Apparatus, system and method for forwarding data sent to a wireless device to another address

• US 7,865,175 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2006
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jordan, Royce D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier; Gerald
• Application Number:
  US11/610,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20070087729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/418, 455/417, 455/432.3, 455/456.1, 455/466, 455/419, 455/431, 455/433, 455/435.1, 455/556.2, 348/220, 370/328, 370/352, 370/312, 370/332, 370/389, 701/207, 709/221, 709/231, 709/250, 709/206, 709/245, 379/93.24
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• 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 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

An apparatus for forwarding data sent to a wireless device having a first address to a second address. The apparatus includes a server in communication with a wireless network and an external network. The server includes a processor. The processor includes a data forwarding module for forwarding the data to the second address via the external network when the wireless device is not in communication with the wireless network.

Claims

1. An apparatus for forwarding data sent to a wireless device associated with a first address to a second address, the apparatus comprising:

a server in communication with a wireless network and an external network, wherein the server is configured to;

receive the data sent to the wireless device associated with the first address;

determine, prior to attempting delivery of the data, whether the wireless device is in communication with the wireless network; and

forward the data, using a data forwarding module of a processor associated with the server, to;

the first address if the server determines that the wireless device is in communication with the wireless network;

or

the second address via the external network if the server determines that the wireless device is not in communication with the wireless network, wherein the second address comprises an alternative delivery address.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to:

delay forwarding of the data for a waiting time, the waiting time comprising a minimum time for which the server waits when the wireless device is not in communication with the wireless network before the server forwards the data to the second address.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the server comprises a database for storing the data sent to the wireless device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the database comprises a mailbox for storing the data sent to the wireless device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the database has a directory structure for identifying the mailbox.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the data comprises a text message and a delivery address.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external network is selected from the group consisting of a second wireless network, a telephone network, and the Internet.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second address is associated with a communication device in communication with the external network.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the communication device is selected from the group consisting of a wireless telephone, a personal digital assistant, a terminal, a computer, a landline telephone, and a facsimile machine.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a data modification module configured to:

remove the first address from the header portion of the data; and

append the second address listed in a user profile stored in a user database.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a data modification module configured to:

store the data in the mailbox;

create a copy of a non-header portion of the data stored in the mailbox;

attach a new header to the non-header portion of the data, wherein the new header comprises the second address and the new header is retrieved from a user profile maintained in a user database.

12. An apparatus for forwarding data sent to a wireless device having a first address, to a second address, the apparatus comprising:

a server in communication with a wireless network and an external network, wherein the server includes a processor, the processor including means for;

receiving the data sent to the wireless device associated with the first address;

determining, prior to attempting delivery of the data, whether the wireless device is in communication with the wireless network; and

forwarding the data to the second address via the external network if it is determined that the wireless device is not in communication with the wireless network.

13. A tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions for execution by a computer processor, wherein execution of the computer-readable instructions make the processor operable to perform the steps comprising:

receiving data intended for delivery at a first address;

determining, prior to attempting delivery of the data, whether a wireless device associated with the first address is in communication with a wireless network; and

forwarding the data to a second address via an external network if the wireless device is not in communication with the wireless network, wherein the second address comprises an alternative delivery address.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the wireless device comprises a pager.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising computer-readable instructions, the execution of which make the processor operable to store, at a storage location, the data sent to the wireless device.

16. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising computer-readable instructions, the execution of which make the processor operable to store, in a mailbox, the data sent to the wireless device.

17. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising computer-readable instructions, the execution of which make the processor operable to identify the mailbox.

18. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the data comprises a text message and a delivery address.

19. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the external network comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a second wireless network, a telephone network, and the Internet.

20. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable instructions for forwarding the data to the second address further comprise computer-readable instructions for execution by a computer processor, wherein execution of the computer-readable instructions make the processor operable to perform the step of forwarding the data to the second address, wherein the second address is associated with a communication device in communication with the external network.

21. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the communication device comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a wireless telephone, a personal digital assistant, a terminal, a computer, a landline telephone, and a facsimile machine.