SMS shortcode allocation

• US 8,467,814 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gan, Jiuhe, Zhu, Tong, Ho, Kenneth Tsz, Jiang, Zhaowei Charlie, Yerubandi, Venkata Narasimha Rao
• Primary Examiner(s): Daniel, Jr., Willie J
• Application Number:
  US11/853,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20090069037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,107 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A system, apparatus, and method are directed towards managing short code allocation policies across a plurality of different carriers for multiple applications. Each carrier provides to a centralized routing service a short code policy that includes an extension allocation policy. The extension allocation policy may specify whether the extensions are allocated based on a dynamical recycle allocation, a range recycle allocation, a pass-through allocation, or a re-usekey based allocation policy, or other mechanism. When a message is sent from an application, a carrier is determined to send the message to a destination mobile device. The carrier'"'"'s short code policy, including the extension allocation policy, is then used to select how to allocate and/or re-allocate a short code and extension for use with the message. The message may then be modified to include the selected short code and extension, and is then sent using the determined network carrier.

Claims

1. A server device for use in managing a communication to a mobile device over a network, comprising:

a memory for use in storing data and machine instructions;

a processor in communication with the memory and is configured to receive data and machine instructions that enable the processor to perform actions, including;

receiving from each of a plurality of network carriers a short code policy, including an extension allocation policy;

receiving a message from an application within a plurality of applications to be communicated to a mobile device from among a plurality of mobile devices;

determining based on a cost of delivering the message and a mobile device identifier of the mobile device a network carrier from among the plurality of network carriers through which the message is to be routed to the mobile device, wherein the cost of the network carrier is determined separate from content of the received message;

employing the short code policy, including the extension allocation policy associated with the determined network carrier to assign a short code and extension to the received message;

modifying the message to include the assigned short code and extension; and

enabling the modified message to the transmitted to the mobile device using the determined network carrier.

2. The server device of claim 1, wherein the extension allocation policy specifies at least one of the following:

a dynamic recycle allocation, wherein the short code extension is allocated dynamically from a collection of short code extensions and if all the available short code extensions are assigned from the collection, recycling a short code extension based on when the short code extension was assigned;

or

a range recycle allocation, wherein the short code extension is allocated from a range of short code extensions reserved based on the application, and if each short code extension in the range of short code extensions are currently assigned, selecting a session to reuse the short code extension based on an age of the session.

3. The server device of claim 1, wherein the assigned short code extension is selected from a collection of short code extensions having at least two non-contiguous ranges of short code extensions.

4. The server device of claim 1, wherein data and machine instructions that enable the processor to perform actions, including:

receiving from the mobile device another message;

if the other message includes the assigned short code, employing session data to determine which application within the plurality of applications to route the other message;

if the other message includes a service short code, examining a content of the other message and using the examined content and the service short code to determine which application to route the other message; and

if the other message is absent of the assigned short code or the service short code, examining the content of the other message to determine which application to route the other message.

5. The server device of claim 1, wherein dynamically assigned the short code extension further comprises mapping a first short code extension received from the application to another short code extension selected from a collection of short code extensions assigned to the determined network carrier.

6. A system for use in managing a communication to a mobile device over a network, comprising:

a plurality of network carriers, wherein each network carrier is allocated at least one short code and a plurality of assignable short code extensions, at least one of the plurality assignable short code extensions for one of the network carriers including at least two non-contiguous sequences of short code extensions; and

a routing service that is configured to perform actions, including;

receiving from each of the network carriers within the plurality of network carriers a short code policy including an extension allocation policy for the respective network carrier'"'"'s assignable short codes;

receiving a message from an application to be communicated to a mobile device from among a plurality of mobile devices;

determining based on a cost of delivering the message and a mobile device identifier of the mobile device a network carrier from the plurality of network carriers through which the message is to be routed to the mobile device, wherein the cost of the network carrier is determined separate from content of the received message;

employing the short code policy, including the extension allocation policy associated with the determined network carrier to select a short code and assignable short code extension to the received message;

modifying the message to include the selected short code extension and short code; and

enabling the modified message to the transmitted to the mobile device using the determined network carrier.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the routing service being configured to perform actions, further including:

employing the selected short code and extension to store session data for the message, wherein the session data comprises at least one of at least a portion of the message, an identifier associated with the mobile device, or an identifier of the application.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the extension allocation policy specifies at least one of the following;

a dynamical recycle allocation, wherein the short code extension is allocated dynamically from a collection of short code extensions and if all the assignable short code extensions for the determined network carrier are each currently assigned, recycling a short code extension based on when the short code extension was assigned;

or

a range recycle allocation, wherein the short code extension is allocated from a range of short code extensions reserved based on the application, and if each short code extension in the range of short code extensions are currently assigned, selecting a session to reuse the session'"'"'s assigned short code extension based on an age of the session.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the application provides a first short code to the routing service, and based on the determined network carrier and short code policy, mapping the first short code to one of the assignable short code extensions and short code associated with the application to dynamically select one of the assignable short code extensions for the received message.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the routing service being configured to perform actions, further including:

using the selected short code and extension as an index for storing and managing session data, the session data having at least one of at least a portion of the message, a mobile device identifier, or a user identifier; and

if a mobile originated message is received, using in part, the session data to determine another application to which the mobile originated message is to be routed.

11. A method for use in managing a communication to a mobile device over a network, comprising:

receiving from each of a plurality of network carriers a short code policy, including an extension allocation policy, wherein at least one of the network carriers have assignable short code extensions with at least two sequences within the assignable short code extensions for the respective network carrier being non-contiguous;

receiving, from an application, a mobile terminated (MT) message to be communicated to a mobile device from among a plurality of mobile devices;

determining based on a cost of delivering the message and a mobile device identifier of the mobile device a network carrier from among the plurality of network carriers through which the MT message is to be routed to the mobile device, wherein the cost of the network carrier is determined separate from content of the received message;

employing the short code policy, including the extension allocation policy, associated with the determined network carrier to assign a short code and extension to the MT message;

modifying the MT message to include the assigned short code with the extension; and

enabling the modified MT message to the transmitted to the mobile device using the determined network carrier.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein assigning the short code and extension further comprises mapping a first extension received from the application to another extension selected from the assignable short code extensions designated by the determined network carrier'"'"'s short code policy and extension allocation policy.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein each network carrier'"'"'s short code policy further comprises at least one of a carrier identifier, a list of service short codes for the network carrier each service short code being mapped to at least one application, and a list of assignable short code extensions.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one extension allocation policy further specify virtual short code extensions supportable by at least two short code extension ranges for the respective network carrier.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the extension allocation policy specifies at least one of the following:

a dynamical recycle allocation, wherein the short code extension is allocated dynamically from a collection of short code extensions and if all the assignable short code extensions for the determined network carrier are each currently assigned, recycling a short code extension based on when the short code extension was assigned;

or

a range recycle allocation, wherein the short code extension is allocated from a range of short code extensions reserved based on the application, and if each short code extension in the range of short code extensions are currently assigned, selecting a session to reuse the session'"'"'s assigned short code extension based on an age of the session.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the short code is selected based on at least one of a service or the application.

17. An apparatus for use in managing a communication to a mobile device over a network, comprising:

message handlers configured to receive and to send messages over the wireless network to or from a plurality of network carriers; and

a processor, coupled to the transceiver, that is arranged to perform actions, including;

receiving from each of the plurality of network carriers a short code policy, including an extension allocation policy;

receiving a mobile terminated (MT) message from an application within a plurality of applications to be communicated to a mobile device from among a plurality of mobile devices;

determining based on a cost of delivering the message and a mobile device identifier of the mobile device a network carrier from among the plurality of network carriers through which the MT message is to be routed to the mobile device, wherein the cost of the network carrier is determined separate from content of the received MT message;

employing the short code policy, including the extension allocation policy associated with the determined network carrier to assign a short code and extension to the received message;

modifying the MT message to include the assigned short code and extension; and

enabling the modified message to the transmitted to the mobile device using the determined network carrier.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the short code is assigned based, in part, on the application and network carrier'"'"'s short code policy, and the extension is selected based on the extension allocation policy that specifies at least one of the following allocation schemes:

a dynamical recycle allocation scheme, a range recycle allocation scheme, or a re-usekey based allocation scheme, wherein the re-use key based allocation scheme allocates an extension from a range of assignable short code extensions reserved for the application and if each of the assignable short code extensions within the range are currently assigned then selecting a extension based on a session age.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, employing the selected short code and extension to store session data for the message, wherein the session data comprises at least one of at least a portion of the message, an identifier associated with the mobile device, or an identifier of the application.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the short code policy identifies at least two sequences of non-contiguous extensions for the network carrier.