Method and apparatus for blocking ID information associated with a sender of a short messaging service (SMS) message

• US 20060281447A1
• Filed: 06/08/2005
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cingular Wireless LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lewis, John, McNamara, Justin M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,546,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6009 Personal information, e.g. profiles or personal directories being only provided to authorised persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier

Abstract

A component of the wireless network detects when a party who is sending an electronic message desires to have the sender'"'"'s ID information blocked. If a determination is made that the sender'"'"'s ID information is to be blocked, the network component removes the ID information from the communication and transmits the message to the intended recipient without the sender'"'"'s ID information being included in the transmission.

Claims

1. An apparatus for blocking identification (ID) information associated with a wireless device of a sender of an electronic message, the message at least including ID information associated with the sender'"'"'s wireless device, ID information associated with a wireless device of an intended recipient of the electronic message, and message contents, the apparatus comprising:

detection logic that detects if the electronic message also includes an indicator that indicates that the ID information associated with the wireless device of the sender of the message is to be blocked; and

message creation logic that creates a new message that includes a blocking reference, the ID information associated with the intended recipient'"'"'s wireless device, and the message contents.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic message is s Short Messaging Service (SMS) message.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic message is a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message sent using a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic message is sent using a video sharing service.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic message is sent using an instant messaging service.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic message is sent using an interactive messaging service.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic message is a paging message sent via Interactive Messaging.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic message is sent using a multimedia messaging service (MMS).

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic message is an electronic mail (email) message sent over a network using Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the detection logic and message creation logic are implemented in an External Short Message Entity (ESME) of a Short Messaging Service (SMS) network.

11. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the detection logic and message creation logic are implemented in a Short Messaging Service Centre (SMSC) of an SMS network.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detection logic and message creation logic are implemented in an Open Messaging Gateway (OMG) of an SMS network.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ID information associated with the sender'"'"'s wireless device is a mobile station integrated services digital network (MSISDN/MIN) number assigned to the sender'"'"'s wireless device.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ID information associated with the recipient'"'"'s wireless device is a mobile station integrated services digital network (MSISDN/MIN) number assigned to the intended recipient'"'"'s wireless device.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the new message includes an identifier selected by the sender to identify the sender to the recipient.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the new message includes an identifier preselected by a carrier to uniquely identify the carrier in order to provide intercarrier identification blocking that will properly route replies from the intended recipient back to an appropriate carrier network.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message creation logic includes logic that creates a link between the blocking reference and the ID information associated with the sender'"'"'s wireless device and stores the link in memory.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving logic that receives an electronic message sent by the intended recipient to the sender in response to the recipient'"'"'s wireless device receiving the new message created by the message creation logic, the message sent by the intended recipient to the sender at least including the blocking reference, the ID information associated with the intended recipient'"'"'s wireless device, and message contents; and

retrieval logic that uses the blocking reference and the ID information associated with the intended recipient'"'"'s wireless device to retrieve the link between the blocking reference and the ID information associated with the sender'"'"'s wireless device from the memory in which the link is stored, and wherein the message creation logic creates a new message to be sent to the sender'"'"'s wireless device, the new message to be sent to the sender'"'"'s wireless device at least including the ID information associated with the wireless device of the sender and the message contents included in the message sent by the intended recipient to the sender.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the new message to be sent to the sender'"'"'s wireless device also includes the ID information associated with the wireless device of said intended recipient.

20. A method for blocking identification (ID) information associated with a wireless device of a sender of an electronic message, the message at least including ID information associated with the sender'"'"'s wireless device, ID information associated with a wireless device of an intended recipient of the message, and message contents, the method comprising:

detecting if the message also includes an indicator that indicates that the ID information associated with the wireless device of the sender of the message is to be blocked; and

creating a new message that includes a blocking reference, the ID information associated with the intended recipient'"'"'s wireless device, and the message contents.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the message is a Short Messaging Service (SMS) message, and wherein the method is performed by an External Short Message Entity (ESME) of an SMS network.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the method is performed by a Short Messaging Service Centre (SMSC) of an SMS network.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the message is a Short Messaging Service (SMS) message, and wherein the method is performed by an Open Messaging Gateway (OMG) of an SMS network.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the message is a Short Messaging Service (SMS) message, and wherein the method is performed by a signal transfer point gateway of an SMS network.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the message is a Short Messaging Service (SMS) message, and wherein the method is performed by a signal transfer point gateway of an SMS network.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the message is a Short Messaging Service (SMS) message, and wherein the method is performed by an Internet transfer point (ITP) gateway.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the ID information associated with the sender'"'"'s wireless device is a mobile station integrated services digital network (MSISDN/MIN) number assigned to the sender'"'"'s wireless device.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the ID information associated with the recipient'"'"'s wireless device is a mobile station integrated services digital network (MSISDN/MIN) number assigned to the intended recipient'"'"'s wireless device.

29. The method of claim 20, wherein the electronic message is a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message sent using a Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) service.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein the electronic message sent using an instant messaging (IM) message service.

31. The method of claim 20, wherein the electronic message is a paging message sent using an Interactive Messaging (IM) service.

32. The method of claim 20, wherein the electronic message is sent using a multimedia messaging service (MMS) service.

33. The method of claim 20, wherein the electronic message is an electronic mail (email) message sent over a network using Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

34. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving an electronic message sent by the intended recipient to the sender in response to the recipient'"'"'s wireless device receiving said new message, the message sent by the intended recipient to the sender at least including the blocking reference, the ID information associated with the intended recipient'"'"'s wireless device, and message contents; and

creating a new message to be sent to the sender'"'"'s wireless device that at least includes the ID information associated with the wireless device of the sender and the message contents included in the SMS message sent by the intended recipient to the sender.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the new message to be sent to the sender'"'"'s wireless device also includes the ID information associated with the wireless device of said intended recipient.

36. A computer program for blocking identification (ID) information associated with a wireless device of a sender of an electronic message, the message at least including ID information associated with the sender'"'"'s wireless device, ID information associated with a wireless device of an intended recipient of the SMS message, and message contents, the computer program being embodied on a computer-readable medium, the program comprising:

a first code segment for detecting if the message also includes an indicator that indicates that the ID information associated with the wireless device of the sender of the message is to be blocked; and

a second code segment for creating a new message that includes a blocking reference, the ID information associated with the intended recipient'"'"'s wireless device, and the message contents.