Method and apparatus for conferencing of text messages

• US 9,282,191 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2013
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Phone.com Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Phone.com Incorporated
• Inventors: Cohen, Alon, Scott, Brian Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Jean
• Application Number:
  US14/013,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20140073301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 455/416
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A system and method are provided which provide a text messaging conference among at least three users who communicate on different first communication channels. A message initiated by a first user is received on one of the first communication channels. The message seeks to initiate a text message conference and includes identities of a plurality of additional users to participate in the messaging conference. Conference participants are identified by a two part identifier, which allows a single participant to participate in multiple ongoing simultaneous conferences.

Claims

1. A method of establishing a first conference amongst at least three users comprising:

receiving, at a bridge, an out of band and substantially instantaneous message initiated by a first user, said message including more than one user identities, said bridge including one or more incoming physical or logical communications channels;

assigning a unique logical identifier to each user associated with said more than one user identities, and to said first user, said unique logical identifier including an actual phone number associated with said each user or said first user and a Direct inward Dial (DID) phone number from a pool of DID numbers associated with the bridge;

forming a first group of users from said unique logical identifiers for the at least three users; and

transmitting subsequent substantially instantaneous out of band messages received from any user associated with said first group to all or a subset of other such users associated with said first group, said messages being transmitted out of band and substantially instantaneous, wherein said Direct inward Dial (DID) phone number that is assigned for said first user or said each user is capable of being different than one or more Direct inward Dial (DID) phone numbers assigned to other users within said first group of users, and wherein the unique logical identifier for the first user and said each user uniquely identifies the first user and said each user as participants in the first conference.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, upon said first user or said each user initiating a second conference having a second group of users, said first user or said each user can be assigned a second Direct inward Dial (DID) phone number for said second conference that is distinct from said Direct inward Dial (DID) phone number that was assigned for that same user for said first conference.

3. The method of claim 2, said one or more physical or logical communication channels to which said users in said first group send said substantially instantaneous out of band messages are different for different users associated with said first group.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said substantially instantaneous out of band messages are Short Message Service (SMS) messages.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said bridge, upon receipt of said substantially instantaneous out of band messages, examine said messages to determine if said messages are a bridge command, and if so, processes said messages in a first manner, and if not, processes said messages in a second manner.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more physical or logical communication channels to which said users in said first group send said substantially instantaneous out of band messages are different for different users associated with said first group.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said substantially instantaneous out of band messages are Short Message Service (SMS) messages.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said bridge, upon receipt of said substantially instantaneous out of band messages, examine said messages to determine if said messages are a bridge command, and if so, processes said messages in a first manner, and if not, processes said messages in a second manner.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

classifying each of said Short Message Service (SMS) messages into one of three types, said three types being an initiation message, a content message, or a command message,

if a message of said Short Message Service (SMS) messages is an initiation message, parsing said message to ascertain said each user associated with said more than one user identities,

if a message of said Short Message Service (SMS) messages is a content message, forwarding said message to one or more of said each user associated with said more than one user identities and said first user, and

if a message of said Short Message Service (SMS) messages is a command message, altering parameters of said conference.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring frequency at which messages are received or sent on a specific channel associated with a user, and terminating said user from said group if said frequency exceeds a predetermined threshold.

11. A multiconferencing system for establishing a conference amongst at least three users comprising:

(a) a bridge including one or more incoming physical or logical communications channels for receiving an out of band and substantially instantaneous message initiated by a first user, said message including more than one user identities, and outputting a unique logical identifier for said first user and said each user associated with said more than one user identities;

(b) a Multiple Conferencing Unit (MCU) in communication with the bridge to receive and group the logical identifiers, said unique logical identifiers including a first indicia of an actual phone number associated with said first user or said each user associated with said more than one user identities and a second indicia of a Direct inward Dial (DID) phone number from a pool of DID numbers associated with the bridge, wherein the second indicia of the Direct inward Dial (DID) phone number that is assigned for said first user and said each user associated with said more than one user identities within a first group is capable of being different than one or more of the second indicia of the Direct inward Dial (DID) phone numbers assigned to other users within said first group, and wherein said unique logical identifier for the first user and said each user uniquely identifies the first user and said each user as participants in a particular conference; and

(c) a transmitter to transmit said substantially instantaneous message initiated by the first user to all or a subset of said each user associated with said more than one user identities, said transmitter transmission being out of band and substantially instantaneous.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said out of band and substantially instantaneous message is a Short Message Service (SMS) message.

13. A method of establishing a first conference comprising:

receiving, at a bridge, an out of band and substantially instantaneous message initiated by a first user, said message including one or more user identities, said bridge including one or more incoming physical or logical communications channels;

in response to the receiving of the message, determining whether a unique logical identifier needs to be assigned for that first user and said user identities, and, if said assignment is required, assigning a unique logical identifier to each user associated with said user identities, and to said first user, said unique logical identifier including an actual phone number associated with said each user or said first user and a Direct inward Dial (DID) phone number from a pool of DID numbers associated with the bridge;

forming a first group of users from said unique logical identifiers; and

transmitting subsequent substantially instantaneous out of band messages received from any user associated with said first group to all or a subset of other such users associated with said first group, said messages being transmitted out of band and substantially instantaneous, wherein said Direct inward Dial (DID) phone number that is assigned for said first user or said each user is capable of being different than one or more Direct inward Dial (DID) phone numbers assigned to other users within said first group of users, and wherein the unique logical identifier for the first user and said each user uniquely identifies the first user and said each user as participants in the first conference.

14. A method of establishing a phone call comprising:

receiving, at a bridge, an out of band and substantially instantaneous message initiated by a first user, said message including a destination identity, said bridge including one or more incoming physical or logical communications channels;

in response to the receiving of the message, determining whether a unique logical identifier needs to be assigned for that first user, and said destination identity, if said assignment is required, assigning a unique logical identifier to said first user associated with said destination identity, said unique logical identifier including an actual phone number associated with said first user and a Direct inward Dial (DID) phone number from a pool of DID numbers associated with the bridge;

wherein said Direct inward Dial (DID) phone number that is assigned for said first user is capable of being the same as one or more Direct inward Dial (DID) phone numbers assigned to other users associated with the same said destination identity, and yet is unique for said first user, wherein the unique logical identifier for the first user and said destination identity uniquely identifies said first user and said destination identity as participants in the phone call.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said destination identity is a phone number (DID) and where first user is identified by its caller ID.