Method and apparatus for group messaging

• US 8,130,917 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Data Services LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Services Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Helbling, Christopher L., Reding, Craig L., Sureka, Ashutosh, Chakravarty, Sandeep, Reformato, John, Dromlewiez, Paula
• Primary Examiner(s): SING, SIMON P
• Application Number:
  US11/614,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20080155029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,902 Days
• Field of Search: 379 8813- 8814, 379/88.12, 379/88.25, 379/211.03
• US Class Current: 379/88.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for facilitating group messaging to various communication devices are disclosed. A method disclosed includes receiving from an originating user a broadcast message having an address designating at least in part a group of recipients. Next, an intended recipient may be identified based on at least a part of the address. An indication of the broadcast message may then be sent to the intended recipient in accordance with a sending method that is dynamically selected from a set of sending methods associated with the intended recipient based on characteristics associated with the intended recipient.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving from an originating user a broadcast message having an address designating at least in part a group of recipients;

identifying an intended recipient for the broadcast message from the group based on at least a part of the address;

storing a priority of devices associated with the intended recipient;

determining a status of at least one of the devices associated with the intended recipient prior to sending the broadcast message, the status comprising one of online, offline, busy, and out-of-range;

determining a destination device associated with the intended recipient based on the priority, the status, and at least one characteristic associated with such intended recipient;

determining a device type of the determined destination device; and

sending the broadcast message to the destination device of the intended recipient in accordance with a sending method that is associated with the determined destination device type, the broadcast message including information usable to reroute to an alternate device in accordance with a sending method that is associated with a device type of the alternate device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic associated with the intended recipient include at least one of preferences selected by the intended recipient, a usage pattern of the intended recipient, or information about devices recently used by the intended recipient.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of sending methods includes at least one of:

a telephone call method;

an Instant Messaging messaging method;

a hypertext transfer protocol messaging method;

an emailing method;

or

a short text messaging method.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the broadcast message includes text and the telephone call method includes converting the text to voice.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the broadcast message includes voice data and sending includes converting the voice to text.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast message includes at least one of voice data, video data, or text data.

7. The method of claim 1, further including:

receiving a reply to the broadcast message; and

relaying the reply to the originating user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the reply to the broadcast message includes a confirmation that the broadcast message was received.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast message includes an invitation to a conference.

10. The method of claim 9, further including:

receiving a reply to the invitation from the intended recipient; and

transferring the intended recipient to a conference bridge.

11. A computer-readable medium storing instructions executable to perform the method of claim 1.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver adapted to receive from an originating user a broadcast message having an address designating at least in part a group of recipients;

a processor adapted to identify an intended recipient for the broadcast message from the group based on at least a part of the address;

a memory for storing a priority of devices associated with the intended recipient;

a processor adapted to determine a status of at least one of the devices associated with the intended recipient prior to sending the broadcast message, the status comprising one of online, offline, busy, and out-of-range;

a processor adapted to determine a destination device associated with the intended recipient based on the priority, the status, and at least one characteristic associated with such intended recipient;

a processor adapted to determine a device type of the determined destination device; and

a transmitter adapted to send the broadcast message to the destination device of the intended recipient in accordance with a sending method that is associated with the determined destination device type, the broadcast message including information usable to reroute to an alternate device in accordance with a sending method that is associated with a device type of the alternate device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the characteristic associated with the intended recipient include at least one of preferences selected by the intended recipient, a usage pattern of the intended recipient, or information about devices recently used by the intended recipient.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein sending includes at least one of:

a telephone call method;

an Instant Messaging messaging method;

a hypertext transfer protocol messaging method;

an emailing method;

or

a short text messaging method.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the broadcast message includes at least one of voice data, video data, or text data.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the receiver is further adapted to receive a reply to the broadcast message; and

the transmitter is further adapted to relay the reply to the originating user.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the reply to the broadcast message includes a confirmation that the broadcast message was received.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the broadcast message includes an invitation to a conference,

the receiver is further adapted to receive a reply to the invitation from the intended recipient, and

the processor is further adapted to transfer the intended recipient to a conference bridge.

19. A system comprising:

a service comprising;

a receiver adapted to receive from an originating user a broadcast message having an address designating at least in part a group of recipients,

a processor adapted to identify an intended recipient for the broadcast message from the group based on at least a part of the address,

a processor adapted to determine a priority of devices associated with the intended recipient,

a processor adapted to determine a status of at least one of the devices associated with the intended recipient prior to sending the broadcast message, the status comprising one of online, offline, busy, and out-of-range,

a processor adapted to determine a destination device from the devices associated with the intended recipient based on the priority, the status, and at least one characteristic associated with such intended recipient,

a processor adapted to determine a device type of the determined destination device,

a processor adapted to convert the broadcast message into an appropriate format for the destination device of the intended recipient, and

a transmitter adapted to send the broadcast message to the destination device of the intended recipient in accordance with sending associated with the determined destination device type, the broadcast message including information usable to reroute to an alternate device in accordance with a sending method that is associated with a device type of the alternate device; and

a user device comprising;

a display adapted to display to the originating user an interface for composing the broadcast message,

an input device adapted to receive a first input from the originating user, the first input including the broadcast message in video, voice, or text format,

an input device adapted to receive a second input from the originating user, the second input identifying the group of recipients,

a processor adapted to format the broadcast message for transmitting based on the first and second input, and

a transmitter adapted to send the broadcast message to the server.

20. A method comprising:

receiving from an originating user a voice message and at least one indication associated with one or more intended recipients;

storing the voice message;

determining a priority of devices associated with an intended recipient;

determining a status of at least one of the devices associated with the intended recipient prior to sending a text message, the status comprising one of online, offline, busy, and out-of-range;

determining a destination device for the intended recipient based on the priority, the status, and the indication, wherein the destination device is capable of receiving a short text messaging (SMS);

sending a text message to the intended recipient at the determined destination device, the text message in the form of an SMS message and including an indication of how to retrieve the voice message, the text message including information usable to reroute to an alternate device in accordance with a sending method that is associated with a device type of the alternate device;

receiving a request to obtain the voice message from the destination device; and

providing the voice message to the destination device.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

sending a second text message to the originating user indicating that the intended recipient has received the voice message.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein receiving from an originating user the voice message includes:

receiving a call from the originating user at a system associated with a predetermined phone number, the system including a voice interface having at least one of speech recognition facilities and text-to-speech facilities;

prompting the originating user to provide the at least one indication associated with one or more intended recipients;

prompting the originating user to provide the voice message; and

receiving the voice message from the originating user as voice data.