Addressing voice SMS messages

• US 8,107,978 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2008
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Multimodal Media LLC (Quest Patent Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kirusa Inc.
• Inventors: Anderl, Ewald C., Thapar, Ajay Kumar, Chockalingam, Chinna Marudhu Pandian
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fahnert, Marisol
• Application Number:
  US12/056,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20080268817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 455/413, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/466, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.18, 379/88.25, 379/88.26
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method and system for allowing voice short message service (SMS) messaging using methods of recipient addressing as used by text SMS messaging. A user creates a text SMS message and addresses the message to a recipient. The address of the recipient may be obtained from the address book stored locally on the user'"'"'s mobile device. A client application intercepts the text SMS message and prompts whether the user wants to include a voice SMS message. If the user wants to include the voice SMS message, the user'"'"'s voice message is recorded on a server. The text message along with a notification of the voice message is transmitted to the recipient. The recipient may use the information in the voice message notification to access and listen to the user'"'"'s recorded voice message.

Claims

1. A method for voice short message service messaging, comprising the steps of:

providing a client application on a mobile device;

creating a text message by a user on said mobile device;

addressing said text message to a recipient;

integrating voice content to the text message using methods of recipient addressing as used by text short message service messaging, comprising the steps of;

intercepting said addressed text message by said client application;

prompting said user to include a voice message with the addressed text message;

connecting the user to a server, wherein said server records and stores said user'"'"'s voice message; and

transmitting a voice message notification with the addressed text message to said recipient by said client application; and

using said voice message notification by said recipient to access and listen to said voice message stored in said server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of addressing comprises obtaining an address of the recipient from an address book stored on the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said address is stored in a memory storage means of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said address is stored in a subscriber identity module of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of addressing comprises obtaining addresses of recipients from a call history stored on the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of transmitting said voice message notification further comprises the steps of:

forwarding the addressed text message to a server;

attaching the voice message notification to the addressed text message in said server; and

sending the addressed text message with said attached voice message notification to the recipient.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of transmitting said voice message notification further comprises the steps of:

receiving notification construction information by the client application from a server;

attaching the voice message notification to the addressed text message in the client application using said notification construction information; and

sending the addressed text message with said attached voice message notification to the recipient.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said voice message notification is transmitted to a plurality of recipients.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said plurality of recipients are provided with a group reply option to each of the plurality of recipients upon receiving the voice message notification and the text message.

10. A system for voice short message service messaging, comprising:

a client application on a mobile device, wherein said client application integrates voice content to a text message created by a user using methods of recipient addressing as used by text short message service messaging;

a memory storage means on said mobile device for storing a list of addresses of recipients;

a user interface on the mobile device for said user to input voice messages and text messages; and

a server for remotely recording and storing said voice messages of the user, wherein said server is configured to provide access to said recipient for listening to said recorded voice message; and

said client application for transmitting a voice message notification with an addressed text message to said recipients.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said server comprises a first server for storing the voice messages of the user.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said server comprises a second server for transmitting said voice message notification with said addressed text message to the recipients.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the client application transmits one of a text message, a voice message, and a combination thereof.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the client application is provided on an operating system of the mobile device.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the client application is provided on a subscriber identity module of the mobile device.

16. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, said computer program product including:

a first computer parsable program code for creating a text message by a user on a mobile device;

a second computer parsable program code for addressing said text message to a recipient using an address stored on said mobile device;

a third computer parsable program code for integrating voice content to the text message using methods of recipient addressing as used by text short message service messaging, further comprising;

a fourth computer parsable program code for intercepting said addressed text message;

a fifth computer parsable program code for prompting said user to include a voice message with the addressed text message; and

a sixth computer parsable program code for connecting the user to a server, wherein said server records and stores said user'"'"'s voice message; and

a seventh computer parsable program code for transmitting a voice message notification with the addressed text message to said recipient;

an eighth computer parsable program code for providing access to said server for listening to said recorded voice message.