Dynamic web content via contextually aware text messaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016192161-A1
Application number	US-201414584192-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 29, 2014
Priority date	Dec 29, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system may provide dynamic web-based content in conjunction with text message content. A user may use text messages to interact with web content (e.g., to select hyperlinks, request information, provide information, etc.). A content server may process the text messages, sent by the user, in order to determine web content to provide to the user. The text messages may be authenticated by a message relay server, thereby eliminating the need for the content server to request authentication or identification information from the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A user device, comprising:
a memory device storing a set of processor-executable instructions; and a processor configured to execute the processor-executable instructions, wherein executing the processor-executable instructions causes the user device to:
identify a telephone number associated with a sender of a text message received by the user device from a message relay device;
determine a location identifier that is associated with the telephone number;
retrieve web content, from a content server, using the location identifier; and
concurrently present, via a display screen of the user device, the text message and the retrieved web content.

2 . The user device of claim 1 , wherein the text message is a first text message, wherein executing the processor-executable instructions further causes the user device to:
receive a second text message, inputted to the user device by a user of the user device; reply to the first text message by sending the second text message, using the telephone number, to the sender of the first text message; receive updated web content, that has been generated by the content server based on content of the second text message; and present the updated web content.

3 . The user device of claim 2 , wherein executing the processor-executable instructions, to present the updated web content, further causes the user device to:
concurrently present the updated web content and the second text message.

4 . The user device of claim 2 ,
wherein the updated web content includes secure or personal information, and wherein the updated web content is presented without a request, from the content server, for authentication by a user of the user device.

5 . The user device of claim 4 , wherein the content server verifies an identity of the user device based on information that is included in the second text message and is verified by the message relay server.

6 . The user device of claim 1 , wherein executing the processor-executable instructions, to concurrently present the web content and the text message, further causes the user device to:
present the web content and the text message in a split screen user interface.

7 . The user device of claim 1 , wherein the text message includes at least one of:
a short message service (“SMS”) message, or a multimedia messaging service (“MMS”) message.

8 . The user device of claim 1 , wherein the location identifier includes at least one of:
a uniform resource locator (“URL”), or an Internet protocol (“IP”) address.

9 . The user device of claim 1 , wherein executing the processor-executable instructions, to determine the location identifier that is associated with the telephone number, further causes the user device to:
query a repository that stores information linking telephone numbers to respective location identifiers.

10 . A method, comprising:
receiving, by a user device, a text message; identifying, by the user device, a telephone number associated with a sender of the text message; determining, by the user device, a location identifier that is associated with the telephone number; retrieving web content, from a content server, using the location identifier; and concurrently presenting, via a display screen of the user device, the text message and the retrieved web content.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the text message is a first text message, the method further comprising:
receiving a second text message, inputted to the user device by a user of the user device; replying to the first text message by sending the second text message, using the telephone number, to the sender of the first text message; receiving updated web content, that has been generated by the content server based on content of the second text message; and presenting the updated web content.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein presenting the updated web content comprises:
concurrently presenting the updated web content and the second text message.

13 . The method of claim 11 ,
wherein the updated web content includes secure or personal information, and wherein the updated web content is presented without a request, from the content server, for authentication by a user of the user device.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the content server verifies an identity of the user device based on information that is included in the second text message and is verified by a message relay server.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein concurrently presenting the web content and the text message comprises:
presenting the web content and the text message in a split screen user interface.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the text message includes at least one of:
a short message service (“SMS”) message, or a multimedia messaging service (“MMS”) message.

17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the location identifier includes at least one of:
a uniform resource locator (“URL”), or an Internet protocol (“IP”) address.

18 . The method of claim 10 , wherein executing the processor-executable instructions, to determine the location identifier that is associated with the telephone number, further causes the user device to:
query a repository that stores information linking telephone numbers to respective location identifiers.

19 . A method, comprising:
receiving, by the content server and via a message relay server, information regarding a text message sent by the user device to a telephone number associated with the content server, the information including:
content of the text message, and
an indication that an identity of the user device has been verified by the message relay server;
determining, by the content server, web content to provide to the user device, the determining being based on the information regarding the text message; and outputting, by the content server, the web content to the user device.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the web content includes secure or personal content, the outputting being performed without requesting authentication information, from a user of the user device, for the secure or personal content.

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Lynn Ian
• Steinbach Lodema Margaret

Classifications

• H04L9/40

  Network security protocols · CPC title

• H04M1/72561

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W4/16

  Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold · CPC title

• H04M1/72552

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W4/14 Primary

  Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD] · CPC title