System and method of serving data messages

• US 7,907,612 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2005
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F Poszat Hu LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lon Communication Mgmt LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jones, Clifton T
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah; Melur
• Assistant Examiner(s): Laekemariam; Yosef K
• Application Number:
  US11/178,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20050249216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,076 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.11, 379/88.13, 379/89.19, 379/142.04, 379/207.13, 379/207.15, 370/259, 370/392, 370/466, 709/217, 709/232
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/353 where the information comprises non-audio but is provided over voice channels protocols for multimedia information services per se H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A system and method of serving text-based data messages to a caller identification (caller ID) system in a telecommunications network environment may overwrite source-specific information in a selected data packet header field with text-based message data. A protocol translator may enable text data to be served to a caller ID system used in conjunction with a plain old telephone service (POTS) telephone as well as with a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) device. Text messages addressed and routed to a caller ID enabled device may be displayed on the caller ID display.

Claims

1. A method of serving text-based data messages to a caller identification system in a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

receiving a data packet comprising message data and a header field containing source-specific information identifying a source of the data packet;

identifying one or more intended recipients of the data packet; and

overwriting the source-specific information in the header field with the message data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forwarding the data packet to the one or more intended recipients.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising selectively translating the data packet into a protocol recognizable by the one or more intended recipients.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the forwarding is further in accordance with the translating.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

determining whether receipt notification has been requested by the source; and

responsive to the determining, selectively repeating the forwarding.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving and the identifying include parsing at least part of the data packet.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

forwarding the data packet to enable a caller identification system to display the message data.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least part of the telecommunications network is operative in accordance with Session Initiation Protocol.

9. A message system serving text-based data messages to a caller identification system in a telecommunications network, the message system comprising:

a message receiver operative to receive a data packet comprising message data and a header field containing source-specific information identifying a source of the data packet; and

a header field modifier operative to overwrite the source-specific information in the header field with the message data.

10. The message system of claim 9 further comprising:

a message router operative to route the data packet, modified by the header field modifier, to one or more intended recipients.

11. The message system of claim 9 wherein the message receiver and the header field modifier are incorporated into a network access device.

12. The message system of claim 11 wherein the message router is incorporated into the network access device.

13. The message system of claim 9 wherein the message receiver and the header field modifier are incorporated into a server.

14. The message system of claim 13 wherein the message router is incorporated into the server.

15. The message system of claim 9 further comprising a protocol translator operative to translate the data packet into a protocol recognizable by the one or more intended recipients.

16. The message system of claim 15 wherein the protocol translator comprises an integrated access device.

17. The message system of claim 16 wherein the protocol translator is configured to translate a Session Initiation Protocol data packet into a protocol recognizable by a public-switched telephone network device.

18. A method of serving text-based data messages, the method comprising:

overwriting source-specific information in a source header field of a data packet with message data of the data packet, the data packet further including a recipient header field containing recipient-specific information related to one or more intended recipients of the data packet; and

creating a modified data packet in accordance with the overwriting.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

forwarding the modified data packet.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising translating the modified data packet into a protocol recognizable by the one or more intended recipients.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

determining for each of the one or more intended recipients, whether the modified data packet has been received; and

selectively repeating the forwarding to ones of the one or more intended recipients based on the determining.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

terminating the selectively repeating based on a determination that each of the one or more intended recipients received the modified data packet.

23. The method of claim 19 further comprising forwarding the modified data packet to each of the one or more recipients enable the one or more recipients to display the message data on a caller identification system.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein at least part of the telecommunications network is operative in accordance with Session Initiation Protocol.

25. A communications network system comprising:

a message source operative to compose and to transmit a data packet comprising message data and a header field containing source-specific information identifying the message source, wherein the data packet is to be transmitted to at least one recipient device having an associated display for displaying information; and

a message processor operative to create a modified data packet wherein the source-specific information in the header field is overwritten with the message data.

26. The network system of claim 25, further comprising:

a message router operative to route the modified data packet to the at least one recipient device.

27. The network system of claim 25 wherein the message source, and the message processor are incorporated into a network access device.

28. The network system of claim 25 wherein the message source and the message processor are incorporated into a server.

29. The network system of claim 25 further comprising a protocol translator operative to translate the modified data packet into a protocol recognizable by the one or more intended recipients.

30. The message system of claim 29 wherein the protocol translator comprises an integrated access device.

31. The message system of claim 29 wherein the protocol translator is configured to translate Session Initiation Protocol data packets into a protocol recognizable by a public-switched telephone network device.

32. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a data packet comprising message data and a header field containing header information;

means for identifying one or more intended recipients of the data packet; and

means for overwriting at least part of the header information with the message data.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising means for forwarding the data packet to the one or more intended recipients.

34. The apparatus of claim 32 further comprising means for selectively translating the data packet into a protocol recognizable by the one or more intended recipients.

35. A method of serving text-based data messages to a caller identification system in a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

receiving a data packet comprising message data and a header field containing header information;

identifying one or more intended recipients of the data packet; and

overwriting at least part of the header information with the message data.

36. The method of claim 35 further comprising:

forwarding the data packet to each of the one or more intended recipients to enable the one or more intended recipients to display the message data on a caller identification system.

37. A message system serving text-based data messages to a caller identification system in a telecommunications network, the message system comprising:

a message receiver operative to receive a data packet comprising message data and a header field containing header information identifying a source of the data packet; and

a header field modifier operative to overwrite at least part of the header information with the message data.

38. The message system of claim 37 further comprising:

a message router operative to route the data packet, modified by the header field modifier, to one or more intended recipients.