Communication Network Signaling

• US 20120083243A1
• Filed: 11/01/2011
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ari Kahn
• Original Assignee: Ari Kahn
• Inventors: KAHN, Ari
• Application Number:
  US13/287,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20120083243A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/39 Arrangements for preventing metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/82 Criteria or parameters used for performing billing operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8221 Message based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/28 SMS billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Short message service (SMS) message processing is described. An SMS message is addressed in a short message entity (SME) device. The SMS message is addressed without providing any message content for the SMS message. The SMS message is sent to an SMS center, and rated based on no message content.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

addressing a short message service (SMS) message in a short message entity (SME) device;

without providing any message content for the SMS message, sending the SMS message to an SMS Center; and

rating the SMS message based on no message content.

2. The method of claim 1 where the SME device is a mobile handset.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising responsive to receipt of the SMS message at the SMS Center, delivering a SMS message with a predetermined message content to an intended recipient of the SMS message, wherein the predetermined message content is not specified by a sending party.

4. The method of claim 3 where delivering a message further includes determining a message body to be included in the SMS message to be delivered to the message recipient, and adding the message body to a message addressed to the message recipient and delivering the message including the predetermined message body to the message recipient.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising charging a message sender a reduced amount for sending a message with no message content.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising charging the message sender nothing for sending the message with no message content.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising forwarding the SMS message to a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) associated with a location of the message recipient and delivering the message to the message recipient.

8. The method of claim 1 where the step of without providing any message content for the SMS message includes providing only a signal code as a message body of the SMS message.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the signal code is a text character and where the text character is not delivered to a message recipient.

10. The method of claim 8 where the signal code is one or more text characters or symbols.

11. The method of claim 1 where the SME device is a computer.

12. The method of claim 1 where an intended recipient is a mobile device.

13. The method of claim 1 where both the SME device and the intended recipient are mobile devices.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the SMS message to the SMS Center without a message body.

15. The method of claim 1 where addressing includes addressing the SMS message to an intended recipient.

16. A method comprising:

addressing a short message service (SMS) message in a short message entity device; and

adding a signaling code to a message body of the SMS message and not providing any other content in the message body;

sending the SMS message to an SMS Center; and

rating the SMS message based on no additional message content.

17. The method of claim 16 where the SME device is a mobile phone.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising rating the SMS message based on the signaling code.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising responsive to receipt of the SMS message at the SMS Center, delivering a SMS message with a predetermined message content to an intended recipient of the SMS message, wherein the predetermined message content is not specified by a sending party.

20. The method of claim 19 where delivering a message further includes determining a message body to be included in the SMS message to be delivered to the message recipient, and adding the message body to a message addressed to the message recipient and delivering the message including the predetermined message body to the message recipient.

21. The method of claim 16 further comprising charging a message sender a reduced amount for sending a signaling message code with no additional message content.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising charging the message sender nothing for sending a signaling message code with no message content.

23. The method of claim 16 further comprising forwarding the SMS message to a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) associated with a location of the message recipient and delivering the message to the message recipient.

24. The method of claim 16 where the step of providing a signaling code includes providing a text character and where the text character is not delivered to a message recipient.

25. The method of claim 16 where the step of providing a signaling code includes providing a plurality of text characters or symbols as the message body.

26. A method comprising:

rating a text message based on no content provided with the text message.

27. The method of claim 26 where rating includes determining a cost to charge for the SMS message.

28. The method of claim 26 where rating includes determining a party to charge for the SMS message.

29. The method of claim 26 where rating includes determining a value to attribute for the SMS message.

30. A method comprising:

rating a text message based on a signaling code included as a body of the text message.

31. The method of claim 30 where rating includes determining a cost to charge for the SMS message.

32. The method of claim 30 where rating include determining a party to charge for the SMS message.

33. The method of claim 30 where rating includes determining a value to attribute for the SMS message.