Messaging service subscription

• US 8,401,531 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2008
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RedTxt.com.au Pty Ltd.
• Original Assignee: RedTxt.com.au Pty Ltd.
• Inventors: Yandell, Peter, Low, Sydney Gordon, Walker, Matthew Iain
• Primary Examiner(s): WASHINGTON, ERIKA ALISE
• Application Number:
  US12/602,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20100178904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,749 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/415
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/306 Prerecordings to be used during a voice call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42331 Direct inward dialling
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A messaging service system, including a call component for receiving a voice call from a caller and transmitting call data associated with the call, the call data including caller identification (ID) data; and a subscription server for receiving the call data, causing the call component to send a subscription acceptance message to the caller, and storing the caller ID data in association with data representing a messaging service identified by the called number of the call data.

Claims

1. An automated process for subscription to a messaging service, including:

accepting a voice call from a mobile communications device;

extracting caller identification (ID) data received with the voice call;

sending a subscription acceptance message to the device;

associating the caller ID data with a messaging service identified by the called number of the call;

accepting a second voice call on the called number from the communications device;

sending an unsubscribed message to the device; and

recording the caller ID data as being inactive for the messaging service identified by the called number.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the acceptance message is played to the caller during the voice call.

3. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the caller ID data represents the telephone number of the mobile communications device.

4. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said associating includes storing the caller ID data with reference to service data representing the messaging service and flagging said caller ID data as being active for said service.

5. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said messaging service includes sending SMS messages to said device, said messaging including content associated with said subscription.

6. A process as claimed in claim 5, wherein said messages are at least one of SMS and MMS messages.

7. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein accepting and extracting are performed by a private branch exchange and the called number is a telephone number supported by the private branch exchange.

8. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein extracting comprises extracting only caller identification data received with the voice call and the called number to establish the call.

9. An automated process for subscription to a messaging service, including

accepting a voice call from a communications device;

determining if caller identification (ID) data can be extracted from the voice call;

determining if the communications device is able to receive messages of a messaging service;

sending a subscription acceptance message to the device;

associating the caller ID data with a messaging service identified by the called number of the call;

accepting a second voice call on the called number from the communications device;

sending an unsubscribed message to the device; and

recording the caller ID data as being inactive for the messaging service identified by the called number.

10. A process as claimed in claim 9, including sending a deny message to the device if the caller ID data cannot be extracted.

11. A process as claimed in claim 10, wherein the deny message is played to the caller during the voice call.

12. A process as claim in claim 9, including sending a deny message if the communications device is unable to receive messages of a messaging service.

13. A messaging service system, including:

a call component for receiving a voice call from a caller and transmitting call data associated with the call, the call data including caller identification (ID) data; and

a subscription server for receiving the call data, causing the call component to send a subscription acceptance message to the caller, and storing the caller ID data in association with data representing a messaging service identified by the called number of the call data, wherein said caller ID data is flagged as active for the service on said association, and flagged as inactive when the call component receives a second call to said called number.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein if the call data does not include caller ID data, the subscription server causes the call component to send a subscription deny message to the caller.

15. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein if the call data indicates a device making the call is unable to receive messages associated with the messaging service, the subscription server causes the call component to send a subscription deny message to the caller.

16. A system as claimed in claim 13, including a media server for sending electronic messages to devices having caller IDs associated with the messaging service.

17. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said messages are at least one of SMS and MMS messages.

18. A system as claimed in claim 13, including a web server for publishing a plurality of telephone numbers for calling said call component and information on a plurality of messaging services associated with said numbers, respectively.

19. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the call component comprises a private branch exchange and the called number is a telephone number supported by the private branch exchange.

20. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the call data includes only caller identification data and the called number to establish the call.