Methods and systems for communicating between subscribers of different application-layer mobile communications protocols
First Claim
1. A routing node for delivering short message service (SMS) messages between subscribers of different application-layer mobile communications protocols, the routing node comprising:
- (a) a routing element for receiving, from a short message service center (SMSC) of a first application-layer mobile communications protocol, a message requesting location information of a mobile subscriber of a second application-layer mobile communications protocol and for formulating a response to the message including an address of a node other than a mobile switching center, the address being stored in a destination ID field of the response message, the destination ID field being adapted to store an address of a destination MSC for reaching the mobile subscriber; and
(b) a converter operatively associated with the routing element for receiving, from the SMSC of the first application-layer mobile communications protocol, a mobile-terminated SMS delivery message of the first application-layer communications protocol and being addressed to the address in the destination ID field of the response message, the converter being adapted to formulate a mobile-originated SMS delivery message of the second application-layer mobile communications protocol based on the mobile-terminated SMS delivery message of the first application-layer mobile communications protocol.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A routing node communicates between subscribers of different application-layer mobile communications protocols, such as IS-41 and GSM, without converting each IS-41 message to GSM and vice versa. Rather than converting each message to the protocol of the intended recipient, the routing node functions as an HLR to provide the location of a mobile subscriber in a different application-layer mobile communications protocol and as an MSC to forward short message service messages to a short message service center of the other application-layer mobile communications protocol.
95 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A routing node for delivering short message service (SMS) messages between subscribers of different application-layer mobile communications protocols, the routing node comprising:
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(a) a routing element for receiving, from a short message service center (SMSC) of a first application-layer mobile communications protocol, a message requesting location information of a mobile subscriber of a second application-layer mobile communications protocol and for formulating a response to the message including an address of a node other than a mobile switching center, the address being stored in a destination ID field of the response message, the destination ID field being adapted to store an address of a destination MSC for reaching the mobile subscriber; and
(b) a converter operatively associated with the routing element for receiving, from the SMSC of the first application-layer mobile communications protocol, a mobile-terminated SMS delivery message of the first application-layer communications protocol and being addressed to the address in the destination ID field of the response message, the converter being adapted to formulate a mobile-originated SMS delivery message of the second application-layer mobile communications protocol based on the mobile-terminated SMS delivery message of the first application-layer mobile communications protocol. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for communicating messages between subscribers of different application-layer mobile communications protocols, the method comprising:
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(a) receiving, from a network element of a first application-layer mobile communications protocol, a first message requesting the location of a subscriber of a second application-layer mobile communications protocol;
(b) in response to receiving the first message, formulating a second message of the first application-layer mobile communications protocol;
(c) including, in a destination ID field of the second message, an address of a node other than a mobile switching center, the destination ID field being adapted to store an address of a destination MSC for reaching the mobile subscriber;
(d) forwarding the second message to the network element of the first application-layer mobile communications protocol;
(e) receiving, from the first network element, a third message formulated according to the first application-layer mobile communications protocol and for delivering an SMS message to the subscriber, the third message being addressed to the address stored in the destination ID field of the first message; and
(f) formulating, based on the third message, a fourth message formatted according to the second application layer mobile communications protocol for delivering the SMS message to the subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for establishing a call between subscribers of different application-layer communications protocols, the method comprising:
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(a) receiving, from a mobile switching center (MSC) of a first application-layer mobile communications protocol, a first message requesting the location of a subscriber of a second application-layer mobile communications protocol;
(b) performing a lookup in a database based on a called party identifier in the first message and obtaining a routing number for a network serving the mobile subscriber of the second application-level mobile communications protocol;
(c) formulating a second message of the first application-layer mobile communications protocol;
(d) including the routing number in the second message; and
(e) forwarding the second message to the MSC of the first application-layer mobile communications protocol, wherein performing steps (a)-(e) includes performing steps (a)-(e) without converting the first message to the second application-layer mobile communications protocol.- View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification