Dispatch application utilizing short message service

• US 7,929,982 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2009
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Wayne H., Hart, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng; George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller; Brandon J
• Application Number:
  US12/410,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20090181706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/412.1, 455418-420, 455/500, 455/414.4, 455/517, 705/8, 705/9, 709/206, 370/312, 370/328
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A dispatch communication and management system method is provided, allowing a dispatcher and remote service technicians to exchange messages over a network in a prescribed format to notify the technicians of new dispatch orders, and to update status information for dispatch orders in corresponding customer service records in a database.

Claims

1. A communications device for receiving dispatch orders, the communications device configured to:

receive over a public network, multiple related Short Message Service (SMS) messages corresponding to a dispatch order, the number of SMS messages being determined by a length of the dispatch order, the multiple related SMS messages being reformatted from at least one Internet Protocol (IP) packet;

convert the multiple related SMS messages corresponding to the dispatch order to a format representing a job ticket for viewing by a service technician; and

send over the public network a reply message comprising an updated status of the dispatch order, wherein the updated status is one of pending, received, in progress, completed, or problem.

2. The communications device of claim 1, wherein the public network is a wireless network, and the communication device is a mobile communication device.

3. The communications device of claim 2, wherein the wireless network is a GPRS network.

4. The communications device of claim 2, wherein the wireless network is a GSM network.

5. The communications device of claim 2, wherein the wireless network is a CDMA network.

6. The communications device of claim 2, wherein the wireless network is a two-way paging network.

7. The communications device of claim 1, wherein the job ticket comprises:

a job ticket number, a job location, a description of the job, a priority of the job ticket, and a creation time of the dispatch order.

8. The communications device of claim 1, wherein the communication device is coupled to a computer, the computer being operative to display a plurality of job tickets received by the communication device.

9. A dispatch computer configured for sending dispatch orders, the dispatch computer configured to:

create a new dispatch order;

determine the length of the dispatch order, and, based upon the determined length, formulate the dispatch order into multiple related Short Message Service (SMS) messages;

reformat the multiple related SMS messages into at least one Internet Protocol (IP) packet;

send the at least one IP packet over an IP network;

receive via a public network multiple related SMS messages corresponding to the dispatch order, the multiple related SMS messages having been reformatted from the at least one IP packet; and

send over the public network a reply message comprising an updated status of the dispatch order, wherein the updated status is one of pending, received, in progress, completed, or problem.

10. The dispatch computer of claim 9, wherein the public network is a wireless network and the communication device is a mobile communication device.

11. The dispatch computer of claim 10, wherein the wireless network is a GPRS network.

12. The dispatch computer of claim 10, wherein the wireless network is a GSM network.

13. The dispatch computer of claim 10, wherein the wireless network is a CDMA network.

14. The dispatch computer of claim 10, wherein the wireless network is a two-way paging network.

15. The dispatch computer of claim 9, wherein the dispatch order comprises:

a ticket number, a service location, a description of services required, a priority of the dispatch order, and a creation time of the dispatch order.

16. The dispatch computer of claim 9, wherein the communication device is coupled to a computer, the computer being operative to display a plurality of dispatch orders corresponding to customer service records stored in a memory, wherein the displayed dispatch orders are organized by status.

17. The dispatch computer of claim 9, wherein the message corresponding to the dispatch order is sent to multiple recipients chosen from a database of service technicians.