System and method for forwarding messages to a subscriber device

• US 6,405,035 B1
• Filed: 08/24/2000
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Optis Wireless Technology, LLC (Brevet Capital)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Singh, Mona
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, John J
• Application Number:
  US09/645,390
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 455/413, 455/445, 455/414, 455/426, 455/552, 455/458, 455/466, 455/412, 455/427, 455/417, 455/415, 455/416, 455/461, 370/390, 370/432, 709/203, 709/240, 709/206, 709/207
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2083 Confirmation by serviced party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53316 Messaging centre selected by message originator

Abstract

A method and system of forwarding messages to a subscriber. The invention includes a host server for receiving messages from a communications network. The message is forwarded to at least one of a plurality of devices associated with the subscriber. The host server will receive a signal from one of the devices indicating that the subscriber has received the message. After receiving this signal, the message is deleted from the other devices to which it was sent to ensure redundant messages are not received by the subscriber. The invention may use a multi-cast, probabilistic, or hybrid approach to deliver the messages to subscriber on a convenient device.

Claims

1. A method of forwarding messages to a subscriber, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a message at a host server, the message being addressed to a subscriber;

forwarding the message from said host server to a plurality of devices indicated by the subscriber; and

receiving a signal from one of the plurality of devices indicating that the subscriber has received the message, and, in response thereto automatically deleting the message from each of the plurality of devices to which the message was forwarded and not accessed by the subscriber.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is forwarded to each of the plurality of devices at the same time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein forwarding messages from the host server to the plurality of devices is performed according to a predetermined sequence.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein prior to the subscriber receiving the message, the message is pending at one of the devices at a given moment of time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the host server records each message delivered to the subscriber.

6. The method of claim 1, further including sending the message to each of the devices that are active.

7. A method of forwarding a message comprising the steps of:

receiving a message addressed to a subscriber;

delivering the message to each of a plurality of devices attributed to the subscriber; and

receiving a signal from one of the plurality of devices indicating the subscriber has received the message, and, in response thereto automatically deleting the message from the other plurality of devices.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the message is delivered to active devices.

9. The method of claim 7, further including assigning a priority level to each message sent to the plurality of devices.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the message is in the form of at least one of a group consisting essentially of email, short message service, and instant messaging.

11. A message delivery system comprising:

a host server;

a plurality of devices each capable of receiving messages targeted to a subscriber, each of said plurality of devices being in communication with said host server;

a subscriber agent within each of said plurality of devices for maintaining the status of a message sent to the device;

a master agent within said host server for communicating with said subscriber agents and causing redundant messages to be automatically deleted by said devices at least by the time the message is accessed by the subscriber in response to receiving a signal from one of the plurality of devices indicating that the subscriber has received the message.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said subscriber agents prioritize messages that have not been accessed by a subscriber.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the devices receives messages in at least one of the forms consisting essentially of email, short message service, and instant messaging.