Preventing spam messages

• US 8,064,893 B1
• Filed: 01/09/2009
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Routt, William J., Kennedy, Jamie L., Upadhyay, Piyush
• Primary Examiner(s): Karikari; Kwasi
• Application Number:
  US12/351,460
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/417, 455/558, 455/550.1
• US Class Current: 455/417
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54

Abstract

A method for blocking unwanted messages sent to a mobile device is provided. In one embodiment, messages received when the MDN is deactivated are responded to with a message asking the sender to delete the MDN from the sender'"'"'s distribution list. In another embodiment, messages are received with a subscription date. The subscription date is compared to the most recent provisioning date of the MDN. If the provisioning date is after the subscription date, then the message is blocked and a reply message may be generated indicating to the sender that the MDN should be removed from the sender'"'"'s distribution list.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of canceling message subscriptions sent to a deactivated mobile directory number (“

MDN”

), the method comprising;

receiving a message sent to a deactivated MDN from a service provider, wherein the message is a text alert that is provided to a plurality of users that requested the text alert by subscribing to a service provider, and wherein the message is sent by the service provider to the plurality of users that subscribed to content provided by the service provider;

generating a reply message that indicates the deactivated MDN is not valid, wherein the reply message is understood by the service provider to be a request to remove the MDN from a distribution list; and

transmitting the reply message to the service provider.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein the reply message is an sm_response message.

3. The media of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a short message service router.

4. The media of claim 1, wherein the message is one or more of a multimedia message and a text message.

5. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of identifying messages sent to a new user of a mobile directory number (“

MDN”

) that were intended for an old user of the MDN, the method comprising;

receiving a message addressed to the MDN and containing a subscription date, wherein the subscription date is a date on which the old user subscribed to a service that sends messages to the MDN, wherein the subscription date is communicated within a header of the message;

determining that the subscription date is before a current provisioning date for the MDN, wherein the current provisioning date is when the MDN was provisioned to the current user of the MDN;

deleting the message, thereby preventing it from reaching the new user of the MDN;

generating a reply message that indicates the MDN should be removed from a distribution list associated with the service, wherein the reply message is an sm_response message; and

transmitting the reply message to a sender of the message.

6. The media of claim 5, wherein the message is a multimedia message.

7. The media of claim 5, wherein the message is a text message.

8. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of canceling a message subscription in response to receiving a cancellation message from a third party, the method including:

receiving a request from an old user to subscribe to a message alert service, wherein the request includes an MDN assigned to the old user;

transmitting a message to the MDN, wherein the message contains a subscription date, wherein the subscription date is a date on which the old user subscribed to the message alert service, wherein, at the time the message is transmitted to the MDN, the MDN is not presently assigned to a user, and wherein, at the time the message is transmitted to the MDN, the MDN is assigned to a new user;

receiving a reply message generated by a third party indicating the MDN should be removed from the subscription list; and

removing the MDN from the distribution list associated with the message alert service.

9. The media of claim 8, wherein, at the time the message is transmitted to the MDN, the MDN is assigned to a new user.

10. The media of claim 8, wherein the message is a text message.

11. The media of claim 8, wherein the reply message is an sm_response message.

12. The media of claim 11, wherein the third party is a provider of the radio access network providing service to the current user of the MDN.