WO2009009359A1

WO2009009359A1 - Method and system for multicasting a short message

Info

Publication number: WO2009009359A1
Application number: PCT/US2008/068964
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hong Wang
Original assignee: Motorola, Inc.
Priority date: 2007-07-10
Filing date: 2008-07-02
Publication date: 2009-01-15
Also published as: CN101345907A

Abstract

A method for multicasting a short message enables efficient transmission of multiple short messages in a communication network. The method includes processing a content short message and a multicast address short message from a sending terminal (step 405). The content short message is then multicast to destinations defined by the multicast address short message (step 410).

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MULTICASTING A SHORT MESSAGE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to multicasting a short message. In particular, although not exclusively, the invention relates to multicasting a short message using both a message that includes message content and a message that includes multiple destination addresses.

BACKGROUND Many wireless communication services, such as the Global System for Mobile

Communications (GSM), include millions of mobile phone subscribers and offer world-wide coverage, high voice clarity and additional services. The additional services include short message service (SMS), enhanced messaging service (EMS), and multimedia messaging service (MMS). For example, SMS users can send and receive short alphanumeric messages up to 160 characters in length. SMS was originally developed as a simple paging mechanism for notifying mobile phone users that a voicemail message was waiting for them. However SMS users quickly adopted SMS for use as a general messaging service. Billions of SMS messages are now sent throughout the world every month. EMS and MMS extend the capabilities of SMS messaging to include color pictures, sound and video. Like SMS, both EMS and MMS messages can also include plain text. A plain text message is generally typed into a keypad on a mobile phone. The text message is then translated into a Transport Protocol Data Unit (TP- DU). A TP-DU is a hexadecimal string that generally includes some control information in a header followed by user data that include simple text messages. The TP-DU is then sent to a Service Center (SC) of an SMS communication network and routed to a destination device such as another mobile phone.

Currently, multicasting a short message to a group of recipients using SMS, EMS, or MMS involves a sending terminal, such as a mobile phone, transmitting the short message repeatedly in order to deliver the short message to each recipient in the group. For example, if a mobile phone user wants to multicast an SMS message to a group comprising 20 recipients, the mobile phone needs to transmit the SMS message 20 times. This method of multicasting can unnecessarily consume resources and quickly drain battery power from mobile handsets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to exemplary embodiments as illustrated with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein like reference numbers refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views. The figures together with a detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate the embodiments and explain various principles and advantages, in accordance with the present invention, where:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating components of a Short Message Service (SMS) communications network for multicasting a short message from a sending terminal to multiple destination stations, according to some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram illustrating a method for multicasting a short message, according to some embodiments of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating components of a Service Center

(SC) of an SMS communication network, according to some embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a general flow diagram illustrating a method for multicasting a short message, according to some embodiments of the present invention. Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before describing in detail embodiments that are in accordance with the present invention, it should be observed that the embodiments reside primarily in combinations of method steps and apparatus components related to multicasting a short message. Accordingly, the apparatus components and method steps have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

In this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element preceded by "comprises a ..." does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.

Thus some embodiments of the present invention include a method for multicasting a short message. The method includes processing a content short message and a multicast address short message received from a sending terminal such as a mobile telephone. The content short message includes message content such as text, graphics, or multimedia objects, and the multicast address short message includes destination information used to identify addresses of the intended multicast recipients. For example, both the content short message and the multicast address short message can be received from a mobile telephone at a Service Center (SC) in an SMS communication network. The SC then multicasts the content short message to destinations defined by the multicast address short message.

Thus a content short message can be, for example, an SMS message containing message content and a multicast address short message can be another SMS message containing multiple telephone numbers to which the message content should be sent. After a mobile telephone initiates an SMS message transaction with a Mobile-services Switching Center (MSC) that is serving the mobile telephone, the mobile telephone sends a content short message and a multicast address short message to the MSC. Each message can be sent in a separate SMS-DELIVERY, which is a Transfer Protocol Data Unit (TP-DU) used to exchange a short message between an MSC and a sending terminal, such as a mobile telephone. The MSC then forwards both short messages to an SC in an SMS-SUBMIT, which is a TP-DU used to exchange a short message between an MSC and an SC. The SC then can multicast the content short message to destinations defined by the multicast address short message. For instance, the SC can generate duplicates of the content short message and each duplicate is then routed to a particular destination.

Referring to FIG. 1, a block diagram illustrates components of a Short Message Service (SMS) communications network 100 for multicasting a short message from a sending terminal to multiple destination stations, according to some embodiments of the present invention. A sending terminal can be a mobile sending terminal 105, such as a mobile telephone, or a wired sending terminal 110, such as a personal computer (PC) or a land-line based telephone. A destination station can be a mobile destination station 115, 120, 125, or 130, each comprising a mobile telephone, or a wired destination station (not shown). The mobile sending terminal 105 and each mobile destination station 115, 120, 125, 130 connect to the SMS communications network 100 wirelessly via a Base Transceiver Station (BTS) 131.

Both a content short message and a multicast address short message originating from the mobile sending terminal 105 can be transferred to a Service Center (SC) 135 via a Mobile-services Switching Center (MSC) 140, which is serving the mobile sending terminal 105, and via an SMS Interworking MSC (SMS-IWMSC) 145. The SC 135 then can multicast the content short message to destinations defined by the multicast address short message. For example, consider that identifications of the mobile destination stations 115 and 125 are included in a list of destinations defined by the multicast address short message. The SC 135 makes a first SMS message by duplicating the content short message and changing a Transport Protocol Destination Address (TP-DA) value of the first SMS message to an address of the mobile destination station 115. The SC 135 then makes a second SMS message by duplicating the content short message and changing a TP-DA value of the second SMS message to an address of the mobile destination station 125. The first and second SMS messages then can be forwarded to the mobile destination stations 115 and 125, respectively. For Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) purposes, the SC 135 can generate a call detail record comprising destination information defined by the multicast address short message. For example, the call detail record can comprise Transfer Protocol User Data (TP-UD) obtained from the multicast address short message. The SC then can transmit the call detail record to a billing center 146.

Transmitting an SMS message from the Service Center (SC) 135 to the mobile destination stations 115, 120, 125, 130 over the SMS communications network 100 can involve the following process. First, the SC 135 encapsulates the SMS message and transmits it in packets to a Short Message Service Gateway Mobile-services Switching Center (SMS-GMSC) 150. The SMS-GMSC 150 then requests routing information from one or more Home Location Registers (HLRs) 155 that are associated with the mobile destination stations 115, 120, 125, 130. For simplicity and clarity, each of the mobile destination stations 115, 120, 125, 130 is shown as associated with a single HLR 155. The HLR 155 stores subscriber data concerning the mobile destination stations

115, 120, 125, 130, such as a Mobile Subscriber Integrated Service Digital Network (MSISDN) number of each of the mobile destination stations 115, 120, 125, 130. The HLR 155 also stores identities of the Mobile-services Switching Centers (MSCs) 160 that are providing current service to the mobile destination stations 115, 120, 125, 130. A Visitor Location Register (VLR) 165 associated with an MSC 160 provides subscriber data and an identity of the MSC 160 to the HLR 155 when a subscriber, such as a mobile telephone, visits the MSC 160. In response to a request for routing information, the HLR 155 thus uses the MSISDNs to access information about the location of the mobile destination stations 115, 120, 125, 130, and identifies one or more MSCs 160 that are currently serving the mobile destination stations 115, 120, 125, 130.

Using the routing information, the SMS-GMSC 150 routes the SMS message to the MSC 160. The MSC 160 then delivers the SMS message to the mobile destination stations 115, 120, 125, 130 using a wireless data channel, such as a Slow Associated Control Channel (SACCH). Each of the mobile destination stations 115, 120, 125, 130 stores the SMS message in, for example, a local SIM card from where it can be retrieved for viewing by a user. Finally, after a mobile destination station 115, 120, 125, 130 successfully receives an SMS message, it transmits a successful delivery report to the MSC 160, which report is then passed through the SMS-GMSC 150 back to the SC 135. Referring to FIG. 2, a sequence diagram illustrates a method 200 for multicasting a short message through the SMS communications network 100, according to some embodiments of the present invention. At step 205, the mobile sending terminal 105 initiates an SMS message transaction by requesting access to the MSC 140 or a Serving General packet radio service Support Node (SGSN) (not shown) that is serving the mobile sending terminal 105.

After an authentication procedure, at step 210 the mobile sending terminal 105 transfers a content short message to the MSC 140. At step 215, the MSC 140 then forwards the content short message to the SC 135. For example, the mobile sending terminal 105 can transmit the content short message in a first SMS-DELIVERY Transfer Protocol Data Unit (TP-DU) to the MSC 140 that is serving the mobile sending terminal 105. The MSC 140 then can forward the content short message to the SC 135 in a first SMS-SUBMIT Transfer Protocol Data Unit (TP-DU).

At step 220, the mobile sending terminal 105 transfers the multicast address short message to the MSC 140. At step 225, the MSC 140 then forwards the multicast address short message to the SC 135. For example, the mobile sending terminal 105 can transfer the multicast address short message in a second SMS-DELIVERY TP- DU sent to the MSC 140 that is serving the mobile sending terminal 105. The MSC 140 then can forward the multicast address short message to the SC 135 in a second SMS-SUBMIT TP-DU.

At step 230, the SC 135 then processes the content short message and the multicast address short message received from the mobile sending terminal 105. For example, the SC 135 can determine that the short messages are for multicasting by identifying that the SMS-SUBMIT TP-DUs of the short messages do not include destination addresses.

At step 235, the SC 135 then multicasts the content short message to destinations defined by the multicast address short message. For example, the SC 135 can make a first duplicate of the content short message and route it to a first mobile destination station, such as the mobile destination station 115. The SC 135 then can make a second duplicate of the content short message and route it to a second mobile destination station, such as the mobile destination station 125. This process of duplicating and routing can be repeated until the content short message is sent to all of the destinations defined by the multicast address short message. The duplicated content short messages can be routed according to a process similar to that described above concerning the SMS communications network 100.

After a successful multicasting of the content short message, at step 240 the SC 135 then reports a delivery report to the MSC 140. At step 245, the MSC 140 then forwards the delivery report to the mobile sending terminal 105 to close the SMS message transaction.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the content short message and the multicast address short message each are translated into an SMS- SUBMIT Transfer Protocol Data Unit for short message service messages. For example, the first SMS-SUBMIT TP-DU is used to forward the content short message from the MSC 140 to the SC 135, and the second SMS-SUBMIT TP-DU is used to forward the multicast address short message from the MSC 140 to the SC 135.

Further, both the content short message and the multicast address short message can be processed in one transaction. That means, for example, that a first SMS-SUBMIT TP-DU including the content short message, and a second SMS- SUBMIT TP-DU including the multicast address short message, can be processed in one short message service transaction. In alternative embodiments of the present invention, the content short message and the multicast address short message can be processed in separate transactions. That means, for example, that the SMS-SUBMIT TP-DUs for the content short message and the multicast address short message can be processed in separate short message service transactions.

Various means can be used to indicate that the content short message and the multicast address short messages concern multicasting. For example, the short messages can omit destination addresses. Therefore, according to some embodiments of the present invention, SMS-SUBMIT Transfer Protocol Data Units (TP-DUs) for the content short message and the multicast address short message can include no destination addresses. Thus the SC 135 can inspect Transfer Protocol Destination Address (TP-DA) values of received SMS-SUBMIT TP-DUs to identify whether the associated short messages are for multicasting.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the content short message can indicate that a corresponding multicast address short message defines destination addresses of the content short message. Alternatively, the multicast address short message can indicate that a corresponding content short message defines content to be sent to the destinations included in the multicast address short message. For example, the content short message and the multicast address short message can be associated using Transfer Protocol Message Reference (TP-MR) values. A multicast address short message can include a TP-MR value of a content short message to indicate that the multicast address short message defines destination addresses of the content short message. The TP-MR value of the content short message can be included in Transfer Protocol User Data (TP-UD) of the multicast address short message. Thus, the SC 135 can use a TP-MR value in a TP-UD field of a multicast address short message to identify a corresponding content short message from a plurality of received short messages by inspecting a TP-MR value in a TP-UD field of each of the received short messages. Referring to FIG. 3, a schematic diagram illustrates components of the Service Center (SC) 135, according to some embodiments of the present invention. The SC 135 comprises a memory 305 and a programmable memory 310 that are coupled to a processor 315. The processor 315 also has ports for coupling to an Input and Output (I/O) module 320. The I/O module 320 can be used to enable the SC 135 to communicate with other network nodes in an SMS communications network. For example, the SC 135 can communicate with the SMS-IWMSC 145 and the SMSC- GMSC 150 using the I/O module 320 to receive and send, respectively, SMS messages. In some embodiments of the present invention, the programmable memory

310 can store operating code (OC) for the processor 315 and code for performing functions associated with the SC 135. For example, the programmable memory 310 can comprise short message multicasting services program code components 325 configured to cause execution of a method for multicasting a short message. Referring to FIG. 4, a general flow diagram illustrates a method 400 for multicasting a short message, according to some embodiments of the present invention. At step 405, a content short message and a multicast address short message received from a sending terminal are processed. For example, the SC 135 can receive a content short message and a multicast address short message from the mobile sending terminal 105. The SC 135 then determines that the content short message and multicast address short message are for multicasting a short message by identifying that SMS-SUBMIT TPDUs of the short messages do not include destination addresses.

At step 410, the content short message is multicast to destinations defined by the multicast address short message. For example, for each destination defined by the multicast address short message, the SC 135 can generate an SMS message, for instance, encoded as Transfer Protocol User Data (TP-UD) for the content short message, whereby a Transfer Protocol Destination Address (TP-DA) of the SMS message is set to an address of the destination. Thus, the SMS message can be routed to multiple destinations, such as to the mobile destination stations 115, 120, 125, 130, according to an SMS message routing process similar to that described above concerning the SMS communications network 100.

At step 415, a call detail record comprising destination information defined by the multicast address short message is generated. At step 420, the call detail record is then transmitted to a billing center. For example, the SC 135 can generate a call detail record comprising Transfer Protocol User Data (TP-UD) obtained from a multicast address short message that is received from a mobile sending terminal 105. The call detail then can be transmitted to the billing center 146 to update billing records of the mobile sending terminal 105.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, a content short message and a multicast address short message can be received from a Mobile- services Switching Center (MSC) or from a Serving General packet radio service Support Node (SGSN). For example, the mobile sending terminal 105 can transfer the content short message and the multicast address short message to the MSC 140, and the MSC 140 can forward the content short message and the multicast address short message to the SC 135.

Table 1

Also, the multicast address short message can comprise one or more single destination addresses. Furthermore, the multicast address short message can comprise one or more paired destination addresses. For example, Table 1 illustrates a single destination address and a paired destination address included in Transfer Protocol User Data (TP-UD) of a multicast address short message.

In Table 1 , the TP-UD includes an Information Element Identifier field that defines a type of the TP-UD of an SMS message. For example, the Information Element Identifier field can be used to define an encoding scheme of destination addresses. The Information Element Identifier field can comprise various values such as a hexadecimal number in a specific range such as 24-6F, AO-BF, or EO-FF.

A Length of Information Element field defines a number of octets in the TP- UD. The TP-UD can also contain a Transfer Protocol Message Reference (TP-MR) value to indicate that the multicast address short message defines destination addresses of a content short message having the TP-MR value in a header of the content short message .

A single destination address can be defined by an address-length field, a type- of-address field, and an address-value field. For example, the address-value field can contain an address of one of the mobile destination stations 115, 120, 125, 130. The type-of-address field can be used to indicate that an address-value field is paired with another address-value field. For example, a paired destination address can comprise a first destination address and a second destination address with their type-of-address fields set to a common value to indicate that the second destination address is paired with the first destination address. Finally, a Max Number of Messages field and a Sequence Number of Message field can be used to concatenate multiple multicast address short messages defining destinations for a content short message. Advantages of some embodiments of the present invention therefore include efficient multicasting of short messages in an SMS communication network. A sending terminal, such as a mobile telephone, transmits both a content short message and a multicast address short message in order to request that the content short message be multicast to multiple destinations defined by the multicast address short message. That can substantially reduce a number of times that a short message needs to be transmitted from a sending terminal to a Service Center (SC) of an SMS communication network. Overall network resources therefore can be conserved. In particular, some embodiments of the present invention thus can substantially extend battery life in resource constrained handheld devices such as mobile telephones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), which are used to initiate multicast messages.

It will be appreciated that embodiments of the invention described herein may be comprised of one or more conventional processors and unique stored program instructions that control the one or more processors to implement, in conjunction with certain non-processor circuits, some, most, or all of the functions of multicasting a short message as described herein. The non-processor circuits may include, but are not limited to, a radio receiver, a radio transmitter, signal drivers, clock circuits, power source circuits, network interface circuits, and user input devices. As such, these functions may be interpreted as steps of a method for multicasting a short message. Alternatively, some or all functions could be implemented by a state machine that has no stored program instructions, or in one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), in which each function or some combinations of certain of the functions are implemented as custom logic. Of course, a combination of the two approaches could be used. Thus, methods and means for these functions have been described herein. Further, it is expected that one of ordinary skill, notwithstanding possibly significant effort and many design choices motivated by, for example, available time, current technology, and economic considerations, when guided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein will be readily capable of generating such software instructions and programs and ICs with minimal experimentation. In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present invention. The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims.

Claims

We claim:

1. A method for multicasting a short message, the method comprising: processing a content short message and a multicast address short message received from a sending terminal; and multicasting the content short message to destinations defined by the multicast address short message.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first SMS-SUBMIT Transfer Protocol Data Unit corresponds to the content short message and a second SMS-SUBMIT Transfer

Protocol Data Unit corresponds to the multicast address short message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first SMS-SUBMIT Transfer Protocol Data Unit and the second SMS-SUBMIT Transfer Protocol Data Unit are processed in one short message service transaction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed at a service center of a short message service communication network.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content short message and the multicast address short message are received from a Mobile-services Switching Center or from a Serving General Packet Radio Service Support Node.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content short message and the multicast address short message are translated into an SMS-SUBMIT Transfer Protocol Data Unit for short message service messages.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the SMS-SUBMIT Transfer Protocol Data Units include no destination addresses.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content short message and the multicast address short message are associated using Transfer Protocol Message Reference values.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multicast address short message includes a Transfer Protocol Message Reference value of the content short message to indicate that the multicast address short message defines destination addresses of the content short message.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multicast address short message comprises a single destination address.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multicast address short message comprises a paired destination address.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising: generating a call detail record comprising destination information defined by the multicast address short message; and transmitting the call detail record to a billing center.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content short message indicates that the multicast address short message defines destination addresses of the content short message.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multicast address short message indicates that the multicast address short message defines destinations of the content short message.