Methods and systems for triggerless prepaid SMS screening and accounting in a signaling message routing node

• US 7,502,611 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2006
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tekelec Global, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: McCann, Thomas Matthew, Marsico, Peter Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming; William D
• Application Number:
  US11/527,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20070021101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 455/408, 455/419, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2073 Multipoint, e.g. messaging, broadcast or group SMS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/28 SMS billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8166 Available credit
• 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 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

Methods and systems for triggerless prepaid short message service (SMS) screening and accounting in a signaling message routing node are disclosed. According to one aspect, the subject matter herein includes a prepaid SMS screening and accounting module. The prepaid SMS screening and accounting module includes a prepaid SMS screening function, where the function is an application program for receiving SMS messages and determining whether the SMS messages are associated with prepaid subscribers. The prepaid SMS screening and accounting module further includes a prepaid SMS accounting function, where the function is an application program co-located with the prepaid SMS screening function for determining, for the prepaid SMS messages associated with prepaid subscribers, whether the subscribers have sufficient credit for delivery of the SMS messages, and, in response, for sending the SMS messages to their intended destinations. At least one processor executes the prepaid SMS screening and accounting functions.

Claims

1. A prepaid SMS screening and accounting module comprising:

(a) a prepaid SMS screening component comprising a first application program for receiving SMS messages and determining whether the SMS messages are associated with prepaid subscribers;

(b) a prepaid SMS accounting component comprising a second application program co-located with the prepaid SMS screening component for determining, for the prepaid SMS messages associated with prepaid subscribers, whether the subscribers have sufficient credit for delivery of the SMS messages, and, in response, for sending the SMS messages to their intended destinations; and

(c) at least one processor for executing the first and second application programs within the prepaid SMS screening and accounting components.

2. The prepaid SMS screening and accounting module of claim 1 wherein the prepaid SMS screening component is adapted to determine whether SMS messages originate from ported-out subscribers attempting to access SMSCs of their former networks, and, in response, for discarding the SMS messages.

3. The prepaid SMS screening and accounting module of claim 1 wherein the prepaid SMS accounting component is adapted to debit prepaid subscriber accounts in response to sending the SMS messages.

4. The prepaid SMS screening and accounting module of claim 1 wherein the prepaid SMS accounting component is adapted to debit the subscriber accounts based on the time of day that SMS messages are sent.

5. The prepaid SMS screening and accounting module of claim 1 wherein the prepaid SMS accounting component is adapted to debit the subscriber accounts based on the sizes of the SMS messages.

6. The prepaid SMS screening and accounting module of claim 1 comprising a prepaid SMS screening database co-located with the prepaid SMS screening component for storing information for identifying prepaid SMS subscribers.

7. The prepaid SMS screening and accounting module of claim 1 comprising a prepaid SMS accounting database co-located with the prepaid SMS accounting component for storing account information for prepaid SMS subscribers.

8. The prepaid SMS screening and accounting module of claim 1 comprising a prepaid SMS screening and accounting database co-located with the prepaid SMS screening and accounting components for storing information for identifying prepaid SMS subscribers and account information for the prepaid SMS subscribers.

9. A prepaid SMS accounting and routing module comprising:

(a) an SMS accounting database for storing subscriber records for prepaid and post-paid SMS subscribers;

(b) an SMS accounting component comprising a first application program operatively associated with the SMS accounting database for accessing the subscriber records in response to received SMS messages to determine whether prepaid subscribers have sufficient credit for delivery of SMS messages and to record SMS transaction information for prepaid and post-paid subscribers;

(c) a routing component comprising a second application program operatively associated with the SMS accounting component for routing SMS messages for prepaid subscribers with sufficient credit and SMS messages for post-paid subscribers to destination nodes; and

(d) at least one processor for executing the first and second application programs within the SMS accounting and routing components.