Patent ID: 7142644

Claim:
A method in a system for sending a notification message for a user identified based on a destination telephone number in a first telephone number format, the method including: in a communications system: (1) obtaining for the notification message a destination telephone number in a second telephone number format; (2) converting the destination telephone number in the second telephone number format to the destination telephone number in the first telephone number format based on execution of a mapping rule selected based on a match between the mapping rule and at least a portion of the destination telephone number in the second telephone number format, the converting including matching the mapping rule and the at least a portion of the destination telephone number in the second telephone number format based on a prescribed pattern within the destination telephone number in the second telephone number format; and (3) outputting the notification message having the destination telephone number having the first telephone number format; in a messaging server: (1) receiving the notification message; (2) identifying the user based on the destination telephone number in the first telephone number format; and (3) sending the notification message to a destination device of the user based on the destination telephone number in the first telephone number format.