Dispatch application utilizing short message service

• US 8,606,309 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hart, John P., Smith, Wayne H.
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER, BRANDON J
• Application Number:
  US13/789,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20130190022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 278 Days
• Field of Search: 370/312, 370/328, 455/466, 455/414.3, 455/414.4, 455/500, 4554121-4122, 4554141-4142, 455418-420, 709/206
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A dispatch communication and management system method is provided, allowing a dispatcher and remote service technicians to exchange messages over a network in a prescribed format to notify the technicians of new dispatch orders, and to update status information for dispatch orders in corresponding customer service records in a database.

Claims

1. A memory comprising executable instructions for managing dispatch applications in order to deliver messages from or to each of multiple service technicians deployed over a geographically dispersed area, the executable instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising:

programming the dispatch computer to determine the length of a dispatch order and, based upon the determined length, formulate the dispatch order into one message or multiple, related messages;

formulating at a central processor the one or multiple messages for wireless transmission to at least one of the service technicians according to a preselected format, wherein the message includes status-type information;

transmitting the one or multiple messages to a network element for identifying that message;

reformatting the one or multiple messages to an Internet protocol; and

transferring the one or multiple messages from the network element to a communication device associated with a selected service technician of the multiple service technicians, wherein the communication device is adapted to cause the one or multiple messages to be displayed to the service technician and is capable of forwarding from the service technician a reply message concerning the status of a dispatch order.

2. The memory of claim 1, wherein the preselected format comprises a short message service (SMS) format and the network element comprises a short messaging center.

3. The memory of claim 1, wherein the preselected format comprises a general packet radio system (GPRS) format and the network element comprises a base station control that determines that the message is a GPRS data transmission and routes the message to a second network element comprising a support node.

4. The memory of claim 1, wherein the central processor receives multiple messages from the service technicians.

5. The memory of claim 4, wherein the central processor receives messages and places the received messages into a database comprising various fields describing dispatch orders and their status.

6. The memory of claim 4, wherein the central processor provides default fields to a dispatch operator for formulating a dispatch work order.

7. The memory of claim 6, wherein the dispatch work order is formulated into at least one SMS message by the central processor, which thereafter forwards at least one SMS message for delivery to the selected service technician.

8. The memory of claim 6 in which the central processor updates the database of dispatch orders to indicate the status of the dispatch orders or to remove the dispatch orders from the database upon command from the dispatch operator.

9. A memory comprising executable instructions for dispatching work orders and receiving status information concerning the orders via a communications network adapted to communicate short message service (SMS) messages, the executable instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising:

coupling a communication device to a dispatch computer, wherein;

the communication device is adapted to send and receive messages in a SMS format, and

the message comprises status-type information;

programming the dispatch computer to determine the length of the dispatch order and, based upon the determined length, to formulate the dispatch order into one SMS message or multiple, related SMS messages;

reformatting the one or multiple SMS messages into at least one Internet packet; and

forwarding the at least one Internet packet over the communications network to a selected communication device or a group of communication devices.

10. The memory of claim 9:

in which the selected communication device is provided with a response to the dispatch order;

formulating at least a portion of the response into a reply SMS message; and

forwarding from the selected communication device the reply SMS message containing the response to the communication device, wherein the communication device provides at least a portion of the reply SMS message to the dispatch computer for storage or display.

11. The memory of claim 10 in which the response comprises status information describing the status of the dispatch order.

12. The memory of claim 9 further comprising programming the dispatch computer to:

allow creation of a new dispatch order;

update a database associated with the dispatch computer that stores each dispatch order and information concerning the status of each dispatch order; and

transmit upon command from the dispatch operator the one or multiple SMS messages.

13. The memory of claim 12 further comprising displaying on the dispatch computer pending dispatch orders;

and updating the database upon the receipt of a reply SMS message from a selected service technician concerning the dispatch order being addressed by the service technician.

14. A memory comprising executable instructions for dispatching orders to service technicians remotely and receiving responsive information from the technicians concerning the orders via at least one wireless network adapted to transmit short messaging service (SMS) messages to allow communication among a central processor and service technicians without making a wireless telephone call, the executable instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising:

programming a dispatch computer to periodically determine the length of a dispatch order and, based upon the determined length to formulate the dispatch order into one SMS message or multiple, related SMS messages for a selected service technician processor that provides the selected service technician the dispatch order, wherein the one or multiple SMS messages comprises status-type information;

transmitting the one or multiple messages over the wireless network via a short messaging center coupled to a mobile switching center within the wireless network;

reformatting the one or multiple messages into at least one Internet packet; and

transmitting the one or multiple messages over an IP network.

15. The memory of claim 14 the operations further comprising:

receiving from the selected service technician a response message indicating the status of the order.

16. The memory of claim 15 the operations further comprising:

receiving and storing response messages from multiple service technicians, wherein each response message indicates a status of a dispatch order being fulfilled by the respective service technician.