Messaging service in a wireless communications network

• US 8,996,047 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2013
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HBCU Messaging US LP (f/k/a Rembrandt Messaging Technologies II, LP) (HBCU Tech Holding 2 LLC)
• Original Assignee: HBCU Messaging International LP (f/k/a Rembrandt Messaging Technologies, LP) (HBCU Tech Holding 2 LLC)
• Inventors: Merrett, Graham
• Primary Examiner(s): Agosta, Steve D
• Application Number:
  US13/850,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20130244702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/422.1, 455/414.1, 455418-420, 455/466, 370/310.2, 370/312, 370351-356
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

This invention concerns a messaging service in a wireless communications network. In a first aspect, the invention is a method for providing a messaging service on a wireless device in a wireless communications network; the method comprising the steps of: Retrieving the destination address of an outgoing message on the device. Verifying whether the destination address is capable of receiving the message via a packet-switched bearer. If verification is affirmative, then automatically sending the message to the destination address via a packet-switched bearer, but otherwise, automatically sending the message to the destination address via an SMS bearer. In another aspect, the invention is a mobile device programmed to perform the method. In a further aspect, the invention is a software program to implement the method.

Claims

1. A method of providing a messaging service for use in a wireless device of a sender, the method comprising:

receiving, by a message client running on the wireless device of the sender, information associated with a destination address of a wireless device of a recipient from an outgoing message, an address book, or a contact list, the message client capable of determining a transmission mode for sending the outgoing message to the wireless device of the recipient, wherein the wireless device of the sender is capable of sending messages in a plurality of transmission modes comprising a first transmission mode and a second transmission mode;

determining, by the wireless device of the sender, whether the destination address corresponds to a subscriber of a service for receiving the outgoing message via a packet switched bearer by sending a request via a packet switched wireless local area network (WLAN) base station to a server, and receiving a response from the server via the packet switched WLAN base station, the response providing an indication of whether the destination address corresponds to a subscriber of the service;

selecting, by the wireless device of the sender, a transmission mode from the plurality of transmission modes, wherein the wireless device of the sender selects the first transmission mode when the indication corresponds to a subscriber of the service, and the wireless device of the sender is capable of selecting the second transmission mode when the indication does not correspond to a subscriber of the service;

sending, by the wireless device of the sender, the outgoing message using the selected transmission mode,

wherein, when the selected transmission mode is the first transmission mode, the wireless device of the sender sends the outgoing message as one or more Internet protocol (IP) packets to the wireless device of the recipient via the packet switched WLAN base station,

wherein, when the selected transmission mode is the second transmission mode, the wireless device of the sender sends the outgoing message as a short message service (SMS) message to the wireless device of the recipient using the destination address via a base station that is associated with a cellular core network that is independent of the packet switched WLAN base station, and

wherein the request sent to the server and the response received from the server do not traverse the cellular core network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, by the wireless device of the sender, a result of the indication of whether the destination address corresponds to a subscriber of the service.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, by the wireless device of the sender, at least one type of permissible attachment based on whether the destination address corresponds to a subscriber of the service.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

denying, by the wireless device of the sender, when the destination address does not correspond to a subscriber of the service, any type of attachment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination address is a mobile phone number.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

queuing the outgoing message for later delivery if the outgoing message cannot be delivered to the wireless device of the recipient.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the wireless device of the sender, a delivery confirmation message, via the packet switched WLAN base station, if the outgoing message is successfully delivered to the wireless device of the recipient, when the destination address corresponds to a subscriber of the service.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

displaying, by the wireless device of the sender, a delivery indication based on the received delivery confirmation message.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, by the wireless device of the sender, sent messages and received messages, wherein sent messages are displayed with a first characteristic and received message are displayed with a second different characteristic so as to distinguish the sent messages from the received messages.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the wireless device of the sender, presence information associated with the wireless device of the recipient if the destination address corresponds to a subscriber of the service; and

displaying, by the wireless device of the sender, the presence information associated with the wireless device of the recipient.

11. A method of providing a messaging service for use in a wireless device of a sender, the method comprising:

receiving, by a message client running on the wireless device of the sender, information associated with a destination address of a wireless device of a recipient from an outgoing message, an address book, or a contact list, the message client capable of determining a transmission mode for sending the outgoing message to the wireless device of the recipient, wherein the wireless device of the sender is capable of sending messages in a plurality of transmission modes comprising a first transmission mode and a second transmission mode;

determining, by the wireless device of the sender, whether the destination address corresponds to a subscriber of a service for receiving the outgoing message via a packet switched bearer by sending a request via a packet switched wireless local area network (WLAN) base station to a server, and receiving a response from the server via the packet switched WLAN base station, the response providing an indication of whether the destination address corresponds to a subscriber of the service;

selecting, by the wireless device of the sender, a transmission mode for sending the outgoing message to the wireless device of the recipient from the plurality of transmission modes, wherein the wireless device of the sender selects the first transmission mode when the indication corresponds to a subscriber of the service, and the wireless device of the sender is capable of selecting the second transmission mode when the indication does not correspond to a subscriber of the service,

wherein the wireless device of the sender is capable of sending, in the first transmission mode, the outgoing message as one or more Internet protocol (IP) packets to the wireless device of the recipient via the packet switched WLAN base station,

wherein the wireless device of the sender is capable of sending, in the second transmission mode, the outgoing message as a short message service (SMS) message to the wireless device of the recipient using the destination address via a base station that is associated with a cellular core network that is independent of the packet switched WLAN base station, and

wherein the request sent to the server and the response received from the server do not traverse the cellular core network.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying, by the wireless device of the sender, a result of the indication of whether the destination address corresponds to a subscriber of the service.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

selecting, by the wireless device of the sender, at least one type of permissible attachment based on whether the destination address corresponds to a subscriber of the service.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

denying, by the wireless device of the sender, when the destination address does not correspond to a subscriber of the service, any type of attachment.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the destination address is a mobile phone number.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

queuing the outgoing message for later delivery if the outgoing message cannot be delivered to the wireless device of the recipient.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by the wireless device of the sender, a delivery confirmation message, via the packet switched WLAN base station, if the outgoing message is successfully delivered to the wireless device of the recipient, when the destination address corresponds to a subscriber of the service.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying, by the wireless device of the sender, a delivery indication based on the received delivery confirmation message.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying, by the wireless device of the sender, sent messages and received messages, wherein sent messages are displayed with a first characteristic and received message are displayed with a second different characteristic so as to distinguish the sent messages from the received messages.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by the wireless device of the sender, presence information associated with the wireless device of the recipient if the destination address corresponds to a subscriber of the service; and

displaying, by the wireless device of the sender, the presence information associated with the wireless device of the recipient.