Methods and systems for single number text messaging

• US 8,761,816 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2003
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Telesector Resources Group Incorporated, Verizon Data Services LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Reding, Craig L., Majid, Ziauddin, Neelakantan, Shashi
• Primary Examiner(s): PHUONG, DAI
• Application Number:
  US10/720,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20050148351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,865 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/514, 455/551, 455/556.2, 455/566, 455/414.2, 455/414.4, 455/403, 455/414.1, 455/432.2, 455/432.3, 455/426.1, 455/417, 455/428, 455/445
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/09 Third party charged communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2005 Temporarily overriding a service configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/66 Third party billing, i.e. third party can also be the predetermined telephone line of the caller if he is calling from another telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/387 using subscriber identification cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4933 with operator assistance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13224 : Off-net subscriber, dial in to/out from network, teleworking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13282 : Call forward, follow-me, call diversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing a SMS message sent to a particular phone number or address to a preferred device. A sender may send a SMS message to a phone number address of a user. The SMS message is then routed to a preferred device selected by the user and displayed in an appropriate format on the preferred device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing, at a server device, network addresses associated, respectively, with each of a plurality of devices associated with a receiving party;

receiving, at the server device and from the receiving party, information including;

data identifying one of the network addresses associated with a first preferred device, of the plurality of devices,

data identifying first characteristics of the first preferred device,

data identifying a first time period associated with the first preferred device,

data identifying another one of the network addresses,

the other one of the network addresses being associated with a second preferred device, of the plurality of devices, and

the second preferred device being different from the first preferred device,

data identifying second characteristics of the second preferred device, and

data identifying a second time period associated with the second preferred device,

the second time period being different from the first time period;

receiving, at the server device, a short messaging service (SMS) message addressed to a first address, of the network addresses,

the first address being associated with a first device of the plurality of devices;

identifying, by the server device, a second address, of the network addresses,

the second address being associated with a second device, of the plurality of devices, that differs from the first device, and

identifying the second address including;

selecting, as the second address, the one of the network addresses when the SMS message is received during the first time period, and

selecting, as the second address, the other one of the network addresses when the SMS message is received during the second time period,

the second device being identified without sending the SMS message to the first device;

formatting, by the server device, the SMS message based on characteristics of the second device,

the characteristics of the second device including the first characteristics when the one of the network addresses is selected as the second address,

the characteristics of the second device including the second characteristics when the other one of the network addresses is selected as the second address;

when the one of the network addresses is selected as the second address, formatting of the SMS message based on the characteristics of the second device including;

converting the SMS message into a voice message that is accessible via the second device, and

when the other one of the network addresses is selected as the second address, formatting of the SMS message based on the characteristics of the second device including;

generating a notification indicating that the SMS message is being received at the first device; and

selectively sending, by the server device, the voice message or the notification to the second device,

the voice message or the notification being sent via a pathway that does not include the first device,

the voice message being sent when the one of the network addresses is selected as the second address, and

the notification being sent when the other one of the network addresses is selected as the second address.

2. The method of claim 1, where the second preferred device comprises an SMS-compatible device, and

where formatting the SMS message includes:

formatting, when the other one of the network addresses is selected as the second address, the notification in an SMS format.

3. The method of claim 1, where selectively sending the voice message or the notification includes:

sending, when the other one of the network addresses is selected as the second address, the notification to an e-mail address that the receiving party can access via the second device.

4. The method of claim 1, where selectively sending the voice message or the notification includes:

sending, when the other one of the network addresses is selected as the second address, the notification to an instant messenger client that the receiving party can run on the second device.

5. The method of claim 1, where selectively sending the voice message or the notification includes:

sending, when the other one of the network addresses is selected as the second address, the notification to digital companion client software that the receiving party can run on the second device.

6. The method of claim 1, where selectively sending the voice message or the notification includes:

determining whether the second device is available to receive the voice message or the notification,

storing the voice message or the notification in a memory when the second device is not available to receive the voice message or the notification.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a memory to store;

information identifying and address for each device of a plurality of devices associated with a user,

data identifying a first particular address, of the plurality of addresses, associated with a first preferred device, of the plurality of devices,

data identifying a second particular address, of the plurality of addresses, associated with a second preferred device, of the plurality of devices,

information identifying a characteristic of the first preferred device,

information identifying a first time period associated with the first preferred device,

information identifying a characteristic of the second preferred device, and

information identifying a second time period associated with the second preferred device; and

one or more devices to;

receive a SMS message identifying a first address, of the addresses,

the first address being associated with a first device of the plurality of devices, and

identify a second address, of the addresses,

the second address being associated with a second device that differs from the first device,

the one or more devices, when identifying the second address, being to;

select, as the second address, the first particular address when the SMS message is received during the first time period, and

select, as the second address, the second particular address when the SMS message is received during the second time period, and

the second device being identified without sending the SMS message to the first device,

format the SMS message based on a characteristic of the second device,

the characteristic of the second device including the first characteristic when the first particular address is selected as the second address,

the characteristic of the second device including the second characteristic when the second particular address is selected as the second address,

when the first particular address is selected as the second address, the one or more devices, when formatting the SMS message in accordance with the characteristic of the second device, being further to;

convert the SMS message into a voice message that is accessible via the second device, and

when the second particular address is selected as the second address, the one or more devices, when formatting the message in accordance with the characteristic of the second device, being further to;

generate a notification indicating that the SMS message is being received at the first device, and

selectively send one of the voice message or the notification to the second device via a pathway to the second device that does not include the first device,

the voice message being sent when the first particular address is selected as the second address, and

the notification being sent when the second particular address is selected as the second address.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, where the one or more devices are further to:

store messages in the memory when the second device is not available to receive messages.

9. An comprising:

means for storing information identifying;

a first preferred device, of the plurality of devices,

a second preferred device, of the plurality of devices,

a first specification of the first preferred device, and

a second specification of the second preferred device;

means for receiving a short message service (SMS) message identifying one device of the plurality of devices,

the one device being different from the first preferred device or the second preferred device;

means for selecting, as a preferred device, one of the first preferred device or the second preferred device for receiving the SMS message based on receiving the SMS message,

the preferred device being identified without sending the SMS message to the one device,

the means for selecting the preferred device including;

means for selecting, as the preferred device, the first preferred device when the SMS message is received during a first time period associated with the first preferred device, and

means for selecting, as the preferred device, the second preferred device when the SMS message is received during a second time period associated with the second preferred device,

the second time period differing from the first time period,

a specification for the preferred device including one of;

the first specification when the first preferred device is selected as the preferred device, or

the second specification when the second preferred device is selected as the preferred device; and

means for selectively sending, to the preferred device, a voice message corresponding to the SMS message or a notification indicating that the SMS message is being received at the one device,

the voice message being sent when the first preferred device is selected as the preferred device, and

the notification being sent when the second preferred device is selected as the preferred device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, where the means for selectively sending the voice message or the notification includes:

means for storing messages to a memory when the preferred device is not available to receive the voice message or the notification.

11. A method, performed by a network routing device, the method comprising:

receiving a short message service (SMS) message including information identifying a first destination device;

identifying a second destination device instead of the first destination device for receiving the SMS message based on receiving the SMS message,

the second destination device being different than the first destination device,

the second destination device being identified without sending the SMS message to the first destination device, and

identifying the second destination device including;

identifying, as the second destination device, a first preferred device when the SMS message is received during a first time period associated with the first preferred device, and

identifying, as the second destination device, a second preferred device when the SMS message is received during a second time period associated with the second preferred device,

the second time period differing from the first time period;

formatting the SMS message based on characteristics associated with the second destination device,

the characteristics for the second destination device including one of;

first characteristics associated with the first preferred device when the first preferred device is selected as the second destination device, or

second characteristics associated with the second preferred device when the second preferred device is selected as the second destination device; and

sending, via a pathway that does not include the first destination device, the formatted SMS message to the second destination device,

formatting the SMS message based on the characteristics associated with the second destination device further including;

converting, when the first preferred device is selected as the second destination device, the SMS message into a voice message that is accessible via the second destination device, and

generating, when the second preferred device is selected as the second destination device, a notification indicating that the SMS message is being received at the first destination device.

12. The method of claim 11 where the first destination device and the second destination device are associated with a receiving party, and

where the identifying includes:

identifying the second destination device based on a profile associated with receiving party.