Network Protocol Converter

• US 20090059956A1
• Filed: 11/11/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tat, Dinh C., Layendecker, Richard A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,270,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• 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 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

An arrangement includes an input to receive DTMF tones, logic to convert the DTMF tones to SMPP protocol, and an output to provide the SMPP protocol.

Claims

1. An arrangement comprising:

an input to receive DTMF tones;

logic to convert the DTMF tones to SMPP protocol; and

an output to provide the SMPP protocol.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 further comprising:

a Short Message Service Center to receive the SMPP protocol and to form a Short Message Service (SMS) message.

3. The arrangement of claim 2 further comprising:

a switching network element to receive the SMS message and to route the SMS message to a paging device.

4. A method comprising:

receiving DTMF tones;

converting the DTMF tones to SMPP protocol; and

providing the SMPP protocol to a Short Message Service Center.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

receiving the DTMF tones from a Public Switched Telephone Network.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

forming a Short Message Service (SMS) message from the SMPP protocol.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

communicating the SMS message to a paging device.

8. A method comprising:

a first paging device providing paging information as DTMF tones;

a first network element converting the DTMF tones to SMPP protocol;

a second network element converting the SMPP protocol to an SMS message comprising the paging information; and

providing the SMS message to a second paging device.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

the first paging device providing the DTMF tones to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN); and

the PSTN communicating the DTMF tones to the network element to convert to SMPP protocol.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

the first paging device providing the DTMF tones to one of a Voice Mail System (VMS) and a Private Branch Exchange (PBX); and

the one of VMS and PBX communicating the DTMF tones to the network element to convert to SMPP protocol.