Messaging gateway and method

• US 7,881,735 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2005
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Markport Limited (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Markport Limited (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Dumbleton, Simon, Greenwood, James
• Primary Examiner(s): BALAOING, ARIEL A
• Application Number:
  US11/791,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20080064424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,881 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/412.1, 455/406, 370/349
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/57 for integrated multimedia messaging subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/208 IMS, i.e. Integrated Multimedia messaging Subsystem
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/28 SMS billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

An application on a server submits the message to a gateway (1) (which it sees as a service centre). The gateway performs interaction with external applications on servers such as charging and then instead of storing transaction related information associated with this message, it packages the transaction information along with the message as inter-working data. The gateway then forwards the message including the inter-working data to the service center, while requesting a delivery receipt. The service centre may generate a message-id for this transaction, but no data relating to the transaction now needs to be stored by the gateway. The gateway (1) then informs the application that it has successfully stored the message for delivery. When the message reaches a complete state in the service centre the service centre (25) sends the gateway (1) a delivery receipt including the service centre generated message-id and the inter-working data. At this point the gateway no longer needs to retrieve transaction information relating to this message (based on service centre and message-id), as the data is already present in the message. On inspection of the transaction information the gateway can determine whether the original application requested the delivery receipt, and if so, forward the receipt to the application. Dependent on the resulting state of the message and any transaction information, the gateway may interact with external servers again. At this stage the gateway (1) then generates a Call Detail Record and acknowledges receipt of the delivery receipt.

Claims

1. A mobile network messaging method comprising the steps of:

a gateway of the mobile network receiving or generating a message;

the gateway performing processing involving the message;

the gateway adding inter-working data generated by the processing to the message, and routing the message to a second system without saving the inter-working data to any database outside of the second system, the second system being a mobile network service centre;

the second system routing the inter-working data back to the gateway at a later time; and

the gateway processing the inter-working data received from the second system to generate a transaction output without need to perform a read from a database, the gateway remaining responsible for the format and content of the interworking data and deriving whatever information it originally included in the interworking data.

2. The messaging method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second system generates a message identifier, and routes this to the gateway together with the inter-working data.

3. The messaging method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the message identifier and the inter-working data are returned to the gateway in a message which identifies the second system to the gateway.

4. The messaging method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the message is received by the gateway from an application executing on a server.

5. The messaging method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the gateway emulates a service centre to the application.

6. The messaging method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second system is a mobile network SMSC.

7. The messaging method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second system is a mobile network MMSC.

8. The messaging method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inter-working data concerns subscriber charging.

9. The messaging method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inter-working data concerns aliasing of a telephone number.

10. The messaging method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the gateway uses the inter-working data routed back to it by the service centre to reverse the aliasing process.

11. The messaging method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inter-working data concerns charging, and the gateway generates a charging output upon receipt of the inter-working data from the service centre.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising software code for performing the steps of a method of claim 1.

12. A mobile network gateway comprising a processor for performing the steps of:

receiving or generating a message;

performing processing involving the message;

adding inter-working data generated by the processing to the message, and routing the message to a second system without saving the inter-working data to any database outside of the second system, the second system being a mobile network service centre;

receiving the inter-working data back from the second system at a later time; and

processing the inter-working data received from the second system to generate a transaction output without need to perform a read from a database, the gateway remaining responsible for the format and content of the interworking data and deriving whatever information it originally included in the interworking data.