Prohibiting Mobile Forwarding

• US 20160150386A1
• Filed: 04/29/2015
• Published: 05/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Appelman, Barry
• Granted Patent: US 9,510,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• 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 63/104 Grouping of entities
• 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 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

An incoming message and an indication of a sender-specified destination for the incoming message are received. In addition, a determination is made as to whether a mobile telephone number is known by the sender to be associated with the sender-specified destination. If a mobile telephone number is known by the sender to be associated with the sender-specified destination, a first message that is based on the incoming message is sent to the mobile telephone number. Furthermore, a second message is sent to the mobile telephone number that indicates that the first message was sent to the mobile telephone number based on a determination that the mobile telephone number is known by the sender to be associated with the sender-specified destination.

Claims

1. A method for communicating using electronic devices, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming message and an indication of a sender-specified destination for the incoming message;

determining if a mobile telephone number is known by the sender to be associated with the sender-specified destination;

sending a first message to the mobile telephone number based on a determination that the mobile telephone number is known by the sender to be associated with the sender-specified destination; and

sending a second message to the mobile telephone number, wherein;

the first message is based on the incoming message, and

the second message indicates that the first message was sent to the mobile telephone number based on the determination that the mobile telephone number is known by the sender to be associated with the sender-specified destination.

2-55. -55. (canceled)