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

• US 9,167,398 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2014
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smartcom Labs OY
• Original Assignee: Bookit Oy Ajanvarauspalvelu
• Inventors: Salonen, Jukka Kalevi
• Primary Examiner(s): Doan, Kiet
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, DUNG LE
• Application Number:
  US14/528,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20150057036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 355 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/466, 455/414.4, 455/417, 379/88.18, 379 8811- 8817
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 comprising:

a network server communicating with at least one mobile device in the telecommunication network, wherein the communicating comprises the following operations performed by the network server;

receiving a voice-message call from a mobile device of a potential user of a product or service;

sending an initial text-form message to the mobile device of the potential user of the product or service as a response to the voice-message call attempt, wherein the initial text-form message initiates a logically continuous, temporally discontinuous session having a plurality of stages, each stage relating to at least one message associated with a sender and a recipient;

determining an address of the sender of at least one message in the session based on the session initiated by the initial text-form message and a number of a current stage in the session; and

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

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

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the 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 message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the text-form message comprises a Multimedia Message Service 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 product or service subject to payment.

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

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the product or service subject to payment comprises a service deliverable external to the telecommunications network.

11. A method comprising:

a network server communicating with at least one mobile device in the telecommunication network, wherein the communicating comprises the following operations performed by the network server;

forming a connection to a potential user of a product or service based on a voice-message call attempt;

sending an initial text-form message to the mobile device of the potential user of the product or service as a response to the formed connection, wherein the initial text-form message initiates a logically continuous, temporally discontinuous session having a plurality of stages, each stage relating to at least one message associated with a sender and a recipient;

determining an address of the sender of at least one message in the session based on the session initiated by the initial text-form message and a number of a current stage in the session; and

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the product or service subject to payment comprises a service deliverable via the telecommunications network.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the product or service subject to payment comprises a service deliverable external to the telecommunications network.

21. A network server comprising:

a processor that communicates with at least one mobile device in a telecommunication network, wherein the processor causes the network server to;

receive a voice-message call from a mobile device of a potential user of a product or service;

send an initial text-form message to the mobile device of the potential user of the service as a response to the voice-message call attempt, wherein the initial text-form message initiates a logically continuous, temporally discontinuous session having a plurality of stages, each stage relating to at least one message associated with a sender and a recipient;

determine an address of the sender of at least one message in the session is determined based on the session initiated by the initial text-form message and a number of a current stage in the session; and

include at least one selection query in at least one message in the session.

22. The network server of claim 21, wherein the sender address is in an address format that enables roaming across inter-operator boundaries.

23. The network server of claim 21, wherein the sender address comprises an Internet Protocol Address.

24. The network server of claim 21, wherein the sending comprises utilizing a message bulk-delivery system within the telecommunications network.

25. The network server of claim 21, wherein the text-form message comprises a Short Message Service message.

26. The network server of claim 21, wherein the text-form message comprises a Multimedia Message Service message.

27. The network server of claim 21, wherein the text-form message comprises an e-mail message.

28. The network server of claim 21, wherein the selection query relates to purchasing of a product or service subject to payment.

29. The network server of claim 28, wherein the product or service subject to payment comprises a service deliverable via the telecommunications network.

30. The network server of claim 28, wherein the product or service subject to payment comprises a service deliverable externally to the telecommunications network.

31. A network server comprising:

a processor that communicates with at least one mobile device in a telecommunication network, wherein the processor causes the network server to;

form a connection to a potential user of a product or service based on a voice-message call attempt;

send an initial text-form message to the mobile device of the potential user of the product or service as a response to the formed connection, wherein the initial text-form message initiates a logically continuous, temporally discontinuous session having a plurality of stages, each stage relating to at least one message associated with a sender and a recipient;

determine an address of the sender of at least one message in the session based on the session initiated by the initial text-form message and a number of a current stage in the session; and

include at least one selection query in at least one message in the session.

32. The network server of claim 31, wherein the sender address is in an address format that enables roaming across inter-operator boundaries.

33. The network server of claim 31, wherein the sender address comprises an Internet Protocol Address.

34. The network server of claim 31, wherein the sending comprises utilizing a message bulk-delivery system within the telecommunications network.

35. The network server of claim 31, wherein the text-form message comprises a Short Message Service message.

36. The network server of claim 31, wherein the text-form message comprises a Multimedia Message Service message.

37. The network server of claim 31, wherein the text-form message comprises an e-mail message.

38. The network server of claim 31, wherein the selection query relates to purchasing of a product or service subject to payment.

39. The network server of claim 38, wherein the product or service subject to payment comprises a service deliverable via the telecommunications network.

40. The network server of claim 38, wherein the product or service subject to payment comprises a service deliverable external to the telecommunications network.