Methods and apparatus for communicating messages between mobile communications devices and internet enabled devices

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for allowing a mobile device user to forward one or more messages which are received on the user's mobile device, to a television or a set top box are described. The user is able to view the forwarded messages on the television and can also reply to such received messages from the television. The methods and apparatus may be implemented using a message forwarding application installed on a user's cell phone and a server responsible for forwarding messages and replies between the user's Internet capable TV or set top box and mobile telephone. To the party sending a message, replies appear to have originated from the user's cell phone making the use of the service transparent to individuals other than the user to which the message is sent. Message received and sent logs are maintained in the user's phone so the message record is complete.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A communications method, comprising:
 receiving from a second mobile communications device, at an application server, a copy of a first message, said copy of the first message including content of the first message, said first message being a message that was sent from a first mobile communications device, was directed to the second mobile communications device, and was received by the second mobile communications device; 
 operating the application server to forward content of the first message to a customer premises device, said customer premises device being one of a television and a set top box; 
 displaying, content of a the first message sent from a first mobile communications device that was received by a second mobile communications device to which the first message was directed, on a television display; 
 receiving, at a the television or a the set top box, user input via an interface, said user input being a response to said content of said first message which is displayed; 
 generating, at said television or set top box, a first response message from said received user input including response information to be sent to said first mobile communications device; and 
 sending, from said television or set top box, the first response message to said second mobile communications device for use in generating a response to said first message. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving user input includes receiving input from a wireless remote control. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 prior to displaying content of said first message, sending a request for messages from said television or set top box corresponding to said television display to a message forwarding said application server; and 
 receiving, in response to said request, a forwarded version of said first message from said message forwarding application server. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein said forwarded version of said first message is generated from a copy of the first message sent to said message forwarding application server from said second mobile communications device. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 receiving with said forwarded version of said first message, information about the original sender of said first message retrieved by said message forwarding application server from one of stored information and the Internet. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 3 ,
 wherein said forwarded version of said first message is sent after receipt, by said message forwarding application server, of said request for messages and a copy of the first message from said second mobile communications device. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 2 , wherein said input is an infrared signal communicating a text message from said a user. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein sending the first response message to said second mobile communications device includes:
 sending said first response message to a wireless transmitter for transmission over the air to said second mobile communications device. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein said wireless transmitter is located at a customer premise premises location at which said television display is located. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein said wireless transmitter is one of: a transmitter located in said television, a transmitter located in said set top box, or a transmitter located in a gateway. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 prior to displaying content of the first message, receiving said message content from a said application server which received said first message content from the second mobile communications device. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 operating said application server to retrieve information corresponding to the sender of said first message. 
 
     
     
       13. A system comprising:
 a display device for displaying content of a first message sent from a first mobile communications device that was received by a second mobile communications device to which the first message was directed;   a receiver, included in a television or a set top box, for receiving user input, said user input being a response to said displayed message content;   a processing module, included in said television or set top box, for generating a first response message from said received user input including response information to be sent to said first mobile communications device; and   a transmitter, included in said television or set top box, for sending the first response message to said second mobile communications device for use in generating a response to said first message.   
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 13 , wherein said system is one of: i) said television including said display device, said receiver, said processing module and said transmitter, or ii) a combination of said set top box including said receiver, said processing module and said transmitter, and said display device. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14 , wherein said receiver is configured to receive input from a wireless remote control. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a request generation module for generating a request for messages; and   an application module for controlling said transmitter to send said request for messages to a message forwarding server.   
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 16 , wherein said receiver is further configured to monitor for a response to said request for messages including a forwarded version of said first message from said message forwarding server. 
     
     
       18. A first mobile communications device comprising:
 a receiver for receiving a first message from a message sender, said first message being a message sent by the message sender from a second mobile communications device using a first communications protocol;   an application module for forwarding a copy of said first message; and   a message generation module for generating a second response message from a first response message received by said first mobile communications device, said first response message being from a device which received the forwarded copy of said first message, said second response message being in response to said first message and indicating the first mobile communications device as the sender of the second response message.   
     
     
       19. The mobile communications device of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a transmitter for transmitting said copy of said first message, using a second communications protocol which is different from said first communications protocol, to a message forwarding server responsible for communicating said copy of said first message to a set top box.   
     
     
       20. The mobile communications device of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a communications module for controlling said transmitter to transmit said second response message to a cellular base station in accordance with the first communications protocol.   
     
     
       21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
 operating the application server to determine an address to be used for forwarding the content of the first message to the customer premises device.   
     
     
       22. A communications method, comprising:
 receiving, at a television or a set top box, content of a first message from an application server which received a copy of the first message from a second mobile communications device, said first message being a message that was sent from a first mobile communications device, was directed to the second mobile communications device, and was received by the second mobile communications device;   receiving, at said television or said set top box, user input via an interface, said user input being a response to content of said first message;   generating, at said television or set top box, a first response message from said received user input including response information to be sent to said first mobile communications device; and   sending, from said television or set top box, the first response message to said second mobile communications device for use in generating a response to said first message.   
     
     
       23. The method of claim 22, wherein said receiving, generating and sending steps are performed by said set top box. 
     
     
       24. The method of claim 22,
 wherein receiving user input includes receiving input from a wireless remote control.   
     
     
       25. The method of claim 22, further comprising: displaying content of said first message sent from the first mobile communications device on a display which is separate from said first and second mobile communications devices. 
     
     
       26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:
 prior to displaying content of said first message, sending a request for messages from said television or set top box corresponding to said display to said application server; and   receiving, in response to said request, a forwarded version of said first message from said application server.