Location based messaging

• US 9,532,195 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2015
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Lohtia, Sunit
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Michael T
• Application Number:
  US14/596,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20150126230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/14 between corresponding nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for messages, such as short messages and multi-media messages. In one implementation a message is received from a sender, a location of the sender is determined, the message is modified to include the location of the sender, and the modified message is transmitted to a recipient.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a messaging server configured to;

receive a message of a sender which is input through a sender'"'"'s mobile device and send the message to a recipient'"'"'s mobile device, wherein the message is one of a short message service (SMS) message and a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message;

provide the message to a location server;

and

the location server being configured to;

determine whether the sender is a subscriber to a location-enabled service, obtain location information about a location of the sender'"'"'s mobile device in response to the determination that the sender is the subscriber; and

modify the message to add the location information of the sender'"'"'s mobile device; and

provide the modified message to the message server;

wherein the message server is further configured to;

transmit the modified message to the recipient'"'"'s mobile device; and

provide a webpage in which the sender is allowed to create a user profile including the sender'"'"'s subscription to the location-enabled service.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the messaging server is further configured to identify the recipient'"'"'s mobile device by using account information of the recipient.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the location server is configured to obtain the location information of the sender'"'"'s mobile device from an external server of a communication network provider.

4. A method comprising:

receiving a message of a sender which is input through the sender'"'"'s mobile device, wherein the message is one of a short message service (SMS) message and a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message;

determining whether the sender is a subscriber to a location-enabled service, and obtaining a location of the sender'"'"'s mobile device in response to the determination that the sender is the subscriber;

modifying the message to add the location of the sender'"'"'s mobile device;

sending the modified message to the recipient'"'"'s mobile device; and

providing a webpage in which the sender is allowed to create a user profile including the sender'"'"'s subscription to the location-enabled service.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising obtaining the location information of the sender'"'"'s mobile device from an external server of a communication network provider.