System and Method for SMS Private Number Routing

• US 20140364159A1
• Filed: 06/06/2014
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Numerex Corporation (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Numerex Corporation (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Inventors: Criscolo, Michael, Baker, Steven, Murray, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US14/298,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20140364159A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• 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 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

A system and method of sending a message to a cellular device having a non-dialable number is described. The system and method can use a standard cellular short code, and by associating the consumer handset with one or more M2M cellular subscriptions/devices enable communications between handsets and private M2M devices. The consumer handset sends an SMS to a short code which is delivered to an SMS Private Routing mechanism which then uses a pre-assigned association between the handset and the M2M device to route the SMS to the M2M cellular device using the private phone number.

Claims

1. A method of sending a message to a remote cellular device having a non-dialable number, the method comprising:

associating a user handset with one or more remote cellular devices having a non-dialable number;

receiving a message from the handset intended for one of the remote cellular devices at a private routing mechanism;

verifying the association between handset and the intended one of the remote cellular devices; and

routing the message to the intended one of the remote cellular devices using the association between the handset and the remote cellular device using the private phone number.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the handset uses a standard cellular short code to send a message to the intended remote cellular device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the message uses a Short Message Service (SMS) protocol.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein messages from unverified devices are discarded.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising translating the message into a protocol used by the remote cellular device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a return message from the intended remote cellular device;

and sending the return message to the handset.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising translating the message into a protocol used by the user handset.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein communication with the remote cellular devices uses a Short Message Peer-to-Peer (SMPP) protocol.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the private routing mechanism includes a device mapping database used to store the association between the user handset and the one or more remote cellular devices.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein private routing mechanism includes a translation database to translate the message into the protocol used by the intended remote cellular device.

11. A private routing mechanism for sending a message to a remote cellular device having a non-dialable number, the private routing mechanism comprising:

a device mapping database storing associations between a user handset and one or more remote cellular devices each having a non-dialable number;

wherein the private routing mechanism receives a message from the handset intended for one of the remote cellular devices at a private routing mechanism;

verifies the handset for the intended one of the remote cellular devices; and

routes the message to the intended one of the remote cellular devices using the association between the handset and the remote cellular device using the private phone number.

12. The private routing mechanism of claim 11 wherein the handset uses a standard cellular short code to send a message to the intended remote cellular device.

13. The private routing mechanism of claim 11 wherein the message uses a Short Message Service (SMS) protocol.

14. The private routing mechanism of claim 11 wherein messages from unverified devices are discarded.

15. The private routing mechanism of claim 11 further comprising a message translation function that translates the message into a protocol used by the remote cellular device.

16. The private routing mechanism of claim 11 wherein the private routing mechanism is further operable to receive a return message from the intended remote cellular device;

and to send the return message to the handset.

17. The private routing mechanism of claim 16 wherein the private routing mechanism is further operable to translate the message into a protocol used by the user handset.

18. The private routing mechanism of claim 11 wherein communication with the remote cellular devices uses a Short Message Peer-to-Peer (SMPP) protocol.