Intelligent short message delivery system and method
View Patent ↗An intelligent short message system can provide an integrated home location register and short message service center (HLR/SMSC). Upon receiving an indication from a mobile switching center (MSC) that an SMS message could not be delivered to a destination device, the integrated HLR/SMSC prevents further retries from being attempted until the destination device becomes available again.
1. A method for intelligently transmitting a short message system (SMS) message to a destination device, the method comprising the steps of:
at a functionally integrated home location register and short message service center (HLR/SMSC), receiving the SMS message from a sending device;
at the functionally integrated HLR/SMSC, determining a serving mobile switching center (MSC) to which the SMS message should be forwarded;
forwarding the SMS message to the serving MSC;
at the functionally integrated HLR/SMSC, in response to forwarding the SMS message to the serving MSC, receiving a failure notification from the serving MSC;
in response to receiving the failure notification, updating an integrated HLR/SMSC database at the functionally integrated HLR/SMSC to reflect a status of the destination device to prevent additional delivery attempts to the destination device until the status changes;
in response to the status changing, attempting a delivery attempt to the destination device; and
sending a message to a serving visitor location register (VLR) instructing the serving VLR to cancel the destination device from the records of the serving VLR, wherein canceling the destination device ensures that the serving VLR notifies the functionally integrated HLR/SMSC when the destination device is available to receive the SMS message, thereby conserving network bandwidth by preventing additional attempts to deliver the SMS message to a destination device when the destination device is unavailable to receive the SMS message.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of notifying the sending device of the status of the destination device.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein upon receiving an updated status of the destination device from a serving visitor location register (VLR), the SMS message is delivered to the destination device.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein upon receiving another attempt to forward the SMS message to the destination device, immediately notifying the sending device that the destination device is unavailable.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of forwarding the SMS message to a serving MSC only upon receiving a notification that the destination device is available to receive the SMS message.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message is forwarded to the serving MSC only when the database reflects that the destination device is available.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
receiving a registration notification from the serving MSC that the destination device is available;
updating the status of the destination device; and
forwarding the SMS message to the serving MSC for delivery to the destination device.
8. An intelligent SMS system, comprising a functionally integrated home location register and short message service center (HLR/SMSC) configured to perform the following functions:
receive an SMS message from a sending device for delivery to a destination device;
determine a serving mobile switching center (MSC) where the sending device is registered;
forward the SMS message to the serving MSC;
receive a delivery failure notification from the serving MSC;
update an integrated HLR/SMSC database to reflect that the destination device is unavailable to prevent additional delivery attempts to the destination device;
receive a registration notification from the serving MSC that the destination device is available;
update the integrated HLR/SMSC database to reflect that the destination device is available;
forward the SMS message to the serving MSC for delivery to the destination device; and
send a message to a serving visitor location register (VLR) to cancel the destination device from the records of the serving VLR, wherein canceling the destination device ensures that the serving VLR notifies the functionally integrated HLR/SMSC when the destination device is available to receive the SMS message, thereby conserving network bandwidth by preventing additional attempts to deliver the SMS message to a destination device that is unavailable to receive the SMS message.
9. The intelligent SMS system of claim 8 , wherein the functionally integrated HLR/SMSC is further configured to notify the sending device of the status of the destination device.
10. The intelligent SMS system of claim 8 , wherein upon receiving another attempt to forward the SMS message to the destination device, the functionally integrated HLR/SMSC automatically sends a failure notification to the sending device based on the unavailability of the destination device.
11. The intelligent SMS system of claim 8 , wherein upon receiving another attempt to forward the SMS message to the destination device, the functionally integrated HLR/SMSC performs the steps of:
checking the availability of the destination device by referencing the integrated HLR/SMSC database; and
if the destination device is recorded in the integrated HLR/SMSC database as being unavailable, immediately notifying the sending device that the destination device is unavailable.
12. The intelligent SMS system of claim 8 , wherein the functionally integrated HLR/SMSC is further configured to forward the SMS message to a serving MSC only when the integrated HLR/SMSC database does not list the destination device as being unavailable.
13. The intelligent SMS system of claim 8 , wherein the functionally integrated HLR/SMSC is further configured to store the SMS message in a queue and forward the SMS message to a serving MSC upon receiving a notification that the destination device is available to receive the SMS message.
14. A functionally integrated home location register and short message service center (HLR/SMSC) comprising:
an integrated HLR/SMSC database; and
a processor, wherein the processor is configured to perform the steps of:
receiving an SMS message from a sending device for delivery to a destination device;
determining a serving mobile switching center (MSC) to forward the received SMS message;
forwarding the SMS message to the serving MSC;
responsive to forwarding the received SMS message to the serving MSC, receiving a failure notification from the serving MSC;
updating the integrated HLR/SMSC database to reflect status of the destination device with respect to the received failure notification to prevent additional delivery attempts to the destination device; and
sending a message to a serving visitor location register (VLR) to cancel the destination device from active records of the serving VLR, wherein canceling the destination device ensures that the serving VLR notifies the functionally integrated HLR/SMSC when the destination device is available to receive the SMS message, thereby conserving network bandwidth by preventing additional delivery attempts to deliver the SMS message to a destination device that is unavailable to receive the SMS message.
15. The functionally integrated HLR/SMSC of claim 14 , wherein the processor further performs the step of notifying the sending device of the status of the destination device.
16. The functionally integrated HLR/SMSC of claim 14 , wherein upon receiving another attempt to forward the SMS message to the destination device, the processor further performs the step of automatically sending a failure notification to the sending device.
17. The functionally integrated HLR/SMSC of claim 14 , wherein upon receiving another attempt to forward the SMS message to the destination device, the processor further performs the step of immediately notifying the sending device that the destination device is unavailable.
18. The functionally integrated HLR/SMSC of claim 14 , wherein the processor further performs the step of forwarding the SMS message to a serving MSC only upon receiving a notification that the destination device is available to receive the SMS message.
19. The functionally integrated HLR/SMSC of claim 14 , wherein upon receiving an updated status of the destination device from a serving visitor location register (VLR), the SMS message is delivered to the destination device.
20. A method for intelligent delivery of short messages, comprising:
providing a functionally integrated home location register and short message service center (HLR/SMSC) comprising:
a home location register (HLR);
a short message service center (SMSC) linked to the HLR; and
an integrated HLR/SMSC database linked to the HLR and the SMSC;
at the functionally integrated HLR/SMSC, obtaining a failure result from a message delivery attempt by the SMSC for a destination device;
at the functionally integrated HLR/SMSC, using the obtained failure result to update status of the destination device so subsequent queries return that the destination device is unavailable for message receipt; and
at the functionally integrated HLR/SMSC, sending a message to a serving visitor location register (VLR) instructing the serving VLR to cancel the destination device from active records of the serving VLR, wherein canceling the destination device ensures that the serving VLR notifies the functionally integrated HLR/SMSC when the destination device is available to receive an SMS message, thereby conserving network bandwidth by preventing additional attempts to deliver the SMS message to a destination device when the destination device is unavailable to receive the SMS message.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the HLR and the SMSC are physically integrated into a single computer system.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the functionally integrated HLR/SMSC comprises a physically integrated HLR/SMSC with a single computer performing HLR and SMSC functions, and wherein the integrated HLR/SMSC database comprises a single database storing data relating to functions of the physically integrated HLR/SMSC.
23. A method for intelligent delivery of short messages, comprising:
providing a functionally integrated home location register and short message service center (HLR/SMSC) comprising:
a home location register (HLR);
a short message service center (SMSC) in communication with the HLR; and
an integrated HLR/SMSC database in communication with the HLR and the SMSC;
at the functionally integrated HLR/SMSC, evaluating a result of an unsuccessful short message service (SMS) delivery attempt to a destination device; and
responsive to the evaluation, at the functionally integrated HLR/SMSC, providing notification from the SMSC to the HLR that the destination device is no longer at a last known location; and
at the functionally integrated HLR/SMSC, sending a message to a serving visitor location register (VLR) instructing the serving VLR to cancel the destination device from records of the serving VLR, wherein canceling the destination device ensures that the serving VLR notifies the functionally integrated HLR/SMSC when the destination device is available to receive an SMS message, thereby conserving network bandwidth by preventing additional attempts to deliver the SMS message to a destination device when the destination device is unavailable to receive the SMS message.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the HLR and the SMSC are physically integrated into a single computer system.
25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the functionally integrated HLR/SMSC comprises a physically integrated HLR/SMSC with a single computer performing HLR and SMSC functions, and wherein the integrated HLR/SMSC database comprises a single database storing data relating to functions of the physically integrated HLR/SMSC.