Methods, systems, and computer readable media for tokenization of multimedia messages

1. A method for tokenization of multimedia messages in a store and forward messaging environment, the method comprising:

receiving a first multimedia messaging service (MMS) message containing a first payload prior to the first MMS message being received by a message recipient;

extracting the first payload;

caching the first payload;

associating a token with the first payload;

replacing, in the first MMS message, the first payload with a second payload containing the token thereby establishing a modified MMS message; and forwarding the modified MMS message to the message recipient,

wherein replacing, in the MMS message, the first payload with a second payload containing the token comprises replacing the first payload with the token having fewer bytes of information than the first payload.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first payload includes at least one of video information, audio information, or graphic information.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein associating a token with the first payload comprises associating a uniform resource locator (URL) with the first payload.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein caching the first payload comprises storing the first payload in a tokenization media cache that is accessible by a tokenization node.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein forwarding the modified MMS message to the message recipient comprises forwarding the modified MMS message to a store and forward multimedia messaging service center (MMSC).

6. The method of claim 1 , where in response to receiving from the message recipient a request for the second payload that includes the token, providing the first payload to the message recipient.

7. The method of claim 1 , where in response to subsequently receiving the modified MMS message, replacing the token with the first payload thereby forming a second modified message and forwarding the second modified MMS message to the message recipient.

8. A system for assigning and processing multimedia messages in a store and forward messaging environment, the system comprising:

a tokenization node for receiving a first multimedia messaging service (MMS) message containing a first payload prior to the first MMS message being received by a message recipient;

a tokenization module for extracting and caching the first payload and for associating a token with the first payload; and

wherein the first payload in the first MMS message is replaced with a second payload containing the token thereby forming a modified MMS message, and the modified MMS message being forwarded to the message recipient by the tokenization node,

wherein the token comprises fewer bytes of information than the first payload.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first payload comprises at least one of video information, audio information, or graphic information.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the token comprises a permanent token.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the permanent token comprises uniform resource locator (URL) uniquely associated with the first payload.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the token comprises a temporary token.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the temporary token comprises at least one of a letter, number, time and date stamp, or a subscriber identifier uniquely associated with the first payload.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first payload is stored in a tokenized media cache accessible by the tokenization node.

15. The system of claim 8 , the modified MMS message is forwarded to a store and forward multimedia messaging service center (MMSC).

16. The system of claim 8 , wherein the tokenization node sends the first payload to the message recipient upon receiving a request from the message recipient.

17. The system of claim 8 , where the tokenization node replaces the token with the first payload thereby forming a second modified message and forwards the second modified MMS message to the message recipient.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions that when executed by the processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:

receiving a first multimedia messaging service (MMS) message containing a first payload prior to the first MMS message being received by a message recipient;

extracting the first payload;

caching the first payload;

associating a token with the first payload;

replacing, in the first MMS message, the first payload with a second payload containing the token thereby establishing a modified MMS message; and forwarding the modified MMS message to the message recipient,

wherein replacing, in the MMS message, the first payload with a second payload containing the token comprises replacing the first payload with the token having fewer bytes of information than the first payload.