Mobile-originated to HTTP communications
A mobile device-to-HTTP protocol gateway (MHG) which translates between Wireless Mobile Originated commands from an SMSC, and an application server on the Internet. A wireless Internet gateway establishes communications with one or more relevant SMSCs using standard format SMPP commands, and the MHG utilizes HTTP protocol POST messages to post short messages originated at the mobile device to a particular URL. Return results are received by the MHG via HTTP protocol messages, translated to SMPP messages, and forwarded back to the SMSC for delivery to the mobile device. The wireless Internet Gateway communicates with the MHG using RMI protocol commands. An MHG in the present invention enables a developer to create mobile applications using standard web development tools. The MHG allows standard format command messages to be used throughout the pathway between a mobile device and an application program on a web IP server at a particular URL.
1. A physical gateway, comprising:
a first communication path connected to said physical gateway to accept, at said physical gateway, a text message;
a translation module, at said physical gateway, to insert said text message into an Internet Protocol (IP) protocol message; and
a second communication path connected to said physical gateway to transmit, from said physical gateway, said IP protocol message to at least one universal resource locator (URL);
wherein said physical gateway facilitates two-way short message service communication between text message devices.
2. The physical gateway according to claim 1 , wherein:
said IP protocol message is a POST message.
3. The physical gateway according to claim 1 , wherein:
said text message originated from a wireless device.
4. The physical gateway according to claim 1 , wherein:
said text message is received via a Java Remote Method Invocation (RMI) callback mechanism.
5. The physical gateway according to claim 1 , wherein:
said second communication path is adapted to transmit said IP protocol message to a plurality of URLs.
6. The physical gateway according to claim 1 , wherein:
said second communication path accepts a return message from said at least one URL;
said translation module inserts said return message into another text message; and
said first communication path transmits said another text message to a short message service center.
7. The physical gateway according to claim 6 , wherein:
said return message conforms to HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
8. The physical gateway according to claim 1 , wherein:
said first communication path transmits a SUBMIT_SM message to a short message servicing center.
9. A method of communicating a text message with a physical gateway, comprising:
accepting, at a physical gateway, a text message from a first communication path connected to said physical gateway;
inserting, by a translation module of said physical gateway, said text message into an Internet Protocol (IP) protocol message; and
transmitting, from said physical gateway, on a second communication path connected to said physical gateway said IP protocol message to at least one universal resource locator (URL);
wherein said physical gateway facilitates two-way text message communication between text message devices.
10. The method of communicating a text message with a physical gateway according to claim 9 , wherein:
said IP protocol message is a POST message.
11. The method of communicating a text message with a physical gateway according to claim 9 , wherein:
said text message originated from a wireless device.
12. The method of communicating a text message with a physical gateway according to claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving said text message via a Java Remote Method Invocation (RMI) callback mechanism.
13. The method of communicating a text message with a physical gateway according to claim 9 , further comprising:
adapting said second communication path to transmit said IP protocol message to a plurality of URLs.
14. The method of communicating a text message with a physical gateway according to claim 9 , further comprising:
accepting, from said second communication path, a return message from said at least one URL;
inserting, with said translation module, said return message into another text message; and
transmitting, with said first communication path, said another text message to a short message service center.
15. The method of communicating a text message with a physical gateway according to claim 14 , wherein:
said return message conforms to HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
16. The method of communicating a text message with a physical gateway according to claim 14 , further comprising:
transmitting, with said first communication path, a SUBMIT_SM message to a short message servicing center.
17. The method of communicating a text message with a physical gateway according to claim 9 , wherein:
said second communication path accepts a return message from said at least one URL;
said translation module inserts said return message into another text message; and
said first communication path transmits said another text message to a short message service center.
18. The method of communicating a text message with a physical gateway according to claim 17 , wherein:
said return message conforms to HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) protocols.
19. The method of communicating a text message with a physical gateway according to claim 9 , wherein:
said first communication path transmits a SUBMIT_SM message to a short message servicing center.
20. A method of using a computer system to facilitate two-way communication between a mobile device and an Internet server, comprising:
the computer system receiving a text message via a first communication path;
the computer system inserting at least a message body of the text message into an Internet Protocol (IP) message; and
the computer system transmitting the IP message to the Internet server, via a second communication path,
wherein the text message originates from the mobile device as a short message service (SMS) text message, and wherein the SMS text message contains a multi-digit address that is fewer than seven digits and that is associated with a URL of the internet server.
21. The method as set forth in claim 20 , wherein the mobile device comprises a cellular telephone.
22. The method as set forth in claim 20 , wherein the SMS text message is received by the computer system via an SMS service center (SMSC).
23. The method as set forth in claim 22 , wherein the first communication path includes a path portion that traverses the SMSC.
24. The method as set forth in claim 20 , wherein the SMS text message is received by the computer system via a Short Message Peer-to-Peer (SMPP) protocol.
25. The method as set forth in claim 20 , wherein the second communication path includes the Internet.
26. The method as set forth in claim 20 , wherein the first communication path includes a path portion that traverses an SMS service center (SMSC).
27. The method as set forth in claim 26 , wherein the second communication path includes the Internet.
28. The method as set forth in claim 20 , further comprising translating the text message from the SMPP protocol to the IP protocol.
29. The method as set forth in claim 20 , further comprising receiving at the computer system a response message from the Internet server.
30. The method as set forth in claim 29 , wherein the response message comprises a response text message.
31. The method as set forth in claim 30 , wherein the response text message comprises an IP message having a message body that contains text.
32. The method as set forth in claim 30 , further comprising inserting at least a message body of the response text message into a return text message.
33. The method as set forth in claim 32 , further comprising transmitting the return text message to the mobile device via a Short Message Service Center (SMSC).
34. The method as set forth in claim 33 , wherein the return text message is transmitted to the SMSC via an SMPP protocol.
35. The method as set forth in claim 32 , wherein the return text message comprises an SMS message.
36. The method as set forth in claim 29 , further comprising translating a protocol of the response message from an Internet Protocol to another protocol.
37. The method as set forth in claim 36 , wherein the another protocol comprises a Short Message Peer-to-Peer (SMPP) protocol.
38. The method as set forth in claim 29 , further comprising the computer system transmitting the response message to the mobile device via a communication path that includes the Short Message Service Center (SMSC).
39. The method as set forth in claim 29 , wherein the response message comprises an HTTP message.
40. The method as set forth in claim 20 , wherein the Internet server is associated with a URL, and the message body of the text message does not contain the URL.
41. The method as set forth in claim 20 , wherein the text message contains no greater than 160 characters.
42. The method as set forth in claim 20 , further comprising receiving a delivery notification message from the IP server indicating whether or not the IP message was successfully delivered.
43. The method as set forth in claim 20 , wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the IP message to a web application instantiated on the Internet server.
44. The method as set forth in claim 20 , wherein the IP message comprises an HTTP message.
45. The method as set forth in claim 44 , wherein the HTTP message comprises an HTTP POST message.
46. The method as set forth in claim 20 , further comprising inserting a message identification field in the IP message to uniquely identify the IP message, wherein the inserting the message identification field facilitates the two-way communication.
47. The method as set forth in claim 20 , further comprising inserting a mobile device identifier into the IP message.
48. The method as set forth in claim 47 , wherein the message identifier enables tracking of the IP message.
49. The method as set forth in claim 20 , further comprising examining a field of the text message to determine if it has a first value or a second value, and inserting a message identifier into the IP message in the event it is determined that the field has a first value, and not inserting the message identifier into the IP message in the event it is determined that the field has a second value.
50. The method as set forth in claim 49 , wherein the message identifier enables tracking of the IP message.
51. The method as set forth in claim 49 , wherein the field comprises an esm_class field of the SMS message.
52. The method as set forth in claim 20 , wherein the computer system comprises a gateway.
53. The method as set forth in claim 20 , further comprising transmitting the IP message to a plurality of additional IP servers.
54. The method as set forth in claim 20 , wherein the SMS message includes a registered delivery flag.