System and method for blocking the use of a service in a telecommunication system

• US 6,920,332 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2002
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Sonera Oyj
• Inventors: Ala-Luukko, Sami
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Danh C
• Application Number:
  US10/267,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20040005881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/445, 455/433, 455/435.1, 455/414.1, 455/412.1, 370/278, 370/328, 370/259, 379/210.02, 379/211.02, 379/212.01
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0245 Filtering by information in the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/61 based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• 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 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

A method and system for controlling the use of a short message service in a telecommunication system that includes a telecommunication network, a terminal device by which a subscriber is connected to the network, a mobile services switching center connected to the network, a gateway connected to the network, a short message service center connected to the gateway, and a database (DB) connected to or associated with the gateway. A short message sent by an originating subscriber is checked as to whether the short message is among those deemed non-allowed. Forwardable short messages are directed to the gateway, from which the database is queried to determine whether the originating subscriber is permitted the short message to the intended recipient or, alternatively, whether the message should been blocked based on predetermined criteria.

Claims

1. A method of controlling subscriber use of a short message service in a telecommunication system in which a short message sent from an originating subscriber terminal device to a destination number of an intended recipient of the short message is routed from the terminal device to a short message service center of the telecommunication system for further transmission of the short message from the short message service center to the destination number, comprising the steps of:

checking, prior to further transmission of the short message from the short message service center to the destination number, whether the destination number is among a predetermined numerical space; and

if the destination number is determined to be among the predetermined numerical space;

checking in a database whether the originating subscriber is permitted to send the short message to the destination number and, if it is determined that the subscriber is not permitted to send the short message to the destination number,

blocking further transmission of the short message from the short message service center to the destination number; and

notifying the originating subscriber that transmission of the short message to the destination number has been blocked.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said checking in the database comprises checking of text content of the short message.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein blocking definitions are attached to blocking information located in a home location register of the telecommunication system.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of defining, by the intended recipient, particular subscribers from whom short messages sent by the particular subscribers to the intended recipient are to be blocked.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4, further comprising the step of providing a World Wide Web user interface through which the intended recipient can define the particular subscribers from whom short messages to the intended recipient are to be blocked.

6. In a system for controlling subscriber use of a short message service in a telecommunication system that includes a telecommunication network, an originating subscriber terminal device that connects the originating subscriber to the telecommunication network, a mobile services switching center connected to the telecommunication network, a gateway connected to the telecommunication network and operable for transmission of network traffic, a short message service center connected to the telecommunication network and to which a short message sent from the originating subscriber terminal device to an intended recipient destination number is routed for further transmission of the short message from the short message service center to the destination number, and a database connected to the gateway for storing subscriber information, said system further comprising:

a checking block operable for determining, based on a first checking condition, whether the destination number of the short message is among a predetermined numerical space; and

a database block operable for determining, by consulting blocking definitions stored in the database, whether the originating subscriber is permitted to send the short message to the destination number.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said checking block is further operable for determining, based on a second checking condition, whether the short message contains predetermined text.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the database is attached to one of the mobile services switching center, the gateway and the short message service center.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the database is one of an external database and an internal database.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the database is based on functionality of an interface between a home location register and a visitor location register so that the home location register appears to a system operator of the telecommunication network to be a master database of the telecommunication network.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the gateway comprises a signaling block operative for sending, between a first signal interface between the gateway and the short message service center and a second signal interface between the gateway and the database, signals that are used in blocking of short messages.

12. The system of claim 6, further comprising a saving block operative for attaching short message blocking definitions to blocking information located in a home location register of the telecommunication network.

13. A method of controlling subscriber use of a short message service in a telecommunication system, comprising the steps of:

routing a short message sent from an originating subscriber terminal device to a destination number of an intended recipient of the short message for further transmission of the short message from the short message service center to he destination number;

checking, prior to further transmission of the short message from the short message service center to the destination number, whether the destination number is among a predetermined numerical space; and

if the destination number is determined to be among the predetermined numerical space;

checking in a database whether the originating subscriber is permitted to send the short message to the destination number and, if it is determined that the subscriber is not permitted to send the short message to the destination number,

blocking further transmission of the short message from the short message service center to the destination number; and

notifying the originating subscriber that transmission of the short message to the destination number has been blocked.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13, wherein said checking in the database comprises checking of text content of the short message.

15. A method in accordance with claim 13, wherein blocking definitions are attached to blocking information located in a home location register of the telecommunication system.

16. A method in accordance with claim 13, further comprising the step of defining, by the intended recipient, particular subscribers from whom short messages sent by the particular subscribers to the intended recipient are to be blocked.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16, further comprising the step of providing a World Wide Web user interface through which the intended recipient can define the particular subscribers from whom short messages to the intended recipient are to be blocked.

18. A system for controlling subscriber use of a short message service in a telecommunication system, comprising:

a telecommunication network;

an originating subscriber terminal device that connects the originating subscriber to the telecommunication network;

a mobile services switching center connected to the telecommunication network;

a gateway connected to the telecommunication network and operable for transmission of network traffic;

a short message service center connected to the telecommunication network and to which a short message sent from the originating subscriber terminal device to an intended recipient destination number is routed for further transmission of the short message from the short message service center to the destination number;

a database connected to the gateway for storing subscriber information;

a checking block operable for determining, based on a first checking condition, whether the destination number of the short message is among a predetermined numerical space; and

a database block operable for determining, by consulting blocking definitions stored in the database, whether the originating subscriber is permitted to send the short message to the destination number.

19. A system in accordance with claim 18, wherein said checking block is further operable for determining, based on a second checking condition, whether the short message contains predetermined text.

20. A system in accordance with claim 18, wherein the database is attached to one of the mobile services switching center, the gateway and the short message service center.

21. A system in accordance with claim 18, wherein the database is one of an external database and an internal database.

22. A system in accordance with claim 18, wherein the database is based on functionality of an interface between a home location register and a visitor location register so that the home location register appears to a system operator of the telecommunication network to be a master database of the telecommunication network.

23. A system in accordance with claim 18, wherein the gateway comprises a signaling block operative for sending, between a first signal interface between the gateway and the short message service center and a second signal interface between the gateway and the database, signals that are used in blocking of short messages.

24. A system in accordance with claim 18, further comprising a saving block operative for attaching short message blocking definitions to blocking information located in a home location register of the telecommunication network.