SMS inquiry and invitation distribution method and system

Abstract

The invention is an SMS distribution method for inquiries, invitations and proposals in which inquiries are sent to mobile telephone numbers included in a distribution list and their replies are collected as text messages via the SMS service (7) provided by the telecommunications network by means of a software program (1) installed on a server (2). The problem in distributing inquiries with existing SMS services has been the limited possibility of replying to the sending telecommunications operator and separating replies to several inquiries from one another. In the method embodied by this invention, universally reachable mobile network numbers (11) are used as reply addresses for the inquiries, invitations and proposals, and replies are separated from one another by means of reply addresses consisting of public mobile communication network numbers and SMS service numbers and automatically generated reply symbols.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

a preferredpreferred an exemplary embodiment of the method the central logic of the distribution of inquiries is in the Inquiry and Invitation Distribution program (1), hereinafter referred to as Software, which is installed on a Distribution Server (2). A customer designs a new inquiry (5) or invitation (6) in a format suitable for the SMS service (7) using the Software with a WWW browser (3) over a telecommunications network (4) or transfers it to the Software from the customer's system (8), defines a distribution list (9), a sending time and a deadline for the inquiry and activates it. A customer can define the distribution list and edit it with the Software or he/she can transfer it to the Software from the customer's system over the telecommunications network. Inquiries and invitations are saved in the database (10). The Software automatically sets the reply addresses (11) for the distribution among those available, and further from those, according to the situation, the reply addresses (12), i.e. the sender addresses (13) shown in the mobile device, to which the replies will be routed, for the inquiry sent to the mobile devices. In practice the reply addresses are a pool (15) of public mobile communication network numbers and/or SMS service numbers defined in the SMS Server (14).

When SMS service numbers are used as reply addresses, replies will be transferred from the operators providing the SMS service numbers and the mobile connections of the recipients (21) to the SMS Server (14) over the telecommunications network (18).

If enough reply addresses are available, each active distribution can be given its own set of reply addresses, and also separate questions in an inquiry can be given different reply addresses, for example for security or performance reasons. If different reply addresses are not available for each active distribution, different reply addresses can be given for those inquiries and/or their questions that are targeting the same mobile number, or alternatively different reply choice symbols given for distributions, inquiries within distributions and/or separate questions within inquiries correspondingly. The advantages of using different choice symbols instead of different reply addresses are the savings in the number of reply addresses required, and the identification of replies on the mobile device to questions of the same inquiry based on the reply address and choice symbols makes replying and the management of replies easier for the replier. The Software (1) sends the activated distribution to the mobile numbers (16) in the distribution list at the set start time via the SMS Server (14) either a) through the SMS gateway (17) functionality of the SMS Server over an IP connection (18) to the SMS service of the sending telecommunications operator (19), or b) by means of the GSM modems of the SMS Server as SMS messages to the mobile network(s) of the mobile operator(s) (20) providing the modems' mobile connections. The replier answers the questions using the reply to the sender functionality by sending a text message to the reply address via the SMS service of the mobile operator (21) of the mobile device. Replying to an inquiry is easy, because it contains one or more choice questions that can be answered by typing (or by selecting on some devices) only the choice symbol for the chosen reply alternative, typically a letter or a number. The Software saves the replies to a database where they are stored for a defined time. Replies received after the deadline of the distribution are discarded. After a reply has been received from everybody on the distribution list, or after the deadline has been reached, the Software produces a distribution report that can downloaded over the telecommunications network to the customer's computer, read with a WWW browser or like, or printed to a printer. Replies can also be monitored in realtime over the telecommunications network with a WWW browser or like, and they can also be transferred to the customer's system. The Software can be set to perform the distribution to the whole distribution list at once or to send to one mobile number at a time until a set number of replies has been received.

In a significant alternative embodiment of the invention the public mobile communication network numbers are implemented in the SMS service infrastructure of the sending operator (19) instead of a GSM modem pool associated with the SMS Server (14), from where the replies are transferred to the SMS Server (14) over the telecommunications network (18).

This method allows also those kinds of multiple choice questions to which more than one reply alternative can be chosen. In this case the Software matches replies to questions, as with single choice questions, but saves and/or forwards to a customer application a number of choice symbols of the reply message instead of just one. This way additional reply alternatives, for example, can be added to questions as security checks or for authentication purposes.

The selection of using reply addresses vs. choice symbols for matching replies to questions does not have to be in this order, i.e. the selection of choice symbols can precede the selection of reply addresses, and the method does not require the use of reply addresses for matching replies to questions.

FIG. 2 presents the use of choice symbols in the reply alternatives for choice questions in the distributions according to a preferred an exemplary embodiment of the method. If a mobile number is included in more than one active distribution (22, 22′) with a same reply address and/or with unanswered questions having a same reply address at the same time, the distributions have different choice symbols (23,23′) in at least for that mobile number in order to match the replies from that mobile number to the right distribution and question. The replier can reply to all questions as easily by using the reply to sender functionality (24) of the mobile device and typing (or selecting with a pointer device on some devices) the choice symbol (25,25′) of the chosen reply alternative to the reply message. In the method the reply received can be matched with the right question by means of the symbol acting as a separator without having to interpret the semantic meaning of the reply.

FIG. 3 presents a flow chart of the method. It shows the distribution of an inquiry to a mobile number in the distribution list and receiving replies to sent questions in the inquiry. Each question message can be associated with instructions or other messages that are not presented in the chart with the exception of the end message. The questions in the inquiry form a decision tree structure so that the inquiry branches if a following question to a question is selected based on the choice symbol received in the reply message. In phase 1 the distribution is initialised by defining its reply addresses A(J) from those available and choice symbols V(J) for the reply alternatives of the choice questions from those choice symbols available. In phase 2 the sending of the inquiry to a mobile number in the distribution list is initialised by selecting for the inquiry a reply address a, from available reply addresses A(J), choice symbols v_i from available choice symbols V(J), by initialising the question pointer i and counters s and r for the sent and received messages, respectively. In phase 3 a question message of the inquiry is sent to the mobile number, the sent messages counter s is incremented, and the sending time T_s is saved. In phase 4 a reply to the question sent is received, the received messages counter r incremented and the receiving time T_r is saved into the database. In phase 5 verification checks are made, in phase 5a it is checked whether the reply has been received in the reply address active for the mobile number or not, in phases 5b, 5c and 5d the next question is decided and progressed via phases 6a or 6b to phase 7 or the ending phase 8 of the inquiry, in phase 5e a reply that does not contain an active symbol for the mobile number can be requested again and return to phase 4. In phase 7 a new reply address can be set for the next question, for example for security or performance reasons, or new choice symbols for matching replies. All questions do not necessarily have to be choice questions, and some questions can allow free text as a reply, for example. In this method these kinds of questions will get a distribution-specific reply address.

In the application example 1 of the method a car dealer carries out a customer satisfaction survey and a repair service satisfaction inquiry. The car dealer first transfers a file containing the distribution list to the system implemented according to the method, designs questions for customer satisfaction survey using a WWW browser, sets the start time and the deadline and activates the survey. The car dealer next transfers a file containing the distribution list according to the method, designs questions for the repair service satisfaction inquiry using a WWW browser, sets the start time and deadline and activates the inquiry. The software based on the method automatically defines the reply address for the mobile numbers in the distribution list for the customer satisfaction survey and also the choice symbols. Correspondingly, the software defines the reply address for the mobile numbers in the distribution list for the service satisfaction inquiry and also the choice symbols. If the same mobile numbers are included in the distribution lists, inquiries sent to those are given different reply addresses. If all possible reply addresses for a mobile number are already in use, different inquiry or question-specific choice symbols for the reply alternatives are sent to that mobile number. Separate reply address groups can be defined for repair service satisfaction inquiries and customer satisfaction surveys, which makes the identification of different inquiries easier for the replier and enables pricing variations according to the reply address. Inquiries can also include messages that do not require a reply.

In the application example 2 of the method a hospital carries out a personnel satisfaction survey to certain personnel groups and an emergency alarm in a catastrophe situation to persons off duty. The hospital transfers a file containing a distribution list to the system implemented according to the method, designs the questions and sets the start time and the deadline for the personnel satisfaction survey and activates the survey. The hospital transfers the list of persons off duty in a catastrophe situation to the system according to the method, activates a predefined and automatically updated message sequence for the emergency alarm using a WWW browser or by sending a text message to a number in the system, for example. The software based on the method automatically defines reply addresses and the choice symbols from those available for the mobile numbers in the distribution list of the personnel satisfaction survey. Correspondingly, the software defines the reply addresses and the choice symbols from those available for the mobile numbers in the distribution list for the emergency alarm. If the same mobile numbers are included in both distribution lists, a different reply address from that of the customer satisfaction survey is defined for the emergency alarm sent to those numbers. If all possible reply addresses for the distribution are already in active use, the emergency alarm message sent to the mobile number is given emergency alarm/question-specific choice symbols for the reply alternatives. Separate reply address groups can be defined for customer satisfaction surveys and emergency alarms, which makes the separation of surveys and alarms easier for the replier and enables different pricing. Inquiries and alarms can also include messages that do not require a reply.

In the application example 3 of the method a dentist reminds patients about their annual dental care needs and proposes appointment times. A patient gets an appointment proposal as a text message with time alternatives to choose from by replying with a choice symbol representing the chosen time alternative. If the same patient needs other appointment times as well, for example for children, a different set of choice symbols will be generated for each subsequent unanswered appointment time inquiry for separating the inquiries from one another and enabling the matching of replies to right appointment time proposals.

In the application example 4 of the method a recruitment agency invites candidates to new job assignments. For an assignment the agency sends invitations to a distribution list of potential employees as text messages with reply alternatives, for example “Yes” and “No thanks”. According to the method the “Yes” alternative will be attached a choice symbol “A” and “No thanks” alternative a choice symbol “B”. At the same time there is another assignment to be filled and the agency sends a corresponding invitation to its distribution list of potential employees. It happens that there are some candidates on both distribution lists. The method automatically generates another set of choice symbols for reply alternatives for a second invitation that is sent to the same mobile number as the first invitation, if the first invitation has not yet been replied to by that person. Thus the “Yes” alternative gets a choice symbol “C” and the “No thanks” alternative gets a choice symbol “D” in the second invitation on those mobile devices that have received the invitation to the first assignment with choice symbols “A” and “B” and who have not yet replied to that invitation. In the receiving end the software automatically matches “C” and “D” replies with the second invitation and “A” and “B” replies with the first invitation.

In the application example 5 of the method a service provider runs an SMS inquiry distribution service using the method for matching replies from mobile numbers with the right applications and customers, such as in the examples 1.4 above, with the right distributions, with the right inquiries/invitations and with the right questions.

The application areas and applications of the present invention and solutions based on the present invention are not limited to those described above. In addition to inquiries, invitations and proposals the invention can be applied, for example, as a process measurement method, in field force task allocation, service delivery inquiries, reminders and cancellations, and permission requests. The method can be implemented, for example, as an SMS distribution service, as an SMS distribution system or as an SMS distribution functionality integrated with other systems.

Claims

1. A method for managing a plurality of inquiries to one or more recipients and receiving a plurality of inquiry replies in a network, the method comprising: defining, performing, at a server, system having a plurality of reply addresses available for assignment to each of the a plurality of inquiries, the reply addresses being the addresses to at which the server system is configured to receive replies to the inquiries are routed; the method comprising:

assigning, at the server, one of the defined available reply addresses to an inquiry of the plurality of inquiries;

transmitting the inquiry with the assigned reply address to a mobile terminal of at least one recipient, wherein the inquiry includes a choice question containing one or more reply alternatives indicated by corresponding choice symbols and wherein the assigned reply address is indicated as a sender of the inquiry with the assigned reply address; and

verifying authenticity of at least one inquiry reply based on a choice symbol contained in the inquiry reply, wherein for positive verification of authenticity, the choice symbol must be one of the choice symbols corresponding to the reply alternatives contained in the choice question included in the inquiry, and further based on the replier's mobile number and choice symbol in the inquiry reply or based on the reply address to which the inquiry reply was routed and the choice symbol in the inquiry reply.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more inquiries are sent to a mobile device with the same reply address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more reply alternatives include a letter, a number or another symbol available in a reply functionality of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the inquiry reply via the network, wherein the inquiry reply includes a choice symbol selected by the at least one recipient but does not include the choice question included in the inquiry with the assigned reply address.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each inquiry is sent to one or more recipients per distribution according to a distribution list, and replies to an inquiry are only accepted during before a specified active time deadline.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the choice symbols are selected among available choice symbols wherein any mobile number receiving multiple questions with a same reply address will be provided with a unique non-overlapping set of different choice symbols for each separate active unanswered question.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the inquiries are transmitted to the one or more recipients via Short Messaging Service messages.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein inquiries include more than one separate questions to which the recipient may reply to in corresponding inquiry replies.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying content of a next inquiry for transmission to the at least one recipient based on the choice symbol included in the inquiry reply from the at least one recipient.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if no inquiry reply is received with a defined time frame or the inquiry reply includes a choice symbol that was not indicative of one of the reply alternatives, retransmitting the inquiry with the assigned reply address to the at least one recipient.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising saving inquiry replies into a database accessible via a web browser or for transfer to a computer system of a customer via a network connection.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining separate reply addresses groups for different type of inquiries and applying a pricing variation according to the reply address selected for the an inquiry.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one inquiry is a text message.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the inquiry reply is also a text message.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one inquiry is a Short Message Service message.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the inquiry reply is also a Short Message Service message.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the inquiry reply is a text message.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the inquiry reply is a Short Message Service message.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitted inquiry is transmitted to a recipient's mobile device having a corresponding mobile number and the verification of the authenticity of the at least one inquiry reply is based on the replier's mobile number and choice symbol in the inquiry reply received from the recipient's mobile device.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the verification of the authenticity of the at least one inquiry reply is also based on the reply address to which replies to the at least one inquiry are routed.

21. A server system for managing a plurality of inquiries to one or more recipients and receiving a plurality of inquiry replies in a network, the system comprising:

at least one server that defines having a plurality of reply addresses available for assignment to each of the a plurality of inquiries, the reply addresses being the addresses to which replies to the inquiries are routed, the at least one server assigning one of the defined reply addresses to an inquiry of the plurality of inquiries, at which the server system is configured to receive replies to the inquiries;

wherein the at least one server system is coupled to at least one communication network and transmits the inquiry with the assigned reply address to at least one recipient via the at least one communication network, wherein the inquiry includes a choice question containing one or more reply alternatives indicated by corresponding choice symbols and wherein the assigned reply address is indicated as a sender of the inquiry with the assigned reply address,

wherein the at least one server also system verifies authenticity of at least one inquiry reply received via the at least one communication network based on the replier's mobile number and choice symbol in the inquiry reply or based on the reply address to which the inquiry reply was routed and the choice symbol in the inquiry reply, wherein for positive verification of authenticity, the choice symbol must be one of the choice symbols corresponding to the reply alternatives contained in the choice question included in the inquiry, and based on the replier's mobile number.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein one or more inquiries are sent to a mobile device with the same reply address.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more reply alternatives include a letter, a number or another symbol available in a reply functionality of the mobile device.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one server receives the inquiry reply via the network, wherein the inquiry reply includes a choice symbol selected by the at least one recipient but does not include the choice question included in the inquiry with the assigned reply address.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein each inquiry is sent to one or more recipients per distribution according to a distribution list, and replies to an inquiry are only accepted during before a specified active time deadline.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the choice symbols are selected among available choice symbols wherein any mobile number receiving multiple questions with a same reply address will be provided with a unique non-overlapping set of different choice symbols for each separate active unanswered question.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the inquiries are transmitted to the one or more recipients via Short Messaging Service messages.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein inquiries include more than one separate questions to which the recipient may reply to in corresponding inquiry replies.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one server identifies content of a next inquiry for transmission to the at least one recipient based on the choice symbol included in the inquiry reply from the at least one recipient.

30. The system of claim 21, if no inquiry reply is received with a defined time frame or the inquiry reply includes a choice symbol that was not indicative of one of the reply alternatives, the at least one server retransmits the inquiry with the assigned reply address to the at least one recipient.

31. The system of claim 21, further comprising a database in which the at least one server saves inquiry replies, wherein the database is accessible via a web browser or for transfer to a computer system of a customer via a connection to the at least one communication network.

32. The system of claim 21, further comprising defining separate reply addresses groups for different type of inquiries and applying a pricing variation according to the reply address selected for the an inquiry.

33. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one inquiry is a text message.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the inquiry reply is also a text message.

35. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one inquiry is a Short Message Service message.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the inquiry reply is also a Short Message Service message.

37. The system of claim 21, wherein the inquiry reply is a text message.

38. The system of claim 21, wherein the inquiry reply is a Short Message Service message.

39. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one server transmits the inquiry to a recipient's mobile device having a corresponding mobile number and the verification of the authenticity of the at least one inquiry reply is based on the replier's mobile number and choice symbol in the inquiry reply received from the recipient's mobile device.

40. The system of claim 21, wherein the verification of the authenticity of the at least one inquiry reply is also based on the reply address to which replies to the at least one inquiry are routed.

41. A method for managing a plurality of inquiries to one or more recipients and receiving a plurality of inquiry replies in a network, the method comprising:

defining, at a server, a plurality of reply addresses available for assignment to each of the plurality of inquiries, the reply addresses being the addresses to which replies to the inquiries are routed;

assigning, at the server, one of the defined reply addresses to an inquiry of the plurality of inquiries;

transmitting the inquiry with the assigned reply address to at least one recipient, wherein the inquiry includes a choice question containing one or more reply alternatives indicated by corresponding choice symbols and wherein the assigned reply address is indicated as a sender of the inquiry with the assigned reply address; and

verifying authenticity of at least one inquiry reply based on the replier's mobile number and the reply address to which the inquiry reply was routed, wherein for positive verification of authenticity, the choice symbol must be one of the choice symbols corresponding to the reply alternatives contained in the choice question included in the inquiry, and based on the reply address at which the server system received the inquiry reply.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein one or more inquiries are sent to a mobile device with the same reply address.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the one or more reply alternatives include a letter, a number or another symbol available in a reply functionality of the mobile device.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein the inquiries are transmitted to the one or more recipients via Short Messaging Service messages.

45. The method of claim 41, wherein the at least one inquiry is a text message.

46. The method of claim 41, wherein the at least one inquiry is a Short Message Service message.

47. The method of claim 41, wherein the inquiry reply is a text message.

48. The method of claim 41, wherein the inquiry reply is a Short Message Service message.

49. The method of claim 41, wherein the transmitted inquiry is transmitted to a recipient's mobile device having a corresponding mobile number and the verification of the authenticity of the at least one inquiry reply is based on the replier's mobile number and the reply address to which the inquiry reply was routed.

50. A system for managing a plurality of inquiries to one or more recipients and receiving a plurality of inquiry replies in a network, the system comprising:

at least one server that defines a plurality of reply addresses available for assignment to each of the plurality of inquiries, the reply addresses being the addresses to which replies to the inquiries are routed, the at least one server assigning one of the defined reply addresses to an inquiry of the plurality of inquiries,

wherein the at least one server is coupled to at least one communication network and transmits the inquiry with the assigned reply address to at least one recipient via the at least one communication network, wherein the inquiry includes a choice question containing one or more reply alternatives indicated by corresponding choice symbols and wherein the assigned reply address is indicated as a sender of the inquiry with the assigned reply address, and

wherein the at least one server also verifies authenticity of at least one inquiry reply received via the at least one communication network based on the replier's mobile number and the reply address to which the inquiry reply was routed, wherein for positive verification of authenticity, the choice symbol must be one of the choice symbols corresponding to the reply alternatives contained in the choice question included in the inquiry, and based on the reply address at which the server system received the inquiry reply.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein one or more inquiries are sent to a mobile device with the same reply address.

52. The system of claim 50, wherein the one or more reply alternatives include a letter, a number or another symbol available in a reply functionality of the mobile device.

53. The system of claim 50, wherein the inquiries are transmitted to the one or more recipients via Short Messaging Service messages.

54. The system of claim 50, wherein the at least one inquiry is a text message.

55. The system of claim 50, wherein the at least one inquiry is a Short Message Service message.

56. The system of claim 50, wherein the inquiry reply is a text message.

57. The system of claim 50, wherein the inquiry reply is a Short Message Service message.

58. The system of claim 50, wherein the transmitted inquiry is transmitted to a recipient's mobile device having a corresponding mobile number and the verification of the authenticity of the at least one inquiry reply is based on the replier's mobile number and the reply address to which the inquiry reply was routed.

59. The method of claim 1, wherein the inquiry transmission comprises transmitting the inquiry in a format which results in the assigned reply address being shown as sender address in a display of the mobile terminal of the at least one recipient.

60. The method of claim 1, wherein the inquiry reply only comprises one character.

61. The system of claim 21, wherein the inquiry transmission comprises transmitting the inquiry in a format which results in the assigned reply address being shown as sender address in a display of the mobile terminal of the at least one recipient.

62. The system of claim 21, wherein the inquiry reply only comprises one character.

63. The method of claim 41, wherein the inquiry transmission comprises transmitting the inquiry in a format which results in the assigned reply address being shown as sender address in a display of the mobile terminal of the at least one recipient.

64. The method of claim 41, wherein the inquiry reply only comprises one character.

65. The system of claim 50, wherein the inquiry transmission comprises transmitting the inquiry in a format which results in the assigned reply address being shown as sender address in a display of the mobile terminal of the at least one recipient.

66. The system of claim 50, wherein the inquiry reply only comprises one character.