Granted Patent B2

US 12,425,813 · App. 18/638,190 · Granted Sep 23, 2025

Inventor: Graham Merrett (Woolloongabba, AU)

H04W4/14H04L51/56H04L51/58H04L69/24H04W4/18H04W8/183H04L51/04H04W84/12H04W88/06

Abstract

Claims (60)

1. A method comprising:

wirelessly receiving at least one configuration message including connection parameters, via a receiver of a mobile wireless device of a user, wherein a connection to a server is automatically established in accordance with the connection parameters, wherein the server is associated with a service for sending and receiving packet switched messages;

transmitting, via a client program operating on the mobile wireless device of the user, first information comprising a first phone number;

receiving, at the client program, a first response to the transmission of the first information, wherein the first response indicates that the first phone number is associated with a subscriber of the service;

transmitting, via the client program and a wireless local area network (WLAN), in accordance with the connection parameters, based on the first response, first message content directed to a mobile wireless device associated with the first phone number, wherein the first message content is formatted in accordance with the service;

transmitting, via the client program, second information comprising a second phone number;

receiving, at the client program, a second response to the transmission of the second information, when the second phone number is not associated with an active subscriber of the service;

transmitting, via the client program, second message content for delivery to a mobile wireless device associated with the second phone number, wherein the second message content is directed to the mobile wireless device associated with the second phone number via at least one other cellular messaging service and the second phone number;

transmitting, via the client program, third message content of a group message, wherein the third message content is directed to the mobile wireless device associated with the first phone number and the mobile wireless device associated with the second phone number, via the service.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying content of an SMS message, by the client program, including content originated by a subscriber of the service, subsequent to an authentication with the service.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first message content includes one or more images;

wherein the at least one other cellular messaging service is short message service (SMS).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the client program is adapted to send message content to a subscriber absent user input of a username and absent user input of an email address.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the client program is adapted to send a message to a subscriber based on each one of a phone number and email address.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a server which maintains a subscriber list and provides the first response is located outside of a cellular network; wherein the server provides email configuration settings associated with an email address.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the client program distinguishes between active and inactive subscribers, during message composition.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the client program is adapted to:

receive as input, address information consisting of a third phone number;

send a group message, via a packet switched bearer, to a plurality of mobile wireless devices, based on the first phone number and the third phone number;

wherein the group message is routed via at least an email address.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, via the client program, at least one message from at least one subscriber, via a push model;

wherein the third message content is sent via a wireless personal area network (WPAN).

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein, based on the second response, the mobile wireless device associated with the second phone number receives an SMS message having content originated via the client program.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first phone number is received from a message being composed.

12. A method performed by a server that supports a plurality of client programs, the method comprising:

authenticating a first phone number associated with a mobile wireless device upon which a client program operates, to a service for sending and receiving packet switched messages, wherein the authenticating is performed via short message service (SMS) protocol;

adding the first phone number to a subscriber list based on the authenticating;

receiving a second phone number from the client program,

determining that a user is associated with the second phone number;

sending a response, to the client program, the response indicating that the user associated with the second phone number is a subscriber of the service;

receiving content originated from the mobile wireless device associated with the first phone number and providing the content to a mobile wireless device associated with the user, via the service;

receiving a third phone number, from the client program;

providing a second response in response to the receipt of the third phone number, wherein the third phone number does not correspond to a subscriber of the service;

wherein the client program causes a message addressed to the third phone number to be sent via another service.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the content is routed via an email address and via a push model.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the message addressed to the third phone number is a short message service (SMS) message.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the message addressed to the third phone number indicates the service.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the message addressed to the third phone number includes a URL indicative of the service.

17. A method comprising:

downloading a client program associated with a service for sending and receiving packet switched messages;

authenticating, via the client program and a server of the service, a first phone number associated with a mobile wireless device, via a cellular based text message comprising a numeric identifier;

after the authenticating:

transmitting, via the client program, first information comprising a second phone number;

receiving, via the client program, a first response to the transmitting of the first information, wherein the first response indicates that the second phone number is associated with a subscriber of the service;

transmitting, via the client program and a wireless local area network (WLAN), based on the first response, first message content, wherein the first message content is directed to a mobile wireless device associated with the second phone number, via the service; and

transmitting, via the client program, second information comprising a third phone number, wherein the third phone number is not associated with a subscriber of the service;

wherein a cellular based text message, including an invitation to subscribe to the service, is directed to a mobile wireless device associated with the third phone number based at least in part on the third phone number not being associated with a subscriber of the service.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

formatting, via the client program, a group message for transmission to the mobile wireless device associated with the second phone number and the mobile wireless device associated with the third phone number, wherein content of the group message is directed to the mobile wireless device associated with the second phone number via the service and content of the group message is directed to the mobile wireless device associated with the third phone number via a different service which is a cellular based text message service.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the service is a service other than Short Message Service (SMS), Enhanced Messaging Service (EMS) and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS).

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the mobile wireless device associated with the first phone number receives at least one text based message indicating the service, prior to the authenticating.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the mobile wireless device associated with the first phone number is unable to receive information about subscribers of the service, from the server, prior to the authenticating.

22. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

transmitting a request message comprising information representing at least a collection of phone numbers;

receiving an array of binary answers in response to the request message, the array of binary answers having information representing the collection of phone numbers, wherein each binary answer in the array of binary answers corresponds to subscription status of one of the collection of phone numbers; and

causing packet switched messages to be sent via the service to at least some subscribers corresponding to a subset of the binary answers and causing at least some messages to be sent via short message service (SMS) to at least some other non-subscribers corresponding to a different subset of the binary answers.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein at least some subscribers receive messages from other subscribers exclusively via the service and then subsequently receive messages via SMS, upon at least one condition being satisfied.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein at least one packet switched message sent via the service is routed via an email address.

Priority Claims (2)

Continuity (19)

References Cited (79)