Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RESPONSE ENABLED
MESSAGING
[0001] The present application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Serial No. 60/853,088, filed on October 20, 2006.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001a] The present invention relates to enabling a messaging system to
create an association between a notification message and a corresponding
response message.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Mobile messaging offers the opportunity of improved productivity
for enterprises. Generating mobile notifications from enterprise applications
is
straightforward. Such notifications allow the end user to be notified in a
timely
manner regarding important events in an enterprise workflow. For example,
employees in a supply chain company can be notified of progress of an item in
the order process. Such notices may be sent in various ways, including short
messaging system (SMS) messages. However, such notifications do not allow
the employee to respond back with actions or directives through the messaging
channel.
[0003] Accordingly, in one aspect the present invention resides in a
method of creating associations between messages in a stateless system, the
method comprising: adding a unique identification to a notification message
being sent to the stateless system at a gateway, the unique identification
comprising an enterprise keyword in combination with a pseudo-unique short
code, the pseudo-unique short code being unique to an enterprise identified by
the enterprise keyword; and upon receiving a response from the stateless
system, identifying the unique identification within the response, and
utilizing
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the unique identification to associate the response with the notification
message.
[0003a] In another aspect the present invention resides in an apparatus
comprising: an enterprise mobile notification system (EMNS) to convert a
notification message into a mobile format notification message; and a
messaging gateway to add a unique identification to the mobile format
notification message, the unique identification comprising an enterprise
keyword in combination with a pseudo-unique short code, the pseudo-unique
short code being unique to an enterprise identified by the enterprise keyword,
and upon receiving a response from a user, identifying the unique
identification
within the response, and utilizing the unique identification to associate the
response with the notification message.
[0003b] In a further aspect the present invention resides in a method
comprising: intercepting a notification; generating a stateless SMS message
based on the notification, the SMS message including a unique identification,
to
enable the stateless SMS message to be associated with the notification, the
unique identification comprising an enterprise keyword in combination with a
pseudo-unique short code, the pseudo-unique short code being unique to an
enterprise identified by the enterprise keyword; receiving a response to the
SMS message; and associating the response with the notification based on the
unique identification.
[0003c] In another aspect the present invention resides in a method of
creating associations between messages in a stateless system, the method
comprising: receiving a notification message by an enterprise mobile
notification
server from an enterprise system; adding, by the enterprise mobile
notification
server, a plurality of action keywords to the notification message, wherein a
user can select one of the plurality of action keywords in the notification;
storing
a plurality of available short codes associated with the enterprise system in
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memory in the enterprise mobile notification server; adding, by the enterprise
mobile notification server, a unique identification to the notification
message
being sent to a stateless client device, wherein the unique identification
comprises a unique short code, selected from among the plurality of available
short codes stored in the memory, the short code selected to minimize
possibility of conflict; sending, by the enterprise mobile notification
server, the
notification message including the unique identification to the stateless
client
device; upon receiving, by the enterprise mobile notification server, a
response
from the stateless client device, identifying the unique identification within
the
response, and utilizing the unique identification to associate the response
with
the notification message, wherein the response comprises a selection of one of
the plurality of action keywords; translating, by the enterprise mobile
notification
server, the selection of one of the plurality of action keywords to a response
for
the enterprise system; and sending, by the enterprise mobile notification
server,
the translated response to the enterprise system which generated the
notification message.
[0003d] In a further aspect the present invention resides in a server
comprising: memory to store a plurality of available short codes associated
with
an enterprise; an enterprise mobile notification system (EMNS) to: receive a
notification message from an enterprise system, to add a plurality of action
keywords to the notification message, wherein a user can select one of the
plurality of action keywords in the notification message, to translate the
selection of one of the plurality of action keywords to a response for the
enterprise system, send the notification message to a messaging gateway, and
to transmit a translated response to the enterprise system; and the messaging
gateway to add a unique identification to the notification message, wherein
the
unique identification comprises a unique short code, selected from among the
plurality of available short codes stored in the memory, the short code
selected
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=
to minimize possibility of conflict, to send the notification message
including the
unique identification to a stateless client device, and upon receiving a
response
from a user that comprises a selection of one of the plurality of action
keywords,
to identify the unique identification within the response, to utilize the
unique
identification to associate the response with the notification message, to
send
the response to the enterprise mobile notification system.
[0003e] In another aspect the present invention resides in a method
comprising: storing a plurality of available short codes associated with an
enterprise in memory in a server; intercepting, by the server, a notification
from
an enterprise system; generating, by the server, a stateless SMS message
based on the notification, the SMS message including a plurality of action
keywords, wherein a user can select one of the plurality of action keywords in
the SMS message, and a unique identification, to enable the stateless SMS
message to be associated with the notification, wherein the unique
identification
comprises a unique short code, selected from among the plurality of available
short codes stored in the memory, the short code selected to minimize
possibility of conflict; receiving, by the server, a response to the SMS
message,
wherein the response comprises a selection of one of the plurality of action
keywords; associating, by the server, the response with the notification based
on the unique identification; translating the selection of one of the
plurality of
action keywords to a response for the enterprise system which generated the
notification message; and sending, by the server, the translated response to
the
enterprise system.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not
by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which
like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:
[0005] Figure 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the system.
[0006] Figure 2 is a flowchart of one embodiment of constructing a
notification message.
[0007] Figure 3 is a flowchart of one embodiment of handling a
response to the notification message.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0008] The method and apparatus described is response enabled
messaging system, which allows a stateless messaging system to associate a
notification/original message with a response. A stateless messaging system
does not preserve the original message's message ID in a response. Such
stateless messaging systems include short messaging system (SMS),
multimedia messaging system (MMS), and others. For simplicity, in the below
examples, SMS will be used. However, one of skill in the art would understand
that the processes described herein would apply to any other stateless
messaging system.
[0009] The system will automatically associate any response with the
original notification. This enables an employee to respond to a notification
with
directives/actions. In one embodiment, such a directive/action may be
automatically processed by a workflow system. This system provides improved
productivity since the employee can not only receive notifications when they
are
mobile, but they can also respond to them immediately.
[0010] One use of the response enabled messaging permits an
employee receiving a message originated from an enterprise application to
respond with one or more keywords that can initiate an action. Furthermore, in
one embodiment the system permits a message thread, enabling error
messages, clarifications, and other related message exchanges to be maintained
together.
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[0011] In one embodiment, the system may use the ORACLE
Enterprise Suite and associated applications, or other enterprise
applications.
In one embodiment, the enterprise application utilizes one or more underlying
databases. However, the methodology may be used with any SMS-sending
system, and does not require an underlying database or enterprise system.
[0012] Some Enterprise Suites generate workflow notifications for end
users. These notifications are typically email based. Users receive an email
including one or more hyperlinks. Users can then click on hyperlinks for
"Accept"
"Reject" etc. that typically launch the email client with a pre-populated
message
template that includes an appropriate keyword (accept, reject, approve,
forward,
etc.) corresponding to the hyperlink that the user clicked and an ID that
identifies
the corresponding workflow item. The ID and the keyword from the reply are
used to affect the appropriate change to the corresponding workflow item.
However, SMS does not provide such a response function. Natively, SMS
messages are unconnected to each other. Although you can press "reply" what
is generated is an unconnected SMS, directed at the originator of your
message.
While this may work in a personal messaging environment, where an individual
sends and receives only a few messages a day, it does not function well in a
corporate environment. An enterprise suite may generate hundreds of
messages in a day.
[0013] Figure 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the system.
The primary components in one embodiment include:
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= Enterprise Mobile Notification System 110: This system converts
the Enterprise workflow notifications to Mobile Notifications and
sends them to the Enterprise Messaging Gateway via an API.
= Enterprise Messaging Gateway 120: This Gateway manages the
scheme to route a reply back to the originating enterprise system
element, along with the original NotificationID or an equivalent
identifier.
= Global Messaging Gateway 130: This Gateway delivers messages
globally.
[0014] The Enterprise Mobile Notification System (EMNS) 110 may, in
one embodiment reside on the enterprise database system. Alternatively, the
EMNS 110 may reside on a separate server, but be coupled to the database
system. The EMNS 110 maps workflow notifications to mobile notifications
(which have constrained length compared to email notifications). In one
embodiment, the functionality of the EMNS 110 may be integrated into the
enterprise database system. Thus, the EMNS 110 need not be a separate
software application from the notification originating system, but is simply
logic to
enable the notification to be sent via SMS or similar mobile protocol.
[0015] In one embodiment, a Ul tool enables an authorized user, for
example an Enterprise IT manager, to select the appropriate fields in the
various
types of workflow notifications to assemble into a mobile notification. In one
embodiment, the mobile notification may be assembled automatically by the
EMNS 110. Typical fields are Subject, Amount to be approved (for Expense
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Report, Purchase Order, etc), and others. Accepted and expected action
keywords (Accept, Reject, etc.) are created for various user actions that are
possible for this workflow event.
[0016] The workflow system automatically triggers such workflow
notifications to be sent. In one embodiment, the EMNS 110 converts the
notifications to SMS or another mobile format. The notifications, in one
embodiment, are sent via an API (application programming interface) to the
Enterprise Messaging Gateway 120. In one embodiment, the components of a
mobile notification include:
= NotificationID. This ID is used by the Enterprise Messaging Gateway
for the corresponding reply from user.
= Destination Mobile Number
= Message Text (e.g. "Expense Report John Doe Trip to CTIA
Conference $1200. Reply Approve or Reject").
[0017] The EMNS 110 receives a reply from the Enterprise Messaging
gateway 120 with the user-selected action keyword (Approve, Reject, etc.) and
the appropriate NotificationID. The EMNS 110 then passes the response data to
the enterprise systems to affect the change associated with the keyword. In
one
embodiment, the EMNS 110 may translate the response into a proper format for
the enterprise application.
[0018] The Enterprise Messaging Gateway (EMG) 120 is the system
that correlates replies with corresponding input messages. This correlation is
important since SMS clients on handsets do not preserve any state in a reply.
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[0019] In one embodiment, the Gateway 120 stores the following
information for the input message:
= Enterprise ID: The enterprise making the message delivery request is
identified by the corresponding connection point to this system (in one
embodiment each Enterprise has a dedicated connection point).
= Enterprise Keyword: is identified for the Enterprise: for example: VRSN
for Verisign. In one embodiment, the Enterprise ID can be replaced by
the Enterprise Keyword, and vice versa. The Enterprise keyword may
be as short as a single letter, if that is all that is needed to uniquely
identify the enterprise. Generally, minimizing keyword length is useful
because typing on a mobile device may be difficult.
= NotificationID: set by Enterprise for identifying the workflow event.
= Message Keyword: An Alpha-numeric keyword for Message is
generated. In one embodiment, the Message Keyword may be a 3
digit keyword.
[0020] The Gateway 120, in one embodiment, splits messages larger
than the SMS maximum (in one embodiment 160 characters) into multiple
messages. In one embodiment, such split messages receive a single
NotificationID and Message Keyword.
[0021] An SMS or similar stateless originating message, or
notification,
is generated for the client device. For example, an SMS message is
constructed, requesting a response from the user. For example, an exemplary
SMS message may read "VRSN Purchase Order #ABC $999 For Some Project
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Hardware. Reply with VRSN MXY ACCEPT/REJECT." This message has the
following components:
= Description of event ("VRSN Purchase Order #ABC $999 For Some
Project Hardware")
= Reply Instructions. These instructions may include one or more of the
following:
a. Enterprise Keyword ("VRSN")
b. Message Keyword ("MXY") ¨ this is used by the Enterprise
Messaging Gateway to correlate this reply with originating
message.
c. Action Keywords ("ACCEPT, REJECT").
d. Short message code
[0022] A short message code is assigned to the message. The short
message code is a part of the SMS specification. Generally, Short Codes are
phone numbers that are 5 digits long. These phone numbers are used in SMS
messaging instead of long numbers such as 1-206-555-4321, i.e. telephone
numbers with area codes. A provider can lease these short codes to a
corporation. In one embodiment, the corporation may have a range of short
codes (i.e. the codes between 50000 and 51000).
[0023] The user is prompted to create a response. The response, in
one embodiment, must include all three components prompted for by the
instructions Enterprise Keyword, Message Keyword, Action Keyword). In
another embodiment, the Enterprise Keyword can be eliminated if an Enterprise
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uses a dedicated short code (say 55555) so that the reply can be routed back
to
enterprise based on the dedicated short code that it was sent to. The
Enterprise
Keyword is only used to distinguish between enterprises on a shared Short
Code.
[0024] In one embodiment, the Message Keyword can also be
eliminated by the Enterprise Messaging Gateway by rotating through a set of
short codes, such that the short code of the response is likely to be unique.
For
example, the system may rotate through 1000 short codes sequentially for a
particular destination MDN. The short code is associated with the input
message
in the database. Therefore, the reply can be correlated back to the
originating
message. This approach assumes that the user responds to a message in a
timely manner. Since very few SMS clients store a large number of messages
(older messages are discarded), if the range of available short codes is large
enough, there is minimal possibility of conflict.
[0025] In one embodiment, this cycle may be repeated. That is, the
response sent by the user may trigger an error message, or request for
clarification. The EMG 120 would associate this subsequent message with the
original notification and response. In one embodiment, the EMG builds a
message thread based on communications between the enterprise system (or
other message originator) and the user, or users. In one embodiment, this
message thread may be archived or made available to the enterprise system or
outside systems.
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[0026] In another embodiment, the Enterprise Mobile Notification
System transmits message details and action keywords to the Enterprise
Messaging gateway. The Enterprise Messaging gateway creates a unique URL
for the message and sends to end user as WAP PUSH or SMS with URL. Such
a message may read: "You have a new enterprise message from VRSN. Click
Go: http://mobile.verisign.comnid=XFGTxcg."
[0027] When the end user clicks on the link, he or she is taken to a
WAP page hosted by the Enterprise Messaging Gateway. On that WAP page,
the notification message body is shown. In one embodiment, the original SMS
message may include such a WAP notification. The WAP page in on
embodiment also includes action links. The end user can click on an Action
link.
When the end user selects an Action link, in one embodiment, an API call is
made back to the Enterprise Mobile Notification System with appropriate
NotificationID and Keyword.
[0028] In another embodiment, the message may include multiple
URLs, corresponding to the response options. The user may then select one of
the URLs, and this may be sufficient to make a selection. This would enable
the
selection of a URL which does not have any content, reducing the bandwidth
usage and rendering time for the WAP page. This may be useful for devices
which charge for the bandwidth used.
[0029] The Enterprise Messaging Gateway can pass the response to
the Enterprise database. In one embodiment, the WAP Page is branded per the
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enterprise originating message. In one embodiment, a single Enterprise
Messaging Gateway can service a plurality of corporations.
[0030] Figure 2 is a flowchart of one embodiment of the process. The
process starts at block 210, when a notification message which needs a
response is generated.
[0031] At block 220, the process determines whether the enterprise
has a dedicated short code. If it does not, at block 225 an indication of the
enterprise keyword which should be included with the response is added to the
message.
[0032] At block 230, the process determines whether the system uses
a set of rotating short codes. If so, at block 235, the process determines
whether
a short code is available for this message. If no short code is available for
this
message, the process at block 240 adds a message keyword to the message.
This message keyword is to be returned by the SMS responder.
[0033] At block 245, the query is added to the SMS message, as are
the possible responses. In one embodiment, possible responses are defined by
the message originator. In one embodiment, they are automatically defined. In
one embodiment, the default responses are agree/disagree/no decision. In one
embodiment, the user may be provided with an appropriate abbreviation for each
option, to minimize the required typing. Thus, the query may be: "Authorize
Project Review? Respond with BU#2 MSG1234 (Y)es/(N)o." The user may
respond with "BU#2 MSG1234 Y," if no dedicated short codes are available. If
there are dedicated short codes the BU#2 and/or MSG1234 identifiers may be
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absent from the message. Thus, the response from the user may be as simple
as "Y."
[0034] At block 250, the stateless message (SMS or otherwise) is sent
to the user. In one embodiment, the message includes instructions. In one
embodiment, if the message and instructions are too long to fit within the
size
limitations of SMS/other stateless messaging system, the message may be sent
in two or more parts. At block 260, the system stores the short code
associated
with the message. If the short code is not unique for the message, the message
ID is also stored. If the short code is also not unique for the enterprise,
the
enterprise keyword is also stored. The process then ends.
[0035] Figure 3 is a flowchart of one embodiment of handling a
received response. As noted above, when the message is sent out, the system
stores the short code associated with the message. If the short code is not
unique for the message, the message ID is also stored. If the short code is
also
not unique for the enterprise, the enterprise keyword is also stored.
[0036] The process starts, at block 310, when a stateless response is
received from a user.
[0037] At block 315, the available data is extracted from the
stateless
response from the user. The data that can be extracted from the response
includes the short code to which it was sent, and its contents. It has no
other
referent for the originating message.
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[0038] At block 320, the system looks up the short code. The short
code may identify a particular message, a particular business unit, or a
particular
enterprise.
[0039] At block 325, the process determines whether the short code is
unique to a particular message. If so, the received response is associated
with
the original notification message at block 330. In another embodiment, the
entire
enterprise may share a short code. In that case, this step may be skipped. If
the
short code is not unique to the message, the process continues to block 335.
[0040] At block 335, the process retrieves the message identification.
If no message identification is found, the process fails at block 340.
Otherwise,
the process continues to block 345.
[0041] At block 345, the process determines whether the short code &
message identification combination is unique to the organization. If it, then
the
received response is associated with the original notification at block 350.
Otherwise, the process continues to block 350.
[0042] At block 350, the process attempts to retrieve the business
unit
information from the response. If the business unit information is not found,
the
process fails, at block 340. Otherwise, the received response is associated
with
the original notification at block 330.
[0043] Note that while in the above examples only two levels of
identification were provided (message ID and business unit) the depth of
identification may be increased or decreased, as appropriate. For example, a
particular system may simply use unique message IDs, and thus obviate the
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need for business unit and/or enterprise identification. Another system may
use
a depth of four or more separate identifiers, for example message ID, work
group, business unit, corporate entity, all of which exist under the same
short
message code. In this way, the system enables the use of stateless messaging,
such as the messaging provided by short messaging system (SMS), multimedia
messaging system (MMS), or universal resource locators (URL) to provide state-
linked responses to queries.
[0044] Once the response is associated with the notification message,
at block 330, the process continues to block 360. At block 360, the response
is
translated to the appropriate language and/or format for the original
notification
generator. This format change may include everything from changing a "Y" to an
"Approved" or similar language shift, or the change of a text message into
HTML,
a programming language, a spreadsheet format, etc.
[0045] At block 370, the response is sent to the logic which generated
the original notification. The system sends this response using the
conventional
path of the notification generator. Therefore, the enterprise system which
generates notifications need not be modified in any way to enable it to use
SMS
as a path for notifications. By intercepting messages as they are generated,
and
translating them into the appropriate stateless notification message, and re-
translating upon a response, existing enterprise systems can be utilized with
new
notification technologies. In one embodiment, the system intercepts messages
generated by the notification system, and forwards them on, after generating a
copy for use in the stateless messaging system. This ensures that complete
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records are available. In one embodiment, the entire exchange is stored in the
system, to enable review of actions which occurred. In one embodiment, the
system may further generate an acknowledgement message to the user.
[0046] Note that while the above example discussed an enterprise
messaging system, the invention described herein has applicability in other
circumstances. Any system which includes an initial message to which a
response is requested. Furthermore, while SMS was described in detail, the
messaging platform may be any stateless messaging system.
[0047] In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described
with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. It will, however, be
evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without
departing from the broader scope of the invention as set forth in the appended
claims. The scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred
embodiments, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with
the description as a whole.
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