Method and systems for short message forwarding services

• US 8,295,865 B1
• Filed: 01/27/2012
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Inventors: Kirchhoff, Leland W., McClintock, David C., Trandal, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shen, Qun
• Application Number:
  US13/360,554
• Time in Patent Office: 270 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/513, 455/412.1, 370/390
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for processing visual messages, such as text or multimedia messages, originated from a mobile phone. In an embodiment, a visual message from an originating wireless telephonic device is directed to an original destination address associated with a user. An indication that the visual message has been received at a first telecommunications system, wherein an original destination associated with the original destination address is not available to receive the originating wireless telephonic device visual message. The visual message is wirelessly transmitted to an alternate destination.

Claims

1. A method of managing Short Messaging Service messages, the method comprising:

receiving at an SMS relay a first SMS message originated from a first device and directed to a first destination address associated with a device of a user;

storing the first SMS message on a server accessible over a network by the user;

enabling the user to access a user interface via which the user can view the stored first SMS message from the networked server and (a) delete the first SMS message from a log of SMS messages, or (b) forward the first SMS message stored on the networked server, or (c) reply to the first SMS message stored on the networked server, or (d) edit an originating address associated with the first SMS message stored on the networked server, or (e) create a contact record including at least the originating address associated with the first SMS message stored on the networked server, or (f) originate a call to the first device that originated the first SMS message stored on the networked server, or any combination of (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f);

receiving at the SMS relay a second SMS message originated from a second device and directed to the first destination address;

querying a Home Location Register (HLR) regarding a status of the user device associated with the first destination address;

receiving an indication from the HLR as to whether the user device associated with the first destination address is available to receive the second SMS message;

storing the second SMS message on the server, wherein the server is accessible over the network by the user;

wherein, via the user interface, the user can view the stored second SMS message from the networked server and (g) delete the second SMS message, from the log of SMS messages or (h) forward the second SMS message stored on the networked server, or (i) reply to the second SMS message stored on the networked server, or (j) edit an originating address associated with the second SMS message stored on the networked server, or (k) create a contact record including an originating address of the second SMS message stored on the networked server, or (l) originate a call to the second device that originated the second SMS message stored on the networked server, or any combination of (g), (h), (i), (j), (k) and (l); and

at least partly in response to the indication from the HLR that the device of the user is not available to receive the second SMS message, causing at least in part a message notification to be transmitted to the user, wherein the notification is transmitted to a second destination address, wherein the second destination address is different than the first destination address.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second SMS message is a plurality of SMS messages.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising receiving a reply message to the first SMS message from the user via the user interface, and at least partly causing the reply message to be transmitted to the first device that originated the first SMS message.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second SMS message is stored in a queue to be delivered at a later time to the first destination address, and at least partly in response to a deletion instruction being provided via the user interface, causing the second SMS message to be removed from the queue so that the second SMS message is not transmitted to the first destination address.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising providing an interface via which the user can provide a message notification destination address.

6. The method as defined in claim 5, wherein the message notification destination address is an email address.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second SMS message includes a photograph.

8. A method of managing Short Messaging Service messages, the method comprising:

receiving a first SMS message at a message processing system directed to a first destination associated with a user;

storing the first SMS message on a server accessible over a network by the user;

enabling the user to access a user interface via which the user can view the stored first SMS message from the networked server and (a) delete the first SMS message from a server log of SMS messages, or (b) forward the first SMS message stored on the networked server, or (c) reply to the first SMS message stored on the networked server, or (d) edit an originating address associated with the first SMS message stored on the networked server, or (e) create a contact record including at least the originating address associated with the first SMS message stored on the networked server, or (f) originate a call to the first device that originated the first SMS message stored on the networked server, or any combination of (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f);

receiving at the message processing system a second SMS message originated from a second device and directed to the first destination address;

querying a device availability system regarding a status of the user device associated with the first destination address;

receiving an indication from the device availability system as to whether the user device associated with the first destination address is available to receive the second SMS messages;

storing the second SMS message on the server, wherein the server is accessible over the network by the user; and

at least partly in response to the indication from the device availability system that the device of the user is not available to receive SMS messages, causing at least in part a message notification to be transmitted to the user wherein the notification is transmitted to a second destination address, wherein the second destination address is different than the first destination address.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the second SMS message is a plurality of SMS messages.

10. The method as defined in claim 8, the method further comprising receiving a reply message to the first SMS message from the user via the user interface, and at least partly causing the reply message to be transmitted to the first device that originated the first SMS message.

11. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the second SMS message is stored in a queue to be delivered at a later time to the first destination address, and at least partly in response to a deletion instruction being provided via the user interface, causing the second SMS message to be removed from the queue so that the second SMS message is not transmitted to the first destination address.

12. The method as defined in claim 8, the method further comprising providing an interface via which the user can provide the second destination address.

13. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the second destination address is an email address.

14. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein the second SMS message includes a photograph.

15. An apparatus configured to manage Short Messaging Service messages, the apparatus comprising:

a computing system including one or more processing devices;

instructions stored in non-transitory computer readable memory that, when executed, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising;

receiving a first SMS message at a message processing system directed to a first destination associated with a user;

storing the first SMS message on a server accessible over a network by the user;

enabling the user to access a user interface via which the user can view the stored first SMS message from the networked server and (a) delete the first SMS message from a server log of SMS messages, or (b) forward the first SMS message stored on the networked server, or (c) reply to the first SMS message stored on the networked server, or (d) edit an originating address associated with the first SMS message stored on the networked server, or (e) create a contact record including at least the originating address associated with the first SMS message stored on the networked server, or (f) originate a call to the first device that originated the first SMS message stored on the networked server, or any combination of (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f);

receiving at the message processing system a second SMS message originated from a second device and directed to the first destination address;

querying a device availability system regarding a status of the user device associated with the first destination address;

receiving an indication from the device availability system as to whether the user device associated with the first destination address is available to receive the second SMS messages;

storing the second SMS message on the server, wherein the server is accessible over the network by the user; and

at least partly in response to the indication from the device availability system that the device of the user is not available to receive SMS messages, causing at least in part a message notification to be transmitted to the user wherein the notification is transmitted to a second destination address, wherein the second destination address is different than the first destination address.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the second SMS message is a plurality of SMS messages.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, the operations further comprising receiving a reply message to the first SMS message from the user via the user interface, and at least partly causing the reply message to be transmitted to the first device that originated the first SMS message.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the second SMS message is stored in a queue to be delivered at a later time to the first destination address, wherein the operations further comprise:

at least partly in response to a deletion instruction being provided via the user interface, causing the second SMS message to be removed from the queue so that the second SMS message is not transmitted to the first destination address.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, the operations further comprising providing the user interface via which the user can provide the second destination address.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein the second destination address is an email address.

21. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the second SMS message includes a photograph.