Methods, systems, and computer readable media for short message delivery status report validation

1. A method for validating a short message delivery status report, the method comprising:

at a first network node and prior to receiving the short message delivery status report:

receiving a send routing information for short message response message containing a subscriber identifier indicating a mobile subscriber and a network node identifier indicating a current location of the mobile subscriber;

storing a network node identifier in a data entry of a data store that corresponds to the mobile subscriber indicated by the subscriber identifier;

forwarding the send routing information for short message response message to a requester;

receiving and forwarding a forward short message request message associated with the mobile subscriber; and

storing timing information associated with the forward short message request message in the data entry of the data store that corresponds to the mobile subscriber;

and further comprising, at the first network node:

receiving the short message delivery status report appearing to be associated with a short message delivery to the mobile subscriber;

determining, using the data store containing information about short message delivery attempts, whether the short message delivery status report is valid or invalid, wherein the information about the short message delivery attempts indicates a validation time period for receiving a valid short message delivery status report; and

performing a processing action based on the determination.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining that the short message delivery status report is valid includes determining that the short message delivery status report was received during the validation time period, and wherein the processing action includes processing the short message delivery status report or sending or forwarding the short message delivery status report to a home location register or a home subscriber server.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining that the short message delivery status report is invalid includes determining that the short message delivery status report was received after the validation time period expired or determining that the data store lacks information about a short message delivery attempt to the mobile subscriber, and wherein the processing action includes discarding the short message delivery status report, notifying a user or management entity, or preventing the short message delivery status report from being sent to a home location register or a home subscriber server.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the short message delivery status report includes a MAP-REPORT-SM-DELIVERY-STATUS message or a Report-SM-Delivery-Status-Request (RDR) message and includes a Mobile-Station-Not-Reachable-Flag (MSNRF) or message waiting indication (MWI) data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first network node includes a Diameter node, a Diameter routing agent, a Diameter signaling router, a short message service (SMS) firewall, a gateway, a signaling router, a signal transfer point (STP), a virtual STP, a home location register (HLR), or a home subscriber server (HSS).

6. A method for validating a short message delivery status report, the method comprising:

at a first network node:

receiving the short message delivery status report appearing to be associated with a short message delivery to a mobile subscriber;

determining, using a data store containing information about short message delivery attempts, whether the short message delivery status report is valid or invalid, wherein the information about the short message delivery attempts indicates a validation time period for receiving a valid short message delivery status report; and

performing a processing action based on the determination, wherein determining that the short message delivery status report is valid includes obtaining, using a subscriber identifier in the short message delivery status report, a data entry of the data store that corresponds to the mobile subscriber and determining that a network node identifier indicating a sender of the short message delivery status report matches information in the data entry of the data store that corresponds to the mobile subscriber.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the subscriber identifier includes an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI), a mobile station international subscriber directory number (MSISDN), or an equipment or subscriber identifier.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the network node identifier identifies a mobile switching center (MSC), a general packet radio service (GPRS) support node (SGSN), a gateway MSC (GMSC), a visitor location register (VLR), or a mobility management entity (MME).

9. A system for validating a short message delivery status report, the system comprising:

a first network node comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory,

wherein the first network node is configured for, prior to receiving the short message delivery status report:

receiving a send routing information for short message response message containing a subscriber identifier indicating a mobile subscriber and a network node identifier indicating a current location of the mobile subscriber;

storing a network node identifier in a data entry of a data store that corresponds to the mobile subscriber indicated by the subscriber identifier;

forwarding the send routing information for short message response message to a requester;

receiving and forwarding a forward short message request message associated with the mobile subscriber; and

storing timing information associated with the forward short message request message in the data entry of the data store that corresponds to the mobile subscriber and wherein the first network node is further configured for:

receiving the short message delivery status report appearing to be associated with a short message delivery to the mobile subscriber;

determining, using the data store containing information about short message delivery attempts, whether the short message delivery status report is valid or invalid, wherein the information about the short message delivery attempts indicates a validation time period for receiving a valid short message delivery status report; and

performing a processing action based on the determination.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein determining that the short message delivery status report is valid includes determining that the short message delivery status report was received during the validation time period, and wherein the processing action includes sending or forwarding the short message delivery status report to a home location register or a home subscriber server.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein determining that the short message delivery status report is invalid includes determining that the short message delivery status report was received after the validation time period expired or determining that the data store lacks information about a short message delivery attempt to the mobile subscriber, and wherein the processing action includes discarding the short message delivery status report, notifying a user or management entity; and preventing the short message delivery status report from being sent to a home location register or a home subscriber server.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the short message delivery status report includes a MAP-REPORT-SM-DELIVERY-STATUS message or a Report-SM-Delivery-Status-Request (RDR) message and includes a Mobile-Station-Not-Reachable-Flag (MSNRF) or message waiting indication (MWI) data.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the first network node includes a Diameter node, a Diameter routing agent, a Diameter signaling router, a short message service (SMS) firewall, a gateway, a signaling router, a signal transfer point (STP), a virtual STP, a home location register (HLR), or a home subscriber server (HSS).

14. A system for validating a short message delivery status report, the system comprising:

a first network node comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory,

wherein the first network node is configured for:

receiving the short message delivery status report appearing to be associated with a short message delivery to a mobile subscriber;

determining, using a data store containing information about short message delivery attempts, whether the short message delivery status report is valid or invalid, wherein the information about the short message delivery attempts indicates a validation time period for receiving a valid short message delivery status report; and

performing a processing action based on the determination, wherein determining that the short message delivery status report is valid includes obtaining, using a subscriber identifier in the short message delivery status report, a data entry of the data store that corresponds to the mobile subscriber and determining that a network node identifier indicating a sender of the short message delivery status report matches information in the data entry of the data store that corresponds to the mobile subscriber.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the subscriber identifier includes an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI), a mobile station international subscriber directory number (MSISDN), or an equipment or subscriber identifier.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the network node identifier identifies a mobile switching center (MSC), a general packet radio service (GPRS) support node (SGSN), a gateway MSC (GMSC), a visitor location register (VLR), or a mobility management entity (MME).

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions embodied in the non-transitory computer readable medium that when executed by at least one processor of at least one computer cause the at least one computer to perform steps comprising:

at a first network node and prior to receiving a short message delivery status report:

receiving a send routing information for short message response message containing a subscriber identifier indicating a mobile subscriber and a network node identifier indicating a current location of the mobile subscriber;

storing a network node identifier in a data entry of a data store that corresponds to the mobile subscriber indicated by the subscriber identifier;

forwarding the send routing information for short message response message to a requester;

receiving and forwarding a forward short message request message associated with the mobile subscriber; and

storing timing information associated with the forward short message request message in the data entry of the data store that corresponds to the mobile subscriber;

and further comprising, at the first network node:

receiving the short message delivery status report appearing to be associated with a short message delivery to the mobile subscriber;

determining, using the data store containing information about short message delivery attempts, whether the short message delivery status report is valid or invalid, wherein the information about the short message delivery attempts indicates a validation time period for receiving a valid short message delivery status report; and

performing a processing action based on the determination.