing access to the selected communications session and a destination address determined from data indicative of a given member of the group.
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Citations
120 Claims
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1. A method, being executed on hardware, of coordinating a communications session involving a plurality of users, the method comprising:
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receiving a SMS message comprising within the content of the message data indicative of a group of users as keywords entered by a sender of the SMS message identifying subject matter of the SMS message; and transmitting, responsive to identifying members of the group, a message to at least some members of the group, the message having a message body comprising data providing access to a communications session and a destination address determined from the keywords, wherein the communications session accessible via said transmitted message involves participants other than the group members, and wherein the data providing access to the communications session comprises a user selectable link comprising a URL, which when selected enables a member'"'"'s terminal to retrieve data from the destination address. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. Apparatus which coordinates a communications session involving a plurality of users, the apparatus comprising:
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a receiver which receives a SMS message comprising within the content of the message data indicative of a group of users as keywords entered by a sender of the SMS message identifying subject matter of the SMS message; and a transmitter, responsive to identifying members of the group, which transmits a message to at least some members of the group, the message having a message body comprising data providing access to a communications session and a destination address determined from the keywords, wherein the communications session accessible via said transmitted message involves participants other than the group members, and wherein the data providing access to the communications session comprises a user selectable link comprising a URL, which when selected enables a member'"'"'s terminal to retrieve data from the destination address. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A computer program resident on computer-readable media, being executed on hardware, and arranged to coordinate a communications session involving a plurality of users, the computer program being arranged to:
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receive a SMS message comprising within the content of the message data indicative of a group of users as keywords entered by a sender of the SMS message identifying subject matter of the SMS message; and transmit, responsive to identifying members of the group, a message to at least some members of the group, the message having a message body comprising data providing access to a communications session and a destination address determined from the keywords, wherein the communications session accessible via said transmitted message involves participants other than the group members, and wherein the data providing access to the communications session comprises a user selectable link comprising a URL, which when selected enables a member'"'"'s terminal to retrieve data from the destination address. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A method, being executed on hardware, of announcing a group communications session for access by a plurality of users, wherein data identifying said communications session have been stored in association with data indicative of one or more characteristics thereof, the method comprising:
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receiving a SMS message comprising within the content of the message data indicative of a group of users as keywords entered by a sender of the SMS message identifying subject matter of the SMS message; selecting a communications session on the basis of data identifying the group and at least some of said stored data being indicative of characteristics of a given communications session; and transmitting a message to at least some members of the group, the message having a message body comprising data providing access to the selected communications session and a destination address determined from the keywords, wherein the message body comprises an information portion providing information in relation to the communications session, the information portion being selected at least on the basis of stored data associated with the selected communications session, and wherein the data providing access to the selected communications session comprises a user selectable link comprising a URL, which when selected enables a member'"'"'s terminal to retrieve data from the destination address determined when selected. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80)
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81. Apparatus which announces a group communications session for access by a plurality of users, wherein data identifying said communications session have been stored in association with data indicative of one or more characteristics thereof, the apparatus comprising:
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a receiver which receives a SMS message comprising within the content of the SMS message data indicative of a group of users as keywords entered by a sender of the message identifying subject matter of the SMS message; a selector which selects a communications session on the basis of data identifying the group and at least some of said stored data indicative of characteristics of a given communications session; and a transmitter which transmits a message to at least some members of the group, the message having a message body comprising data providing access to the selected communications session and a destination address determined from the keywords, wherein the message body comprises an information portion providing information in relation to the communications session, the information portion being selected at least on the basis of stored data associated with the selected communications session, and wherein the data providing access to the communications session comprises a user selectable link comprising a URL, which when selected enables a member'"'"'s terminal to retrieve data from the destination address. - View Dependent Claims (82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100)
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101. A computer program resident on computer-readable media, being executed on hardware, and arranged to announce a group communications session for access by a plurality of users, wherein data identifying said communications session have been stored in association with data indicative of one or more characteristics thereof, the computer program being arranged to:
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receive a SMS message comprising within the content of the message data indicative of a group of users as keywords entered by a sender of the SMS message identifying subject matter of the SMS message; select a communications session on the basis of data identifying the group and at least some of said stored data indicative of characteristics of a given communications session; and transmit a message to at least some members of the group, the message having a message body comprising data providing access to the selected communications session and a destination address determined from the keywords, wherein the message body comprises an information portion providing information in relation to the communications session, the information portion being selected at least on the basis of stored data associated with the selected communications session, and wherein the data providing access to the selected communications session comprises a user selectable link comprising a URL, which when selected enables a member'"'"'s terminal to retrieve data from the destination address. - View Dependent Claims (102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120)
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Specification