Method and system for combining text and voice messages in a communications dialogue

Abstract

A method for delivering messages in a telecommunications network where the first text-form message of the session N is delivered to the user of the service such that the sender address (the A number) is converted to correspond to the session number N and the session stage J, in stages 2-n of the session N, a text-form message is received from the user of the message service at the sender address defined in the message in the previous stage, and the session proceeds according to the contents of the message such that the sender address (the A number) is converted to correspond to the session number N and the new session stage J, and the next text-form message of session N is sent to the user of the message service.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 sending, in a telecommunications network to a mobile terminal of a user of a message service, a text-form message, wherein the text-form message relates to a session and a current stage of the session, wherein the sending comprises altering a sender address of the text-form message based on the current stage of the session; and   receiving, at the altered sender address or at an address contained in the sent text-form message, a reply message from the mobile terminal, wherein the session proceeds based on contents of the reply message;   wherein in at least one stage of the session the reply message contains or relates to a voice message and the session proceeds based on contents of the voice message.   
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising repeating the sending and receiving steps for at least one subsequent current stage, wherein said repeating comprises altering the sender address of the text-form message based on at least one subsequent current stage and sending the text-form message with the altered sender address. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising authenticating the mobile terminal based on said receiving the reply message at the altered sender address or at an address contained in the sent text-form message. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the text-form message comprises a Short Message Service [“SMS”] message. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the text-form message comprises a Multimedia Message Service [“MMS”] message. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the text-form message comprises an e-mail message. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the sender addresses comprises an Internet Protocol Address. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said altering the sender address of the text-form message comprises altering the sender address to an address operative in the mobile terminal's home network or country. 
     
     
       9. A telecommunication apparatus, wherein the telecommunication apparatus is configured to:
 send, in a telecommunications network to a mobile terminal of a user of a message service, a text-form message, wherein the text-form message relates to a session and a current stage of the session, wherein the sending comprises altering a sender address of the text-form message based on the current stage of the session; and   receive, at the altered sender address or at an address contained in the sent text-form message, a reply message from the mobile terminal, wherein the session proceeds based on contents of the reply message;   wherein at least one of the reply messages is a service order message, which is associated with at least one order for a supplementary service, which is subject to payment,   wherein the telecommunication apparatus is further configured to initiate delivery of the supplementary service over a communications channel which is not used to send or receive the text-form messages.   
     
     
       10. The telecommunication apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising means for repeating the sending and receiving for at least one subsequent current stage, wherein said repeating comprises altering the sender address of the text-form message based on at least one subsequent current stage and sending the text-form message with the altered sender address. 
     
     
       11. The telecommunication apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the telecommunication apparatus is further configured to authenticate the mobile terminal based on said receiving the reply message at the altered sender address or at an address contained in the sent text-form message. 
     
     
       12. The telecommunication apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the text-form message comprises a Short Message Service [“SMS”] message. 
     
     
       13. The telecommunication apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the text-form message comprises a Multimedia Message Service [“MMS”] message. 
     
     
       14. The telecommunication apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the text-form message comprises an e-mail message. 
     
     
       15. The telecommunication apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein said sending means are configured to alter the sender address of the text-form message to an address operative in the mobile terminal's home network or country. 
     
     
       16. The telecommunication apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein each of the sender addresses comprises an Internet Protocol Address. 
     
     
       17. The telecommunication apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the telecommunication apparatus comprises an SMS bulk-delivery system. 
     
     
       18. A telecommunication apparatus, comprising:
 a data processor for executing logic instructions;   a set of interfaces to at least one network supporting mobile terminals;   a message sending logic for sending at least one message to at least one of the mobile terminals;   a reply message reception logic for receiving at least one reply message to said at least one of the mobile terminals; and   a sending address converter for converting a sender address in the at least one message to at least one of the mobile terminals;   wherein the telecommunication apparatus further comprises a set of logic instructions whose execution on the data processor causes the data processor to perform the following acts:   sending, in the telecommunications network to a mobile terminal of a user of a message service, a text-form message, wherein the text-form message relates to a session and a current stage of the session, wherein the sending comprises altering a sender address of the text-form message based on the current stage of the session; and   receiving, at the altered sender address or at an address contained in the sent text-form message, a reply message from the mobile terminal, wherein the session proceeds based on contents of the reply message;   wherein in at least one stage of the session the reply message contains or relates to a voice message and the session proceeds based on contents of the voice message.   
     
     
       19. A tangible and non-transitory program carrier, comprising:
 logic instructions executable on a data processing apparatus connectable to a telecommunications network supporting mobile terminals;   wherein execution of the logic instructions on the data processing apparatus causes the data processing apparatus to carry out the following acts:   sending, in the telecommunications network to a mobile terminal of a user of a message service, a text-form message, wherein the text-form message relates to a session and a current stage of the session, wherein the sending comprises altering a sender address of the text-form message based on the current stage of the session; and   receiving, at the altered sender address or at an address contained in the sent text-form message, a reply message from the mobile terminal, wherein the session proceeds based on contents of the reply message;   wherein in at least one stage of the session the reply message contains or relates to a voice message and the session proceeds based on contents of the voice message.   
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 18 , further comprising means for repeating the sending and receiving for at least one subsequent current sage, wherein said repeating comprises altering the sender address of the text-form message based on at least one subsequent current stage and sending the text-form message with the altered sender address. 
     
     
       21. The telecommunication apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the telecommunication apparatus is further configured to authenticate the mobile terminal based on said receiving the reply message at the altered sender address or at an address contained in the sent text-form message. 
     
     
       22. The telecommunication apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the text-form message comprises a Short Message Service [“SMS”] message. 
     
     
       23. The telecommunication apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the text-form message comprises a Multimedia Message Service [“MMS”] message. 
     
     
       24. The telecommunication apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the text-form message comprises an e-mail message. 
     
     
       25. The telecommunication apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein said sending means are configured to alter the sender address of the text-form message to an address operative in the mobile terminal's home network or country. 
     
     
       26. The telecommunication apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein each of the sender addresses comprises an Internet Protocol Address. 
     
     
       27. The telecommunication apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the telecommunication apparatus comprises an SMS bulk-delivery system. 
     
     
       28. A method comprising:
 sending, in a telecommunications system, a text-form message to a user's mobile terminal by a telecommunications apparatus, wherein the text-form message relates to a communication session involving the mobile terminal, wherein the sending comprises altering a sender address of the text-form message based on the current stage of the session by selecting a sender address of the text-form message from a plurality of addresses currently available; and   the telecommunications apparatus receiving, at the altered sender address or at an address contained in the sent text-form message, a reply message from the mobile terminal, wherein the communication session proceeds based on contents of the received reply message,   wherein the reply message is a service order message, which is associated with at least one order for a supplementary service that is subject to payment,   wherein the telecommunication apparatus initiates delivery of the supplementary service over a communications channel that is not used to send or receive the text-form messages,   wherein the text-form message also relates to a current stage of the communication session; and   wherein the selection of the sender address is based on the current stage of the session, and   wherein in at least one stage of the session, the reply message contains or relates to a voice message and the session proceeds based on contents of the voice message.   
     
     
       29. The method of claim 28, further comprising authenticating the mobile terminal based on the reply message received at the selected sender address or at an address contained in the sent text-form message. 
     
     
       30. A method comprising:
 sending, in a telecommunications system, a text-form message to a user's mobile terminal by a telecommunications apparatus, wherein the text-form message relates to a communication session involving the mobile terminal and a current stage of the session, wherein the sending comprises altering a sender address of the text-form message based on the current stage of the session by selecting a sender address of the text-form message from a plurality of addresses currently available; and   the telecommunications apparatus receiving, at the selected sender address or at an address contained in the sent text-form message, a reply message from the mobile terminal, wherein the communication session proceeds based on contents of the received reply message,   wherein the reply message is a service order message, which is associated with at least one order for a supplementary service that is subject to payment,   wherein the telecommunication apparatus initiates delivery of the supplementary service over a communications channel that is not used to send or receive the text-form messages,   the method further comprising repeating the sending and receiving of the text-form message for at least one subsequent current stage, wherein the repeating comprises selecting the sender address of the text-form message from a plurality of addresses currently available based on at least one subsequent current stage and sending the text-form message with the selected sender address,   wherein in at least one stage of the session, the reply message contains or relates to a voice message and the session proceeds based on contents of the voice message.   
     
     
       31. The method of claim 28, wherein the text-form message comprises a Short Message Service message. 
     
     
       32. The method of claim 28, wherein the text-form message comprises a Multimedia Message Service message. 
     
     
       33. The method of claim 28, wherein the text-form message comprises an electronic-mail message. 
     
     
       34. The method of claim 28, wherein each of the available sender addresses comprises an Internet Protocol Address. 
     
     
       35. The method of claim 30, further comprising authenticating the mobile terminal based on the reply message received at the selected sender address or at an address contained in the sent text-form message. 
     
     
       36. A telecommunication apparatus comprising:
 a data processor for executing logic instructions;   a set of interfaces to at least one telecommunications system coupled to a plurality of mobile terminals including a user's mobile terminal;   a message sending logic for sending, in the at least one telecommunications system, a text-form message to the user's mobile terminal from the telecommunications apparatus, wherein the text-form message relates to a communication session involving the user's mobile terminal and a current stage of the session; and   a sending address converter for converting a sender address in the at least one message to at least one of the plurality of mobile terminals by selecting a sender address of the text-form message from a plurality of addresses currently available,   wherein the telecommunication apparatus further comprises a set of logic instructions whose execution on the data processor causes the data processor to send, in the telecommunications network to a mobile terminal of a user of a message service, a text-form message, wherein the text-form message relates to a session and a current stage of the session, wherein the sending comprises altering a sender address of the text-form message based on the current stage of the session,   wherein a reply message from the mobile terminal is received at the altered sender address or at an address contained in the sent text-form message,   wherein the data processor includes reply message reception logic for receiving at least one reply message from the at least one of the plurality of mobile terminals, wherein the reply message reception logic receives, at the selected sender address or at the address contained in the sent text-form message, a reply message from the user's mobile terminal,   wherein the communication session proceeds based on contents of the received reply message,   wherein, in at least one stage of the session, the reply message contains or relates to a voice message and the session proceeds based on contents of the voice message,   wherein the reply message is a service order message, which is associated with at least one order for a supplementary service that is subject to payment,   wherein the telecommunication apparatus initiates delivery of the supplementary service over a communications channel that is not used to send or receive the text-form messages,   wherein the text-form message also relates to a current stage of the communication session, and   wherein the selection of the sender address is based on the current stage of the session.   
     
     
       37. The telecommunication apparatus of claim 36, wherein the data processor authenticates the user's mobile terminal based on the reply message received at the selected sender address or at an address contained in the sent text-form message. 
     
     
       38. The telecommunication apparatus of claim 36, wherein the text-form message comprises a Short Message Service message. 
     
     
       39. The telecommunication apparatus of claim 36, wherein the text-form message comprises a Multimedia Message Service message. 
     
     
       40. The telecommunication apparatus of claim 36, wherein the text-form message comprises an electronic-mail message. 
     
     
       41. The telecommunication apparatus of claim 36, wherein each of the available sender addresses comprises an Internet Protocol Address. 
     
     
       42. A telecommunication apparatus comprising:
 a data processor for executing logic instructions;   a set of interfaces to at least one telecommunications system coupled to a plurality of mobile terminals including a user's mobile terminal;   a message sending logic for sending, in the at least one telecommunications system, a text-form message to the user's mobile terminal from the telecommunications apparatus, wherein the text-form message relates to a communication session involving the user's mobile terminal and a current stage of the session;   a reply message reception logic for receiving at least one reply message to the at least one of the mobile terminals; and   a sending address converter for converting a sender address in the at least one message to at least one of the mobile terminals by selecting a sender address of the text-form message from a plurality of addresses currently available,   wherein the telecommunication apparatus further comprises a set of logic instructions whose execution on the data processor causes the data processor to send, in the telecommunications network to a mobile terminal of a user of a message service, a text-form message, wherein the text-form message relates to a session and a current stage of the session, wherein the sending comprises altering a sender address of the text-form message based on the current stage of the session,   wherein the telecommunication apparatus further comprises a set of logic instructions whose execution on the data processor causes the data processor to receive, at the altered sender address or at an address contained in the sent text-form message, a reply message from the mobile terminal,   wherein the data processor receives, at the selected sender address or at the address contained in the sent text-form message, a reply message from the user's mobile terminal,   wherein the communication session proceeds based on contents of the received reply message,   wherein, in at least one stage of the session, the reply message contains or relates to a voice message and the session proceeds based on contents of the voice message,   wherein the reply message is a service order message, which is associated with at least one order for a supplementary service that is subject to payment, and   wherein the telecommunication apparatus initiates delivery of the supplementary service over a communications channel that is not used to send or receive the text-form messages,   wherein the telecommunication apparatus repeats the sending and receiving of the text-form message for at least one subsequent current stage, wherein the repeating comprises selection of the sender address of the text-form message from a plurality of addresses currently available based on at least one subsequent current stage and sending the text-form message with the selected sender address.   
     
     
       43. The telecommunication apparatus of claim 42, wherein the data processor authenticates the user's mobile terminal based on the reply message received at the selected sender address or at an address contained in the sent text-form message.