Reliable short messaging service

1 . A method for communicating messages between a message transmission architecture and a vehicle, the method comprising:

transmitting a short message service (SMS) message intended for a vehicle-based receiver;

monitoring for an acknowledgement (ACK) message generated in response to the SMS message, the ACK message indicating receipt of the SMS message by the vehicle based receiver; and

initiating a circuit switched communication connection with the vehicle-based receiver if no ACK message is received within a timeout period.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising re-transmitting the SMS message over the circuit switched communication connection.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting a SMS message occurs over a message channel.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the message channel is established at least in part by a wireless network base station coupled to the vehicle-based receiver.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the SMS message is transmitted from the wireless network base station to the vehicle-based receiver, and an ACK message from the vehicle-based receiver is received by the wireless network base station.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising establishing the circuit switched communication connection over a voice channel.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the voice channel is established at least in part by a wireless operator connection server coupled to the vehicle-based receiver.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the SMS message is transmitted from the wireless operator connection server to the vehicle-based receiver, and an ACK message from the vehicle-based receiver is received by the wireless operator connection server.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating a circuit switched communication connection comprises establishing a digital modem channel between the message transmission architecture and the vehicle-based receiver.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a NACK if the circuit switched connection fails to connect with the vehicle-based receiver.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising initiating a circuit switched communication connection with the vehicle-based receiver in response to a NACK.

12 . A method for providing short message service (SMS) between a message transmission architecture and a vehicle, the method comprising:

transmitting a SMS message over a message channel, the SMS message being intended for a vehicle-based receiver;

if no acknowledgement (ACK) message identifying receipt of the SMS message by the vehicle-based receiver is received within a timeout period, establishing a voice channel between the message transmission architecture and the vehicle-based receiver; and

re-transmitting the SMS message over the voice channel.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the voice channel is a circuit switched communication connection.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the voice channel is established at least in part by a wireless operator connection server coupled to the vehicle-based receiver.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the SMS message is transmitted from the wireless operator connection server to the vehicle-based receiver, and an ACK message from the vehicle-based receiver is received by the wireless operator connection server.

16 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising receiving a NACK if the circuit switched connection fails to connect with the vehicle-based receiver.

17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the message channel is established at least in part by a wireless network base station coupled to the vehicle-based receiver.

18 . A communication system for sending messages between a message transmission architecture and a vehicle, the method comprising:

means for transmitting a short message service (SMS) message intended for a vehicle-based receiver;

means for monitoring for an acknowledgement (ACK) message generated in response to the SMS message, the ACK message indicating receipt of the SMS message by the vehicle based receiver; and

means for initiating a circuit switched communication connection with the vehicle-based receiver if no ACK message is received within a timeout period.

19 . The communication system of claim 18 , further comprising means for re-transmitting the SMS message over the circuit switched communication connection.

20 . The communication system of claim 18 , said means for initiating comprising a digital modem configured to establish the circuit switched communication connection over a voice channel.