Systems and methods for delayed message delivery

• US 8,934,379 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2008
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• 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: Swanburg, Scott, Okada, Andre, Hanson, Paul, Young, Chris, Luu, Adrianne
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Minh-Trang
• Application Number:
  US12/053,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20090285129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,489 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/259
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3329 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/205 Parsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/221 Parsing markup language streams streaming G06F40/149
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4547 for personal communications, i.e. using a personal identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• 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: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/705 Account settings, e.g. limits or numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 : Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 : Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 : including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 : where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 : where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 : where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 : Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 : Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 : for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 : Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 : Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0033 : Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 : Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A system for delayed message delivery can include an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network that is in communication with at least one of a first user equipment and a second user equipment, and a message application server. The message application server can be configured to receive a message sent from the first user equipment, store the message temporarily in accordance with a time parameter, and send the message to a gateway when the time parameter is satisfied. The gateway can be configured to receive a message formatted in accordance with a first protocol used by the IMS network and convert the message into a format in accordance with a second protocol used by a message center. The message center can be configured to receive the message formatted in accordance with the second protocol and forward the message to the second user equipment. Other systems for delayed message delivery and corresponding methods are disclosed.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a message application server, in communication with an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem network and an Internet Protocol messaging gateway, the message application server being configured to perform operations comprising

receiving a message from a first user equipment in response to a determination having been made that an account associated with the first user equipment has a message delivery feature enabled, the message being addressed to a second user equipment, the message being formatted in accordance with a first protocol used by the Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem network, and the message comprising a time parameter provided by a user of the first user equipment,

storing the message in accordance with the time parameter, and

sending the message to the Internet Protocol messaging gateway in response to the time parameter being satisfied; and

the Internet Protocol messaging gateway, in communication with the message application server and a message center, the Internet Protocol messaging gateway being configured to perform operations comprising

receiving the message from the message application server,

converting the message from the first protocol to a second protocol used by the message center, and

sending the message in the second protocol to the message center for delivery to the second user equipment.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the time parameter comprises a date, a time, or a date and a time at which the message is to be sent.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the time parameter comprises a time value for a timer, an expiration of which prompts the message to be sent.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising the Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem network, wherein the Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem network is configured to perform operations comprising:

querying a home subscriber server to determine if a delayed message delivery feature is enabled for the account; and

sending the message to the message application server in response to determining that the delayed message delivery feature is enabled for the account.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the message delivery feature is provided to the user for free, for a one-time charge for a per-use charge, or for a periodic charge.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the account is a postpaid account or a pre-paid account.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the time parameter is associated with a triggering event and the time parameter being satisfied relates to the triggering event.

8. A method comprising:

receiving, at a message application server that is in communication with an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem network and an Internet Protocol messaging gateway, a message from a first user equipment in response to a determination having been made that an account associated with the first user equipment has a delayed message delivery feature enabled, the message being addressed to a second user equipment, the message being formatted in accordance with a first protocol used by the Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem network, and the message comprising a time parameter provided by a user of the first user equipment;

storing, at the message application server, the message in accordance with the time parameter;

sending the message to the Internet Protocol messaging gateway in response to the time parameter being satisfied;

receiving the message at the Internet Protocol messaging gateway from the message application server;

converting the message from the first protocol to a second protocol used by a message center; and

sending the message in the second protocol to the message center for delivery to the second user equipment.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the time parameter comprises a date, a time, or a date and a time at which the message is to be sent.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the time parameter comprises a time value for a timer, an expiration of which constitutes the time parameter being satisfied.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

querying, by the Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem network, a home subscriber server to determine if the delayed message delivery feature is enabled for the account; and

sending the message to the message application server in response to determining that the delayed message delivery feature is enabled for the account.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the time parameter is associated with a triggering event and the time parameter being satisfied relates to the triggering event.

13. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a message from a first user equipment in response to a determination having been made that an account associated with the first user equipment has a delayed message delivery feature enabled, the message being addressed to a second user equipment, the message being formatted in accordance with a first protocol used by an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem network, and the message comprising a time parameter entered by a user of the first user equipment,

storing the message in accordance with the time parameter, and

sending the message to an Internet Protocol messaging gateway in response to the time parameter being satisfied, wherein the Internet Protocol messaging gateway is configured to convert the message from the first protocol used by the Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem network to a second protocol used by a message center and to forward the message formatted in accordance with the second protocol to the message center.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the time parameter is associated with a triggering event and the time parameter being satisfied relates to the triggering event.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the time parameter comprises a time value for a timer, an expiration of which constitutes the time parameter being satisfied.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the time parameter comprises a date, a time, or a date and a time at which the message is to be sent.