Implementation of short messages sending to mobile networks with mobile number portability or incomplete number plans with autolearning

• US 6,832,089 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 12/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nilcom
• Original Assignee: Nilcom
• Inventors: Jean Henry-Labordere, Arnaud Luglien Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peaches, Randy
• Application Number:
  US09/896,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20030013464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 455/408, 455/445, 455/456.1, 455/433, 455/412.1, 455/466, 455/560, 455/432.1, 455/432.2
• 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 8/28 Number portability ; Network address portability

Abstract

Implementation of the sending of short messages to mobile networks with mobile number portability in the same country comprising a computer with SS7 connections able to interrogate all the HLRs of the country where MNP is implemented, being located in an other country or the same. The computer includes a memory cache for all the subscribers of the country which allow to know which HLR to interrogate without searching one they have been found. The memory cache is initially empty and builds once by search of the HLRs when a subscriber does not exist yet in the cache, or when he is ported-out, that is, change its network.

Claims

1. Method of sending short SMS messages to mobile networks having number portability within the same country, characterised in that a computer with SS7 connections is used as an SMSC relay to relay the short messages sent by an operator A to a subscriber of a network B visiting another network C, the latter having no roaming agreement with network A, by sending the short SMS message with the global title GT of the visited MSC to a companion SMSC in a network which does have a roaming agreement with network C, said computer capable of interrogating all the HLRs of the country in which the number portability is operated, said computer having a cache memory for all the mobile subscribers of the country in which the portability is operated so that the computer will know which HLR to interrogate, without searching, once the HLR has been found a first time.

2. Method as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the cache memory is initially empty and is built progressively by HLR searches performed whenever a subscriber is not yet registered in the cache memory or a subscriber has changed subscriber networks.

3. Method as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the numbering system (HLR levels) is built by auto-learning and sequential interrogation of the HLR whenever a subscriber is not found in the existing system.

4. Method as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the list of HLR of an operator is built by systematic parallel searching run by a computer.

5. Method as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the computer is integrated in an international gateway IGP, a national gateway NGP or in the GMSC or GMSCs of an operator.