# US 9,961,520 B2 · Method of sending messages to devices not configured to receive them > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,961,520 B2 - Document ID: US9961520B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/692,044 - Filed: 2017-08-31 - Published: 2017-12-21 - Granted: 2018-05-01 - Earliest claimed: 2014-03-20 - Assignees: TigerText, Inc. - Applicants: TigerText, Inc. - Inventors: Brad Brooks; Sumeet Bhatia; Sean Whiteley - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9961520B2 ## CPC - H04W 4/14: Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD] - H04L 51/04: Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] - H04L 51/224: providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages - H04M 1/7243: with interactive means for internal management of messages - H04W 12/06: Authentication - H04L 63/08: {for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32)} - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract A system having a server for receiving a message from a sending device executing a messaging application and for sending a message notification alert to a recipient, the server having a processor and memory, the memory having computer executable code, comprising receiving the message from the sending device executing the messaging application, the message containing recipient address information provided by the sending device, determining, based on recipient address information, that the recipient is not associated with a recipient device having the messaging application, and transmitting the message notification alert to the recipient via an alternate communications method, the message notification alert comprising a link to view the message. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system capable of receiving a message from a sending device executing a messaging application and capable of sending a message notification alert to a recipient, comprising: a message server comprising a processor and memory that stores computer executable code instructing the processor to perform steps comprising: a. receiving the message from the sending device executing the messaging application, the message containing recipient address information provided by the sending device; b. determining, based on recipient address information, whether the recipient is associated with a recipient device having the messaging application; c. if the recipient is associated with a recipient device having the messaging application, then transmitting the message to be received via the messaging application; and d. if the recipient is not associated with a recipient device having the messaging application, transmitting the message notification alert to the recipient via an alternate communications method other than via the messaging application, wherein the message notification alert is generated using a template, and the message notification alert comprises a link to view the message. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the message notification alert further comprises a field of information relating to the message. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the field comprises information relating to ephemeral limitations on reading the message. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the field comprises one or more of a sender indicator and a recipient indicator. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the alternate communications method is an SMS messaging method. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the alternate communications method is an email messaging method. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the link is to a web based interface supplied by the message server. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the message can be viewed by the recipient via only the web based interface, the messaging application, or both the web based interface and the messaging application. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the web based interface allows the recipient to communicate in real-time with the sending device via the message server. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein a conversation comprises a plurality of messages from the sending device or from the recipient in a single view. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the sending device may send a second message in a conversation and wherein a second message notification alert, relating to the second message, is sent via the alternate communications method. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the web based interface ends access to the message by the recipient after a specified number of views of the message via the web interface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, further comprising receiving an authentication requirement, and restricting access by the recipient to the message until the authentication requirement is met by the recipient. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the web based interface further comprises an invitation to the recipient to download the messaging application. ### Claim 15 A system capable of receiving a message from a sending device executing a messaging application and capable of sending a message notification alert to a recipient, comprising: a message server comprising a processor and memory that stores computer executable code instructing the processor to perform steps comprising: a. receiving the message from the sending device executing the messaging application, the message containing recipient address information provided by the sending device; b. determining, based on recipient address information, whether the recipient is associated with a recipient device having the messaging application; c. if the recipient is associated with a recipient device having the messaging application, then transmitting the message to be received via the messaging application; and d. if the recipient is not associated with a recipient device having the messaging application, transmitting the message notification alert to the recipient via an alternate communications method other than via the messaging application, wherein the message notification alert is generated using a template, and the message notification alert comprises a link to view the message, wherein the link is to a web based interface supplied by the message server allowing the sending device and recipient to participate in a real-time conversation and wherein the conversation comprises a plurality of messages from the sending device or from the recipient in a single view. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the web based interface ends access to the message by the recipient after a specified number of views of the message via the web interface. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, further comprising receiving an authentication requirement, and restricting access by the recipient to the message until the authentication requirement is met by the recipient. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the web based interface further comprises an invitation to the recipient to download the messaging application. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the message notification alert further comprises a field of information relating to the message. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the field comprises information relating to ephemeral limitations on reading the message. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the field comprises one or more of a sender indicator and a recipient indicator. ### Claim 22 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the sending device sends a second message in the conversation and wherein a second message notification alert, relating to the second message, is sent via the alternate communications method. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the alternate communications method is an SMS messaging method. ### Claim 24 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the alternate communications method is an email messaging method.