Dual protocol GPRS message center and method therefor

1. A method in a GPRS message center for delivering SMS messages to a mobile terminal, comprising:

determining whether a mobile terminal for which the GPRS message center is to transmit an SMS message is a GPRS ready mobile terminal capable of recieving SMS messages in a data packet format;

determining whether to transmit an SMS message over one of an SS7 network or a data packet network, wherein the GPRS message center transmits SMS messages in the data packet format as a default mode of operation to GPRS ready terminals capable of recieving SMS messages in the data packet format; and

transmitting the message over one of the SS7 network or the data packet network wherein, if transmitted over the data packet network, the messages are transmitted to a specified port address of a gateway GPRS support node, which specified port address is reserved for SMS messages that are GPRS based messages.

2. The method in a message center of claim 1 including the step of determining to transmit the message over the data packet network.

3. The method in a message center of claim 2 further including the step of converting the SMS message into a plurality of data packets, each data packet including a port address in a gateway GPRS support node.

4. The method in a message center of claim 3 transmitting the data packets that form the SMS message by way of a data packet network in a data packet format.

5. The method in a message center of claim 1 including the step of determining to transmit the SMS message over the SS7 network instead of over the data packet network.

6. The method in a message center of claim 5 including the step of transmitting the SMS message to a serving GPRS support node by way of the SS7 network.

7. A method in a GPRS message center for delivering an SMS message to a GPRS ready mobile terminal, comprising:

converting the SMS message into a plurality of data packets, each data packet including a port address in a gateway GPRS support node;

inserting a specified port address of a gateway GPRS support node into each of the packet headers which specified port address is reserved for SMS messages that are GPRS based messages; and

transmitting the data packets that form the SMS message by way of a data packet network in a data packet format to the specified port address within the gateway GPRS support node wherein the GPRS message center transmits SMS messages in the data packet format as a default mode of operation to GPRS ready terminals capable of receiving SMS messages in the data packet format.

8. The method in a GPRS message center of claim 7 for delivering an SMS message to a GPRS ready mobile terminal further including the step of determining whether to transmit the SMS message over the data packet network or over an SS7 network.

9. The method in a GPRS message center of claim 8 for delivering an SMS message to a GPRS ready mobile terminal further including the step of determining to transmit the SMS message over the data packet network to the gateway GPRS support node.

10. A GPRS message center, comprising:

an IP protocol module for transmitting SMS messages over a data packet network to a specified port address which specified port address is reserved for SMS messages that are GPRS based messages; and

an SMS message processing module for processing SMS messages for delivery to a GPRS capable mobile terminal, the processing module coupled to deliver SMS messages to the IP protocol module wherein the GPRS message center transmits SMS messages in the data packet format as a default mode of operation to GPRS ready terminals capable of receiving SMS messages in the data packet format.

11. The GPRS message center of claim 10 further including an SS7 protocol module for transmitting SMS messages over an SS7 network.

12. The GPRS message center of claim 10 further including logic to determine whether to transmit an SMS message over the data packet network or over the SS7 network.

13. The GPRS message center of claim 10 further including logic for forming a plurality of data packets, the data packets jointly carrying an SMS message.

14. The GPRS message center of claim 10 further including logic for inserting a specified data packet port address in a header of each of the plurality of data packets, the port address defining a gateway GPRS support node IP address for receiving data packets forming an SMS message.

15. A GPRS message center, comprising:

SMS message processing circuitry; and

dual mode transceiver circuitry coupled to receive SMS messages from the SMS message processing circuitry, the dual mode circuitry for transmitting SMS messages over at least one of a plurality of networks coupled to a plurality of network ports wherein, in a first mode of operation, the dual mode transceiver circuitry transmits the SMS messages to a specified port address of a gateway GPRS support node, which specified port address is reserved for SMS messages that are GPRS based messages.

16. The GPRS message center of claim 15 wherein the dual mode transceiver circuitry is formed to transmit SMS messages over a data packet network.

17. The GPRS message center of claim 15 wherein the dual mode transceiver circuitry is formed to transmit SMS messages over an IP network.

18. The GPRS message center of claim 15 wherein the dual mode transceiver circuitry is formed to transmit SMS messages over an SS7 network.

19. The GPRS message center of claim 15 wherein the SMS message processing circuitry defines logic for determining which one of a plurality of networks should be used for transmitting the SMS message.

20. The GPRS message center of claim 19 wherein the SMS message processing circuitry defines logic transmits the SMS messages over an IP network as a default.