Universal mobile device messaging

• US 9,210,556 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2013
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Neely, Samuel J., Atwood, John Allen, Bhela, Harvinder S., Nalliah, Selvaraj, Limont, David P., Chen, Katy, Aftab, Omar, Esteve Balducci, Juan Vicente
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Suhail
• Application Number:
  US14/074,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20140066109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/06 Message adaptation to terminal or network requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• 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 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A unified messaging system allows the receipt and sending of different messages across devices is established by creating relationships that leverage the capabilities of different devices. A message server establishes a relationship with a mobile device. Through the relationship, the message server can use the mobile device to send different types of messages that the server computer cannot transmit. A relationship between a client and a server extends this capability to the client. Through these relationships, a client can retrieve mobile device messages as well as generate them. The generated mobile device messages are transmitted to the message server. The message server determines that the received messages are mobile device messages that the server cannot deliver and sends the mobile device messages to the user'"'"'s mobile device. The mobile device receives the mobile device messages from the message server and transmits the mobile device message to recipient mobile devices.

Claims

1. A message server comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory encoding computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, perform a method comprising;

establishing a relationship with a mobile device, wherein the relationship is established by receiving a message from the mobile device, wherein the message comprises information about the mobile device and an indication that the mobile device can send mobile device messages on behalf of the message server, and wherein upon establishing the relationship the message server can send mobile device messages via the mobile device;

receiving, at the message server, a first message from a client; and

when the first message is a mobile device message, sending the first message to the mobile device for transmitting to a recipient mobile device.

2. The message server of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises processing the mobile device message.

3. The message server of claim 2, wherein the mobile device message is one of a SMS message, an EMS message, and an MMS message.

4. The message server of claim 3, wherein the processing of the mobile device message further comprises:

determining whether the mobile device message is larger than a predefined set of characters;

truncating the mobile device message into one or more truncated mobile device messages when the SMS message is larger than 160 characters; and

sending the one or more truncated mobile device messages to the mobile device for transmitting to the recipient mobile device.

5. The message server of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises generating a non-delivery receipt when the server is unable to deliver the mobile device message to the mobile device.

6. The message server of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises receiving a non-delivery receipt when the mobile device is unable to deliver the mobile device message to the recipient mobile device.

7. The message server of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a second message from the mobile device;

determining the type of the second message; and

delivering the second message to the client.

8. The message server of claim 7, wherein the second message comprises two or more separate mobile device messages.

9. The message server of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, by the message server, that the two or more separate mobile device messages are portions of a single mobile device message; and

concatenating the two or more separate mobile device messages into the single mobile device message.

10. The message server of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises processing the first message, wherein the processing comprises transforming the first message into a proper format for the user'"'"'s mobile device.

11. The message server of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises compressing the first message.

12. A storage device encoding computer executable instructions for performing a method of transmitting a mobile device message, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first mobile device, a first message from a message server, wherein a relationship exists between the first mobile device and the message server, and wherein the relationship is established by sending a message, from the first mobile device to the message server, comprising information about the first mobile device and an indication that the first mobile device can send mobile device messages on behalf of the message server;

determining the type of the first message; and

when the first message is a mobile device message, transmitting, by the first mobile device, the mobile device message to a second mobile device.

13. The storage device of claim 12, wherein when the first message is a mobile device command message, the first mobile device executes the mobile device command.

14. The storage device of claim 12, further comprising instructions for processing the mobile device message.

15. The storage device of claim 14, wherein processing the mobile device message comprises transforming the mobile device message into a format compatible for transit over a mobile device carrier network supporting the first mobile device.

16. The storage device of claim 12, further comprising instructions for:

receiving a second message from a third mobile device;

determining the type of the second message; and

when the second message is a second mobile device message, sending the second mobile device message to a client via the message server.

17. The storage device of claim 12, further comprising instructions for sending the health data of the first mobile device to the message server for later transmitting to a client.

18. A storage device encoding computer executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform a method comprising:

establishing a relationship between a message server and a first mobile device, wherein the relationship is established by receiving, at the message server, a message from the first mobile device, wherein the message comprises information about the first mobile device and an indication that the first mobile device can send mobile device messages on behalf of the message server, wherein upon establishing the relationship the message server can send mobile device messages via the first mobile device;

receiving, at the message server, a first message from a client; and

when the first message is a mobile device message, sending the first message from the message server to the first mobile device for transmitting to a second mobile device.

19. The storage device of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, at the message server, a second message from the first mobile device;

determining the type of the second message; and

when the message is a device command, delivering the second message to the client.

20. The storage device of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether the first mobile device message is larger than predefined set of characters;

truncating the first mobile device message into one or more truncated mobile device messages when the SMS message is larger than 160 characters; and

sending the multiple mobile device messages to the first mobile device for transmitting to the second mobile device.