MOBILE-ORIGINATED SMS OVER A WIRELESS IP NETWORK

• US 20100130238A1
• Filed: 11/24/2008
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Corporate Resources Group LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: PATEL, Biren, KUPSH, Jerry
• Granted Patent: US 8,150,428 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A method for offloads SMS messages from a voice network of a wireless carrier to a data network. The method includes sending a mobile originated SMS using hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) from a wireless handset to a short message service center (SMSC) over a wireless data network. The method further includes conducting a lookup at the SMSC to determine the home SMSC for the originating mobile handset and sending a redirect to the mobile handset as means to facilitate a dynamic update of the home SMSC location stored on the wireless handset.

Claims

1. A method performed by a computing device, the method comprising:

receiving, over a wireless data network from an originating mobile device, a short message service (SMS) message that includes a mobile directory number (MDN) of the originating mobile device;

conducting a lookup to determine a home short message service center (SMSC) for the originating mobile device based on the MDN;

sending a redirect message over the wireless data network to the originating mobile device if the computing device is not the home SMSC for the originating mobile device; and

providing services for the SMS message if the computing device is the home SMSC for the originating mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, where the lookup is performed using a lookup table stored in a memory associated with the computing device.

3. The method of claim 2, where the lookup table includes a host name for multiple SMSCs in a wireless carrier network.

4. The method of claim 1, where the redirect message comprises one of:

a hostname for the home SMSC for the originating device, or

an Internet Protocol (IP) address for the home SMSC for the originating device.

5. The method of claim 1, where the SMS message is included in a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) post.

6. The method of claim 1, where the HTTP post includes:

a user agent section,

an originating MDN section,

a destination number section,

a message section, and

a message identifier section.

7. The method of claim 1, where the providing services for the SMS message further comprises:

sending the SMS message over a wireless voice network to one or more terminating device; and

sending a positive reply over the wireless data network to the originating mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, where the providing services for the SMS message comprises:

sending a negative reply to the originating device, the negative reply including one of;

an indication of activity outside of limits set by parental controls,

an indication of filter restrictions for particular recipients,

an indication of an account status error, or

an indication of a block on SMS services for the originating mobile device.

9. A method performed by a mobile device, the method comprising:

formatting a short message service (SMS) message as a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) post, the HTTP post including a mobile directory number (MDN) of the mobile device;

sending the HTTP post over a wireless data network to a default short message service center (SMSC) for the mobile device;

receiving a confirmation from the default SMSC for the mobile device if the default SMSC determines, based on the MDN, that the default SMSC is also a home SMSC for the mobile device; and

receiving one of a hostname of the home SMSC for the mobile device or an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the home SMSC for the mobile device if the default SMSC determines, based on the MDN, that the default SMSC is not the home SMSC for the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 9, where the receiving one of a hostname of the home SMSC for the mobile device or an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the home SMSC for the mobile device further comprises:

sending the HTTP post over the wireless data network to the home SMSC for the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 9, where the HTTP post includes:

a user agent identifier,

an originating MDN,

a destination number, and

a message section.

12. The method of claim 9, where the destination number is:

a MDN;

a short code;

or

an email address.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, over a wireless voice network, a SMS message from a terminating device.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

storing the hostname of the home SMSC for the mobile device or the IP address of the home SMSC for the mobile device to use for sending subsequent formatted SMS messages as HTTP posts.

15. The method of claim 9, where the HTTP post includes destination numbers for multiple recipients.

16. A device, comprising:

a memory to store a short message service center (SMSC)/mobile directory number (MDN) lookup table; and

a processor to;

receive, over a wireless data network from a mobile device, a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) post that includes a short message service (SMS) message and a MDN of a mobile device;

conduct a lookup in the SMSC/MDN lookup table to determine the home SMSC for the mobile device based on the MDN;

send, over the wireless data network to the mobile device, one of a hostname of the home SMSC for the mobile device or an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the home SMSC for the mobile device if the device is not the home SMSC for the mobile device.

17. The device of claim 16, where the processor further:

sends the SMS message over a wireless voice network to a terminating device if the device is the home SMSC for the mobile device.

18. The device of claim 16, where the SMSC/MDN lookup table includes a hostname for each SMSC included in the table.

19. The device of claim 16, where the HTTP post further includes:

a user agent of the mobile device,

an MDN for a terminating device, and

a message identifier.

20. A method, comprising:

sending a short message service (SMS) message over a wireless data network, the SMS message including a mobile directory number (MDN) of an originating mobile device;

receiving the SMS message including the MDN of the originating mobile device;

conducting a lookup to determine a home short message service center (SMSC) for the originating mobile device based on the MDN;

sending the SMS message over a wireless voice network to a terminating device if the computing device is the home SMSC for the originating mobile device; and

sending a confirmation message over the wireless data network to the originating mobile device.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

sending a redirect message over the wireless data network to the originating mobile device if the computing device is not the home SMSC for the terminating device.

22. The method of claim 20, where the SMS message is formatted as a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) post that includes a user agent identifier, an originating MDN, a destination number, a message section, and a message identifier.

23. A system, comprising:

means for receiving, over a wireless data network from an originating mobile device, a short message service (SMS) message for a terminating device;

means for sending, over the wireless data network to the mobile device, a hostname of a home short message service center (SMSC) for an originating mobile device if the computing device is not the home SMSC for the originating mobile device; and

means for sending the SMS message over a wireless voice network to the terminating device if the computing device is the home SMSC for the originating mobile device.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for associating the originating mobile device with the hostname for the home SMSC for the originating mobile device.

25. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for sending a confirmation message over the wireless data network to the originating mobile device.