Method and system for improved short message services

• US 7,245,928 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2004
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Numerex Corporation (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cellemetry, LLC (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Inventors: Simitses, William George, Criscolo, Michael J., Tarleton, Bryan Keith, Comer, Edward I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Congvan
• Application Number:
  US10/885,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20050170855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/435.1, 455/433, 455/432.3, 455/432.2
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A service provider uses a telemetry gateway to communicate with radio communication devices using various incompatible short message service (SMS) protocols. A communication, from the service provider to a radio communication device, passes through the telemetry gateway. The telemetry gateway determines the communication protocol of the radio communication device and converts the communication from a common protocol to the radio communication device'"'"'s protocol. The telemetry gateway also determines and sends the converted communication over the appropriate communication path for receipt by the radio communication device. The telemetry gateway is also operable for providing registration information and receiving a communication from a radio communication device. The telemetry gateway can convert the received communication to a common protocol and transmit the converted communication to the service provider.

Claims

1. A method for communicating a message from a telemetry device to a recipient comprising the steps of:

receiving at a telemetry gateway a registration notification corresponding to the message from a mobile switching center;

sending a registration notification response from the telemetry gateway to the mobile switching center confirming receipt of the registration notification;

receiving at the telemetry gateway the message from a signal transfer point, wherein the message comprises data content to be received by the recipient;

sending a confirmation response from the telemetry gateway to the mobile switching center upon receiving the message;

in response to receiving the message, converting the message at the telemetry gateway to a common protocol such that the recipient can receive the data content; and

as soon as the message is processed, transmitting the message from the telemetry gateway to the recipient according to a terminating address, whereby the message is processed and transmitted to the recipient without the completion of a store and forward process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the registration response comprises information about the telemetry device from which the message originated.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the received message has a protocol that is CDMA, TDMA, or GSM.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of conforming the message according to a preference of the recipient.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the recipient is an email system, a voicemail system, or a web-based messaging system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the telemetry device and the recipient subscribe to different communication carriers.

24. The method of claim 2, wherein the response to the registration notification comprises information about the telemetry device from which the message originated.

7. A method for communicating a message from a radio communication device to a recipient comprising the steps of:

receiving at a mobile switching center the message from the radio communication device, wherein the message comprises data content to be received by the recipient;

retrieving at the mobile switching center a profile associated with the radio communication device from a storage medium;

sending the message from the mobile switching center using information in the retrieved profile to a signal transfer point for routing to a telemetry gateway;

converting the message to a common protocol at the telemetry gateway;

transmitting the message from the telemetry gateway to the recipient; and

sending an acknowledgement from the mobile switching center to the radio communication device upon receiving the message.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of retrieving the profile further comprises,

if there is no profile in the storage medium,

requesting registration information associated with the radio communication device from the telemetry gateway;

and

creating a profile entry with the registration information in the storage medium.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the received message has a protocol that is CDMA, TDMA, or GSM.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the transmission of the converted message to the recipient is performed in accordance with a delivery preference of the recipient.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the recipient is an email system, a voicemail system, or a web-based messaging system.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the recipient and the radio communication device are associated with different communication earners.

13. A method for communicating a message from an originating communication device to a radio communication device comprising the steps of:

receiving at a telemetry gateway the message in a first format from the originating communication device;

sending a response from the telemetry gateway to the originating communication device acknowledging the receipt of the message;

transmitting from the telemetry gateway a routing request to a mobile switching center based on the information in the message;

receiving at the telemetry gateway a routing response for the message from the mobile switching center;

converting the first format of the message at the telemetry gateway to a second format based on the routing response such that the data content of the message can be received by the radio communication device; and

as soon as the message is processed, transmitting the converted message from the telemetry gateway to the mobile switching center for forwarding to the radio communication device, whereby the message is processed and transmitted to the recipient without the completion of a store and forward process.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the originating communication device and the radio communication device subscribe to different communication networks.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the originating communication device is an email system, a voicemail system, or a Web-based messaging system.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the second format is CDMA, TDMA, or GSM.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of transmitting a routing request to the mobile switching center further comprises,

if the mobile switching center does not recognize the radio communication device,

transmitting a qualification request from the mobile switching center to the telemetry gateway;

and

transmitting a qualification response identifying the radio communication device to the mobile switching center.

18. A method for communicating a message from a service provider to a telemetry device comprising the steps of:

receiving the message at the telemetry gateway from the service provider, wherein the message comprises data content to be received by the telemetry device;

sending a response from the telemetry gateway to the service provider acknowledging the receipt of the message;

transmitting from the telemetry gateway a route request associated with the message to a mobile switching center;

receiving at the telemetry gateway a route response for the message from the mobile switching center;

converting at the telemetry gateway the message from a first protocol to a second protocol based on the route response such that the data content of the message can be received by the telemetry device; and

as soon as the message is processed, transmitting the converted message from the telemetry gateway to the mobile switching center for forwarding to the telemetry device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a message delivery confirmation from the mobile switching center upon forwarding the converted message to the telemetry device; and

transmitting a message delivery notification to the service provider upon receipt of the message delivery confirmation.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the service provider and the telemetry device are associated with different communication networks.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the service provider is an email system, a voicemail system, or a Web-based messaging system.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the second protocol is CDMA, TDMA, or GSM.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of transmitting a route request to the mobile switching center futher comprises,

if the mobile switching center does not have access to a profile for the telemetry device,

receiving a qualification request from the mobile switching center;

and

transmitting a qualification response for creating a profile for the telemetry device to the mobile switching center.

25. A system for communicating a message from a radio communication device to a service provider comprising:

a mobile switching center operable for receiving the message from the radio communication device, wherein the message comprises data content to be received by the service provider; and

a telemetry gateway operable for

receiving the message from the mobile switching center,

converting the message from a first format chosen from at least three different wireless access formats to a common format such that the data content of the message can be received by the service provider, and

transmitting the convened message to the service provider.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising a signal transfer point operable for routing the message from the mobile switching center to the telemetry gateway.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the mobile switching center further comprises a visitor location register comprising a profile associated with the radio communication device.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the telemetry gateway further comprises a database comprising a data record associated with the service provider.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the service provider is operable for delivering the message as an email, a voicemail, or a page.

30. A system for communicating a message from a service provider to a radio communication device comprising:

a telemetry gateway coupled to the service provider, the telemetry gateway operable for

receiving the message from the service provider, wherein the message comprises data content to be received byte radio communication device;

requesting routing information associated with the message;

converting the message from a common format to a specific format such that the radio communication device can receive the data content, wherein the specific format is chosen from one of at least three different wireless data formats; and

as soon as the message is processed, transmitting the message from the telemetry gateway to a mobile switching center operable for receiving the converted message from the telemetry gateway and transmitting the convened message to the radio communication device, whereby the message is processed and transmitted by the telemetry gateway without the completion of a store and forward process.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the telemetry gateway further comprises a database comprising a data record associated with the service provider.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the mobile switching center further comprises a visitor location register comprising a profile associated with the radio communication device.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the service provider is operable for receiving the message as an email, a voicemail, or a page.