System and method for selective multipoint transmission of short message service messages

• US 6,289,223 B1
• Filed: 07/22/1998
• Issued: 09/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Hiri, Farzad, Patel, Mahesh, Evanyk, Walt, Mukherjee, Subrata, Boltz, David
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THANH C
• Application Number:
  US09/120,976
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422, 455/445, 455/458, 455/466, 455/517, 455/518, 455/519, 455/520, 455/560
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A system and method in a telecommunications system for enabling an originating mobile unit to deliver SMS messages to a select plurality of destination mobile units. A mobile station ISDN number (MSISDN) is assigned to a usergroup wherein this usergroup contains at least one and preferably a plurality of member MSISDNs. An originating mobile unit may then transmit an SMS message to a plurality of destination units by transmitting an SMS message addressed to a predefined usergroup MSISDN thereby eliminating the necessity of the originating mobile unit addressing and transmitting the SMS message to each member of the defined usergroup. Allowances are made to restrict such transmission to specified originating units.

Claims

1. A method for selective delivery of a short message to a plurality of destination devices in a telecommunications system, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving, from a given sending data terminal device, said short message by a service center node in communication with said destination devices, respective pluralities of said destination devices forming respective device groupings, each of said device groupings being selectively created and having a group identifier associated therewith, said short message being sent to a given group identifier; and

forwarding, by said service center node, said received short message to the respective plurality of destination devices associated with said given group identifier.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of inputting said short message into the given sending data terminal device.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the given sending data terminal device is a cellular telephone and said short message is input using a cellular telephone keypad.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the give sending data terminal device is a digital terminal and said short message is input through the digital terminal, said digital terminal being connected to said telecommunications system.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in said step of forwarding, said short message is forwarded to said respective plurality of destination devices using the respective MSISDN numbers of the destination devices.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said service center node blocks at least one short message to at least one destination device.

7. The method according to claim 1, further including the steps of testing if said given sending data terminal device is among said respective pluralities of said destination devices, and blocking the forwarding of said short message if the test is satisfied.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said service center node forwards all short messages from a plurality of sending data terminal devices.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said service center node comprises a list containing at least one identifier associated with a respective sending data terminal device, wherein said short message is forwarded to said respective plurality of destination devices if said list contains the identifier associated with said given sending data terminal device.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

modifying the respective device groupings.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of modification comprises the addition or deletion of at least one destination device to at least one of said device groupings.

12. A telecommunications system for selective delivery of a short message to a plurality of destination devices, said system comprising:

a service center node in communication with a given sending data terminal device and said plurality of destination devices, respective pluralities of said destination devices forming respective device groupings, each of said device groupings being selectively created and having a group identifier associated therewith, said short message being sent to a given group identifier; and

a groupings database, attached to said service center node, said groupings database comprising a listing of the destination devices associated with each said group identifier, whereby, upon receipt of said short message with said given group identifier originated from the given sending data terminal device, said service center node forwards said received short message to the plurality of destination devices associated with said given group identifier.

13. The system according to claim 12, further comprising:

input means of the given sending data terminal device for inputting said short message.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said input means comprises a cellular telephone keypad.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein said service center node forwards said short message to a respective plurality of destination devices associated with a respective group identifier, each of said respective destination devices having a respective MSISDN number associated therewith.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein said service center node blocks at least one short message to at least one destination device.

17. The system according to claim 12, wherein when said given sending data terminal device is not among said respective pluralities of said destination devices, said service center node blocks the forwarding of said short message.

18. The system according to claim 12, wherein said service center node forwards all short messages from a plurality of sending data terminal devices.

19. The system according to claim 12, wherein said service center node comprises a list containing at least one identifier associated with a respective sending data terminal device, wherein said short message is forwarded to said respective plurality of destination devices if said list contains the identifier associated with said given sending data terminal device.

20. The system according to claim 12, further comprising:

database modification means for modifying said listing.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein said database modification means adds or deletes at least one destination device to at least one of said device groupings.

22. A telecommunications system for selective delivery of a short message to a plurality of destination devices, said system comprising:

a first mobile services center node in communication with a given sending data terminal device;

an interworking node in communication with said first mobile services center node, said interworking node receiving said short message originated from said given sending data terminal device via said first mobile services center node;

a service center node in communication with said interworking node;

a gateway node in communication with said service center node;

a second mobile services center node in communication with said gateway node and at least one of said destination devices, said second mobile services center node receiving said short message from said gateway node via said service center node and said interworking node; and

a groupings database comprising a listing of respective destination devices associated with respective device groupings, each of said device groupings being selectively created and having a group identifier associated therewith, said received short message being sent to a given group identifier, whereby, said received short message with said given group identifier is forwarded to a respective plurality of destination devices associated with said given group identifier.

23. The system according to claim 22, further comprising:

a home location register associated with said second mobile services center and at least one of said destination devices, said gateway node requesting and said home location register forwarding thereto location information for said at least one destination device.

24. The system according to claim 22, wherein said short message is forwarded to said respective plurality of destination devices via a plurality of second mobile services center nodes.

25. The system according to claim 22, wherein said groupings database is stored within said first mobile services center node.

26. The system according to claim 22, wherein said groupings database is stored within said interworking node.

27. The system according to claim 22, wherein said groupings database is stored within said service center node.

28. The system according to claim 22, wherein said groupings database is stored within said gateway node.