Method and mobile communications system for controlling a short message service

• US 20010003094A1
• Filed: 12/04/2000
• Published: 06/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Foll, Uwe
• Granted Patent: US 6,850,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

On the basis of the fact that short messages are sent by a communication terminal of a mobile subscriber into a mobile radio network and are routed to a switching facility responsible for the mobile subscriber, the short message together with an address which identifies a service facility responsible for dealing with the short message service for the mobile subscriber is received by the switching facility. The short messages are routed for temporary storage in the service facility and for transmission to a communication terminal of another subscriber if the received address is contained in an address table of the switching facility.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a short message service in a mobile communications system, which comprises the steps of:

sending a short message into a mobile radio network using a first communication terminal of a first mobile subscriber;

routing the short message to a switching facility responsible for the first mobile subscriber, an address identifying a service facility responsible for dealing with a short message service for the first mobile subscriber is received together with the short message in the switching facility; and

routing the short message to the service facility for temporary storage and for transmission to a second communication terminal of a second mobile subscriber if the address received is contained in an address table of the switching facility.

2. The method according to

claim 1

, which comprises entering into the address table all addresses of all service facilities provided for dealing with the short message service.

3. The method according to

claim 2

, which comprises entering the addresses of the service facilities into the address table in a subscriber-related manner.

4. The method according to

claim 3

, which comprises individually administrating the addresses of the service facilities for mobile subscribers in each case in a central subscriber database of a home mobile radio network and, in a case of a change of location of one of the mobile subscribers, the addresses are loaded into a decentralized subscriber database associated with the switching facility which is currently responsible.

5. The method according to

claim 4

, which comprises individually entering the addresses of the service facilities in the central subscriber database for the mobile subscribers which are internal network service facilities of the home mobile radio network.

6. The method according to

claim 2

, wherein the addresses entered into the address table also contain addresses of the service facilities which are disposed outside a home mobile radio network.

7. The method according to

claim 6

, wherein at least one of the addresses identifies a service facility disposed in a visited mobile radio network.

8. The method according to

claim 2

, which comprises comparing the address received with the addresses entered in the address table with respect to address identity in the switching facility before routing the short message.

9. The method according to

claim 1

, which comprises generating an information item on the non-deliverability of the short message in the switching facility and sending the information item to the first communication terminal of the first mobile subscriber if the address received is not entered in the address table.

10. The method according to

claim 1

, which comprises routing the short message to a second communication terminal of second mobile subscriber.

11. The method according to

claim 1

, which comprises routing the short message to a communication terminal of a line-connected subscriber.

12. A mobile communications system for controlling a short message service, comprising:

a first communication terminal of a first mobile subscriber for sending a short message to a mobile radio network; and

a switching facility responsible for the mobile subscriber and having an address table, said switching facility receiving the short message from the first communication terminal and an address identifying a service facility responsible for dealing with a short message service for the mobile subscriber, said switching facility having a control unit for routing the short message to the service facility for temporary storage and for transmitting the short message to a second communication terminal of a second subscriber if the address received is contained in said address table of said switching facility.