Integrated messaging

• US 9,641,609 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2012
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Eidelson, Benjamin David, Gibbs, Colin
• Primary Examiner(s): Woolcock, Madhu
• Application Number:
  US13/463,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20130227030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,825 Days
• Field of Search: 709205, 709206, 709230, 709232, 709244, 709239
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• 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 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

An system, apparatus, and methods for integrated messaging are disclosed. The apparatus may include a user interface engine, an authorization module and a messaging module. The user interface engine receives input describing a recipient and a message to be received by the recipient. The authorization module generates an authorization signal indicating whether the recipient is authorized to exchange messages via a group messaging engine. The authorization module is coupled to the user interface engine to receive the input describing the recipient. The messaging module selectively transmits the message for dispatch to a user device of the recipient via the group messaging engine or a fallback messaging service based at least in part on the authorization signal. The messaging module is coupled to the authorization module to receive the authorization signal and coupled to the user interface engine to receive the input describing the recipient and the message.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a group messaging application on a user device, user input identifying a recipient and a message to be sent to the recipient;

determining, by the group messaging application, whether a digital network data channel is available for transmitting the message to a group messaging engine using a native messaging protocol;

determining, by the group messaging application, whether the recipient is authorized to exchange messages via the group messaging engine by comparing identifying information of the recipient with stored authorization information, wherein the group messaging engine is configured to exchange messages between two or more users using the native messaging protocol;

responsive to determining that the digital network data channel is available for transmitting the message to the group messaging engine using the native messaging protocol and that the recipient is authorized to exchange messages via the group messaging engine, transmitting, via the group messaging application, and through the digital network data channel, the message to the group messaging engine using the native messaging protocol for dispatch to a user device of the recipient;

responsive to determining that the digital network data channel is not available for transmitting the message to the group messaging engine using the native messaging protocol, transmitting, by the group messaging application, the message to the user device of the recipient via a fallback messaging service of a mobile network and using a fallback messaging protocol, the fallback messaging service including an SMS or MMS of the mobile network; and

upon the digital network data channel being reestablished after not being available for transmitting the message to the group messaging engine using the native messaging protocol;

sending, by the group messaging application, a backup request comprising message data describing the message transmitted using the fallback messaging protocol, the message data including message thread data identifying the message transmitted using the fallback messaging protocol as being connected to one or more other messages, exchanged between the two or more users, to which the message transmitted using the fallback messaging protocol belongs, wherein the backup request causes the message data to be stored at the group messaging engine, and

sending, by the group messaging application, a restore request to the group messaging engine for retrieving the stored message data stored at the group messaging engine and restoring, based on the message thread data, the message for exchange via the group messaging engine using the native messaging protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the message to the user device of the recipient using the fallback messaging protocol includes transmitting the message via SMS or MMS protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the digital network data channel is available for transmitting the message using the native messaging protocol further comprises determining whether a data connection to a connection server of the group messaging engine is available for transmitting the message for dispatch via the group messaging engine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting, using the fallback messaging protocol, the message to the user device of the recipient includes transmitting instructions to an SMS gateway or a telecommunications server to convert the message to an SMS or MMS message and dispatch the message to the user device of the recipient using the fallback messaging protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an integrated interface for displaying a message previously transmitted for dispatch via the group messaging engine adjacent to a message previously transmitted for dispatch via the fallback messaging service; and

providing the integrated interface for display.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a message via the fallback messaging service using the fallback messaging protocol;

updating the integrated interface to display the message received via the fallback messaging service adjacent to at least one of the message previously transmitted for dispatch via the group messaging engine and the message previously transmitted for dispatch via the fallback messaging service; and

providing the integrated interface for display.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause a computer to:

receive, at a group messaging application on a user device, user input identifying a recipient and a message to be sent to the recipient;

determine, by the group messaging application, whether a digital network data channel is available for transmitting the message to a group messaging engine using a native messaging protocol;

determine, by the group messaging application, whether the recipient is authorized to exchange messages via the group messaging engine by comparing identifying information of the recipient with stored authorization information, wherein the group messaging engine is configured to exchange messages between two or more users using the native messaging protocol;

responsive to determining that the digital network data channel is available for transmitting the message to the group messaging engine using the native messaging protocol and that the recipient is authorized to exchange messages via the group messaging engine, transmit, via the group messaging application, and through the digital network data channel, the message to the group messaging engine using the native messaging protocol for dispatch to a user device of the recipient;

responsive to determining that the digital network data channel is not available for transmitting the message to the group messaging engine using the native messaging protocol, transmit, by the group messaging application, the message to the user device recipient via a fallback messaging service of a mobile network and using a fallback messaging protocol, the fallback messaging service including an SMS or MMS of the mobile network; and

upon the digital network data channel being reestablished after not being available for transmitting the message to the group messaging engine using the native messaging protocol;

send, by the group messaging application, a backup request comprising message data describing the message transmitted using the fallback messaging protocol, the message data including message thread data identifying the message transmitted using the fallback messaging protocol as being connected to one or more other messages, exchanged between the two or more users, to which the message transmitted using the fallback messaging protocol belongs, wherein the backup request causes the message data to be stored at the group messaging engine, and

send, by the group messaging application, a restore request to the group messaging engine for retrieving the stored message data stored at the group messaging engine and restoring, based on the message thread data, the message for exchange via the group messaging engine using the native messaging protocol.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein transmitting the message to the user device of the recipient using the fallback messaging protocol includes transmitting the message via SMS or MMS protocol.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein determining whether the digital network data channel is available for transmitting the message using the native messaging protocol comprises determining whether a data connection to a connection server of the group messaging engine is available for transmitting the message for dispatch via the group messaging engine.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein transmitting, using the fallback messaging protocol, the message to the user device of the recipient via the fallback messaging service includes transmitting instructions to an SMS gateway or a telecommunications server to convert the message to an SMS or MMS message and dispatch the message to the user device of the recipient using the fallback messaging protocol.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computer to:

generate an integrated interface for displaying a message previously transmitted for dispatch via the group messaging engine adjacent to a message previously transmitted for dispatch via the fallback messaging service; and

provide the integrated interface for display.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computer to:

receive a message via the fallback messaging service using the fallback messaging protocol;

update the integrated interface to display the message received via the fallback messaging service adjacent to at least one of the message previously transmitted for dispatch via the group messaging engine and the message previously transmitted for dispatch via the fallback messaging service; and

provide the integrated interface for display.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a user interface engine stored in the memory and executable by the processor to receive input identifying a recipient and a message to be sent to the recipient;

an authorization module stored in the memory and coupled to the user interface engine, the authorization module executable by the processor to determine whether the recipient is authorized to exchange messages via a group messaging engine by comparing identifying information of the recipient with stored authorization information, wherein the group messaging engine is configured to exchange messages between two or more users using a native messaging protocol; and

a messaging module stored in the memory and coupled to the authorization module and the user interface engine, the messaging module executable by the processor to,

responsive to (i) receiving an indication that a digital network data channel is available for transmitting the message to the group messaging engine using the native messaging protocol, and (ii) receiving an indication that the recipient is authorized to exchange messages via the group messaging engine, transmit the message to the group messaging engine, through the digital network data channel and using the native messaging protocol for dispatch to a user device of the recipient via the group messaging engine,

responsive to receiving an indication that the digital network data channel is not available for transmitting the message to the group messaging engine using the native messaging protocol, transmit the message to the user device of the recipient via a fallback messaging service of a mobile network and using a fallback messaging protocol, the fallback messaging service including an SMS or MMS of the mobile network, and

upon the digital network data channel being reestablished after not being available for transmitting the message to the group messaging engine using the native messaging protocol;

sending a backup request comprising message data describing the message transmitted using the fallback messaging protocol, the message data including message thread data identifying the message transmitted using the fallback messaging protocol as being connected to one or more other messages exchanged between the two or more users, to which the message transmitted using the fallback messaging protocol belongs, wherein the backup request causes the message data to be stored at the group messaging engine, and

sending a restore request to the group messaging engine for retrieving the stored message data stored at the group messaging engine and restoring, based on the message thread data, the message for exchange via the group messaging engine using the native messaging protocol.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a persistence module stored in the memory and coupled to the messaging module, the persistence module executable by the processor to provide connection data identifying an availability of a data connection to the group messaging engine, wherein the messaging module is configured to selectively transmit the message for dispatch to the user device of the recipient via the group messaging engine or the fallback messaging service based at least in part on the connection data.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the messaging module is configured to, responsive to receiving an indication that the recipient is not authorized to exchange messages via the group messaging engine, transmit the message via SMS or MMS protocol to the SMS or MMS of the mobile network, respectively, for dispatch to the user device of the recipient.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a user settings module stored in the memory and coupled to the messaging module, the user settings module executable by the processor to provide a user-configurable setting associated with a sender of the message, wherein the messaging module is further configured to selectively transmit the message based at least in part on the user-configurable setting.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a user-configurable setting includes a setting for instructing the messaging module to transmit the message to the user device of the recipient via the fallback messaging service.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a message backup module stored in the memory and executable by the processor to transmit the message to the group messaging engine for storage, wherein the message corresponds to a message previously transmitted for dispatch to the user device of the recipient via the fallback messaging service.