Method and systems for short message forwarding services

• US 8,121,626 B1
• Filed: 06/04/2007
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ObjectVideo Incorporated (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.), CallWave Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: FuzeBox, Inc.
• Inventors: Kirchhoff, Leland W., McClintock, David C., Trandal, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shen, Qun
• Application Number:
  US11/757,737
• Time in Patent Office: 1,723 Days
• Field of Search: 455/413, 455/466, 455/412.1, 370/390
• US Class Current: 455/466
• 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: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for processing visual messages, such as text or multimedia messages, originated from a mobile phone. In an embodiment, a visual message from an originating wireless telephonic device is directed to an original destination address associated with a user. An indication that the visual message has been received at a first telecommunications system, wherein an original destination associated with the original destination address is not available to receive the originating wireless telephonic device visual message. The visual message is wirelessly transmitted to an alternate destination.

Claims

1. A method of managing Short Messaging Service messages, the method comprising:

receiving at an SMS relay first SMS message;

providing a copy of the first SMS message to a telecommunications client associated with the user; and

storing the first SMS message on a networked server accessible over a network by the user via the telecommunication client, wherein the telecommunications client includes a user interface via which the user can view the stored first SMS message from the networked server and (a) delete the first SMS message from the networked server, or (b) forward the first SMS message stored on the networked server, or (c) reply to the first SMS message stored on the networked server, or (d) edit an originating phone number associated with the first SMS message stored on the networked server, or (e) create a contact from the first SMS message stored on the networked server, or (f) originate a call to the originating mobile device via the first SMS message stored on the networked server, or any combination of (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f);

receiving at the SMS relay a second SMS message including a corresponding destination address associated with a device of an intended recipient;

querying a Home Location Register (HLR) regarding a status of a device associated with the destination address of the intended recipient;

receiving an indication from the HLR as to whether the device of the intended recipient of the second SMS message is available;

at least partly in response to an indication from the HLR that the device of the intended recipient is not available to receive the second SMS message, causing at least in part an email to be transmitted to a forwarding email address associated with the intended recipient, wherein the forwarding email address is received from the HLR, the email including content of the second SMS message, a link to the second SMS message'"'"'s content, or the second SMS message'"'"'s content and the link to the message content of the second SMS message.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the telecommunications client is hosted on a device other than the user'"'"'s mobile phone.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the telecommunications client is accessible via an interactive television.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the originating device includes a personal computing device and the telecommunications client is downloaded to the personal computing device, the telecommunications client being capable of transmitting SMS messages.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the telecommunication client is configured to be upgraded over a data network.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising receiving a reply message from the user via the telecommunications client, and at least partly causing the reply message to be transmitted to the originating mobile device that originated the SMS message.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein the reply message is communicated via an SMS gateway and a mobile switching center to the mobile phone.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the SMS message is stored in a queue and the queued SMS message is transmitted to the original destination when the original destination becomes available.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the SMS message is stored in a queue to be delivered at a later time to the original destination, and at least partly in response to a deletion instruction being provided via the telecommunications client, causing the SMS message to be removed from the queue so that the SMS message is not transmitted to the original destination.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising providing a user interface via which the user can provide an SMS message forwarding address.

11. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the SMS forwarding address is an email address.

12. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the telecommunications client is hosted by a personal computer or an interactive television.

13. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the telecommunications client includes a widget.

14. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising providing a call log user interface via the telecommunications client hosted on a desktop personal computer, the call log including the SMS message and an identifier associated with a sender of the SMS message.

15. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the telecommunications client is hosted at least on a device other than user mobile device, and wherein the user can delete the stored SMS message via the telecommunication client.

16. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the telecommunications client is hosted at least on a device other than user mobile device and is configured to be upgraded over a data network, and wherein, via the telecommunications client, the user can:

delete the SMS message from the networked server, and

forward the SMS message stored on the networked server, and

reply to the SMS message stored on the networked server, and

create a contact from the SMS message stored on the networked server, and

originate a call to the originating mobile device via the SMS message stored on the networked server.

17. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein SMS will not be forwarded to the telecommunications client unless the user so specifies in an account setup of the user.