Reporting terminal capabilities for supporting short message service

• US 20050282565A1
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaheen, Kamel M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,715,856 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2592 using tunnelling or encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method for delivering a short message service (SMS) message to an interworking wireless local area network user equipment (UE) begins by registering the UE with an Internet Protocol short message gateway (IP-SM-GW). A capability report is sent from the UE to the IP-SM-GW, the capability report including the capabilities of the UE. A SMS message is transmitted from a short message service center (SMSC) to the IP-SM-GW. The capabilities of the UE are evaluated at the IP-SM-GW to determine whether the UE can receive the SMS message, and the SMS message is delivered to the UE via the IP-SM-GW if the UE has the capabilities to receive the SMS message.

Claims

1. A method for delivering a short message service (SMS) message to an interworking wireless local area network user equipment (UE), comprising the steps of:

registering the UE with an Internet Protocol short message gateway (IP-SM-GW);

sending a capability report from the UE to the IP-SM-GW;

transmitting a SMS message from a short message service center (SMSC) to the IP-SM-GW;

evaluating the capabilities of the UE at the IP-SM-GW to determine whether the UE can receive the SMS message; and

delivering the SMS message to the UE via the IP-SM-GW if the UE has the capabilities to receive the SMS message.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the registering step includes the steps of:

registering the association of the UE'"'"'s mobile station number and its IP address; and

authenticating SMS service support at the UE.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the capability report includes the capabilities of the UE.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the capabilities are selected from the group consisting of:

memory size, terminal type, screen size, and session initiation protocol support.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting step includes the steps of:

forwarding the SMS message from the SMSC to a gateway mobile switching center (GMSC);

retrieving routing information for the UE from a home location register by the GMSC; and

forwarding the SMS message from the GMSC to the IP-SM-GW.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the delivering step includes the IP-SM-GW retrieving the UE'"'"'s IP address from a database.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the delivering step includes the steps of:

sending a SMS notification request from the IP-SM-GW to the UE;

sending a notification acknowledgement from the UE to the IP-SM-GW; and

delivering the SMS message from the IP-SM-GW to the UE.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

establishing an IP tunnel between the UE and a packet data gateway, whereby communication between the UE and the IP-SM-GW occurs through the tunnel.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

sending a delivery report from the IP-SM-GW to the SMSC.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the delivery report indicates whether the SMS message was delivered to the UE.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein if the delivery report indicates that the SMS message was not delivered to the UE, then the delivery report also indicates a reason for delivery failure.

12. A method for sending a short message service (SMS) message from an interworking wireless local area network user equipment (UE), comprising the steps of:

registering the UE with an Internet Protocol short message gateway (IP-SM-GW);

sending a capability report from the UE to the IP-SM-GW, whereby the IP-SM-GW acts as a proxy for the UE;

transmitting a SMS message from the UE to the IP-SM-GW; and

sending the SMS message to a short message service center (SMSC) via the IP-SM-GW.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the registering step includes the steps of:

registering the association of the UE'"'"'s mobile station number and its IP address; and

authenticating SMS service support at the UE.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the capability report includes the capabilities of the UE.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the capabilities are selected from the group consisting of:

memory size, terminal type, screen size, and session initiation protocol support.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the sending step includes the steps of:

sending the SMS message from the IP-SM-GW to a SMS interworking mobile switching center (SMS-IWMSC); and

sending the SMS message from the SMS-IWMSC to the SMSC.

17. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of:

establishing an IP tunnel between the UE and a packet data gateway, whereby communication between the UE and the IP-SM-GW occurs through the tunnel.

18. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of:

sending a delivery report from the SMSC to the UE.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the delivery report indicates whether the SMS message was delivered to the SMSC.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein if the delivery report indicates that the SMS message was not delivered to the SMSC, then the delivery report also indicates a reason for delivery failure.

21. A system for delivering a short message service (SMS) message to an interworking wireless local area network user equipment (UE), comprising:

a short message service center (SMSC), said SMSC transmitting a SMS message for delivery to the UE;

an Internet Protocol short message gateway (IP-SM-GW), the UE registering with said IP-SM-GW, said IP-SM-GW receiving the SMS message transmitted by said SMSC for delivery to the UE; and

a capability report, sent from the UE to said IP-SM-GW, said IP-SM-GW evaluating said capability report and delivering the SMS message to the UE if the UE has the capabilities to receive the SMS message.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein said capability report includes the capabilities of the UE.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein the capabilities are selected from the group consisting of:

memory size, terminal type, screen size, and session initiation protocol support.

24. The system according to claim 21, further comprising:

a home location register (HLR), said HLR containing routing information for the UE; and

a gateway mobile switching center (GMSC), said SMSC forwarding the SMS message to said GMSC, said GMSC retrieving the routing information for the UE from said HLR, said GMSC forwarding the SMS message to said IP-SM-GW.

25. The system according to claim 21, further comprising:

a packet data gateway (PDG); and

an Internet Protocol tunnel established between the UE and said PDG, whereby communication between the UE and said IP-SM-GW occurs through said tunnel.

26. The system according to claim 21, further comprising:

a delivery report sent from said IP-SM-GW to said SMSC, said delivery report indicating whether the SMS message was delivered to the UE.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein if said delivery report indicates that the SMS message was not delivered to the UE, then said delivery report also indicates a reason for delivery failure.

28. A system for sending a short message service (SMS) message from an interworking wireless local area network user equipment (UE), comprising:

an Internet Protocol short message gateway (IP-SM-GW), the UE registering with said IP-SM-GW;

a capability report, sent from the UE to said IP-SM-GW, said IP-SM-GW acting as a proxy for the UE, said IP-SM-GW receiving a SMS message sent by the UE; and

a short message service center (SMSC), said IP-SM-GW sending the SMS message to said SMSC.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein said capability report includes the capabilities of the UE.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein the capabilities are selected from the group consisting of:

memory size, terminal type, screen size, and session initiation protocol support.

31. The system according to claim 28, further comprising:

a SMS interworking mobile switching center (SMS-IWMSC), the SMS message being sent from said IP-SM-GW to said SMS-IWMSC and then to said SMSC.

32. The system according to claim 28, further comprising:

a packet data gateway (PDG); and

an Internet Protocol tunnel established between the UE and said PDG, whereby communication between the UE and said IP-SM-GW occurs through said tunnel.

33. The system according to claim 28, further comprising:

a delivery report sent from said SMSC to the UE, said delivery report indicating whether the SMS message was delivered to said SMSC.

34. The system according to claim 33, wherein if said delivery report indicates that the SMS message was not delivered to said SMSC, then said delivery report also indicates a reason for delivery failure.