Apparatus and method for routing multimedia messages between a user agent and multiple multimedia message service centers

• US 20050141522A1
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mavenir Systems Incorporated (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Airwide Solutions Inc.
• Inventors: Featherstone, David, Wang, Jiwei, Kadar, Vincent, Kim, Ken
• Granted Patent: US 7,649,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/396
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/088 among core entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for routing a multimedia message sent by a user agent to one of a plurality of multimedia message service centers, the user agent applying a pre-determined determined destination address to the multimedia message. The multimedia message is received at the pre-determined destination address, a target multimedia message service center is selected and the multimedia message is forwarded to the target multimedia message service center. Routing is based on address information contained in the multimedia message, session identification information associated with the multimedia message, load-balancing and fault-tolerance information associated with each one of the plurality of multimedia message service centers, service identifying information contained in the multimedia message and combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A router, comprising:

(a) a first server interface for receiving a multimedia message, sent from a user agent, based on a pre-determined destination address;

(b) a message routing mechanism for;

(i) selecting a target multimedia message service center, having an address, from a plurality of multimedia message service centers; and

(ii) applying the address to the multimedia message received by the first server interface; and

(c) a first client interface for forwarding the multimedia message to the applied address.

2. The router of claim 1, wherein the message routing mechanism selects the target multimedia message service center based on address information contained in the multimedia message.

3. The router of claim 2, wherein the address information is selected from the set including a MSISDN address, a RFC2922 address, a PLMN address, a shortcode, an address type and an address domain.

4. The router of claim 2, wherein the address information is an alias, that can be translated to a regular form of address, selected from the set including a portable number and an application name.

5. The router of claim 1, wherein the message routing mechanism selects the target multimedia message service center based on session identification information associated with the multimedia message.

6. The router of claim 5, wherein the session identification information is a unique discriminator, for identifying one of the plurality of multimedia message service centers, incorporated in a component of the multimedia message and selected from the set including a transaction identifier, a message identifier and combinations thereof.

7. The router of claim 1, wherein the message routing mechanism selects the target multimedia message service center based on load-balancing and fault-tolerance information associated with each one of said plurality of multimedia message service centers.

8. The router of claim 7, wherein the load-balancing and fault-tolerance information is generated by algorithms selected from the set including round robin, lowest processor occupancy, least recently served, active-standby pairing, load-share pairing, N+1 spared and combinations thereof.

9. The router of claim 1, wherein the message routing mechanism selects the target multimedia message service center based on service identifying information contained in the multimedia message.

10. The router of claim 1, wherein the message routing mechanism selects the target multimedia message service center using a basis selected from the set including address information contained in the multimedia message, session identification information associated with the multimedia message, load-balancing and fault-tolerance information associated with each one of the plurality of multimedia message service centers, service identifying information contained in the multimedia message and combinations thereof.

11. The router of claim 10, wherein the address information is selected from the set including a MSISDN address, a RFC2822 address, a PLMN address, a shortcode, an address type and an address domain.

12. The router of claim 10, wherein the address information is an alias, that can be translated to a regular form of address, selected from the set including a portable number and an application name.

13. The router of claim 10, wherein the session identification information is a unique discriminator, for identifying one of the plurality of multimedia message service centers, incorporated in a component of the multimedia message and selected from the sct including a transaction identifier, a message identifier and combinations thereof.

14. The router of claim 10, wherein the load-balancing and fault-tolerance information is generated by algorithms selected from the set including round robin, lowest processor occupancy, least recently served, active-standby pairing, load-share pairing, N+1 spared and combinations thereof.

15. The router of claim 1, further comprising:

(d) a second server interface for;

(i) receiving a preceding multimedia messages sent from an originating multimedia message service center from the plurality of multimedia message service centers to the user agent; and

(ii) providing to the message routing mechanism session identification information associated with the preceding multimedia message; and

(e) a second client interface for forwarding the preceding multimedia message to the user agent.

16. The router of claim 15, wherein the message routing mechanism selects the target multimedia message service center based on the session identification information.

17. The router of claim 15, wherein the message routing mechanism selects the target multimedia message service center using a basis selected from the set including address information contained in the multimedia message, the session identification information, load-balancing and fault-tolerance information associated with each one of the plurality of multimedia message service centers, service identifying information contained in the multimedia message and combinations thereof.

18. A method for routing a multimedia message sent by a user agent to one of a plurality of multimedia message service centers, the user agent applying a predetermined destination address to the multimedia message, comprising the steps of:

a) receiving the multimedia message, at the pre-determined destination address;

b) selecting a target multimedia message service center from the plurality of multimedia message service centers;

c) applying an address of the target multimedia message service center to the received multimedia message; and

d) forwarding the received multimedia message responsive to the applied address of the target multimedia message service center.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein selecting the target multimedia message service center uses a basis selected from the set including address information contained in the multimedia message, session identification information associated with the multimedia message, load-balancing and fault-tolerance information associated with each one of the plurality of multimedia message service centers, service identifying information contained in the multimedia message and combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the multimedia message is sent in response to a preceding multimedia message sent from an originating multimedia message service center from the plurality of multimedia message service centers to the user agent, further comprising the steps of:

e) receiving the preceding multimedia messages sent by originating multimedia message service center;

f) making available session identification information associated with the preceding multimedia message; and

g) forwarding the preceding multimedia message to said user agent;

wherein the step of selecting the target multimedia message service center includes selection based on the session identification information.

21. A computer program product for routing a multimedia message sent by a user agent to one of a plurality of multimedia message service centers, the user agent applying a pre-determined destination address to the multimedia message, the computer program product comprising:

computer readable program code devices for;

a) receiving the multimedia message, at the pre-determined destination address,;

b) selecting a target multimedia message service center from the plurality of multimedia message service centers;

c) applying an address of the target multimedia message service center to the received multimedia message; and

d) forwarding the received multimedia message responsive to the applied address of the target multimedia message service center.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein selecting the target multimedia message service center is based on address information contained in the multimedia message.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the address information is selected from the set including a MSISDN address, a RFC2822 address, a PLMN address, a shortcode, an address type and an address domain.

24. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the address information is an alias, that can be translated to a regular form of address, selected from the set including a portable number and an application name.

25. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein selecting the target multimedia message service center is based on session identification information associated with the multimedia message.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the session identification information is a unique discriminator, for identifying one of the plurality of multimedia message service centers, incorporated in a component of the multimedia message and selected from the set including a transaction identifier, a message identifier and combinations thereof.

27. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein selecting the target multimedia message service center is based on load-balancing and fault-tolerance information associated with each one of said plurality of multimedia message service centers.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the load-balancing and fault-tolerance information is generated by algorithms selected from the set including round robin, lowest processor occupancy, least recently served, active-standby pairing, load-share pairing, N+1 spared and combinations thereof.

29. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein selecting the target multimedia message service center is based on service identifying information contained in the multimedia message.

30. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein selecting the target multimedia message service center uses a basis selected from the set including address information contained in the multimedia message, session identification information associated with the multimedia message, load-balancing and fault-tolerance information associated with each one of the plurality of multimedia message service centers, service identifying information contained in the multimedia message and combinations thereof.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the address information is selected from the set including a MSISDN address, a RFC2822 address, a PLMN address, a shortcode, an address type and an address domain.

32. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the address information is an alias, that can be translated to a regular form of address, selected from the set including a portable number and an application name.

33. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the session identification information is a unique discriminator, for identifying one of the plurality of multimedia message service centers, incorporated in a component of the multimedia message and selected from the set including a transaction identifier, a message identifier and combinations thereof.

34. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the load-balancing and fault-tolerance information is generated by algorithms selected from the set including round robin, lowest processor occupancy, least recently served, active-standby pairing, load-share pairing, N+1 spared and combinations thereof.

35. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the multimedia message is sent in response to a preceding multimedia message sent from an originating multimedia message service center from the plurality of multimedia message service centers to the user agent, the computer program product further comprising:

computer readable program code devices for;

e) receiving the preceding multimedia messages sent by originating multimedia message service center;

f) making available session identification information associated with the preceding multimedia message; and

g) forwarding the preceding multimedia message to said user agent.

36. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein selecting the target multimedia message service center is based on the session identification information.

37. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein selecting the target multimedia message service center uses a basis selected from the set including address information contained in the multimedia message, the session identification information, load-balancing and fault-tolerance information associated with each one of the plurality of multimedia message service centers, service identifying information contained in the multimedia message and combinations thereof.