Replying to an SMS broadcast message

Abstract

A method includes receiving a broadcast message at a receiver device. The message includes identification information identifying a message-type associated with the message, reply-to information, and user information. The method further includes determining the received message is a broadcast message based on the message-type of the message and determining the message includes the reply-to information describing a reply-to address. The method additionally includes passing the user information contained within the message to a user interface when the message is a broadcast message including reply-to information and receiving an instruction from the user interface. The instruction is based on the user information and user input responsive to the user information. The method further includes producing and sending a reply message addressed to the reply-to address responsive to the instruction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram generally illustrating a communication system in which implementations of the invention are particularly applicable.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram generally illustrating an SMS broadcast message in accordance with one implementation of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram generally illustrating an application execution environment in accordance with one implementation of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram generally illustrating a mobile device in which implementations of the invention are particularly applicable.

FIG. 5 is an operational flow diagram generally illustrating a process for replying to SMS cell broadcast messaging.

Claims

1. A method for handling broadcast messages within a communication system, comprising: receiving a message at a mobile device, the message including identification information identifying a message-type for the message, the message additionally including a reply-to address and payload information;determining that the received message is a broadcast message based on the identification information;presenting the payload information at the mobile device;receiving an instruction to reply to the message;creating a reply message responsive to the instruction, the reply message being addressed to the reply-to address; andtransmitting the reply message to the reply-to address.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the communication system is a cellular network.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the broadcast message is received using a Short Messaging Service protocol.

4. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the broadcast message includes a header portion and a payload portion, the header portion including the identification information and the reply-to address, the payload portion including the payload information.

5. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the reply message includes user input to be communicated to the reply-to address.

6. A method for sending a broadcast message and receiving a reply to the broadcast message within a communication system, comprising: sending a broadcast message to an area within the communication system, the broadcast message including message type information, reply-to information specifying a reply-to address, and payload information; andreceiving a reply message addressed to the reply-to address, the reply message including a reply based on user input responsive to the payload information.

7. The method recited in claim 6, wherein the communication system is a cellular network.

8. The method recited in claim 6, wherein sending the broadcast message is performed in accordance with a Short Messaging Service protocol.

9. The method recited in claim 6, wherein the broadcast message includes a header portion and a payload portion, the header portion including the message type information and the reply-to information, the payload portion including the payload information.

10. The method recited in claim 6, wherein the reply message includes a header portion and a payload portion, the header portion including the reply-to address and the payload portion including the reply.

11. A memory for storing data for access by an application program being executed on a data processing system, comprising: a first data structure stored in said memory, said first data structure including information used by said application program and including a plurality of data fields stored in said memory, the plurality of data fields including: a service identification field that identifies the first data structure as a broadcast message;a payload field that includes payload data; anda reply-to field that includes data for producing a second data structure, the reply-to field including a reply-to address.

12. The memory of claim 11, wherein the second data structure is a reply message.

13. The memory of claim 12, wherein the second data structure includes information used by said application program including: a plurality of data fields, including: an address field specifying that the reply message is addressed to the reply-to address; anda reply payload field that includes response data.

14. The memory of claim 11, wherein the broadcast message is an SMS broadcast message.

15. The memory of claim 11, wherein the plurality of data fields further comprises: a reply type field that specifies a manner in which to reply to the first data structure.

16. A computer readable medium storing a computer program to reply to a broadcast message within a communication system, comprising: computer readable code to receive a message at a receiver device, the message including identification information identifying a message-type associated with the message, the message additionally including reply-to information and user information;computer readable code to determine the received message is a broadcast message based on the message-type of the message;computer readable code to determine the message includes the reply-to information, the reply-to information describing a reply-to address;computer readable code to pass the user information contained within the message to a user interface when the message is a broadcast message including reply-to information;computer readable code to receive an instruction from the user interface, the instruction based on the user information and user input responsive to the user information;computer readable code to produce a reply message responsive to the instruction, the reply message addressed to the reply-to address, the reply message including user input to be communicated to the reply-to address; andcomputer readable code to send the reply message to the reply-to address.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the communication system is a cellular network.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the broadcast message is an SMS broadcast message.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the broadcast message includes computer readable code defining a header portion and a payload portion, the header portion of the message including the identification information, the header portion additionally including the reply-to information, the payload portion including the user information.

20. A computer readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions for sending a broadcast message and receiving a reply to the broadcast message within a communication system, comprising: computer readable code to send a signal from a communication component to a receiving device within the communication system, the signal including a broadcast message, the message including identification information identifying the message as a broadcast message, reply-to information describing a reply-to address, and user information; andcomputer readable code to receive a reply message at the communication component, the reply message addressed to the reply-to address, the reply message including a reply based on user input responsive to the user information.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the communication system is a cellular network.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the broadcast message is an SMS broadcast message.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the broadcast message includes computer readable code defining a header portion and a payload portion, the header portion of the message including the identification information and the reply-to information, the payload portion including the user information.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the reply message includes computer readable code defining a header portion and a payload portion, the header portion of the reply message including the reply-to address and the payload portion of the reply message including portions of the user input to be communicated to the reply-to address.

25. A computer-readable medium encoded with computer-readable components, the components comprising: a message queue configured for storing received broadcast messages and reply messages;an SMS engine configured to receive messages and determine whether each received message is a broadcast message by determining whether a message service identifier indicating the message is a broadcast message is associated with the message, the SMS engine further configured to store the received messages at the message queue when the message is a broadcast message, the SMS engine additionally configured to retrieve reply messages from the message queue and facilitate transmission of the reply messages;a stored settings database including user settings;a user interface configured to format and present user information; anda broadcast message engine, the broadcast message engine configured to retrieve the stored broadcast message and the stored user settings, the broadcast message engine further configured to determine whether to pass the user information to the user interface based on the contents of the broadcast message and the user settings, the broadcast message engine additionally configured to receive instructions from the user interface for producing a reply message based on user interaction with the user interface and the contents of the broadcast message, the contents of the broadcast message including at least a reply-to address, the broadcast message engine further configured to store the reply message at the message queue.

26. An apparatus for handling broadcast messages within a communication system, comprising: means for receiving a message at a mobile device, the message including identification information identifying a message-type for the message, the message additionally including a reply-to address and payload information;means for determining that the received message is a broadcast message based on the identification information;means for presenting the payload information at the mobile device;means for receiving an instruction to reply to the message;means for creating a reply message responsive to the instruction, the reply message being addressed to the reply-to address; andmeans for transmitting the reply message to the reply-to address.

27. An apparatus for sending a broadcast message and receiving a reply to the broadcast message within a communication system, comprising: means for sending a broadcast message to a mobile device within the communication system, the broadcast message including message type information, reply-to information specifying a reply-to address, and payload information; andmeans for receiving a reply message addressed to the reply-to address, the reply message including a reply based on user input responsive to the payload information