Techniques for a custom short message service center

• US 9,706,398 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Frederick, Adriel, Fu, Antony, Rehwald, Martin, Moreno, Denise, Gadodia, Surendra
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Liangche A
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUANG, KAYLEE J
• Application Number:
  US13/799,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20140173002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 709205, 709206, 709223, 709224, 709202, 709238
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

Techniques for a custom short message service center are described. An apparatus may comprise a custom short message service center (SMSC) comprising a reception component, a transmission component, and a control component. The reception component may be operative to receive a short message service (SMS) message for communication to a device from a sender. The transmission component may be operative to initiate transmission of the message to the device. The control component may be operative to monitor the transmission of the message to the device. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor circuit;

a hardware communications component; and

a custom short message service center (SMSC) comprising;

a reception component operative on the processor circuit to receive, via the communications component, a short message service (SMS) message for communication to a device from a sender, the sender is a notification engine for a social networking service, the received message comprising a notification to a subscriber of the social networking service;

a transmission component operative on the processor circuit to initiate transmission of the message to the device; and

a control component operative on the processor circuit to manage, modify, and cancel the transmission of the message to the device on behalf of the sender, to receive a phone number registered with the subscriber from the social network service, and to query a database of device subscriber information with the phone number for device information associated with the phone number prior to transmission of the message to the device, to compare the device information from the database to previously recorded device information of the subscriber to determine that the device is associated with the subscriber of the social networking service when the device information from the database matches the previously recorded device information, to allow the transmission of the message to the device based on determining that the device is associated with the subscriber, to monitor the transmission of the message to the device, including recording a reason for a failed delivery attempt and whether a transmission is cancelled or delayed by the transmission component, and to transmit to the sender status information about the transmission of the message as the transmission is in progress.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the transmission component operative to transmit a partial message to the device and to determine that the partial message was not delivered to the device, the control component operative to notify the sender that the device is not available in response to the partial message not being delivered.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the control component operative, to analyze the device information to determine that the device is not associated with the subscriber, and to cancel the transmission of the message to the device based on determining that the device is not associated with the subscriber.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the control component operative to receive a request from the sender to cancel the transmission of the message to the device, the transmission component operative to cancel the transmission of the message to the device in response to the received request.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the reception component operative to receive a second SMS message for communication to the device from the sender, the control component operative to combine the message and the second SMS message into a third message, the transmission component operative to replace the message with the third message for transmission to the device.

6. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a short message service (SMS) message for communication to a device from a sender, the sender is a notification engine for a social networking service, the received message comprising a notification to a subscriber of the social networking service;

receiving a phone number registered with the subscriber from the social network service;

querying a database of device subscriber information with the phone number for device information associated with the phone number prior to transmission of the message to the device;

comparing the device information from the database to previously recorded device information of the subscriber to determine that the device is associated with the subscriber when the device information from the database matches the previously recorded device information;

allowing the transmission of the message to the device based on determining that the device is associated with the subscriber of the social networking service;

initiating the transmission of the message to the device;

monitoring the transmission of the message to the device, including recording a reason for a failed delivery attempt and whether a transmission is cancelled or delayed by the transmission component; and

transmitting to the sender status information about the transmission of the message as the transmission is in progress.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, comprising:

transmitting a partial message to the device;

determining that the partial message was not delivered to the device;

notifying the sender that the device is not available in response to the partial message not being delivered.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, comprising:

analyzing the device information to determine that the device is not associated with the subscriber; and

cancelling the transmission of the message to the device based on determining that the device is not associated with the subscriber.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, comprising:

receiving a request from the sender to cancel the transmission of the message to the device; and

cancelling the transmission of the message to the device in response to the received request.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, comprising:

receiving a second SMS message for communication to the device from the sender;

combining the message and the second SMS message into a third message; and

replacing the message with the third message for transmission to the device.

11. At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:

receive a short message service (SMS) message for communication to a device from a sender, the received message comprising a notification to a subscriber of a social networking service, the sender is a notification engine for the social networking service;

receive a phone number registered with the subscriber from the service;

query a database of device subscriber information with the phone number for device information associated with the phone number prior to transmission of the message to the device

compare the device information from the database to previously recorded device information of the subscriber to determine that the device is associated with the subscriber of the social networking service when the device information from the database matches the previously recorded device information;

allow the transmission of the message to the device based on determining that the device is associated with the subscriber;

initiate the transmission of the message to the device;

monitor the transmission of the message to the device, including recording a reason for a failed delivery attempt and whether a transmission is cancelled or delayed by the transmission component, and

transmit to the sender status information about the transmission of the message as the transmission is in progress.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

determine that the partial message was not delivered to the device;

notify the sender that the device is not available in response to the partial message not being delivered.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

analyze the device information to determine that the device is not associated with the subscriber; and

cancel the transmission of the message to the device based on determining that the device is not associated with the subscriber.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

receive a request from the sender to cancel the transmission of the message to the device; and

cancel the transmission of the message to the device in response to the received request.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

receive a second SMS message for communication to the device from the sender;

combine the message and the second SMS message into a third message; and

replace the message with the third message for transmission to the device.