System and method for interactive messaging

• US 8,532,637 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2008
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Abolrous, Sally, Ruosch, Kim, Jennings, Jay, Walker, Emily, Yan, Jessica
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US12/167,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20100004008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,896 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/414.4, 455/412.2, 455/414.3
• US Class Current: 455/414.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

A method and a system for providing convertible or interactive messaging between two or more users is provided. In an embodiment, a user sends a convertible message to another user. Such convertible messages can be sent using a communication means having two or more fields, ports, or the like. One of the fields, ports, or the like is used to identify the transmission as a convertible message. Another of the fields, ports, or the like is used to relay the text, icon, etc. of the message. Upon recognition of the convertible message, the receiving device allows for the display of the convertible message. The receiving user may manually accept to view the convertible message, and/or may view/not view the convertible message automatically upon receipt due to predefined rules.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting a convertible message to a receiving device, comprising:

selecting at least one contact having an address;

selecting the convertible message to transmit to a receiving device;

transmitting the convertible message to the receiving device,

wherein the selecting the at least one contact initiates population of an address field of a specific transmission method, and wherein the selecting the convertible message initiates a population of;

a) a message content, and

b) a trigger field in the convertible message with a conversion trigger by reading a subject line of the specific transmission method, wherein the subject line contents indicate the convertible message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the conversion trigger is a character text string.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting the convertible message includes:

selecting the specific transmission message method; and

selecting the message content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the message content is one of:

a pre-defined message and a customized message.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the pre-defined message is one of:

a pre-selected message associated with a specific contact and a message selectable from a provided list of defined messages.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the message content applies to all contacts of the at least one contact, or to a specific contact of the at least one contact.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the message content is at least one of:

text, an icon, an animated icon, an animation, an image, an animated image, audio, and a video.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the specific transmission method is one of:

a Short Message Service (SMS), a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), an Instant Message (IM), an electronic mail (E-mail), a transmission via Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), a transmission via Post Office Protocol (POP), a transmission via Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP), a transmission via IP Multimedia Subsystem running over Standard Internet Protocols (IMS-SIP), a transmission via User Diagram Protocol (UDP), and a transmission via Internet Protocol (IP).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the address is one of:

an email address, International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) address, an Internet Message Format (IMF), a Medium Access Control (MAC) address, a telephone number, a network address, and a device identification number.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one contact is associated with a stored contact file in an address book of the transmitting device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving device is at least one of telecommunications-capable and IP protocol-capable.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting device transmits the convertible message to the receiving device, the transmitting device being at least one of telecommunications-capable and IP protocol-capable.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific transmission method is one of any available messaging means having at least two fields, the trigger field and at least one field to include the message content, wherein the trigger field includes the conversion trigger to initiate action appropriate for the convertible message.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific transmission method is an MMS and the conversion trigger is a trigger convertible message header.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein different convertible messaging events are preset for each contact or a specified group of contacts.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein a convertible messaging event can be customized with an automatic message, such that a first message can be sent during a first specified time period, and a second message can be sent during a second specified time period automatically depending on the time of day the convertible message is sent.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving device either (i) manually accepts, or (ii) automatically accepts to view the convertible message upon receipt.

18. A method for receiving a convertible message, comprising:

receiving a convertible message by a receiving device via a communications path;

identifying by the receiving device a conversion trigger in a trigger field in the received convertible message having a message content;

associating the conversion trigger with at least one conversion rule in a database to provide a converted convertible message; and

displaying the converted convertible message on the receiving device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the database resides on at least one of:

the receiving device, a server, and a network.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the displaying of the converted convertible message is a playing of an audio file.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the conversion trigger is a character text string.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the converted convertible message includes at least one of:

a text, an icon, an animated icon, an animation, an image, an animated image, audio, and a video.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the convertible message is one of:

a Short Message Service (SMS), a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), an Instant Message (IM), an electronic mail (E-mail), a transmission via Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), a transmission via Post Office Protocol (POP), a transmission via Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP), a transmission via IP Multimedia Subsystem running over Standard Internet Protocols (IMS-SIP), a transmission via User Diagram Protocol (UDP), and a transmission via Internet Protocol (IP).

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the converted convertible message includes at least one of:

an animated waving hand, an animated waving hand with an audio sound, a kiss icon, a kiss icon with an audio sound, a hug icon, a hug icon with an audio sound, an animated hug icon, and an animated hug icon with an audio sound.

25. A system for sending and receiving a convertible message, comprising:

a convertible message having an address, a conversion trigger, and a message content, the convertible message prepared by a transmitting device, wherein the convertible message uses a messaging service;

a conversion rule stored in a database, the conversion rule being associated with the conversion trigger by reading a subject line of the messaging service, the subject line contents indicating the convertible message; and

a converted convertible message,

wherein when the convertible message is transmitted from a transmitting device to a receiving device, the receiving device converts the convertible message into a converted convertible message based on the associated conversion rule and displays the converted convertible message including the message content.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the convertible message is one of:

a Short Message Service (SMS), a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), an Instant Message (IM), an electronic mail (E-mail), a transmission via Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), a transmission via Post Office Protocol (POP), a transmission via Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP), a transmission via IP Multimedia Subsystem running over Standard Internet Protocols (IMS-SIP), a transmission via User Diagram Protocol (UDP), and a transmission via Internet Protocol (IP).

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the conversion trigger is a character text string.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the converted convertible message includes at least one of:

a text, an icon, an animated icon, an animation, an image, an animated image, audio, and a video.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the converted convertible message includes at least one of:

an animated waving hand, an animated waving hand with an audio sound, a kiss icon, a kiss icon with an audio sound, a hug icon, a hug icon with an audio sound, an animated hug icon, and an animated hug icon with an audio sound.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein each of the receiving device and the transmitting device is at least one of telecommunications-capable and IP protocol-capable.

31. A method for transmitting a convertible message to a receiving device, comprising:

selecting at least one contact having an address;

selecting the convertible message to transmit to a receiving device, wherein the convertible message uses IP Multimedia Subsystem running over Standard Internet Protocols (IMS-SIP) to establish a session between at least two entities;

transmitting the convertible message to the receiving device by sending pings between a receiving device, a network, and a sending device regarding availability before the convertible message is transmitted,

wherein the selecting the at least one contact initiates population of an address field of the IMS-SIP, and wherein the selecting the convertible message initiates a population of;

a) a message content, and

b) a trigger field in the convertible message with a conversion trigger.

32. A method for transmitting a convertible message to a receiving device, comprising:

selecting at least one contact having an address;

selecting the convertible message to transmit to a receiving device, wherein the convertible message uses Short Message Service (SMS) having at least a first port and a second port;

transmitting the convertible message to the receiving device,

wherein the selecting the at least one contact initiates population of an address field of the SMS, and wherein the selecting the convertible message initiates a population of;

a) a message content, and

b) a trigger field in the convertible message with a conversion trigger in which the first port contains a convertible message header container and the second port contains the content such that the content indicates how to direct and display the convertible message on the receiving device.