WO2015092601A1

WO2015092601A1 - Message broadcasting system and method

Info

Publication number: WO2015092601A1
Application number: PCT/IB2014/066639
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pieter Willem DU TOIT; Gert Arnoldus DU TOIT
Original assignee: VIRTUAL MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES Pty Ltd
Current assignee: VIRTUAL MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2013-12-20
Filing date: 2014-12-05
Publication date: 2015-06-25
Anticipated expiration: 2016-06-20
Also published as: ZA201408927B

Abstract

A system and method for broadcasting messages is provided. A server receives a plurality of mobile device identifiers from a registered user and stores the identifiers. Each of the mobile device identifiers are associated with a mobile device of an end user that has an existing relationship with the registered user. The server receives an instruction from the registered user to transmit a message to at least some of the mobile devices, and transmits the message to the mobile devices. The message is associated with a pre-defined response format. The message is displayed at each mobile device by way of a mobile IM application installed on the mobile device. Responses are received from at least some of the mobile devices and are aggregated by the server. The mobile IM application is configured to restrict the responses to the pre- defined response format.

Description

MESSAGE BROADCASTING SYSTEM AND METHOD

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to South African provisional patent application number 2013/09649, entitled "Message Broadcasting System and Method", filed on 20 December 2013, which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a message broadcasting system and a method of broadcasting messages.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Short Message Service (SMS) messages are well known in communications between sender and recipient mobile devices. With SMS communications, a sender actively identifies a recipient using a number or identifier of the recipient, such as their MSISDN (Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network) number. Addressing of each recipient is thus performed through their MSISDN number.

Bulk messaging relates to the distribution of relatively large numbers of messages to recipient mobile devices. Examples of entities that may frequently use bulk messaging include media companies, educational institutions, insurance companies and banks, and these messages may be transmitted for a variety of purposes, including marketing and sending reminders. Bulk SMS messages can be implemented using software packages that enable registered senders to add telephone numbers to a list and then transmit a desired SMS message to each number on the list.

The process of sending messages via SMS may have several drawbacks. Telephone numbers can be passed around and it may be relatively easy for a sender to obtain a telephone number of a recipient for the purpose of transmitting unsolicited messages. Also, SMS communication may be viewed as a "best effort service" and, at least in some cases, there may be no way of guaranteeing actual delivery of a message to a recipient. A further drawback of bulk SMS messaging may be that, as a result of the inherent store-and- forward delay associated with SMS messages, they cannot be used for real-time communications, and recipients may not be capable of intuitively or easily replying or providing feedback to predefined prompts or questions in an SMS message.

In view of these and other issues, such as the generally unsecure nature of SMS messaging, Instant Messaging (IM) has become increasingly popular as a way to communicate and has evolved to include IM applications for mobile devices. Systems and methods for exchanging instant messages between mobile devices are well known, and an IM application installed on a sender mobile device usually communicates with a corresponding application installed on a recipient mobile device via a remote IM server.

An IM service differs from SMS messaging in a number of ways. It may be that the IM application of the sender mobile device initially identifies the recipient mobile device via its MSISDN to generate a contact list, but use of the MSISDN in instant messaging can be restricted to such initial generation of the contact list. After the initial generation of the contact list, a sender typically does not actively identify a recipient by their MSISDN, but rather selects or generates another type of identifier associated with the recipient in order to communicate with the recipient. Thus, the instant messaging application may carry out the addressing for instant messages.

In order to establish a communications link between a sender and a recipient, the sender must be able to communicate with the recipient device that hosts the instant messaging application. In some implementations, the sender may be required to send an invitation requesting the recipient to add them to their contact list so that they can initiate an instant messaging session or conversation.

Peer-to-peer messaging systems have been developed which employ invitation architectures enabling the exchange of Personal Identification Numbers (PINs). Advances in such invitation architectures have led to systems where a PIN for the invitee is obtained directly and an invitation is sent immediately, without first requiring an invite to be sent, for example, via an email or SMS message. Furthermore, secure peer-to-peer IM systems typically provide increased security by maintaining the secrecy of an underlying address identity of the senders and recipients by enabling the exchange of PINs without requiring a sender or recipient to directly access their PIN. Regardless of these advances, current instant messaging systems may invariably require some form of invitation and acceptance of the invitation by the recipient by way of a PIN. A further aspect of current IM services is that they depend on registration by end users. The IM server usually broadcasts the end user's availability or "presence" to engage in IM sessions to an authorized group of the end user's peers that have also registered and logged into the IM server. However, mobile devices may have a reduced need for presence capabilities because an end user could be presumed to be carrying the mobile device at all times.

In light of the above, there exists a need for a message broadcasting system that combines advantages of SMS messaging with those of instant messaging, while enabling user responses to be received in a meaningful and/or useful manner.

In this specification, the term mobile device should be interpreted so as to have its broadest meaning, and includes mobile phones, smartphones, wireless organizers, personal digital assistants, laptop computers, handheld communications devices, tablets and the like. The preceding discussion of the background to the invention is intended only to facilitate an understanding of the present invention. It should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgment or admission that any of the material referred to was part of the common general knowledge in the art as at the priority date of the application. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of broadcasting messages, comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of mobile device identifiers from a registered user, each of the mobile device identifiers being associated with a mobile device of an end user that has an existing relationship with the registered user;

storing the received mobile device identifiers;

receiving an instruction from the registered user to transmit a message to at least some of the mobile devices, the message being associated with a pre-defined response format;

transmitting the message to the mobile devices, the message being displayed at each mobile device by way of a mobile IM application installed on the mobile device;

receiving responses from at least some of the mobile devices, wherein the mobile IM application is configured to restrict the responses to the pre-defined response format associated with the message; and

aggregating the received responses. Further features provide for the method to be carried out at an instant messaging (IM) server and for the received mobile device identifiers to be stored on a database associated with the IM server. A further feature provides for the step of aggregating the received responses to be followed by generating a report providing information relating to the aggregated responses; and providing the report to the registered user.

Further features provide for the method to include the step of: creating one or more groups from the plurality of mobile device identifiers, the groups optionally representing end users with a shared end user attribute; for the step of receiving the instruction to transmit the message to include receiving an instruction to transmit the message to a specific group; and for the step of transmitting the message to include transmitting the message to all of the mobile devices in the group.

Yet further features provide for the mobile device identifier to include a Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network (MSISDN) number of the mobile device of the end user; for the mobile device identifiers to be stored on an enterprise server of the registered user; and for receiving the mobile device identifiers to include receiving them from the enterprise server of the registered user.

Further features provide for the step of receiving an instruction from the registered user to transmit the message to at least some of the mobile devices to include one or both of: receiving message content from the registered user and receiving, from the registered user, the pre- defined response format to which responses to the message are to be restricted. The predefined response format may be associated with the message through a selection by the registered user. Alternatively, the pre-defined response format may be a default format. The pre-defined response format may include two or more selectable options for responding to the message.

The message displayed at the mobile device may include a message body and selectable responses, the selectable responses based on the pre-defined response format such that the response of an end user is restricted to the pre-defined response format associated with the message. The mobile IM application may be further configured to receive the pre-defined response format for the response along with the message content and display selectable options based on the pre-defined response format received. Still further features provide for the registered user to include any one or more of: a corporate entity, banking institution, educational institution, employer, public or private organization; and for the existing relationship between the registered user and the end user to include an employer-employee relationship, a merchant-customer relationship, a teacher-student relationship, or a hierarchical management relationship.

Further features provide for the method to include, prior to transmitting the message to the mobile devices of the group, establishing whether or not a software application associated with the IM server, for example a virtual machine, has been installed on the mobile device; in response to the software application not being installed on the device, enabling the installation of the software application on the device by making the software application available for download; querying a database to determine whether or not the mobile IM application has been installed on the device, and in response to the mobile IM application not being installed thereon, enabling the installation of the mobile IM application on the device.

The database may be queried by looking up the mobile device identifier associated with a mobile device and checking whether a record indicates that the mobile IM application has been installed on that mobile device. In some embodiments, in response to determining that the software application and/or mobile IM application is not installed on the mobile device, the IM server may cause the message to be transmitted to the mobile device as a Short Message Service (SMS) message instead of as an instant message. The SMS message may include a link or instructions enabling the software application to be installed.

Yet further features provide for the enabling of the installation of the mobile IM application on the device to include the application prompting the end user to enter their mobile device number; sending an authorization code to the device via, for example, an SMS message; and the mobile device retrieving the authorization code from the SMS message in order to complete the installation of the mobile IM application. Still further features provide for the step of transmitting the message to include registering the end user with the IM server; and for the step of registering the end user to include transmitting a registration request to the end user; and receiving a confirmation of registration from the mobile device of the end user in response to having confirmed the registration request. A further feature provides for the step of transmitting the registration request to the end user to include: transmitting a push notification request to the end user via a push notification server and a remote server of a service provider. Further features provide for appending at least one message attribute to the message, the message attribute including characteristics about the lifespan, accessibility and/or functionality of the message; for the message attribute to include a limitation relating to the time for which the message may be accessed by the mobile IM application, the number of times the message may be accessed, the ability to save the message, and/or the ability to forward the message; and for the IM server to communicate an attribute enforcement policy to the mobile device that may be enforced by an enforcement module of the mobile IM application.

Even further features provide for making the software application available for download to include embedding a predefined IM server identity in the software application to ensure that only the IM server whose identity matches that of the embedded identity may be contacted by the mobile IM application; and securing the confidentiality and integrity of the message at the application layer of the mobile IM application by way of an application layer security protocol such as the Web Services (WS) security protocol.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a message broadcasting system for sending messages from a registered user to end users having an existing relationship with the registered user, the system comprising a server configured to perform the steps of:

receiving a plurality of mobile device identifiers from a registered user, each of the mobile device identifiers being associated with a mobile device of an end user;

storing the mobile device identifiers;

aggregating the received responses.

Further features provides for the server to be an IM server; for the mobile device identifiers to be stored in a database associated with the IM server; and for the IM server to be further configured to perform the steps of: generating a report providing information relating to the aggregated responses; and providing the report to the registered user.

The system may further comprise one or both of the mobile devices of the end users and an enterprise server of the registered user. In some embodiments, the IM server is in operative communication with the enterprise server of the registered user. The registered user may communicate with the IM server via the enterprise server.

Further features provide for the enterprise server of the registered user to have stored on it a group of end users grouped according to a shared attribute of the end users. The IM server may be configured to receive the group of end users from the enterprise server and to store the group of end users in a database.

Still further features provide for the IM server to be configured to receive an instruction from the registered user to transmit the message to the group of end users; to transmit the message to the end users in the group; and to receive responses from the group in the pre-defined response format allowed by the mobile IM application installed on the devices.

Yet further features provide for the message broadcasting system to include a graphical user interface such as a network interface or web interface that enables the registered user to communicate with the IM server and/or register a user profile on the IM server; to upload the mobile device identifiers; to create groups of end users; to instruct the IM server to transmit the message to the end users or to a group of end users; to receive the responses from the end users; and that enables the IM server provide the report to the registered user by presenting the report via the graphical user interface.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method carried out at a mobile device of an end user having an existing relationship with a registered user, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, from an Instant Messaging (IM) server, a message originating from the registered user, the message being associated with a pre-defined response format;

displaying the message by way of a mobile IM application installed on the mobile device, the end user being permitted to provide a response to the message, wherein the response is restricted to the pre-defined response format;

receiving the response to the message; and

transmitting the received response to the IM server, the IM server being configured to aggregate a plurality of responses to the message, wherein each of the plurality of responses is received from a mobile device of an end user and restricted to the pre-defined response format. Further features provide for the step of receiving the message to include receiving, from an instant messaging (IM) server, message content and the pre-defined response format to which responses are to be restricted; for the mobile IM application to be further configured to receive the pre-defined response format along with the message content and display selectable options based on the pre-defined response format received; and for the message to be received at the mobile device as a push message.

Yet further features provide for the pre-defined response format to include two or more selectable options for responding to the message; and for the step of receiving the response to the message to include receiving a selection of one of the options.

A further feature provides for at least one message attribute to be appended to the message, the message attribute including one or more of characteristics about the lifespan, accessibility and/or functionality of the message, a limitation relating to the time for which the message may be accessed by the mobile IM application, the number of times the message may be accessed, the ability to save the message, and/or the ability to forward the message.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a mobile device having a processor and a computer-readable non-transitory medium coupled to the processor, the computer-readable medium comprising code executable by the processor for implementing a method comprising:

receiving, from an IM server, a message originating from a registered user, the message being associated with a pre-defined response format;

displaying the message by way of a mobile IM application installed on the mobile device, an end user being permitted to provide a response to the message, wherein the response is restricted to the pre-defined response format;

receiving the response to the message; and

transmitting the received response to the IM server, the IM server being configured to aggregate a plurality of responses, wherein each of the plurality of responses is received from a mobile device of an end user and restricted to the pre-defined response format.

In order for the invention to be more fully understood, the invention will now be described by way of non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying representations in which:

Figure 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a message broadcasting system; Figure 2 is a swim-lane flow diagram of a method of broadcasting messages, the method being carried out by the system of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a message broadcasting system, illustrating an exemplary method of registering end users;

Figure 4A is an exemplary graphical user interface provided to a registered user; and

Figure 4B is an exemplary message received at a mobile device of an end user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of a message broadcasting system (100). The system (100) includes a messaging server in the form of an Instant Messaging (IM) server (102), mobile devices (104, 106 and 108) of end users (1 10, 1 12 and 1 14) respectively, and an enterprise server (120) of a registered user (122).

In this embodiment, the registered user (122) is a commercial entity, i.e. a company, having a hierarchical management structure defined to include a senior management level, a mid- management level and lower-level employees. End users (1 10 and 1 12) represent members of the mid-management level, whereas another end user (1 14) represents a lower-level employee of the company or registered user (122). Figure 1 is primarily provided for exemplary purposes and it should be appreciated that the system may include a relatively large number of end users, for example, more than 100 or more than 1000.

The enterprise server (120) is maintained by the registered user (122), and contains an enterprise server database (124) wherein existing relationships between the registered user (122) and the end users (1 10, 1 12 and 1 14) are mapped by way of an association of each of the end users' mobile devices (104, 106 and 108) to a mobile device identifier of each end user (1 10, 1 12 and 1 14), the mobile device identifiers being in the form of Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network (MSISDN) numbers of the end users (1 10, 1 12 and 1 14). Thus, a device identifier in the form of a mobile number (2, 4 and 6) is mapped to each end user (1 10, 1 12 and 1 14), respectively.

The enterprise server (120) is configured so that a group of end users may be created from the plurality of end users (1 10, 1 12 and 1 14). In this embodiment, a group of end users is denoted by the broken line (140) in Figure 1 , the group (140) including the end users (1 10 and 1 12) of the mid-management level, as defined above. The group (140) thus represents a group of end users having a shared end user attribute, in this case the shared attribute of both users (1 10 and 1 12) belonging to the mid-management level of the registered user or company (122). The registered user (122) is registered with the IM server (102), the IM server (102) being in operative communication with the enterprise server (120) via any suitable communications channel, such as the Internet (130). The IM server (102) is also in operative communication with the mobile devices (104, 106 and 108) via any suitable communications network, in this particular embodiment a mobile communications network (132).

In this embodiment, the IM server (102) is in operative communication with a mobile IM application (134) that is installed on each of the mobile devices (104, 106 and 108). The mobile IM application (134) is configured to restrict responses to messages received to a pre-defined response format that is associated with the message, as will be described in greater detail below. The pre-defined response format may be associated with the message through a selection by the registered user. Alternatively, the pre-defined response format may be a default format used by the IM server (102) and/or selected by the registered user at the time of creating a user profile or the like. The pre-defined response format may include two or more selectable options for responding to the message. For example, should the mobile IM application (134) of the mobile device (104) ask the end user (1 10) if he/she has read an updated company policy, the end user (1 10) is able to only reply in a pre-defined response format of answering either "yes" or "no". In another example, the mobile IM application (134) may ask the end user (1 10) to specify a preferred day of the week for holding a monthly meeting, and the end user (1 10) may only be able to reply with one of "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday" and "Friday". Any other suitable selectable options may, of course, be applied, depending on the message body and the interests of the registered user. In some embodiments, and as indicated in Figure 1 , the IM server (102) hosts a software application, the software application in this embodiment being a virtual machine (136) that is distributed to the mobile devices (104, 106 and 108) via download, either upon receiving a request for installing the virtual machine client (136) on the mobile devices (104, 106 and 108), or subsequent to querying a database containing information associated with each mobile device identifier and finding that the virtual machine (136) has not yet been installed on the mobile devices (104, 106 and 108). In this particular embodiment, the IM server (102) is configured to broadcast available updates of the mobile IM application (134) to the mobile devices, therefore requiring no action on the part of the end users (1 10, 1 12 and 1 14) to effect updates to the mobile IM application (134) or to the virtual machine (136).

Thus, in some embodiments, the virtual machine (136) is installed on the mobile devices, and the mobile IM application (134) is subsequently installed on the virtual machine (136) of each mobile device (104, 106 and 108). Furthermore, the virtual machine (136) that is installed on the mobile devices (104, 106 and 108) has a pre-defined server identity or address of the IM server (102) that is embedded in the virtual machine (136) to ensure that the mobile IM application (134) is capable of contacting only the particular IM server (102). Alternatively, a pre-defined server identity may be embedded in the mobile IM application. The mobile IM application (134) or virtual machine (136) and the IM server (102) may carry out identity verification steps such as a handshake and/or challenge to establish that they are communicating with the correct entity before exchanging message content. The broadcast messaging system (100) further includes a web server (138) that may be provided by the IM server (102), the web server (138) providing a graphical user interface whereby the registered user (122) can request the IM server (102) to transmit a message (142) to the group of end users (140), the IM server (102) being configured to transmit the message (142) to the group (140) and receive responses from the end users in the group (140) in the pre- defined response format, e.g. a response (146) from the end user (1 12) indicating which one of a number of selectable options the end user has selected. In use, the responses may be aggregated and a report (150) can be generated based on the responses, as will become more apparent from the description with reference to the exemplary steps of Figure 2 hereunder. The IM server (102) may further be configured to append a message attribute to the message (142). The message attribute may include characteristics such as details of the lifespan, accessibility and/or functionality of the message (142). The message attributes may include a limitation relating to the time for which the message (142) may be accessed by the mobile IM application (134), the number of times that the message (142) may be accessed, the ability of the mobile devices (104 and 106) to save the message (142), and the ability of the end users (1 10 and 1 12) to forward the message (142). Any other suitable message attribute may be appended to the message (142).

To this end, the mobile IM application (134) may include an enforcement module (not shown) for executing an enforcement policy dictated by IM server (102). The one or more message attributes may be specified by the registered user each time a message is sent, may be predefined by the registered user at an earlier stage, or may be default attributes used by the IM server (102). The enterprise server (120) of the registered user (122) and the IM server (102) are depicted separately in the embodiment of the system (100) of Figure 1 . However, it should be appreciated that the IM server (102) may be hosted at the premises of the registered user (122), or integrally with the enterprise server (120), resulting in their functionality being entwined and/or being logically homogenous. Such hosting of the IM server (102) at the enterprise server (120) may reduce a risk of the message (142) being compromised if transmitted via, for example, the Internet (130). In alternative embodiments, the functions of the IM server and enterprise server may thus be carried out by a single server or cluster of servers operating as a single logical unit.

The enterprise server (120) may have stored on it a group of end users grouped according to a shared attribute of the end users. For example, the shared attribute may be an employee number. The IM server (102) may be configured to receive the group of end users from the enterprise server (120) and to store the group of end users in a database. The information received by the IM server (102) typically includes a mobile device identifier for each of the end users in the group so that the IM server (102) can communicate with the relevant end users.

Turning now to Figure 2, an exemplary method (200) of broadcasting messages over the message broadcasting system (100) of Figure 1 is shown. Prior to the method being initiated, a list representing an existing relationship between the registered user (122) and end users (1 10, 1 12 and 1 16) is defined at a first step (202) by a mapping a plurality of MSISDN device identifiers of the mobile devices (104, 106 and 108) of the end users (1 10, 1 12 and 1 16) respectively, and the list is stored in the database (124) of the enterprise server (120) of the registered user (122).

At a next step (204), the registered user (122) creates a group (140) of intended recipients of a message (142) based on a shared attribute of the end users. In this example, the end users (1 10 and 1 12) share the attribute of being part of the mid-management level within the organization under the registered user or company (122), and end users (1 10 and 1 12) are selected to comprise the group (140). The end users (1 10 and 1 12) may, for example, share an identifier such as a management level number.

At a next step (208) subsequent to creating the group (140), the registered user (122) defines a message (142) intended to be transmitted to the group (140), for example a message to ask whether mid-management level end users (1 10 and 1 12) have read an updated company policy. In this example, the registered user (122) appends a message attribute to the message, the message attribute in this case causing the message (142) to automatically erase within one hour of receipt of the message (142) by any of the recipient end users (1 10 or 1 12).

The registered user (122) thus causes message content and optionally a message attribute to be transmitted to the IM server (102). In some embodiments, the registered user (122) also defines a pre-defined response format to which responses to the message are to be restricted, for example, only "yes" or "no".

Prior to transmitting the message (142), the registered user (122) registers with the IM server (102) at a step (206). Registration may, for example, involve creating a profile for the registered user (122) at the IM server (102) through a web interface of the web server (138). The mobile device identifiers of the end users may be transmitted to the IM server when the registered user creates a group, or when the registered user creates a single new profile for an end user, or at the time of generating a new message.

Now, at a next step (210), an instruction is received at the IM server (102) from the registered user (122) of the enterprise server (120) to transmit the message (142) to the group (140). Upon receipt of the instruction, the IM server (102) encrypts the message (142) at the application layer by way of a Web Services (WS) security protocol at a next step (212) and addresses the mobile devices (104 and 106) of the end users directly by way of their MSISDN numbers at the following step (214). The end users in the group may be addressed using any other suitable identifier. The IM server (102) may store the mobile device identifiers of the end users to which the message (142) is to be transmitted in a database so that, when receiving responses from the end users, the responses may be linked to the mobile device identifiers.

At this stage, the IM server (102) has thus received a plurality of mobile device identifiers, each associated with a mobile device of an end user that has an existing relationship with the end user, and has also received message content to transmit to the mobile devices, the message being associated with a pre-defined response format as described above.

At a next step (216), a database is queried to establish whether the virtual machine (136) is installed on them, and in response to the mobile devices (104 and 106) not having the virtual machine (136) installed, the devices in the group (140) download the virtual machine (136) from the IM Server (102) and install the virtual machine (136) at a step (218). In response to the devices having the virtual machine (136) installed, a database is queried to determine whether the mobile IM application (134) has been installed on them at a next step (220), and in the event that the mobile IM application (134) has not been installed, the devices download the mobile IM application (134) from the IM server (102) and install the mobile IM application (134) at a next step (222).

The database may be queried by looking up the mobile device identifier associated with a mobile device and checking whether a record indicates that the software application and/or mobile IM application has been installed on that mobile device. In certain cases, a database entry may indicate that a particular end user or mobile device has been registered for a broadcast messaging service. This may be taken as an indication that a required application has been installed or will be installed.

In some embodiments, in response to determining that the software application and/or mobile IM application is not installed on the mobile device, the IM server may cause the message to be transmitted to the mobile device as a Short Message Service (SMS) message instead of as an instant message. The SMS message may include a link or instructions enabling the software application and/or mobile IM application to be installed. Once the required application is installed and opened, the message may then be displayed and interaction may follow as will be described below.

Installation of the mobile IM application may be carried out in any suitable manner. For example, the process may include the application prompting the end user to enter their mobile device number and sending an authorization code to the device via an SMS message. The mobile device may then retrieve the authorization code from the SMS message in order to complete the installation of the mobile IM application. In some cases, SMS messages may be transmitted via an SMS provider integrated with the IM server. An exemplary SMS provider which enables bulk SMS messaging is Clickatelh®. Such providers may transmit SMS messages, for example, when it is determined that the mobile IM application is not yet installed on a mobile device, during the installation process as described above, or for any other purposes. An end user may, in some cases, link an account with an SMS provider and an account with the IM server such that the IM server is capable of causing an SMS to be sent to the end user via the SMS provider in cases where an instant message cannot be sent, or in other cases where it may be desirable.

Referring again to Figure 2, the message is received at the mobile devices (104 and 106) of the group (140) and the message is decrypted at the application layer at the next step (224). The enforcement module of the mobile IM application (134) enforces the enforcement policy, i.e. ensures that the message is only kept for the hour as defined by the message attribute, after which the message (142) is automatically deleted from the mobile devices (104 and 106) at a next step (226).

It should be appreciated that the message need not be sent to a group. In some embodiments, the registered user may, before sending a message, specify a plurality of end users who are to receive the message. These end users may not be in the same group or even placed in any group.

After the mobile device of each end user receives the message (142) originating from the registered user (122), the message is displayed using the mobile IM application (134) installed on the mobile device. The end user is permitted to provide a response to the message. This response is restricted to the pre-defined response format.

Should the end users (1 10 or 1 12 or both) respond to the message (142) prior to deletion thereof, the pre-defined responses allowed by the mobile IM application (134) are transmitted by the mobile devices and received at the IM server (102) at a next step (228) in the format that is allowed by the mobile IM application (134). In the current example, the response will be restricted to a simple "yes" or "no". It should be appreciated that the responses may be encrypted at the application layer by the mobile IM application (134) and decrypted by the IM server (102) in a similar fashion to which the message (142) was encrypted.

At a further step (230), the received responses are aggregated by the IM server (102) and a report is generated at a next step (232) and subsequently presented to the registered user (122) of the enterprise server (120) at a final step (234). For example, the IM server (102) may aggregate the responses by determining a total number of responses, and a total number of "yes" and "no" responses respectively. The report may then enable the registered user (122) to view the responses to the message (142). In some embodiments, the report may enable the registered user (122) to view the response of each individual end user. In some embodiments, the message broadcasting system provides some form of a graphical user interface for the registered user to communicate with the IM server. For example, the graphical user interface may be provided by a network interface or web interface that enables the registered user to communicate with the IM server and/or register a user profile on the IM server, to upload the mobile device identifiers, to create groups of end users, to instruct the IM server to transmit the message to the end users or to a group of end users, to receive the responses from the end users, and that enables the IM server to provide the report (or a number of different reports) to the registered user by presenting the report via the graphical user interface. Turning now to the embodiment of the message broadcasting system (300) shown in Figure 3, in this case the drawings illustrate how the mobile devices (302, 312 and 322) of end users (301 , 31 1 and 312) may be registered with the IM server (102) of Figure 1 . The system (300) includes a push notification server (310) configured to receive the message (142) from the enterprise server (120) of the registered user (122) and transmit registration requests (305, 315 and 325) to the mobile devices (302, 312 and 322) by sending push notifications (303, 313 and

323) to the mobile devices (302, 312 and 322) via remote cloud-based servers (304, 314 and

324) of service providers of the respective end users (301 , 31 1 and 321 ).

In this example, a first cloud-based provider (304) is Google®, and a second cloud-based provider (314) is Apple®. A first mobile device (302) is installed with an Android® operating system and a second mobile device (312) is installed with an IOS7® operating system. Confirmation of registration is sent to the IM server (102) and the end users are in this way registered with the IM server (102). By implementing push notification functionality, the system (300) enables messages to be transmitted without requiring that the mobile IM applications of end users are necessarily open and/or running.

To further describe the invention, and primarily for illustrative purposes, an exemplary graphical user interface (400) provided to a registered user is shown in Figure 4A, while an exemplary message (460) received at a mobile device (450) of an end user is shown in Figure 4B.

In this example, the graphical user interface (400) is a web interface which the registered user can access on an electronic communications device such as a personal computer or laptop. The registered user accesses a user profile and is capable of, among other features, creating groups, sending messages, configuring sender aliases, and requesting and viewing reports, as described above.

The graphical user interface (400) provides a "New Message" page, as shown in Figure 4A. The registered user inputs message content (410), selects a suitable pre-defined response format (420), and selects a previously created group (430) to which to send the message. After sending the message, the registered user can access an "Account Reports" page (440) to view reports relating to, for example, a number or proportion of end users in the group who do not have the mobile IM application, who received the message, who viewed the message, who read the message, who responded to the message, and the like. The registered user can also view reports or statistics relating to the selected responses of the group and/or individual end users, as described above. In the example shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the registered user creates message content ("Have you read the new Internet policy?") and selects a group of end users ("Support Staff") who may respond in the affirmative or negative. Each end user (if the mobile IM application is installed, as described above) receives the message (460) from the IM server. In this case, the message (460) is received as a push message so that the end user need not have the mobile IM application open and/or running to receive the message. The message content (410) is displayed to the end user on the display of the mobile device (450), along with selectable responses ("Yes" and "No") which correspond to the pre-defined response format (420) selected by the registered user. The end user can only respond in the pre-defined format. In this example, therefore, the end user can only respond to the question ("Have you read the new Internet policy?") with "Yes" or "No".

Once the end users have responded or after a certain time period, the registered user may view a report on the particular message. For example, a report may indicate that 40% of the end users in the group "Support Staff" have read the new Internet policy, while 60% have not.

In alternative embodiments, or in cases where the registered user elects not to provide the predefined response format, the IM server may be configured to use a default format or may be configured to broadcast the message without permitting feedback.

A system and method for broadcasting messages is therefore provided. The system and method described may provide a number of technical advantages. In some embodiments, the direct addressability features of SMS messaging is combined with the real-time benefit of instant messaging.

As there is an existing relationship between the registered user and end users, implementation of the invention may reduce the likelihood that end user information may be obtained by third parties for sending unsolicited messages. Also, instant messaging may be advantageous over SMS messaging in that actual delivery of a message to a recipient can be ascertained.

In some embodiments, the message displayed at the mobile device may include a message body and selectable responses, the selectable responses based on the pre-defined response format such that the response of an end user is restricted to the pre-defined response format associated with the message. The mobile IM application may be further configured to receive the pre-defined response format for the response along with the message content and display selectable options based on the pre-defined response format received. The end user is capable of easily replying or providing feedback to predefined prompts or questions. This enables a registered user of a messaging system to receive aggregated replies that are compiled into a useful report which the registered user can use to take actions or make decisions. The use of pre-defined response formats may enhance the usability and value of response data received by a registered user. The system and method can be used, for example, to get employee feedback on policy changes, wage negotiations or discussions, as well as to effectively and securely communicate with end users in pre-defined groups, and to track and control message delivery and redistribution. The system and method may provide enhanced security, particularly when compared to SMS messaging. For example, a predefined IM server identity may be embedded in a software application on the mobile device to ensure that only the IM server whose identity matches that of the embedded identity may be contacted by the mobile IM application. The above description is by way of example only and it should be appreciated that numerous changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the scope of the invention.

The registered user may be any suitable person or entity, for example, a corporate entity, marketing company, banking institution, educational institution, employer, public or private organization. The existing relationship between the registered user and the end user may, for example, be an employer-employee relationship, a merchant-customer relationship, a teacher- student relationship, or a hierarchical management relationship. The mobile device of the end user may be any suitable mobile communications device. In some embodiments, the mobile device has a processor and a computer-readable non-transitory medium coupled to the processor, the computer-readable medium comprising code executable by the processor. The code can be executable by the processor to perform one or more of the following steps: receiving a message originating from the registered user, the message being associated with a pre-defined response format, displaying the message by way of the mobile IM application installed on the mobile device, the end user being permitted to provide a response to the message, wherein the response is restricted to the pre-defined response format, receiving the response to the message, and transmitting the received response to the IM server, the IM server being configured to aggregate a plurality of responses, wherein each of the plurality of responses is received from a mobile device of an end user and restricted to the pre-defined response format. The mobile IM application may be automatically updated from the IM server or from any other suitable server. The IM server may host the mobile IM application and upon updating of the application, automatically broadcast the update to the mobile device of the end users without requiring any action on behalf of the end users.

The IM server may be hosted by the enterprise server of the registered user to reduce the risk of the confidentiality or integrity of the message being compromised between the IM server and the enterprise server. Thus, the IM server and the enterprise server may be homologous. It should also be appreciated that a group of end users may be viewed as a particular communications channel, such that addressing the group through the message amounts to addressing the particular communications channel. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the mobile IM application and the software application (for example, a virtual machine) may be homologous or that a single application may be configured to carry out their functions. One or both of the IM server and the enterprise server may be hosted at a remote computer or distributed computer network, for example a computing cloud. In some embodiments, one or both of the mobile IM application or the software application can be provided as a Software as a Service (SaaS) via the computing cloud. The end users may be addressed in any suitable way, such as by way of their shared attribute, for example, an employee number. In some cases, a mobile device may be addressed directly by way of the mobile device identifier.

Throughout the specification and claims unless the contents requires otherwise the word 'comprise' or variations such as 'comprises' or 'comprising' will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1 . A method of broadcasting messages, comprising the steps of:

storing the received mobile device identifiers;

aggregating the received responses.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the method is carried out at an instant messaging (IM) server and the received mobile device identifiers are stored on a database associated with the IM server.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, further including the steps of:

generating a report providing information relating to the aggregated responses; and providing the report to the registered user.

4. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further including the step of receiving an instruction from the registered user to create one or more groups from the plurality of mobile device identifiers, wherein the step of receiving the instruction to transmit the message includes receiving an instruction to transmit the message to a specific group, and wherein the step of transmitting the message includes transmitting the message to all of the mobile devices in the group.

5. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the step of receiving the instruction to transmit the message includes receiving message content and the pre-defined response format to which responses are to be restricted.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the mobile IM application is further configured to receive the pre-defined response format along with the message content and display selectable options based on the pre-defined response format received.

7. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pre-defined response format includes two or more selectable options for responding to the message.

8. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the step of transmitting the message to the mobile devices is preceded by the step of querying a database to determine whether or not the mobile IM application has been installed on each mobile device.

9. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further including the step of appending at least one message attribute to the message.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the message attribute includes one or more of: characteristics about the lifespan, accessibility and/or functionality of the message, a limitation relating to the time for which the message may be accessed by the mobile IM application, the number of times the message may be accessed, the ability to save the message, and/or the ability to forward the message.

1 1 . The method as claimed in claim 3 or in any one of claims 4 to 10 when dependent on claim 3, wherein the step of receiving the instruction to transmit the message to the mobile device includes receiving the instruction via a graphical user interface, and wherein the report is provided to the registered user by presenting the report via the graphical user interface.

12. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the message is transmitted as a push message to the mobile device of the end user.

13. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mobile device identifier is a Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network (MSISDN) number of the mobile device of the end user.

14. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein, in response to determining that the mobile IM application is not installed on a mobile device, enabling the installation of the mobile IM application on the mobile device.

15. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein, in response to determining that the mobile IM application is not installed on a mobile device, causing the message to be transmitted to the mobile device as a Short Message Service (SMS) message instead of as an instant message.

16. A message broadcasting system for sending messages from a registered user to end users having an existing relationship with the registered user, the system comprising a server configured to perform the steps of:

storing the received mobile device identifiers;

aggregating the received responses.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the server is an instant messaging (IM) server and the received mobile device identifiers are stored on a database associated with the IM server.

18. The system as claimed in claim 17, further comprising an enterprise server of the registered user, wherein the IM server is in operative communication with the enterprise server of the registered user, and wherein the registered user communicates with the IM server via the enterprise server.

19. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the enterprise server of the registered user has stored thereon a group of end users grouped according to a shared attribute of the end users.

20. The system as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein the IM server is further configured to perform the steps of:

21 . The system as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein the IM server is further configured to perform the step of: receiving an instruction from the registered user to create one or more groups from the plurality of mobile device identifiers, wherein the step of receiving the instruction to transmit the message includes receiving an instruction to transmit the message to a specific group, and wherein the step of transmitting the message includes transmitting the message to all of the mobile devices in the group.

22. The system as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 21 , wherein the step of receiving the instruction to transmit the message includes receiving message content and the pre-defined response format to which responses are to be restricted.

23. The system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the mobile IM application is further configured to receive the pre-defined response format along with the message content and display selectable options based on the pre-defined response format received.

24. The system as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 23, wherein the pre-defined response format includes two or more selectable options for responding to the message.

25. The system as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 24, wherein the step of transmitting the message to the mobile devices is preceded by the step of querying a database to determine whether or not the mobile IM application has been installed on each mobile device.

26. The system as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 25, wherein the IM server is further configured to perform the step of appending at least one message attribute to the message.

27. The system as claimed in claim 26, wherein the message attribute includes one or more of characteristics about the lifespan, accessibility and/or functionality of the message, a limitation relating to the time for which the message may be accessed by the mobile IM application, the number of times the message may be accessed, the ability to save the message, and/or the ability to forward the message.

28. The system as claimed in claim 20 or in any one of claims 21 to 27 when dependent on claim 20, wherein the system further comprises a graphical user interface that enables the registered user to communicate with the IM server, wherein the step of receiving the instruction to transmit the message to the mobile device includes receiving the instruction via the graphical user interface, and wherein the report is provided to the registered user by presenting the report via the graphical user interface.

29. The system as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 28, wherein the message is transmitted as a push message to the mobile device of the end user.

30. The system as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 29, wherein the mobile device identifier is a Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network (MSISDN) number of the mobile device of the end user.

31 . The system as claimed in claim 25, wherein, in response to determining that the mobile IM application is not installed on a mobile device, enabling the installation of the mobile IM application on the mobile device.

32. The system as claimed in claim 25, wherein, in response to determining that the mobile IM application is not installed on a mobile device, causing the message to be transmitted to the mobile device as a Short Message Service (SMS) message instead of as an instant message.

33. A method carried out at a mobile device of an end user having an existing relationship with a registered user, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the response to the message; and

34. The method as claimed in claim 33, wherein the step of receiving the message includes receiving, from the IM server, message content and the pre-defined response format to which responses are to be restricted.

35. The method as claimed in claim 34, wherein the mobile IM application is further configured to receive the pre-defined response format along with the message content and display selectable options based on the pre-defined response format received.

36. The method as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 35, wherein the pre-defined response format includes two or more selectable options for responding to the message, and wherein the step of receiving the response to the message includes receiving a selection of one of the options.

37. The method as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 36, wherein at least one message attribute is appended to the message.

38. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein the message attribute includes one or more of characteristics about the lifespan, accessibility and/or functionality of the message, a limitation relating to the time for which the message may be accessed by the mobile IM application, the number of times the message may be accessed, the ability to save the message, and/or the ability to forward the message.

39. The method as claimed in claim 37 or 38, wherein the mobile IM application includes an enforcement module for enforcing an attribute enforcement policy, and wherein the method includes receiving, from the IM server, the attribute enforcement policy.

40. The method as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 39, wherein the message is received as a push message.

41 . A mobile device having a processor and a computer-readable non-transitory medium coupled to the processor, the computer-readable medium comprising code executable by the processor for implementing a method comprising:

receiving, from an Instant Messaging (IM) server, a message originating from a registered user, the message being associated with a pre-defined response format;

receiving the response to the message; and