TCP over SMS

• US 20080146257A1
• Filed: 12/14/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sybase Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: iAnywhere Solutions Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Clegg, David L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,099,115 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2212/00 Encapsulation of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• 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 80/06 Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product for forming and transmitting a TCP/SMS message are presented. Steps for forming a TCP message, encoding the TCP message, and wrapping the TCP message in an SMS message are disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for wrapping a TCP message in an SMS message, the method comprising:

forming the TCP message;

encoding the TCP message in an SMS message encoding format;

forming the SMS message; and

sending the SMS message over an SMS messaging network;

wherein the SMS message comprises a header denoting the SMS message as a TCP/SMS message and the encoded TCP message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of encoding the TCP message comprises:

determining padding, if any, resulting from the encoding.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the SMS message further comprises a value indicating the padding.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second SMS message over the SMS messaging network;

reading the header of the second SMS message to identify the second SMS message as a TCP/SMS message;

decoding the second TCP message in the second SMS message; and

reading data contained in the second TCP message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of encoding the TCP message comprises:

encoding the TCP message using base 64 encoding.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming the TCP message comprises:

determining the sequence number of the TCP message;

wherein the sequence number is the next consecutive number following the sequence number of an immediately prior TCP message or, if there is no prior TCP message, generating the sequence number.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the sequence number is generated using a system clock.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the second SMS message further comprises an SMS destination port, further comprising:

processing the data contained in the second TCP message in a service associated with the SMS destination port.

9. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor to wrap a TCP message in an SMS message, the computer program logic comprising:

first forming means for enabling a processor to form the TCP message;

encoding means for enabling a processor to encode the TCP message in an SMS message encoding format;

second forming means for enabling a processor to form the SMS message; and

sending means for enabling a processor to send the SMS message over an SMS messaging network;

wherein the SMS message comprises a header denoting the SMS message as a TCP/SMS message and the encoded TCP message.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the encoding means comprises:

determining means for enabling a processor to determine padding, if any, resulting from the encoding.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the SMS message further comprises a value indicating the padding.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, the computer program logic further comprising:

receiving means for enabling a processor to receive a second SMS message over the SMS messaging network;

first reading means for enabling a processor to read the header of the second SMS message to identify the second SMS message as a TCP/SMS message;

decoding means for enabling a processor to decode the second TCP message in the second SMS message; and

second reading means for enabling a processor to read data contained in the second TCP message.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the encoding means comprises:

base 64 encoding means for enabling a processor to encode the TCP message using base 64 encoding.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the first forming means comprises:

determining means for enabling a processor to determine the sequence number of the TCP message;

wherein the sequence number is the next consecutive number following the sequence number of an immediately prior TCP message or, if there is no prior TCP message, generating the sequence number.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the sequence number is generated using a system clock.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the second SMS message further comprises an SMS destination port, the computer program logic comprising:

processing means for enabling a processor to process the data contained in the second TCP message in a service associated with the SMS destination port.

17. A system capable of wrapping a TCP message in an SMS message, comprising:

a first module to form the TCP message;

a second module to encode the TCP message in an SMS message encoding format;

a third module to form the SMS message; and

a fourth module to send the SMS message over an SMS messaging network;

wherein the SMS message comprises a header denoting the SMS message as a TCP/SMS message and the encoded TCP message.