WO2004025977A1

WO2004025977A1 - Telecommunications services apparatus and methods

Info

Publication number: WO2004025977A1
Application number: PCT/GB2003/003975
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jeffrey Wilson
Original assignee: Intellprop Limited
Priority date: 2002-09-13
Filing date: 2003-09-12
Publication date: 2004-03-25
Also published as: GB0505860D0; AU2003263363A1; GB2409614B; GB2409614A; GB0221179D0

Abstract

An SMS router (2) identifies a characteristic in a received text message signal, the characteristic being, for example, an alphanumeric destination address within the SMS destination address field of the text message. In that event, the message is sent to a message processing means (3) which translates the message delivery function, for example from an SMS function to an email function. The message processing means (3) includes a non-personal translation table accessible to multiple subscribers for enabling the message delivery function translation. A reply message from the original destination address may then be forwarded to the message processing means (3), and the reply message may be translated back, for example, from email function to SMS function, so as to be sent back to the originator of the original message.

Description

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES APPARATUS AND METHODS

The present invention relates to telecommunications services apparatus and methods, and in the context of mobile telephone networks allowing messaging functions.

Text messaging is established as a popular and effective means of communication for users of mobile telephones. The Short Message Services (SMS) of the GSM mobile telephony system provide an example of such a text messaging facility, and support for the composition, transmission and reception of Short Messages is present in the majority of GSM mobile terminals. Text messaging requires alphanumeric entry using the standardised Man Machine Interface (MMI) of the mobile handset, and also requires that the message be addressed to the desired recipient. The destination address for the message may typically be specified either by entering a Mobile Station ISDN number (MSISDN) that is the mobile telephone number of the desired recipient, or by selecting an entry from the handset's address book that already has the desired MSISDN pre-programmed in. The address book normally provides the MSISDN by using alphanumeric look-up of a name.

The SMS mechanism was originally defined for mobile to mobile text messaging, but has been extended to permit communication between mobiles and fixed entities in the network known as SMS Hosts. SMS Hosts are typically used for receiving the results of SMS voting events, or transmitting messages such as football results in bulk to users who subscriber to a premium service for example. SMS Hosts are responsible for an increasing proportion of SMS traffic.

One of the features of SMS is that an identifier corresponding to the sender's identity is normally transmitted to the recipient. It may not be optionally withheld by the sender. Exceptions to this include certain specialised services which may be offered by an operator, such as chat or dating whereby an alternative or temporary CLI is presented to the recipient, permitting reply but obscuring the originator's identity. Apart from such exceptions, the Calling Line Identity (CLI) is normally sent and may be displayed in the form of an MSISDN, though most handsets will translate this to an alphanumeric name if there is a corresponding MSISDN entry in the handset's address book. This provides ease of recognition of the sender, without the recipient having to remember telephone numbers. The mobile CLI feature is analagous to the CLI facility available on fixed networks. Another benefit of receiving CLI is that a reply to the message is more easily achieved, without having to explicitly specify the return address. The MMI for mobile handsets in GSM defines Reply as a standard feature.

As an alternative to transmission of the CLI identifier as an MSISDN, the GSM system also supports the transmission of a short alphanumeric value or name of up to 11 characters instead. Support for reception and correct display of an alphanumeric CLI is almost universally available on recent mobile telephones. This facility is being used increasingly by SMS Hosts to brand the messages that are sent to subscribers. In most cases, telephone numbers associated with SMS Hosts or companies originating brand- related SMS traffic would not be pre-programmed into recipients' handsets. The CLI of such messages would therefore carry no value to the user in promoting or recognising the identity of the message source. By using an alphanumeric CLI (such as

'Coca-Cola' or 'Amex' (RTMs)) the user is immediately able to recognise the source, instead of receiving a message from an unrecognised number. In many cases, handsets are also able to originate messages with an alphanumeric CLI, and as services that make use of alphanumeric addresses increase in popularity it is likely that handset manufacturers will also improve the MMI in this area.

Systems have been proposed allowing a mobile subscriber to send a text message from a mobile handset and have the message delivered as an email to a specified email address. However the syntax for specifying the email address on the mobile handset is cumbersome and slow, and hence the facility when offered by a network is relatively little used. A further disadvantage of this arrangement is that the user must know in advance the desired destination email address. Although the domain name of many companies can be guessed, the complete email address of a company department that is able to handle messages or queries sent by email is generally not guessable. An additional complexity of such SMS to email services is that the reply path requires a correlation mechanism. When a message is originated from an email address and delivered to a mobile telephone, it is desirable that the mobile user should be able to reply to the sender using the SMS Reply function of the handset's MMI. To do this the CLI field of the original message delivered to the handset must contain a valid reply address. Since this can be either an MSISDN number or an 11 character alphanumeric string, it is not generally possible to directly store an email address there. Consequently the network must maintain a correlation mechanism. A special CLI value is generated and sent to the mobile handset with the message. The network stores the CLI value and the corresponding sender's email address. When the user replies, the special CLI is used as the destination address. This address causes the text message to be directed to the network's SMS to email gateway, where the corresponding destination email address is looked up and substituted.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a telecommunications services apparatus for use with a mobile telephone network utilising a first message delivery function, the apparatus comprising routing means for identifying a characteristic in a message signal received in the telephone network, and message processing means for translating the destination address in the message signal into a destination address for a second message delivery function different from the first delivery function, the routing means being operable to send the message signal to the message processing means in response to identification of the characteristic in the message signal, and the message processing means including a non-personal translation table accessible to multiple subscribers for enabling translation from destination addresses in received message signals according to the first message delivery function to destination addresses for the second message delivery function.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a telecommunications services method for a mobile telephone network utilising a first message delivery function, the method comprising identifying a characteristic in a message signal received in the telephone network, and translating the destination address in the message signal into a destination address for a second message delivery function different from the first delivery function, the message signal being routed for message processing in response to identification of the characteristic in the message signal, and the message processing utilising a non-personal translation table accessible to multiple subscribers for enabling translation from destination addresses in received message signals according to the first message delivery function to destination addresses for the second message delivery function.

Further aspects of the invention provide a computer program for carrying out the above method, and a storage medium on which such computer program is stored.

Key advantages of embodiments of the invention are that readily memorable or guessable alphanumeric addresses of up to 11 characters may be used to send a text message to a company or brand name, without the user having to know a full email address or telephone number of the company. In the case of sending to a brand name, it is not even necessary to know the identity of the company. No correlation mechanism for replies is required in the network, and so no unique address range needs to be reserved for generating CLIs for this purpose. The disclosed technique provides a direct link between brand name owners and the general public, allowing companies to communicate directly with the public and to capture the CLIs of users who contact them or reply.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, thoughout which like parts are referred to by like references, and in which:

Figure 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 2 is a block diagram of another embodiment of the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, the user of a mobile telephone is connected to a mobile network via a mobile switching centre (MSC) 1. Short messages originated by the user pass through an SMS router 2 or equivalent means for diverting certain messages. Suitable equipment to be used as the SMS router 2 is a Telsis (RTM) SMS Router, manufactured by Telsis Limited. This equipment may connect to mobile telephone networks using standardised signalling protocols including SS7 and TCP/IP. The SMS router 2 identifies certain messages according to their characteristics, and routes these messages to a message processing means 3. Other messages follow the normal path through the network and are delivered either directly to a destination MSC 7 or via a short message service centre (SMSC) 4 for store and forward delivery to the MSC 7. The message processing means 3 is operable to generate a response message, which is delivered back to the originator via the SMS router 2. If immediate delivery of the response is not possible, the message may be passed from the SMS router 2 to the SMSC 4 for store and forward delivery. Alternatively the message processing means 3 may be operable to send the processed message via an email gateway 5 where the message is converted to email format and delivered via an email network to a recipient email system 6. The recipient email system 6 may generate an email reply, in which case this is delivered via the email gateway 5. which converts the reply to SMS format and passes it to the message processing means 3. The reply is then delivered to the originator either directly via the SMS router 2, or by a store and forward method using the SMSC 4.

The operation of the system is now described in detail by means of a specific example. The example uses the technique to allow a mobile network subscriber to send a message to a brand identity without knowing any telephone number or email address relating to the company that owns the brand.

In this example, a mobile subscriber, perhaps prompted by advertising or a desire for current information, wishes to send a message to a company that manufactures a product called <BRANDX>. The company name is <COMPANYX> but the user is unaware of this. The user composes his message, which consists of the text <CURRENT COMPETITIONS?> and sends it to the alphanumeric address <BRANDX>. Only a small minority of major brand names are more than 11 characters long, but if this were the case the alphanumeric address could be truncated to be 11 characters long. The user's MSISDN CLI is referred to as <USERCLI> in the following text.

The message properties at this point are —

The message is sent to the network via the MSC 1 and arrives at the SMS router 2. The router 2 examines characteristics of the message and identifies this message as one of a class of messages that is to be directed to the message processing means 3. The characteristics that identify the message as such may be, for example, having an alphanumeric destination address, although other characteristics may be taken into account. Local intelligence in the SMS router 2 or equivalent function may be used to make this decision, or alternatively a centralised resource such as a Service Control Point (not shown) may be queried by the SMS router 2.

The message is then passed to the message processing means 3. The message processing means 3 determines that in this case the particular destination address indicates that the message is to be delivered by email to <COMPANYX>. This determination may be made by means of a lookup table, database or other means (not shown). The message processing means 3 also determines the new origination address and destination email address to be used. The storage function of the message processing means 3 acts as a non-personal translation table accessible to multiple subscribers.

A new origination address is required in order to ensure that any reply returns via a desired route, which in this example is back through the message processing means 3.

In order to avoid destroying the original destination address <BRANDX>, the message processing means 3 also stores this in some way. In this example the new origination address is created by including the original destination address along with an email domain name corresponding to the email gateway, forming the address <USERCLI>.<BRANDX>@<EMAILGATEWAYDOMA_N.COM> Many other suitable forms of address are possible.

A new destination address is required in order to deliver the message to an appropriate email address. Characteristics of the desired destination address may be looked up in a table or database using the original destination address <BRANDX>. In this example the new destination address is <SALES@COMPANYX.COM>.

The original destination address <BRANDX> may be prepended to the message content for the convenience of the recipient. The message is now passed to the email gateway 5 where it is converted to email format and delivered via an email network to the recipient email system 6.

The message properties at this point are; —

The primary purpose of the technique has now been demonstrated, which is to allow a user to deliver a message to an appropriate email address using only a text message and a brand name, and with no knowledge of telephone numbers, company names or email addresses being required. Furthermore, the CLI of the sender is now available to <COMPANYX>. The secondary purpose of the technique is to permit a reply, or origination, path from organisations such as <COMPANYX> to mobile subscribers. Using a reply to the previous case as an example, this works as follows.

An email reply consisting of text <BRANDX COMPETITION, PLEASE REPLY WITH YOUR FULL NAME TO ENTER> is generated at <COMPANYX>. This may then be sent using the normal reply facilities of standard email systems, whereby the origination address of a message is automatically used as the default reply address.

The reply properties at this point are —

This message arrives at the email gateway 5, is converted to SMS format and passed to the message processing means 3. The message addresses are then further transformed to be appropriate for the mobile telephone network, and to permit further reply by the user.

The user's telephone number and the brand name are extracted from the email destination address by the message processing means 3. The reply properties at this point are —

<BRANDX> is returned as the CLI of the reply, so that the user can easily send a further response.

An alternative embodiment of the invention is now described with reference to Figure 2. This embodiment achieves substantially the same results as the previous example, except that the means of delivery of the message from the apparatus to the first recipient uses a different transport mechanism from the previous example of Figure 1, which used email.

In this second example a mobile subscriber wishes to send a message to a company that manufactures a product called <BRANDZ>. The company name is <COMPANYZ> but the user is unaware of this. The user composes his message, which consists of the text <CURRENT COMPETITIONS?> and sends it to the alphanumeric address <BRANDZ>.

The message properties at this point are —

Referring to Figure 2, the message is sent to the network via the MSC 1 and arrives at the SMS router 2. The router 2 examines characteristics of the message and identifies this message as one of a class of messages that is to be directed to the message processing means 3.

The message is accordingly passed to the message processing means 3. The message processing means 3 determines that in this case the particular destination address indicates that the message is to be delivered to <COMPANYZ>. This determination may be made by means of a lookup table, database or other means (not shown). The message processing means 3 also determines the new origination address and destination address to be used. In this case the message processing means 3 determines that the preferred path for delivery is via a communication link to the destination company. Examples of this arrangement may arise from commercial agreements between networks and corporate customers for example, whereby dedicated communication links are set up between the respective organisations for efficient transfer of information. Examples of such communication links include TCP/IP connections, leased lines, dial-up connections and X.25 links. The communication links may be permanent or connected on demand.

In this example, a TCP/IP link is established between the apparatus and the destination company, and the message is formed and transmitted over this link, although other implementations are possible. Information corresponding to the origination address and the original destination address are included in the message protocol.

A new destination TCP/IP address is required in order to deliver the message to the correct destination. Characteristics of the desired destination address may be looked up in a table or database (not shown) using the original destination address <BRANDZ>. In this example the new destination address is a TCP/IP address.

The original destination address <BRANDZ> may be included in the message content for the convenience of the recipient. The message is now passed to a dedicated connection interface 5' where it is transmitted to a recipient message system 6'. The message properties at this point are —

A reply message containing the text <BRANDZ COMPETITION, PLEASE REPLY WITH YOUR FULL NAME TO ENTER> is generated at <COMPANYZ>. This may then be sent back to the apparatus using the address provided in the original message, and including in the protocol the originating user's CLI, and the original destination address <BRANDZ>.

The reply properties at this point are —

This message arrives at the dedicated connection interface 5', is converted to SMS format and passed to the message processing means 3. The message addresses are then further transformed to be appropriate for the mobile telephone network, and to permit further reply by the user.

The user's telephone number and the brand name are extracted from the message. The reply properties at this point are —

<BRANDZ> is returned as the CLI of the reply, so that the user can easily send a further response.

Security issues are important for an email reply path, as with all systems that allow SMS messages to be initiated from the Internet. It is desirable for the mobile network operator to be able authenticate traffic with a source address indicating for example <COMPANYX> as genuinely originating from there. It is also desirable to be able to block unauthorised traffic from the Internet from obtaining access to mobile subscribers via the apparatus. Known techniques such as digital signatures can be employed to provide the desired level of security. Using such techniques the mobile network is able to control and police the access to the apparatus. If desired, traffic arriving at the gateway may be restricted to replies to mobile originated messages, or alternatively, particular destinations may be allowed also to originate messages to subscribers.

In both Figure 1 and Figure 2 embodiments, further measures may be necessary in the event that direct delivery of a reply SMS message from the SMS router 2 to the MSC 7 is unsuccessful. In GSM, only a mobile terminated (MT) SMS message can support an alphanumeric CLI. MT mode must be used when a mobile handset is the intended destination. When an SMSC is the destination, mobile originated (MO) mode must be used which does not support alphanumeric CLI. So for fallback to an SMSC, such as the SMSC 4, in the event of unsuccessful direct delivery by the SMS router 2, the path from the router 2 to the SMSC 4 cannot carry the alphanumeric CLI. The following techniques are available to deal with this problem.

1. Fall back to a numeric CLI in the event of unsuccessful direct delivery. 2. Incorporate a special SMSC that can accept MT messages as well as MO, and use MT mode to preserve the alphanumeric CLI.

3. Implement storage and retry in the SMS router 2.

4. Fail the reply back to the intermediary server/email gateway and implement retry at that point. 5. Fail right back to the email client indicating temporary unavailability, placing the onus of delivery on the corporate entity.

In either embodiment, the present invention can be combined with known virtual mobile (NM) techniques to allow access to the functionality from other networks. In this case, the functions described as being implemented on the SMS router with an associated translation table could be implemented on the virtual mobile equipment (VME) using a similar table.

In so far as the embodiments of the invention described above may be implemented, at least in part, using software-controlled processing apparatus, it will be appreciated that a computer program providing such software control and a storage medium by which such a computer program is stored are envisaged as aspects of the invention.

Claims

1. Telecommunications services apparatus for use with a mobile telephone network utilising a first message delivery function, the apparatus comprising routing means for identifying a characteristic in a message signal received in the telephone network, and message processing means for translating the destination address in the message signal into a destination address for a second message delivery function different from the first delivery function, the routing means being operable to send the message signal to the message processing means in response to identification of the characteristic in the message signal, and the message processing means including a non-personal translation table accessible to multiple subscribers for enabling translation from destination addresses in received message signals according to the first message delivery function to destination addresses for the second message delivery function.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, including message delivery means for forwarding the message signal to a destination address according to the second message delivery function, the message delivery means being additionally operable to receive a reply message signal from the original destination address and to forward the reply message signal to the message processing means for enabling translation of the reply destination address into accord with the first message delivery function such that the reply message signal may be sent to the originator of the original message signal.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the characteristic in the message signal to be identified by the routing means is when the destination address is in alphanumeric form.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the alphanumeric destination address is carried within an SMS destination address field.

5. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first message delivery function is a mobile network text message function.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the mobile network text message function is in accordance with the short message service (SMS).

7. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second message delivery function is an email function.

8. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second message delivery function is a TCP/IP function.

9. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the routing means comprises an SMS router.

10. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the routing means comprises a virtual mobile equipment (NME).

11. A telecommunications services method for a mobile telephone network utilising a first message delivery function, the method comprising identifying a characteristic in a message signal received in the telephone network, and translating the destination address in the message signal into a destination address for a second message delivery function different from the first delivery function, the message signal being routed for message processing in response to identification of the characteristic in the message signal, and the message processing utilising a non-personal translation table accessible to multiple subscribers for enabling translation from destination addresses in received message signals according to the first message delivery function to destination addresses for the second message delivery function.

12. A method according to claim 11, including forwarding the message signal to a destination address according to the second message delivery function, receiving a reply message signal from the original destination address, and forwarding the reply message signal for message processing to enable translation of the reply destination address into accord with the first message delivery function such that the reply message signal may be sent to the originator of the original message signal.

13. A method according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the characteristic in the message signal to be identified is when the destination address is in alphanumeric form.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the alphanumeric destination address is carried within an SMS destination address field.

15. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the first message delivery function is a mobile network text message function.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the mobile network text message function is in accordance with the short message service (SMS).

17. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein the second message delivery function is an email function.

18. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein the second message delivery function is a TCP/IP function.

19. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 18, wherein the message signal routing is performed by an SMS router.

20. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 18, wherein the message signal routing is performed by a virtual mobile equipment (NME).

21. A computer program for implementing a method according to any one ofclaims l l to 20.

22. A storage medium storing a computer program according to claim 21.