FI116260B - Procedure for performing a messaging service using the telephone network - Google Patents

Description

116260

A method for implementing a messaging service over a telephone network

The invention relates to a method for implementing a message service over a telephone network according to the preamble of claim 1.

5 Such methods are used for messaging services where one message sent over a telephone network is transmitted to multiple recipients. In particular, these services are provided to mobile customers.

According to the prior art, it is possible to send group messages to multiple recipients using a service provided by a telecommunication operator on a GSM network mobile phone. 10 In Finland, at least Radiolinja Oy and Sonera Oyj provide such services. With Sonera Corporation's service, a GSM customer can use certain commands to create a SMS group, which includes GSM phone numbers and email addresses. Group definition is done by sending one or more text messages to a specific service number containing predefined commands as well as the desired network addresses for list 15. After creating the group, the GSM customer can send a text message to the above service number, which starts with the service defining command (in Sonera's service “RT”) and continues with the defined group ID. This information is followed by the message the customer wants. The system of the telephone operator receives the sent message and performs the service defined at the beginning of the message, ie forwards the message to a group .. ··. 20 connected web addresses.

A well-known solution is well suited to a customer who wants to send messages, e.g.

; · Announcements, mainly to one-way recipients defined as relatively small groups. However, the known solution encounters problems if the group is a bit larger and if the group wants to have discussions in 25 different directions. Namely, in a known solution, each user must ·· define their own group to send their own messages. If the group involved in the conversation is a bit larger, updating the mailing lists as the group changes will be a problem. In practice, this means that when a new member joins a group, his or her address will only be specified for '30 mailing lists for some users. Thus, some internal messages will never reach new users. Similarly, when a person attempts to leave the group, the mailing lists of several 2 116260 other members of the group will not be updated. As a result, a member who leaves the group may receive occasional group messages from the group members as long as his or her phone number is valid at all.

The object of the invention is to provide a messaging service in which the composition of the group remains unified and in which joining and leaving the group are more successful than the known solution.

The invention is based on assigning to each group its own telephone number, which refers to a certain uniquely defined address group. Messaging is arranged to take place via this group-specific telephone number, so that there is no need to include separate commands or group identifiers in the text message 10 being sent. By default, a text message sent to a group number will be forwarded to all group addresses except the sender.

More specifically, the method of implementing the message service according to the invention is characterized in what is set forth in the characterizing part of claim 1.

The invention provides considerable advantages.

By means of the invention, the person joining the group automatically receives all messages sent to the group after joining, since all messages sent to the group pass: through the same group definition. Similarly, when you leave a group, the phone number or e-mail address of the former 's 20 members will no longer be wasted on individual members' mailing lists. A further advantage is that * · * does not have to include commands or group IDs in the body of the SMS, so the actual message to be forwarded '· · · * can contain more characters.

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The invention also has many inexpensive embodiments which further achieve further advantages.

For example, the invention enables a member of the group to temporarily disable himself / herself from the * · '· mailing list. This could be the case, for example, while on holiday or traveling abroad. In this case, the member of the group may normally receive SMS messages personally addressed to him or her, but messages sent through group messages will not be received. Such a temporary withdrawal from the group is not practically possible in the known solution described above. In the known solution, this would require each member of the group to first delete the phone number and then, after a pause, redefine it in their own mailing list. However, temporary withdrawal from the group may also be of significant financial importance if a member of the group 5 is abroad. In a known solution, a group member would have to pay a reception fee for receiving messages, even though the content would be completely irrelevant to the person abroad.

Furthermore, the invention provides versatile billing options. Charging of a messaging service can be arranged, for example, in such a way that: 10 1) The sender pays a certain transmission fee for each message he sends.

2) Each recipient pays a reception fee for each message they receive.

3) Each member of the group pays a monthly membership fee.

Invoicing for the Service may also be performed in combination with the foregoing methods in the manner best suited to the nature of each of the 15 Groups. Further, sending a message could also justify a reduction in service charges. This could be the case, for example, in certain information and hobby groups, such as the Birdwatching Birdwatching Group. In this case, the subscriber who sent the new information message would be registered with the teleservice system and the service charge would be implemented, for example, in a combination of modes 2) and 3) V · 20 mentioned above. This example already illustrates the flexibility of the method and the many possibilities associated with the services to be implemented.

. The invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows one possible system environment in which the method of the invention can be used.

<25 Figure 2 shows one possible routine that can be performed for transmitting messages: in accordance with the invention.

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Figure 1 shows the terminals 1 and Γ, the short message service centers 2, and the \ ·: server 3. One of the terminals is designated as the message transmitting terminal Γ.

116260 4 Terminals 1 are terminals capable of receiving and storing messages in data format. By data format is meant any suitable form of data transmission and storage for transmitting and storing in the terminal text, image and / or audio messages. In the main, the terminals 1 are 5 mobile stations, and in particular digital mobile stations, such as communicators with GSM or UMTS network or more functionalities. However, a computer connected to the data network can also act as a receiving terminal 1. In addition, the transmitting terminal Γ must be capable of transmitting and preferably also generating messages to be transmitted. Preferably, the transmitting terminal 1 'is a digital mobile station 10, since messages are mainly transmitted via the mobile network messaging service. For example, the GSM Short Message Service (SMS) is such a mobile network messaging service which is well suited to the use of the invention. Reception can also be done via e-mail, for example, via the Internet.

The system environment illustrated in the example of Figure 1 is based on GSM technology and the terminals 1 and Γ are mobile stations of the GSM network. In this example, the terminal 1 "generates an SMS message (Short Message Service) and sends it to the telephone number of the message group formed by the mobile stations 1 and 1 '. The SMS message is then transmitted over the GSM network to the short message service center 2. The short message service center 2 receives the message 3. Telephone 3 20 receives the message and performs a messaging routine according to the telephone number.

: \ · According to this routine, server 3 sends SMS messages to short message service center. · * · To call 2 (may also be the same exchange 2 where the messages came from) to be forwarded to other phone numbers (terminals 1) of the message group except the one that sent the original “· message (terminal Γ). The contents of the SMS messages transmitted to the terminals 1 are copied to the contents of '··' 25 original SMS messages received from the terminal Γ. Alternatively, ··· 'server 3 can also be set to make some or certain changes to the message content. For example, a set of abbreviations could be programmed into the messaging service, which server 3 would replace with a full representation corresponding to the abbreviation. Further, the service could include defined variables, in which case the server 3 would run * · '· * 30 to retrieve a value for the variable to be placed in the messages transmitted to the terminals 1 instead of the name of the variable. In such embodiments, it may be necessary to send two or more SMS messages instead of one SMS message to the 116260 5 terminals 1.

Figure 2 shows a flow chart of one possible method that can be performed on a server 3 for implementing a proxy service. Execution of the method 5 starts at block 21 as soon as it is detected that a message directed to the telephone number managed by the server 3 has been forwarded to the server 3. This will start the routine selected according to the target number of the message. The following is a step-by-step approach illustrated in Figure 2:

In block 21, the telephone number of the sender 10 of the message entering the message group telephone number is analyzed. This sender phone number is referred to herein as the A number. In block 21, the A-number of the message is compared to a list of authorized senders (sender group). If the A number is in the whitelist, i.e. the sender is a member of the sender group, the method continues in block 22. If the A number is not 15, the method is terminated in block 27. The whitelist of the message group, i.e. the sender group, all members of the group (and only members of the group) have the right to send a message to the group via the service. In customized services, the whitelist can be implemented. . 20 also freely different. Thus, the method can implement, for example, a service in which a certain first group has the right to send messages to a certain second, · _. # groups, with the first and second group being different.

·· Block 22 retrieves the first '...' phone number from the message group phone number list. In this publication, the target number of the message is called the B number.

'···' 25 After retrieving the first B-number, you move to block 23.

; In block 23, the retrieved B-number is compared with the A-number. If the B number is the same * as the A number, proceed to block 25. If the B number and A number again; differ, move to block 24. Purpose of this check •; ..; is to prevent the message from being forwarded back to the sender.

V · '30 In block 24, the message is forwarded to the B number and proceeded to block 25. Here, the transmission of a message means sending a message and not delivering it to 6116260 receiving terminal 1. Namely, in the method, it is generally not sensible to wait for the acknowledgment that the message has indeed arrived at the receiving terminal 1, as this would delay the sending of the message to the other members of the group. Another consideration is that. that when transmitting the message to the terminals 1, it is advantageous to ensure that the message sender is the number of the message group and not the original sender. This is because the recipients can identify the message as coming from the message group rather than directly from the sender. The arrangement also makes it possible to reply to the message as a group message via the mobile phone's reply-10 function.

In block 25, the B number following the telephone group list of the message group is retrieved, and then proceed to block 26.

In block 26, it is checked whether all telephone numbers in the message group have already been processed. This can be accomplished e.g. by storing a specific end character as the last 15 digits of the message group phone number list. Then, in block 26, it is checked whether the retrieved B number corresponds to the end character, and if so, the list is processed. If the list is completed, proceed to block 28 to terminate the method. If, on the other hand, the list has not been finalized, proceed to block 23.

; In block 27, execution of the method is terminated and the received message is destroyed.

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In block 28, execution of the method is terminated.

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The methods described above are intended only to illustrate specific embodiments of the invention and do not in any way limit other embodiments outside the scope of the invention. Thus, the methods described above can be modified in a number of ways, while still remaining within the scope of the invention.

For example, in the example of Figure 2, the check described in block 23 may be omitted and. : The message also passes back to the original sender. This can even be useful.

if additional features are included in message forwarding, such as replacing abbreviations. Γ. more complete representations, or replacing variables with values obtained by variables.

; In these cases, before transmitting a message, a method must be performed which reads the contents of the 7116260 message and extracts the defined abbreviations and variables from it. If abbreviations and variables are detected, they are retrieved from the database or from an appropriate external service. Further retrieved matches are included in the message at the location defined by the original abbreviation or variable.

In connection with block 24, it was found that the sender of the transmitted message is preferably the telephone number of the message group rather than the telephone number of the original sender. Of course, the method can also be implemented by marking the sender's phone numbers of the original sender as the sender, if necessary by including another identifier in the message, by which the recipient can identify the message as having come through the message group. Alternatively, it may also be possible for the telephone number of the message group to be marked as the sender, but the original sender number is included in the message portion of the message. Some services may also include the inclusion of the original sender name or a nickname obtained from the service's database through the numer number identification.

15 Addresses other than telephone numbers may also be included in the mailing list. In this case, the message must be converted to a suitable format before being sent. In addition, it must be ensured that these other addresses can also be processed, for example, when performing the method of Figure 2.

The examples shown may also be modified to accommodate the functions of the server 3. · ": 20 is already executed in short message service center 2, and server 3 may not even be needed. Otherwise, the location or ownership of the functions of server 3 are not * · V, · 'essential. Server 3 may be part of a teleoperator system; just as well to be ... under the control of a service operator independent of a telecommunications operator.

* »'*» 25 The above examples illustrate the transmission of messages in a message group blog. The following is a brief description of some of the possibilities to define such services.

*. ; Initial configuration of the message group settings and subsequent changes * requires a user interface through which service configuration can be performed. Such a. * 30 interface can be, for example, a web-based Internet interface. In the case of the Internet \ '·· interface, the message group founder may communicate with the server via 3 8 116260 Internet to set up the message group addresses and other necessary configuration. Further, the assignment rights may also be granted to other persons, e.g., to all members of the group, either in full or limited to, for example, their own personal information. Similar functions can also be performed via the WAP interface, subject to certain restrictions.

Another option for setting up is setting up by the service provider. In this case, the service operator can provide its customers, for example, with a service number, which calls the service personnel for setting up a group or changing settings.

10 A third option for setting up is to make settings over a dial-up connection and DTMF signals. In this case, it is possible, for example, to set up an update phone number for each message group that has already been established to update the member's own information. In this case, the subscriber to the update telephone number is identified by the A-number and the new assignments are received as DTMF signals. In this way, for example, temporary disconnection from the group or permanent termination of service can be effected in a neat way. After a temporary disconnect, after the appropriate voice menu and DTMF selection, the customer number is removed from the mailing list but not from the other member list maintained by the group members. If a member of the group wishes to join the mailing list again, he or she may be identified from the list, after which his or her number, t 20, may be returned to the mailing list. If, however, you want the messaging service to be open to all * * users, no separate membership lists are needed, but all to the mailing list • · _. Attempts to connect can be accepted.

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The fourth option is to update the settings via short messages. In this case, * «· for example, as in the DTMF option above, each group can be assigned its own '* 25 update phone number, which will be used to change service settings through messages sent.

Open message groups to join can also be easily implemented in this way; ; ;;; 'Simply by sending a standard message to the given phone number. You can also unsubscribe from the message group in a similar * way.

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There are thus many different options for setting and changing settings 30 that can also be used side by side in the same service. Depending on the nature of the message group * * * J ', a more formal registration for the list may also be required. In that case, only the operator or other person with the right to upgrade the group could assign new members to the group. In this way, the risk of disturbance behavior can be reduced. In any case, it is possible to exclude interference, since the telephone number of the sending terminal tulee is always known to the service operator. 5 In the future, disruptive users may also be prevented from registering for lists using at least the same telephone number.

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Claims (10)

A method for performing a message service by means of a telephone network, in which message service a message group consisting of at least three network addresses is defined, and wherein a method addressed to the message group message is received in such a way that the message is received via a message group specific telephone number. which unambiguously defines the message group constituting the message message, and the received message is conveyed to the network addresses defined in the message group, characterized in that - as the sender of the message intended for transmission, the message group's telephone number is specified. 15 • ♦ v Method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the message service, a transmitter group consisting of network addresses is defined, which is' '' entitled to send the message to the message group, and before the message is transmitted 20. the network identification for the subscriber who sent the message, * · «'; ; · - check whether the network identification of the subscriber, sent with- '; 'Sharing, belongs to the defined transmitter group, and, * ··, - the message is transmitted only if the network identification of the subscriber who sent the message belongs to the defined transmitter group. : 25 116260 3. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the transmitter group is used as the message group. Method according to any of claims 1-3, characterized in that the message is prevented from being transmitted back to the network address which sent the message. Method according to any of claims 1-4, characterized in that the message intended for communication is a text message, for example an SMS message in accordance with the GSM standard. Method according to any of claims 1-5, characterized in that the network address is a mobile telephone network address, e.g. an address in number form, i.e. a phone number. ; A method according to any of claims 1-6, characterized in that, the sender of a message addressed to the message group addressed a service. ·. *. 15 fee related to the conveyance of the message. :; Method according to any of claims 1-6, characterized in that the sender of a message addressed to the message group addressed a credit:: ': for sending the message. '*: * 20. · ”. Method according to any of claims 1-8, characterized in that '. the recipient of a message message message group is charged a service ""; fee related to the transmission of the message. i »116260 Method according to any of claims 1-9, characterized by the receipt of a message addressed to the message group and the transmission of the message to the network addresses belonging to the message group 5. The message contents are read by means of a program, and - unless the message contains commands directed to the program, through the program, changes are made to the message contents defined by the commands. t · »tl ·