Front end processor for short message service centers

• US 9,692,726 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2016
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Maria, Arturo
• Primary Examiner(s): Chery, Dady
• Application Number:
  US14/993,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20160127314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 370466, 370465, 370467, 709204-207
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0209 Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/102 Gateways arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A communication gateway which includes a short-message-system network element is disclosed. The communication gateway includes a short-message-system network element to transmit short-message data to a plurality of session-initiation-protocol endpoints and a front-end processor coupled with the short-message-system network element to provide session-initiation-protocol services for translating the short-message data transmitted between the plurality of session-initiation-protocol endpoints.

Claims

1. A communication gateway comprising:

a front-end processor communicatively coupled to a short-message-system network element, the front-end processor providing session-initiation-protocol services for translating short-message data transmitted between a plurality of session-initiation-protocol endpoints, the front-end processor storing a firewall table; and

a master gateway communicatively coupled to the front-end processor and storing a plurality of external short-message entity profiles,

wherein the front-end processor manages the firewall table using the plurality of external short-message entity profiles.

2. The communication gateway of claim 1, wherein the front-end processor manages the firewall table to coordinate a response of the front-end processor to a security threat.

3. The communication gateway of claim 2, wherein the front-end processor executes a layer 2 firewall using the firewall table, the layer 2 firewall screening messages received from the plurality of session-initiation-protocol endpoints.

4. The communication gateway of claim 3, wherein the security threat is detected by the front-end processor.

5. The communication gateway of claim 4, wherein data pertaining to the security threat is shared with other front-end processors communicatively coupled to the master gateway.

6. The communication gateway of claim 1, wherein the short-message-system network element transmits short-message data to the plurality of session-initiation-protocol endpoints.

7. The communication gateway of claim 1, wherein the session-initiation-protocol services for translating short-message data comprises communicating with a plurality of Public Service Agencies for session-initiation-protocol translation and data delivery for emergency communication services.

8. The communication gateway of claim 1, wherein the front-end processor is communicatively coupled to the master gateway to coordinate session-initiation-protocol enablement among a plurality of front-end processors.

9. The communication gateway of claim 8, wherein the front-end processor is communicatively coupled to the master gateway via a short messaging system external short messaging entity.

10. The communication gateway of claim 1, wherein the short-message-system network element and the front-end processor share a common Internet Protocol address.

11. A system comprising:

a plurality of front-end processors each communicatively coupled to a respective one of a plurality of short-message system network elements, each of the plurality of front-end processors providing session-initiation-protocol services for translating short-message data transmitted between a plurality of session-initiation-protocol endpoints, each of the plurality of front-end processors storing a firewall table;

a master front-end processor communicatively coupled to each of the plurality of front-end processors and storing a plurality of external short-message entity profiles;

wherein each of the plurality of front-end processors manages its respective firewall table using the plurality of external short-message entity profiles.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of front-end processors manages its respective firewall table to coordinate a response of each of the plurality of front-end processors to a security threat.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the each of the plurality of front-end processors executes a respective layer 2 firewall using the firewall table, the respective layer 2 firewall screening messages received from the plurality of session-initiation-protocol endpoints.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the security threat is detected by one of the plurality of front-end processors.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein data pertaining to the security threat is shared with the plurality of front-end processors communicatively coupled to a master gateway.

16. A communication gateway comprising:

a front-end processor providing session-initiation-protocol services for translating short-message data transmitted between a plurality of session-initiation-protocol endpoints, the front-end processor storing a firewall table,

wherein the front-end processor is in communication with a master gateway storing a plurality of external short-message entity profiles, the front-end processor managing the firewall table using the plurality of external short-message entity profiles.

17. The communication gateway of claim 16, wherein the front-end processor manages the firewall table to coordinate a response of the front-end processor to a security threat.

18. The communication gateway of claim 17, wherein the front-end processor executes a layer 2 firewall using the firewall table, the layer 2 firewall screening messages received from the plurality of session-initiation-protocol endpoints.

19. The communication gateway of claim 18, wherein the security threat is detected by the front-end processor.

20. The communication gateway of claim 19, wherein data pertaining to the security threat is shared with other front-end processors communicatively coupled to the master gateway.