Dynamic routing system for a short message sent by a calling party using a mobile phone

• US 6,512,926 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2000
• Issued: 01/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nilcom
• Original Assignee: Nilcom
• Inventors: Henry-Labordere, Arnaud Luglien Charles Jean
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Cong
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, LANA N
• Application Number:
  US09/558,809
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/561, 455/466, 455/414, 455/560
• US Class Current: 455/445
• 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 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A system for a GSM mobile telephone belonging to the network of an operator of mobiles for an intended recipient of a short message (other network of mobiles). The short message (SMS) is composed of a routing envelope with a first field (number of, the calling mobile), ct second field (number of the first short message transmission centre (SMSC) of the network of the calling mobile), a third field (number of the called mobile), as well as a field reserved for the text of the message. A numbering plan (PN) contains the numbers of the short message transmission centres and the possible interconnections between the different transmission centres (SMSC) and the switching contains (MSC) of the networks of the called parties (M1a, . . . M4a). A numbering plan manager (GPN) defines the relay transmission center or centres (SMSC) in order to reach the switching center (MSC) visited by the called party.

Claims

1. Dynamic routing system for short messages (SMS) sent by a calling party using a mobile GSM telephone connected to the network of an operator of mobiles for an intended recipient of short messages (other GSM mobile subscribers or a pager) not belonging to the same mobile telephone network, nor necessarily to networks linked by roaming agreements nor necessarily by interconnection agreements for the transmission of short messages (SMS),

the short message (SMS) being composed of a routing envelope with a first field (E1) containing the number of the calling party'"'"'s mobile, a second field (E2) intended to receive the number of the first short message transmission centre (SMSC) of the network of the operator of the calling party'"'"'s mobile, a third field (E3) containing the called mobile number, as well as a field reserved for the text of the message (TM),

the system comprising short message transmission centres (SMSC) belonging to the same network or to a different network,

the system being characterised by:

A) a numbering plan (PN) containing the numbers of the short message transmission centres (SMSC) and the possible interconnections between the different transmission centres (SMSC) and the switching centres (MSC) of the networks of the called mobiles (M1a, . . . M4a),

B) a numbering plan manager (GPN) which from the number of the called party defines the relay transmission centre or centres (SMSC) in order to reach the switching centre (MSC) visited by the intended recipient of the short message (SMS).

2. Routing system as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the GPN checks the PN plan to ascertain if the linking operator is capable of sending the SMSs to the network of the final recipient, and in the affirmative it chooses the centre (SMSC1) of the linking operator.

3. Routing system as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that a relay centre SMS-CR3 behaves simultaneously as a classical SMSC (capable of receiving SMSMOs) and as an integrated HLR and MSC (capable of receiving SMS-MTs) of SMSC 1;

which permits the (SMSC 1) of the linking operator simply to send (SMS-MT) messages, adding the address of the SMS-CR3 into its list of joinable HLRs.

4. Routing system as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that in order to behave like an HLR with regard to (SMSC1) for all the called parties other than those of the network SMSC1, the SMS-CR3 when it receives a request for location (SEND-ROUTING-INFO-FOR-MT) of the (SMSC 1) can return as IMSI the received MSISDN or another number with a table of correspondence and as MSC number its own global title (GT) (or another fixed one) which will make it (like an MSC) the called party of the SMS-MT which is going to be sent by (SMSC1).

5. Routing system as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that a relay centre SMS-CR3 also behaves as an INTERNET server capable of receiving messages coming from an INTERNET browser and the characteristic IP address of the INTERNET access provider (without the originator of the message himself being identified precisely), the access provider being identified precisely by the relay centre by interrogating one of the world databases (BD Routes INTERNET) for INTERNET routing (America, Europe, Asia-Pacific) with the IP address, obtaining in return the name of the INTERNET access provider.

6. Routing system as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the relay centre SMS-CR3 can display a page giving the identification of the access network (FIG. 10) and can according to its authorisation tables selectively accept or refuse the message coming from the INTERNET as a function of agreements made or not with the INTERNET access providers.

7. Routing system as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that if the (SMSC) of the network of the called party (SMSC1) accepts the transmission of short mesages from the network of the caller (1e), this latter directly addresses the short message to the called party by SMS-MT.

8. Routing system as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that if the calling mobile and the called mobile belong to one and the same network, the relay centre (SMSCR3) forwards the message in the (SMSC) of the network by (SMS-MO).

9. Routing system as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that if a relay (SMSC) exists which is capable of sending short messages (SMS-MT) to the called mobile, the manager (GPN) chooses this centre (SMSCR3) having a numbering plan and numbering plan manager.

10. Routing system as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that it includes a relay (SMSC) centre with a numbering plan and a program manager which accesses another relay centre (SMSC) downstream by putting the number of the new (SMSC) in the field (E2) of the message, the downstream relay centre likewise having a numbering plan and a numbering plan manager, the relay centre (SMSCR3) sends the message (SMS-MO) to another relay centre (SMSCR4) likewise equipped with a numbering plan (PN4) and a manager (GPN4) which addresses the message to the network of the called mobile.

11. Routing system as claimed in claim 10, characterised in that the relay centre (SMS-CR3) can force the downstream relay centre (SMS-CR4) to accept its SMS-MO (even if they do not have an interconnection agreement for the transmission of short messages) by putting in the field SM-RP-OA (GSM standard 09.02) of the SMS-MO either an originating mobile address as “

unknown”

or by putting the address of one of the subscribers of the SMS-CR4, for example that of the called party itself.

12. Routing system as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that a relay centre (SMS-CR4 can protect itself against the sending of SMS-MO by one or several unauthorised (SMS-CR3) by analysing the Global Title (GT) contained in the address of the calling (SMS-CR3) (“

Calling Party Address”

in Q713 format) which it receives obligatorily at the times of opening (reception of a MAP message of MAP-OPEN-IND or TCAP Begin type sent by SMS-CR3) by (SMS-CR3) of a transaction of sending SMS-MO. It can then refuse this opening from a black list (the barred SMS-CR3s) which is easy to constitute or from a red list of the authorised SMSCs but which must also comprise all the MSCs of the operators with which it has roaming agreements in order to permit its subscribers to continue to send SMS-MOs from visited networks.

13. Routing system as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the relay centre (SMSCR5) sends the message via the Internet to the (SMSC) of the network of the called party.

14. Routing system as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the relay centre (SMSCR6) sends the message to the intermediate mobile (MI) belonging to a network permitting a message to be deposited in the (SMSC) of the called party via the Internet.