System and method for providing user names for network addresses

• US 8,588,827 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2013
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lewis, John E., McNamara, Justin, Cenciarelli, Fulvio Arturo, Mikan, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROSARIO, NELSON M
• Application Number:
  US13/875,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20130244706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 201 Days
• Field of Search: 455/574, 455/403, 455/115.1, 455/343.2, 455/552.1, 455/500, 455/78, 455/127.1, 455/127.4, 455/127.5, 379/88.11, 379/142.04, 375/226, 375/316, 375/343, 375/375, 375/376, 370/512, 370/513, 370/514, 370/516, 370/518
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing user names for network addresses in messages such as SMS, MMS and EMS are disclosed. A data base is provided for storage in a mobile device that associates a user name with at least a portion of a network address. A system is provided for a mobile device that converts the network address transmitted with the message into a user name and displays the message with the user name.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium that is not a propagating signal, the computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising:

storing a user name associated with a portion of a network address in a storage component in a mobile device;

storing information identifying Message Service messages from the network address as one of billable or nonbillable;

receiving, by the mobile device, a Message Service message from the network address, the network address being included as an Originator address in a transfer Protocol User Data Header;

extracting, by the mobile device, the portion of the network address from the received Originator address in the transfer Protocol User Data Header;

searching the storage component in the mobile device for said extracted portion of the network address;

determining, by the mobile device, the user name associated with said extracted portion of the network address;

displaying the Message Service message and the user name on the mobile device display; and

displaying information identifying the Message Service message as one of billable or nonbillable.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein:

the network address comprises an alphanumeric string with N characters;

the portion of the network address comprises an alphanumeric string with M characters;

N and M are positive integers; and

M is less than or equal to N.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein:

the network address comprises ten numeric characters; and

the portion of the network address comprises the first five numeric characters of the network address.

4. A computer-readable storage medium that is not a propagating signal, the computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising:

associating a user name with a portion of a network address;

instructing a mobile device to store the portion of the network address and associated user names in a storage component of the mobile device;

instructing the mobile device to store information identifying Message Service messages as one of billable or nonbillable;

instructing the mobile device to display the user name associated with the portion of network address in Message Service message displays in the mobile device when the mobile device receives a Message Service message having the network address as an Originator address in a transfer Protocol User Data Header; and

instructing the mobile device to display information identifying the Message Service message as one of billable or nonbillable.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 4, the operations further comprising instructing the mobile device to store the portion of the network address and associated user names in a hidden directory in a storage component of the mobile device.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein:

the network address comprises an alphanumeric string with N characters;

the portion of the network address comprises an alphanumeric string with M characters;

N and M are positive integers; and

M is less than or equal to N.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 4, the operations further comprising transmitting an executable application to the mobile device.

8. A mobile device comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions the when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising;

associating a user name with a portion of a network address;

storing the portion of the network address and associated user names in a storage component of the mobile device;

storing information identifying Message Service messages as one of billable or nonbillable;

displaying the user name associated with the portion of network address in Message Service message displays in the mobile device when the mobile device receives a Message Service message having the network address as an Originator address in a transfer Protocol User Data Header; and

displaying information identifying the Message Service message as one of billable or nonbillable.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, the operations further comprising storing the portion of the network address and associated user names in a hidden directory in a storage component of the mobile device.

10. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein:

the network address comprises an alphanumeric string with N characters;

the portion of the network address comprises an alphanumeric string with M characters;

N and M are positive integers; and

M is less than or equal to N.

11. The mobile device of claim 8, the operations further comprising transmitting an executable application to the mobile device.