Method and system for combining text and voice messages in a communications dialogue

• US 8,880,080 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2012
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smartcom Labs OY
• Original Assignee: Bookit Oy Ajanvarauspalvelu
• Inventors: Salonen, Jukka
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, DUNG LE
• Application Number:
  US13/548,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20140045539A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/466, 455/414.4, 455/417, 379/88.18, 379 8811- 8817
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

This publication discloses a method and system for delivering messages in a telecommunications network (1, 2, 6, 11, 12). In the method a voice-message call attempt is received (43), or a connection is formed to a potential user of a service, on the basis of a voice-message call attempt. According to the invention, as a response to the voice-message connection formed or to the call attempt, to the second part (41) of the connection is sent a text-form message, which initiates a long, logically continuous, temporally discontinuous session N, in such a way that the sender address (e.g., the A number) is converted to correspond to the session number N and the session stage J at the time, and in the message there is at least one selection query.

Claims

1. A method for sending messages in a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

receiving a voice-message call from a potential user of a service, or forming a connection to a potential user of a service, on the basis of a voice-message call attempt;

sending, in the telecommunications network, a text-form message to the potential user of the service as a response to the formed connection or voice-message, the text-form message relating to a current message session and to a current stage of the message session, wherein the current message session is logically continuous, temporally discontinuous, and has a number of stages;

wherein the sending comprises altering a sender address of the text-form message, wherein the altered sender address is determined based on a combination of the current session and the current stage of the current session; and

including at least one selection query in each message in the session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the altered sender address is in an address format that enables roaming across inter-operator boundaries.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the altered sender address comprises an Internet Protocol Address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending comprises utilizing a message bulk-delivery system within the telecommunications network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the text-form message comprises a Short Message Service [“

SMS”

] message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the text-form message comprises a Multimedia Message Service [“

MMS”

] message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the text-form message comprises an e-mail message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection query relates to purchasing of a service subject to payment.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the service subject to payment comprises a service delivered via the telecommunications network.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the service subject to payment comprises a service delivered externally to the telecommunications network.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a network server system for sending messages in a telecommunications network;

wherein the network server system comprises a memory system for storing program instructions and data, and processor system for executing the program instructions;

wherein the program instructions comprise;

a first logic routine for receiving a voice-message call from a potential user of a service, or forming a connection to a potential user of a service, on the basis of a voice-message call attempt;

a second logic routine for sending, in the telecommunications network, a text-form message to the potential user of the service as a response to the formed connection or voice-message, the text-form message relating to a current message session and to a current stage of the message session, wherein the current message session is logically continuous, temporally discontinuous, and has a number of stages;

a third logic routine for altering a sender address of the text-form message, wherein the altered sender address is determined based on a combination of the current session and the current stage of the current session; and

a fourth logic routine for including at least one selection query in each message in the session.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the altered sender address is in an address format that enables roaming across inter-operator boundaries.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the altered sender address comprises an Internet Protocol Address.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the sending comprises utilizing a message bulk-delivery system within the telecommunications network.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the text-form message comprises a Short Message Service [“

SMS”

] message.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the text-form message comprises a Multimedia Message Service [“

MMS”

] message.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the text-form message comprises an e-mail message.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the selection query relates to purchasing of a service subject to payment.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the service subject to payment comprises a service delivered via the telecommunications network.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the service subject to payment comprises a service delivered externally to the telecommunications network.