Method and apparatus for supporting short message services in a wireless number portability environment

• US 6,240,296 B1
• Filed: 03/10/1998
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rakuten, Inc. (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Laboratories Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Yu, I-Hsiang, Chan, May Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRAVER, CHARLES R
• Application Number:
  US09/037,502
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/412, 455/560, 455/414, 455/461, 455/462, 455/433, 379/88.08-88.28, 379/210-212, 379/220, 379/40, 340/825.44, 370/236, 370/352-360, 370/372
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/28 Number portability ; Network address portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

In a Wireless Number Portability (WNP) environment, a scheme is provided for routing and delivering Short Message Service (SMS) messages. In a WNP environment, the mobile identification number (MIN) and mobile directory number (MDN) will become independent, and the existing method of routing SMS messages will be inadequate to provide SMS to subscribers that port from one service provider to another. Methods and systems for delivering SMS messages to ported subscribers are provided.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting a message in a network from an originating system, the message destined for a subscriber, wherein a directory number (DN) is assigned to the subscriber, and wherein the subscriber is served by a destination system including a message center (MC), the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the message from the originating system at a donor system MC;

translating the DN to an address associated with the destination system MC; and

routing the message from the donor system MC to the destination system MC using the address.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the translating step comprises the substep of

searching a look-up table to obtain the address.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the translating step comprises the substep of

performing a global title translation.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of

translating the DN to an address associated with the donor system MC;

and

routing the message from the originating system to the donor system MC using the donor system MC address.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of translating the DN to a donor system MC address comprises the substep of

searching a look-up table to obtain the donor system MC address.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of translating the DN to a donor system MC address comprises the substep of

performing a global title translation.

7. A system for transmitting a message in a network from an originating system, the message destined for a subscriber, wherein a directory number (DN) is assigned to the subscriber, and wherein the subscriber is served by a destination system including a message center (MC), the system comprising:

a donor system MC for receiving the message from the originating system and for routing the message to the destination system MC; and

means for translating the DN to an address associated with the destination system MC.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the means for translating the DN includes a look-up table.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the means for translating the DN includes means for performing a global title translation.

10. The system of claim 7 further comprising

means for translating the DN to an address associated with the donor system MC; and

means for routing the message from the originating system to the donor system MC using the donor system MC address.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the means for translating the DN to an address associated with the donor system MC comprises a look-up table.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the means for translating the DN to an address associated with the donor system MC includes means for performing a global title translation.

13. A method for transmitting a message in a network from an originating system, the message destined for a subscriber, wherein a directory number (DN) is assigned to the subscriber, and wherein the subscriber is served by a destination system including a message center (MC), the method comprising the steps of:

routing the message from the originating system to a database;

translating the DN to a routing number associated with the subscriber;

routing the message from the database to a signaling network;

translating the routing number to an address associated with the destination system MC; and

routing the message from the signaling network to the destination system MC using the address.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of routing the message from the originating system comprises the substeps of

performing a global title translation from the DN to an address associated with the database; and

routing the message using the database address.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of translating the DN to a routing number comprises the substeps of

performing a global title translation from the DN to the routing number;

and

translating an incoming translation type to an outgoing translation type.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of translating the routing number comprises the substep of

performing a global title translation from the routing number to the address associated with the destination system MC.

17. A system for transmitting a message in a network from an originating system, the message destined for a subscriber, wherein a directory number (DN) is assigned to the subscriber, and wherein the subscriber is served by a destination system including a message center (MC), the system comprising:

a database;

means for routing the message from the originating system to the database;

means for translating the DN to a routing number associated with the subscriber;

means for routing the message from the database to a signaling network;

means for translating the routing number to an address associated with the destination system MC; and

means for routing the message from the signaling network to the destination system MC using the address.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the means for routing the message from the originating system comprises

means for performing a global title translation from the DN to an address associated with the database; and

means for routing the message using the database address.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the means for translating the DN to a routing number comprises

means for performing a global title translation from the DN to the routing number;

and

means for translating an incoming translation type to an outgoing translation type.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the means for translating the routing number includes means for performing a global title translation from the routing number to the address associated with the destination system MC.