US Patent 11178539 Telephone number assignment for text message communications

Text message communications between operator devices and service devices are enabled by the assignment of a telephone number defined for those service devices. A text message communication may be initiated by an operator device accessing a web service associated with a software platform or by the software platform itself. One of the service devices for which the telephone number is defined for use is selected, for example, based on information received as input from the operator device. The telephone number is assigned to that service device to enable the service device to participate in the text message communication with the operator device. At the conclusion of the text message communication, the telephone number is released from the service device to enable one of the other service devices to use it, for example, to continue the same text message communication or to participate in a different text message communication.