WO2001078245A1

WO2001078245A1 - Improved short message service

Info

Publication number: WO2001078245A1
Application number: PCT/US2001/011419
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tom North
Original assignee: Tom North
Priority date: 2000-04-06
Filing date: 2001-04-06
Publication date: 2001-10-18
Also published as: AU2001251452A1

Abstract

A user provides speech input comprising a command, name and message key. The command, name and message key are identified, and if the command indicates a message is to be transmitted (110b), a message is obtained for transmission based on the message key (115b), a destination for the message is obtained based on the name (122), and the message is transmitted to the destination (136).

Description

IMPROVED SHORT MESSAGE SERVICE

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/195,589, filed April 6, 2000, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/227563, filed August 23, 2000.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Contained herein is material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction of the patent disclosure by any person as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all rights to the copyright whatsoever.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to the field of short message services. In particular, the present invention relates to improved data and voice messaging services for mobile phone users.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides advanced data and voice messaging services for mobile phone users. Short message services (SMS) are improved by adding voice and/or multimedia effects such as music, sound, graphics, or animation. Messages can be input to a mobile phone using voice recognition technology to recognize not only a destination name and a command (e.g., transmit the message) but also the message itself. A mobile phone can receive and play such a message transmitted by another mobile phone or a website. The messages are sent via SMS and contain embedded codes in addition to the text to allow the playback of voice or multimedia information. The present invention operates on the simple principle that many of the messages that users set triggers for are known before they are sent and consequently a messages template can be preprogrammed into a user's mobile phone, other wireless mobile device, PC, and/or server to provide for both text and voice messaging. Text to speech (TTS) technology can be used to concatenate variable data into the message.

The short messaging service contemplated by the present invention acts as a store- and-forward connectionless voice communicator providing more efficient, richer, and safer (when hands-free) communication of pre-programmed messages. The service is connectionless, therefore, there is no waiting for a connection, and there is no unnecessary conversation.

Voice messages are preferred in many circumstances because voice is arguably the preferred or more natural way for people to communicate. A user does not have to attempt to read a small output display device, such as those found on present day mobile phones. Moreover, the user does not have to type on the very small and limited keypad provided with a mobile phone. Also, the user is not distracted by attempts to read or manually scroll through messages displayed on an output device, which can be dangerous at times, for instance, while driving.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

Figure 1 provides a block diagram representation of a user activating a mobile phone in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 provides a block diagram representation of alternative embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 3 provides a block diagram representation in which a user responds to a message in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 illustrates a flow chart for processing an alert message in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 provides a flow chart for an application as might be utilized by an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 provides a flow chart for an application as might be utilized by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 provides a flow chart for an application as might be utilized by an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 8 provides a flow chart for an application as might be utilized by an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 9 illustrates a block diagram of a system architecture embodied in the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Components

With reference to Fig. 9, a network 100 is illustrated in which components of the present invention comprise a mobile phone 105, a short message service center (SMSC) 110, and, optionally, a website 115 or PC 120 with appropriate software that enables it to synchronize contacts, tasks and schedules with the short messaging service (SMS).

Mobile phone

The mobile phone 105 recognizes spoken or nonspoken electronic mail (email) messages and plays preprogrammed messages. The mobile phone transmits encoded messages to and receives encoded messages from the SMSC 110 via the mobile phone carrier 125.

The mobile phone is programmed, for example, in a cradle coupled to PC 120 or wirelessly with PC 120, with voice and text for incoming and outgoing messages, associated Voice Recognition (VR) messages, VR templates for messages, names, VR templates for names, commands and VR templates for commands, and, optionally, multimedia effects.

The mobile phone plays incoming messages, concatenates message templates with TTS-spoken variable data (where present), recognizes outgoing VR messages, plays names, recognizes names, and recognizes and performs commands. The Short Message Service Center (SMSC)

The SMSC 110 transmits encoded messages received from appropriately equipped mobile phones, websites, email systems, and PCs, to mobile phone 105 via the mobile phone carrier 125. The SMSC 110 also transmits encoded messages from the user's mobile phone 105 via an internetwork, e.g., the Internet 130, as email to the user's PC 120 or website 115.

PC or Website

In one embodiment of the present invention, the PC or website, in turn, transmits email, faxes, or voice messages via the Internet 130 or telecommunications network 125 to PCs, faxes, pagers, phones, mobile phones, etc. A user name is maintained, for example, in a look up table, and when a message is transmitted to the user, information regarding the device to which the message may be sent to the user is stored, as are attributes associated with the device, such as data rate, quality of service, etc., so that the message can be sent to one device versus another device depending on the type or nature of the message or user.

Integrating the present invention with a commercially available calendar/email program, such as Microsoft Outlook, creates unified inbox and outbox; and can be utilized to contact a person multiple ways in priority. For example, if there is no answer at the person's office phone 135, the present invention then tries the person's pager 140, mobile phone 105 or sends an email message to the person.

The present invention contemplates playing outgoing messages with salutations, storing all name and message information to coordinate with a commercially available calendar/email program for synchronizing and downloading to a mobile phone.

For example: outgoing Voice Recognition (VR) messages may be: "leaving work"; which is encoded in mobile phone 105 and transmitted via a proprietary or standard short message service, such as that provided with the Cellular Packet Data Protocol (CPDP), or MicroBurst, a SMS available from Aeris.net, of Campbell, California, and emailed to a PC which then plays an outgoing message like: "Hi, [Name], I am just leaving work and will be home in about 30 minutes. Can't wait to see you, Bill!"

For websites not enabled with the short message system software utilized by the present invention, a message is redirected to a PC or website that is enabled rather than sending messages directly to a mobile phone. The enabled PC or website then encodes the message for transmission to a mobile phone embodied by the present invention.

Each user may have an individual website to assist other people in selecting the right message to be sent to play the correct voicemail on an appropriately enabled mobile phone.

Electronic Mail Messages

Mobile phones, in one embodiment of the present invention, send predefined electronic mail (email) messages that would otherwise require dictation / natural language capability. These email messages can be assigned to a button on the mobile phone for one button sending of common messages. These messages can be sent to other enabled mobile phones, non-enabled mobile phones, or websites, for example, to request a service such as "where is the closest Italian restaurant?'

Additionally, the mobile phone can play email which is included in encoded messages sent from the user's PC or website or other's participating mobile phones or websites.

All messages have text and voice so they can be listened to at, or read on a display associated with, a mobile phone and called or emailed from a PC.

Electronic mail is embedded in the header of a text SMS message. A code designates which library is being used, what message/message template, and what data if any is to be concatenated into the message template. Since the embedded email will be ignored by standard mobile phones, that is, off the shelf mobile phones that are not enabled to recognize the email generated in accordance with the present invention, the email is invisible to such mobile phones, and the same message can be sent to either an enabled or non-enabled mobile phone. The SMS protocol also includes the sender's phone number. Given the sender's phone number, the receiving mobile phone may lookup the sender's phone number in its electronic phonebook, include the sender in the message and reference the sender to the library selected. Other techniques for embedding email include appending the coded information to the sender's mobile phone ID, using a combination of special codes, or concatenating the email message to the text message using binary data.

It is contemplated that a number of standard messages may be utilized so that applications can be configured to assign a unique message number to each message. This way, for example, two mobile phone users can communicate with each other using email, such as user 1: "Running 30 minutes late", and user 2: "OK". Each user's phone is programmed in his own language for voice recognition and message identification, display, and playback. However, in one embodiment of the present invention, the same message number on any programmed phone may have the same meaning no matter which language is used. In addition, a user can program custom messages for individual requirements.

Messages can have text-to-speech (TTS)-spoken variable data embedded or concatenated within the message such as the flight number, gate number, and arrival time: "flight number 116 leaves from gate number B19 at 9:15 PM." Messages can also have embedded multimedia effects such as sounds, music, graphics and animations.

Operation

There are three primary modes of operation contemplated in an embodiment of the present invention: mobile phone to mobile phone operation, website to mobile phone operation, and mobile phone to website operation. Additionally, the same technique of embedding codes is used to enable or disable software features. With mobile phone to mobile phone communication, a mobile phone 105 configured with software and hardware to support an embodiment of the present invention recognizes the name and message input by a user via, for example, voice input. The mobile phone 105 translates the message into voicemail with text and embedded codes that will enable a voice message in a destination mobile phone but the message can also be received as a standard SMS text message by any SMS enabled destination mobile phone. When an enabled destination mobile phone receives the voicemail, it recognizes the message template and sender, based on a list of names, commands and standard messages stored in the mobile phone. The mobile phone plays back the message at the user' s request, embedding the sender and any variable data spoken by TTS into the message modifying the voice output characteristics based on the parameters embedded in the encoded message. Each sender can configure those parameters to either be similar to the sender's voice or of whatever desirable characteristics the sender may choose.

Since email in accordance with the present invention includes text and voice commands, messages can be read or listened to at the destination mobile phone, whichever is more appropriate. For example, in a car, listening to a message via the mobile phone is more appropriate because it is less distracting and leaves hands and eyes free for driving. However, in a meeting, reading the message via an output display device embedded or associated with the mobile phone is more appropriate since it is less distracting to meeting participants.

When email is sent from a website, it can include not only text and voice but also multimedia effects. Websites involved in mCommerce transactions and services may send email for notification and alerts as well as advertising. Examples are: flight delays, gate announcements, stock pricing, auction bids, traffic alerts, site specific advertising, other SMS enabled two way information services. Examples of such are illustrated in Figs. 5 through 8.

Message templates can come from a standard library, or can be programmed into the mobile phone 105 from a custom library that the user subscribes to when subscribing to a mCommerce service. These libraries can be downloaded via an internet connection through a PC cradle or wirelessly. Therefore, if a phone receives a message utilizing a library that isn't currently loaded, it can request that library be downloaded prior to presenting the message to the user. For example, as a result of purchasing an airline ticket; a flight information library may be downloaded into the mobile phone so that itinerary updates and notices can be received. This download may occur wirelessly during the transaction or later during recharging of the mobile phone in a cradle connected via a PC to the Internet. Additionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, mobile phones can remotely control by coded messages the transmission of voice and/or text messages from a PC or server to an individual's or group's phones, mobile phones, faxes, email, pagers, etc. The transmitting mobile phone maintains in a look up table indexed by destination name the devices to which a message may be transmitted to the destination name. Additionally, attributes and/or priority for the devices may be stored so as to select an appropriate device to which to send the message, or a sequence of devices to which to attempt to send the message until the message is successfully transmitted. Additionally, mobile phones can be controlled remotely to play preprogrammed standard or custom messages and initiate, where appropriate, a response.

Mobile phones, in an embodiment of the present invention, use voice recognition technology to recognize not only commands, e.g., transmit, and names, e.g., another mobile phone user, but also messages, e.g., "will be 30 minutes late", to provide error-free message coding and transmission unlike voice recognition dictation software. Finally, by encoding the message transmission, costs are minimized. The user's PC or website and enabled mobile phone synchronize their databases via wired or infrared (IR) connection in the recharging cradle at the user's PC for names, stocks, auctions, messages, flight information, appointments, etc.

For example, a mobile phone user could activate his phone and say something like: "Tell my wife just leaving work". Via voice recognition, "tell" represents a command, "my wife" represents a name, and "just leaving work" represents the message. An encoded message is transmitted to the user's PC (or a voicemail server) to send a voice message to the phone number programmed for his wife in his voice explaining that he has just left work and expects to be home in one hour. Other common messages would be: "running [15, 30, 45] minutes late"; "I received your message and will be back to you shortly". Or in the other direction, SMS messages could trigger messages such as: "Microsoft is up 2 points" or "Your flight is delayed 30 minutes". Scheduling/calendar/email software could trigger messages such as: "You have a meeting in 30 minutes with Bill Jones". A user could track stock prices on a mobile phone and announce programmed alerts and respond to action requests. Similarly, a user could track auctions and respond to being outbid, for example.

With reference to Figure 1, the process of the present invention is illustrated in a flow chart 100. At 105, a user activates a mobile phone. This could be accomplished by voice or speech command recognized by voice recognition (VR) features supported by the mobile phone, in which voice or speech input is synthesized and converted to a digital input signal, or by the user pressing a sequence of at least one key on a keypad for the mobile phone. The input command, whether spoken or entered via the keypad, may be one of a valid set of commands, for example, "schedule", "tell", "dial", etc., as illustrated at HOa-llOe. The mobile phone recognizes the input command at 110 as one of the valid commands in the set 110a- 1 lOe by searching for the input command in a look up table of valid commands in the memory of the mobile phone at 115.

Once the mobile phone recognizes or identifies an input command as a valid command at 115, the next step in the process differs depending on the nature of the command. For example, if the command validated by the search in the lookup table was "send message" 115b based on the command "tell", at 122, the process further parses the user voice input to determine a name associated with the command "tell", in order to determine where to send the message. The voice input received at the mobile phone is compared to a list of names in a look up table in the memory of the mobile phone to identify a valid name. Once a valid name is identified, a destination associated with the name, e.g., a mobile phone number, web site address, pager number, etc., is obtained from the look up table.

Once a name and a command are identified, at 135 the mobile phone identifies a message keyword or keyphrase in the voice or other form or user input and uses the keyword as an index at 1 0 to search a list of canned or preprogrammed messages in a table in a memory of the mobile phone, e.g., "will be 30 minutes late". At 135, optionally, the name and message to be transmitted may be confirmed. Alternatively, at steps 122 and 130, merely the name and message keyword in the user input are identified, and at 135, the search in look up tables in the memory of the mobile phone for valid name and message keyword is performed. Ultimately, at 136, given a valid name and destination associated therewith, a valid command, and message keyword and associated message, a message identifier consisting of the message number and library identifier is encoded in a short message service data packet and transmitted to the destination associated with the name. Of course, it is appreciated that the process of parsing and verifying the command, name and message keyword from the user input can be performed in any order, so that parsing of the input can be completed before verifying the input or not, and verifying the name, command and message keyword can occur in any order as well.

As another example, once the mobile phone recognizes or identifies an input command as a valid command at 115, if the command validated by the search in the lookup table was "listen to message" 115e based on the command "listen", the mobile phone plays back any message queued at the mobile phone. Thereafter, the user can choose to delete 125, save 126 or respond 127 to the message. If, for example", the user wishes to respond to the message, the user provides input, e.g. "respond [sender] OK", or alternatively, "tell [sender] OK". The process parses the user voice input to determine a name associated with the command "respond", in order to determine where to send the message, and compare the name input by the user to the name of the sender of the message listened to by the user. Just as in the previous example, the voice input received at the mobile phone is compared to a list of names in a look up table in the memory of the mobile phone to identify a valid name. Once a valid name is identified, a destination associated with the name, e.g., a mobile phone number, web site address, pager number, etc., is obtained from the look up table. In one embodiment, multiple destinations are provided, and an encoded message sent to each of the destinations in turn, according to a user-defined priority scheme, in the event the message is not acknowledged in a predetermined time frame. Once a name and a command are identified, at 135 the mobile phone identifies a message keyword in the voice or other form or user input and uses the keyword as an index at 130 to search a list of canned or preprogrammed messages in a table in a memory of the mobile phone, e.g., "OK". At 136, given a valid name and destination associated therewith, a valid command, and message keyword and associated message, a message is encoded in a short message service data packet and transmitted to the destination associated with the name.

Subscriber phone feature maintenance is also performed using the embedded codes in an SMS message. In this case, the subscriber's payment record is maintained on a server. In the event, for example, that a subscriber decides to cancel his service and stops paying his subscription fee, the server can initiate a message via the internet and through the SMSC to the user's mobile phone that not only confirms that the service has been terminated but also includes embedded codes that the software on the user's phone recognizes and as a result is disabled. Likewise, the software can be re-enabled or partially enabled or disabled such as for demo purposes or if a subset of features is desired.

Benefits

The benefits of the present invention are:

1. Greater Efficiency. Like email, there is no need to wait for a call to go through. There is no need to wait for an answer or for voice mail, nor any need to call for messages. Additionally, there is no need to extend the conversation for pleasantries. In essence, a 3 second command transmitted in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention can send an error-free 30 second voice or text message.

2. Greater Accuracy. The accuracy comes from: 1) being able to nearly 100% accurately recognize the name/message, 2) confirm for 100% accuracy, and 3) since it is prerecorded and typed, having 100% accuracy in the outgoing message.

3. Lower cost. There are no phone charges, no long distance or roaming. For example, in an embodiment of the present invention, a 3 second utterance is compressed into a few bytes which can then be played back as a much longer message if desired; creating unprecedented compression.

4. Improved Safety. The present invention provides for hands-free operation in automobiles for messaging as well as call answer/placement.

5. Versatile. A mobile phone can be programmed to remotely control virtually anything. Or, it can be programmed so a message is enhanced by running virtually any application.

6. More personal. Voice messages can be left in your voice, rather than a preprogrammed voice.

7. Stock service targeted to maintain selected stock pricing, provide programmed alerts, and enable response.

8. Language translation. The message identifier references a message to be played or displayed that has the same meaning in whatever language the phone user uses. Therefore, language translation is an inherent feature of this architecture.

9. Easy maintenance of subscriber billing without network intervention.

Embodiment of the Invention

A mobile phone 105 is configured to store, for example, 100 commands, 100 names, and 100 messages. The messages are for play back at the mobile phone. The commands and names are voice recognition enabled. Each is limited to three seconds. At IKB/sec vocoder data rate, for 100 commands, names, voice mails, and messages, the mobile phone requires approximately 1MB extra of memory, such as Flash EPROM or other types of appropriate memory. The VR templates take up approximately 40KB and are included in the 1MB estimate. The mobile phone has commercially available speaker dependent- and speaker independent-voice recognition (VR) hardware and software.

Software implementing an embodiment of the present invention operates in conjunction with a schedule/email program, such as Microsoft's Outlook program. For instance, the software stores the name and voice recognition templates with the names in Outlook Contacts. And, the software enables Outlook to convert coded email messages into transmitted voice or text messages. Conversely, the software enables Outlook to convert incoming messages into coded messages to transmit to the mobile phone. With the software, Outlook sends the message(s) to name(s) in prioritized fashion by email, phone, pager, fax, etc. Messages are preprogrammed in text and voice in both .the mobile phone and PC. Hands- free call initiation and answering using programmed names and associated numbers is an integral part of the service contemplated by the present invention.

Commands (for example):

Call: Name dialing

Dial: Digit dialing

Tell: Send voice mail message

Listen: Play voice mail message

Save, Erase: manage playback of voice mail message

Respond: respond to voice mail message maintaining trace.

Schedule: schedule meeting

Confirm: agree to meeting request.

Buy/Sell: response to stock alerts

Services (examples)

There are categories for names such as: flight number, stock, auction, etc. By designating a name to be a category, then actions relating to that category take place when the mobile phone receives a message assigned to the name. In other words, the message takes on a new meaning, as discussed below: Flight Information

A flight number can be considered a name. When a flight number gets a message, that is, when a message is transmitted with a destination name of the flight number, that message may either be a schedule update or a gate number indication instead of referring to one of the other numbered messages.

Calendar

A calendar resides on a PC, and can send a message to a mobile phone to alert, for example, a user about an upcoming meeting. Conversely, a meeting can be scheduled from a mobile phone using VR to send a command like "schedule meeting with Bill Smith at 3:00PM Tuesday [this, next, in 3, etc.] week(s)." The calendar can manage meeting requests, for example, check for a conflict; and if no conflict exists, send a voicemail meeting request to the mobile phone and receive a confirmation response from the mobile phone. Conversely, the calendar can schedule meetings initiated by a user on a mobile phone even with groups.

Stocks/ Auctions

Stocks/ Auctions are synchronized at the PC, updated in increments defined by the user with alerts defined by the user. An alert can be a value or a movement. New stocks/auctions can be added via SMS. A mobile phone calculates stock/auction price based on alerts and can show/tell the value. Price accuracy is provided for even when the phone is turned off because the system maintains acknowledgement of message receipt so the message can be resent if the mobile phone is turned off. Alerts can be responded to with a variety of appropriate commands such as buy, sell, and rebid.

In the foregoing description, the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention. The description and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising: receiving user input; identifying a command, a name and a message key from the user input; if a command is identified indicating a message is to be transmitted, then: obtaining the message to transmit based on the message key; obtaining a destination for the message based on the name; transmitting the message to the destination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving user input comprises receiving speech-based user input.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising converting the speech to a digital signal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying a command, name and message key from the user input comprises processing the digital signal to recognize one of the command, name and message key.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining a message to transmit based on the message key from the user input comprises looking up the message in a data storage based on the message key.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein looking up the message based on the message key comprises searching a lookup table for the message using the message key as an index.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein searching the lookup table for the message using the message key as an index comprises searching the look up table for the message and an identifier associated with the message based on the message key.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein transmitting the message to the destination comprises transmitting the message and the identifier for the message.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein transmitting the message to the destination comprises transmitting the identifier for the message to the destination.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the identifier comprises a look up table number and a message number identifying the location of the message in the look up table.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the message to the destination comprises transmitting the message to the destination via a short message service protocol.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein transmitting the message to the destination via a short message service protocol comprises encoding the message in a header of a short message service protocol packet.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein encoding the message in a header of a short message service protocol packet comprises encoding parameters that control voice output characteristics of the message, in addition to the message.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein encoding parameters that control voice output characteristics of the message comprises encoding parameters that modify predetermined voice output characteristics of the message.

15. A method comprising: receiving a message identifier from a source; looking up a message corresponding to the message identifier in a look up table; and providing output of the message to a user.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: receiving user input in response to output of the message; identifying a command and a message key from the user input; if a command is identified indicating a response message is to be transmitted in response to the received message, then: obtaining the response message to transmit based on the message key; obtaining the source for the response message based on the received message; and transmitting the response message to the source

17. The method of claim 16, wherein providing output of the message to a user comprises displaying the corresponding message on a display device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein providing output of the message to a user comprises playing as a voice message the corresponding message.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprises receiving one of a variable data and a sender information in addition to receiving the message identifier.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the source is a mobile phone.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the source is a world wide web site on an internetwork.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein receiving a message from a source comprising receiving the message from the world wide web site via a internetwork to wireless communication network gateway.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the internetwork to wireless communication network gateway is a short message service center that translates the message received from the internetwork to an encoded message comprising one of text and voice data.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving a message identifier from a source comprises receiving the message identifier from a source via a short message service protocol.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein receiving the message identifier from a source via a short message service protocol comprises decoding the message identifier from a header of a short message service protocol packet to obtain the message.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein decoding the message identifier from a header of a short message service protocol packet comprises decoding parameters that control voice output characteristics of the message, in addition to the message identifier.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein decoding parameters that control voice output characteristics of the message comprises decoding parameters that modify predetermined voice output characteristics of the message.

28. An wireless communications device, comprising: a means for receiving user input; a means for identifying a command, a name and a message key from the user input; means for identifying a command indicating a message is to be transmitted, obtaining the message to transmit based on the message key, obtaining a destination for the message based on the name, and transmitting the message to the destination.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the means for receiving user input comprises means for receiving speech-based user input.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the means for identifying a command, name and message key from the user input comprises a means for processing the digital signal to recognize one of the command, name and message key.

31. The device of claim 28, wherein the means for obtaining a message to transmit based on the message key from the user input comprises means for looking up the message in a data storage based on the message key.

32. The device of claim 28, wherein the means for transmitting the message to the destination comprises means for transmitting the message to the destination via a short message service protocol.

33. A wireless communications device, comprising: means for receiving a message identifier from a source; means, coupled to the means for receiving the message, for looking up a message corresponding to the message identifier in a look up table; and means for providing output of the message to a user.

34. The device of claim 33, further comprising: means for receiving user input in response to output of the message; means for identifying a command and a message key from the user input; means for identifying a command indicating a response message is to be transmitted in response to the received message, obtaining the response message to transmit based on the message key, obtaining the source for the response message based on the received message, and transmitting the response message to the source.

35. The device of claim 34, wherein the means for providing output of the message to a user comprises means for displaying the corresponding message on a display device.

36. The device of claim 35, wherein the means for providing output of the message to a user comprises a means for playing as a voice message the corresponding message.

37. An article of manufacture comprising a machine accessible medium providing instructions that when executed by a machine cause the machine to: receive user input; identify a command, a name and a message key from the user input; if a command is identified indicating a message is to be transmitted, then: obtain the message to transmit based on the message key; obtain a destination for the message based on the name; transmit the message to the destination.

38. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the instructions that when executed cause a machine to receive user input includes instructions that cause the machine to receive speech-based user input.

39. The article of manufacture of claim 38, further comprising instructions that when executed by a machine, cause the machine to convert the speech to a digital signal.

40. The article of manufacture of claim 3, wherein the instmctions that when executed cause the machine to identify a command, name and message key from the user input includes instructions that cause the machine to process the digital signal to recognize one of the command, name and message key.

41. The article of manufacture of claim 37, wherein the instructions that when executed cause the machine to transmit the message to the destination include instructions that when executed cause the machine to transmit the message to the destination via a short message service protocol.

42. An article of manufacture, comprising a machine accessible medium providing instructions that when executed cause the machine to: receive a message identifier from a source; look up a message corresponding to the message identifier in a look up table; and provide output of the message to a user.

43. The article of manufacture of claim 42, wherein the machine accessible medium provides further instructions that when executed cause the machine to: receive user input in response to output of the message; identify a command and a message key from the user input; identify a command indicating a response message is to be transmitted in response to the received message, obtain the response message to transmit based on the message key, obtain the source for the response message based on the received message; and transmit the response message to the source.

44. The article of manufacture of claim 43, wherein the instructions that when executed cause the machine to provide output of the message to a user includes instructions that when executed cause the machine to display the corresponding message on a display device.

45. A method, comprising: receiving a message from a server coupled to an internetwork at an internework-to- wireless short message service gateway, the message comprising a status of a remote wireless communications device; encoding the message in a wireless short message service data packet; transmitting via wireless means the short message service data packet to the remote wireless communications device to update the status of the remote wireless communications device.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the status of the remote wireless communications device indicates service for the device is to be terminated.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the status of the remote wireless communications device indicates service for the device is terminated.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein the status of the remote wireless communications device indicates a feature set for the device.