GB2403373A

GB2403373A - Text messaging service in a telephone system

Info

Publication number: GB2403373A
Application number: GB0412626A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Samuel
Original assignee: 24 SEVEN COMM Ltd
Current assignee: 24 SEVEN COMM Ltd
Priority date: 2003-06-07
Filing date: 2004-06-07
Publication date: 2004-12-29
Also published as: GB0313120D0; GB0412626D0

Abstract

The invention relates to the ability to generate messages via a telecommunications system and in particular a method of generating a text message from a telephone handset connected to a landline telecommunications system. The method includes the user of the landline handset entering in a series of alphanumeric characters via the selective depressions of keys on their handset. The characters are recognised by a service provider to whom the same are transmitted and the message is transmitted to the identified recipient(s). The method of the invention further includes converting the text into a voice message to be sent back to the user to thereby allow the user to confirm that the message which has been generated is correct, the recipients being mobile phone handsets and the text message being an SMS message. A second embodiment of the invention includes generating a text message in a telecommunications system which can be relayed to a user of a telephone handset wherein the text message is converted into a voice message, and when the recipient answers the call the voice message is stated to the recipient.

Description

Text Message System The invention to which this application relates is

directed towards the improved provision of text messaging services via a telecommunications system.

Text messaging is a well known service which is available via the mobile telephone communications system. The service allows the user of a mobile phone handset to select to send a message comprising text, rather than make a conventional voice call. The text is input by the user selectively depressing, in sequence, keys of the handset. The available keys principally comprise a range of keys numbered 0-9, an asterisk key and a hash key. Each key, in addition to the normal telephone dialling operations is also available to represent a number of alphanumerical characters and/or spaces.

When the handset is in a text messaging mode the selective depression of a key allows one of the said characters to be selected and displayed on the handset screen. Thus the subsequent sequential selection of the keys allows the development of the text message.

When the text message is completed, the user can select one or a number of recipients, and the message is sent in a digital format via the telecommunications network. When the message is received at the recipient's handset the digital message is processed and displayed on the handset screen as the text message.

The text service has been extremely popular and, as a result, there is a high demand for the service. This demand is not limited to mobile telephone users. For example, it is known to be able to generate a text message and send the same to a recipient's mobile phone handset by accessing a suitable internet website. The website allows the user to type in the message and the website provider then arranges for the message to be sent. A current area of demand which is not serviced is from the users of the "conventional" or À À . . À À À: À À e-: :. -. À e.e À.e: landline phone service. Despite the fact that many people have mobile phones, many other people who would wish to send a text message do not and as the service is not available on a landline phone, these people do not have access to the system.

At present it is not possible to generate text messages from a landline phone or have the message transmitted and displayed in text on a recipients mobile phone screen. This is primarily due to the fact that the landline system is not capable of generating the text message from the handset into a form which can subsequently be transmitted As a result there are currently no Interactive Voice Response (IVR) services available via the landline communication system.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a system and method whereby a text messaging facility can be provided to the user of a landline telephone and allow the user to generate the message and select the recipient or recipients of the same.

In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method for the generation of a text message from a telephone handset connected to a landline telecommunications system, said method comprising the steps of, dialling a predetermined number from the telephone handset, accessing at the call destination a tone recognition means, the user, when instructed from the call destination, selecting to depress a key once or repeatedly as required to generate a tone or repeat sequence of the tone, each tone or sequence of tones processed at the call destination and a predesignated alphanumeric character linked to said tone or tone sequence entered into a memory, said key depressions repeated as often as required to generate the sequence of alphanumeric characters for the text message, and upon completion of the text message, the same is À - À. À # # À À e' À À À # À .e À . # À À # .. À transmitted in a digital format from the memory means to the user selected recipient or recipients.

In one embodiment the selected recipient or recipients is one or a number of mobile phone handset(s).

Typically the text message is transmitted from the call destination via an SMS message to the recipient(s).

Preferably, during the generation of the text message, when each alphanumerical character is recognised, a voice message is played to the user to indicate and request the user to confirm the alphanumeric character selected.

In a preferred embodiment, once the text message has been generated, the user is requested by a voice message to enter the telephone number(s) of the intended recipient(s) by the depression of the appropriate handset keys. In addition a message sender identity is required. The sender identity can be input as that of the actual sender or alternatively can be selected to be that of a third party selected by the sender.

Typically each of the keys of the telephone handset represents alphanumerical characters in accordance with the commonly adopted standards. The depression of the appropriate key once causes the selection of the first alphanumerical character represented by that key and subsequent repeated depression of the same key within a given time period, causes the selection of the second alphanumerical character represented by that key, and so on.

In one embodiment, the service and instructions to the user provided from the call destination are automated inasmuch that all À e À À À À e À À À À of the instructions, text indicators and responses are automatically generated. This therefore means that the service is reliable, not labour intensive and therefore cheap to provide.

In one embodiment, different levels of service can be provided, depending on the cost option selected by the user.

In one embodiment, once the text message has been generated, the service provider at the call destination, generates the text into a voice message back to the user to thereby allow the user to firstly confirm that the text message which has been generated is correct and, secondly, that it should be sent.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method whereby a text message generated via a telecommunication system can be relayed to the user of a telephone handset connected said method comprising the steps of generating a text message along with a recipient identity, processing the text message into a voice message undertaken by the service provider and, when the recipient answers the call or an answer service answers the call, the voice message is stated to the call recipient.

In one embodiment, although not exclusively required, the method includes the use of a telephone handset connected to a landline telecommunication system to generate the text message. However it should be appreciated that the invention and all aspects of the same herein described could be of utility when non landline telephone handsets are used.

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein À À Àe e c, e e À' À À Àe e À Àr À.

e À e Bee Figure 1 illustrates a typical handset and landline telecommunication system in accordance with which the invention can be utilised; and Figure 2 illustrates in schematic fashion the steps of the method in accordance with one embodiment.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, there is illustrated a typical landline telecommunication system. The user is provided with a handset 2 at their premises. The handset comprises a mouth and earpiece 4 and a base 6 which has a series of keys 8. Each key represents a number which can be dialled and, in addition a range of, typically two, three or four alphanumeric characters which can be selected by the user depression or repeated depression of the appropriate key.

The selection and depression of a key causes a tone or tones to be generated which pass along the landline 10 and subsequent telecommunications system 12 to the call destination 14.

The method of the invention in one embodiment is now described with reference to Figure 2. In this case a user wishes to send a text message to a friend who has a mobile phone handset with a number 0700 123456. To commence with the sending of the message, the User first calls a service provider 16 on a designated number, not the text message recipients number.

With the call connection made, the user accesses a voice menu message 18. The caller selects the "Generate Text Message" option by depressing the appropriate handset key as indicated by the voice message.

With the option accessed, the user then proceeds to generate the desired text message which in this case is "R U in".

À À À À À ::: À:e:' :: :: À . À À À ce. À . In order to generate the message each, alphanumeric character and space needs to be identified. In this case the letter R is generated by depressing the "7" key on the handset three times repeatedly 20, the space is generated by depressing the "O" key on the handset 22, the letter U is generated by depressing the "8" key twice repeatedly 24, the space by depression of the "O" key 26, the letter I by depression of the "4" key three times repeatedly 28 and the letter N by depression of the "6" key twice 30. Thus the message is completed.

Typically, upon each alphanumerical character or space being selected the service provider generates a voice indication of the character or space which is generated and the user can confirm by depression of say the "1" key 34. When confirmed the selection is stored in a memory means 36.

When the text message has been generated the caller can confirm completion 38 and is then required to input the call recipient number 40, in this case 0700 123456. In one example, the call sender is identified who may be the sender themselves, or alternatively another third party relatively can be input.

In a further example of the invention, if the recipient has a phone handset or is connected to a system, which does not allow the receipt of a text message, there is provided an option to have the text message, whether received in accordance with the invention as described, or via a mobile phone, transferred and transmitted, typically automatically, as a voice message to the recipient.

Typically the text to voice transfer would be provided by text voice recognition software.

This input number is then dialled by the service provider and the text message transmitted from the memory 36 to the caller's mobile À À r Àe À À À Àe À À - À. À ce.

À À À À À e. . . phone 42, typically by an internet based SMS messaging facility. The recipient can then pick up and view the text message.

The present invention therefore provides a system and method i whereby a text messaging facility becomes accessible to telephone users where previously this was not the case.

Claims

: ee. .e eec: a À À Àe a À À À À Àe a sea a a ce- a À a Claims 1. A

method for the generation of a text message from a telephone handset connected to a landline telecommunications system, said method comprising the steps of, dialling a predetermined number from the telephone handset, accessing at the call destination a tone recognition means, the user, when instructed from the call destination, selecting to depress a key or keys of the handset once or repeatedly as required to generate a tone or repeat sequence of the tone, each tone or sequence of tones processed at the call destination and a predesignated alphanumeric character linked to said tone or tone sequence entered into a memory, said key depressions repeated as often as required to generate the sequence of alphanumeric characters for the text message, and upon completion of the text message, the same is transmitted in a digital format from the memory means to the user selected recipient or recipients.

2 A method according to claim 1 wherein the selected recipient or recipients is one or a number of mobile phone handset(s).

3 A method according to claim 1 wherein the text message is transmitted from the call destination via an SMS message to the recipient(s).

4 A method according to claim 1 wherein during the generation of the text message, when each alphanumerical character is recognised, a voice message is played to the user to indicate that and request the user to confirm the alphanumeric character selected.

A method according to claim 1 wherein when the text message has been generated, the user is requested by a voice message to À # À À À e. À..

enter the telephone number(s) of the intended recipient(s) by the depression of the appropriate handset keys.

6 A method according to claims wherein a message sender identity is required to be input.

7 A method according to claim 1 wherein each of the keys of the telephone handset represents an alphanumerical character in accordance with the commonly adopted standards.

8 A method according to claim 7 wherein the depression of the appropriate key once causes the selection of the first alphanumerical character represented by that key and subsequent repeated depressions of the same key within a given time period, causes the selection of the second alphanumerical character represented by that key, and so on for successive depressions.

9 A method according to claim 1 wherein the service and instructions to the user provided from the call destination are automated inasmuch that all of the instructions, text indicators and responses are automatically generated.

A method according to claim 1 wherein different levels of service can be provided, depending on the cost option selected by the user.

11 A method according to claim 1 wherein once the text message has been generated, the service provider at the call destination, generates the text into a voice message sent back to the user to thereby allow the user to confirm that the text message which has been generated is correct and/or that the message should be sent.

12 A method whereby a text message generated via a telecommunication system can be relayed to the user of a telephone À 8 8 8 8 8 <A < À. < 8,

handset connected said method comprising the steps of generating a text message along with a recipient identity, processing the text message into a voice message undertaken by the service provider and, when the recipient answers the call or an answer service answers the call, the voice message is stated to the call recipient.

13 A method according to claim 12 wherein the message which is stated is first generated and played to the person who caused the generation of the message for their confirmation that the message is correct.

14 A method according to claim 12 wherein at least the handset from which the message is generated is connected to a landline telecommunication line.

A method as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.