U.S. patent application number 15/670136 was filed with the patent office on 2018-03-01 for system and method for blocking the use of a service in a telecommunication system.
The applicant listed for this patent is Intellectual Ventures I LLC. Invention is credited to Sami Ala-Luukko.
Application Number | 20180063686 15/670136 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 8558170 |
Filed Date | 2018-03-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180063686 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ala-Luukko; Sami |
March 1, 2018 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR BLOCKING THE USE OF A SERVICE IN A
TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEM
Abstract
A method and system for controlling the use of a short message
service in a telecommunication system that includes a
telecommunication network, a terminal device by which a subscriber
is connected to the network, a mobile services switching center
connected to the network, a gateway connected to the network, a
short message service center connected to the gateway, and a
database (DB) connected to or associated with the gateway. A short
message sent by an originating subscriber is checked as to whether
the short message is among those deemed non-allowed. Forwardable
short messages are directed to the gateway, from which the database
is queried to determine whether the originating subscriber is
permitted the short message to the intended recipient or,
alternatively, whether the message should been blocked based on
predetermined criteria.
Inventors: |
Ala-Luukko; Sami; (Helsinki,
FI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Intellectual Ventures I LLC |
Wilmington |
DE |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
8558170 |
Appl. No.: |
15/670136 |
Filed: |
August 7, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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15177869 |
Jun 9, 2016 |
9730035 |
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15670136 |
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14445266 |
Jul 29, 2014 |
9369590 |
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15177869 |
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13282982 |
Oct 27, 2011 |
8805350 |
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14445266 |
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11511550 |
Aug 28, 2006 |
8078200 |
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13282982 |
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11182124 |
Jul 15, 2005 |
7450957 |
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11511550 |
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10267164 |
Oct 9, 2002 |
6920332 |
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11182124 |
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PCT/FI01/00354 |
Apr 10, 2001 |
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10267164 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 63/0236 20130101;
H04W 8/22 20130101; H04W 48/02 20130101; H04W 4/12 20130101; H04L
63/101 20130101; H04W 12/00514 20190101; H04W 4/14 20130101; H04W
88/184 20130101; H04L 51/12 20130101; H04W 8/18 20130101; H04W
12/08 20130101; H04L 63/0245 20130101; H04M 15/61 20130101; H04L
51/38 20130101; H04M 3/436 20130101; H04M 15/88 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04W 4/14 20090101
H04W004/14; H04W 4/12 20090101 H04W004/12; H04L 12/58 20060101
H04L012/58; H04M 3/436 20060101 H04M003/436; H04M 15/00 20060101
H04M015/00; H04W 8/18 20090101 H04W008/18 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 10, 2000 |
FI |
2000-0852 |
Claims
1. A system comprising: a second node configured to: receive a
short message service (SMS) message from a first node, wherein the
SMS message has been screened at the first node prior to receipt at
the second node; determine that the SMS message is allowed to be
forwarded; and forward the SMS message to a third node different
from the second node based on the determination that the SMS
message is allowed to be forwarded.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser.
No. 15/177869, filed Jun. 9, 2016, which is a Divisional of U.S.
application Ser. No. 14/445,266, filed Jul. 29, 2014 (now U.S. Pat.
No. 9,369,590, which is a Divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.
13/282,982, filed Oct. 27, 2011 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,805,350),
which is a Divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/511,550,
filed Aug. 28, 2006 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,078,200), which is a
Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/182,124, filed Jul.
15, 2005 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,450,957), which is a Continuation of
U.S. application Ser. No. 10/267,164 filed Oct. 9, 2002 (now U.S.
Pat. No. 6,920,332), which is a Continuation of International
Application PCT/FI01/00354, filed Apr. 10, 2001, which claims
priority to Finland Priority Application 2000-0852, filed Apr. 10,
2000, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their
entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to telecommunication systems
and, in particular, is directed to a method and system for
controlling subscriber access to services accessed through a
telecommunication system using short messages.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] Mobile communication networks, such as digital GSM (Global
System for Mobile Communications) networks, have become extremely
popular throughout a large part of the world. The primary advantage
presented by mobile communication networks, as compared to
traditional fixed telephone networks, is the air or wireless
interface provided between the subscriber's terminal device and the
physical wired network, which wireless interface enables
wide-ranging subscriber mobility.
[0006] Since their introduction, digital mobile networks have
provided to their subscribers the ability to use and access a
variety of services including the so-called short message service
or SMS. In the short message service a subscriber or user of a
mobile station has the ability to send a short text message of up
to 160 characters from the user's mobile station to, by way of
example, another user of a respective mobile station who has a
terminal device capable of receiving the short message. The short
message is transmitted from the mobile station via a wireless
interface separate from or outside of the speech-transmitting time
slots, there enabling a user to receive short messages at the same
time that the user is already engaged in an ongoing voice call with
a different party.
[0007] To date, short messages have become very popular among
telecommunication system subscribers, and system operators have
developed and implemented an unusually large number of short
messaging services and other services that are accessible or usable
via short messages for additional charges. This has in practice
meant that a certain portion of the available numerical address
space on the system has been allocated for these services.
Technically this means that separate analyses are carried out in
the short message service center for these various allocated
numbers; based on these analyses, short messages sent by
subscribers to those numbers are further forwarded or transmitted
to the appropriate locations, such as service providers or
application providers.
[0008] The short message service has typically either been
activated for a particular subscriber or it has not been activated
for that subscriber. As currently implemented the systems for
transmission of short messages do not permit the blocking of short
message service messages or requests based on the B-subscriber
(i.e. the intended recipient) number or based on specific or
otherwise predetermined or specified search words or terms that may
be contained in the short message text. This has limited the
versatility of short messaging services and has prevented service
providers and system operators from providing or fully implementing
some services that subscribers might otherwise use or access via
short messages.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] It is accordingly the desideratum of the present invention
to eliminate, or at least significantly alleviate, the drawbacks
and deficiencies of prior art systems and designs, as for example
those hereinabove discussed.
[0010] It is a particular object of the invention to provide a
method and system that permits the selective blocking of
transmission of short messages that are addressed to a particular
numerical space or intended destination address, or which contain a
specific search word and/or specified textual information
content.
[0011] The invention has evolved from a recognition that the
merchandising of short messages for additional charges is likely to
initiate a desire among some system operators and controllers of
telephone traffic to provide for its customers selective blocking
of the functionality or availability of, or access to, certain
services or the like that are accessed or used or merchandised via
short messages. Just as access to specified telephone numbers may
if required be selectively blocked, so too can the blocking of
certain short messages be implemented in accordance with the
present invention. The primary objective of the invention is
accordingly to enable and implement such selective blocking of
short messages.
[0012] The present invention is effective to control the use of
short message services as available functionality of the network in
such a way to implement SMS barring in conjunction with a
subscriber-specific database that is installed in or attached to
the network. The database contains information on whether blocking
of SMS message transmission has been defined or implemented for a
particular subscriber. If so, then the SMS barring must be able to
determine, based on information included in the database and the
intended destination number of the short message and/or,
optionally, on the inclusion (or absence) of a predetermined search
word or phrase in the short message text, whether transmission of
that short message should be permitted for that subscriber. If it
is determined that the subscriber is not entitled or authorized to
use the service to which the short message is directed, or to send
a short message to the intended destination number, then the short
message is not transmitted further and is thereby blocked from
delivery to the intended destination.
[0013] The invention specifically relates to a method and system
for controlling a short message service in a mobile communication
system that includes a telecommunication network, a terminal device
by which a short message-originating subscriber is connected to the
telecommunication network, a mobile services switching center
connected to the telecommunication network, a gateway that is
connected to the telecommunication network and which provides
operative functionality associated with the transmission of
traffic, a short message service center connected to the gateway,
and a database that is connected to the gateway and in which
subscriber information may be saved and stored. The inventive
system further includes a first and a second signal interface in
the environment of the gateway. The gateway operatively provides
the ability to enable communication between the various network
components via the first and second signal interfaces.
[0014] In the inventive method, a short message from the terminal
device of the originating subscriber is created and then
transmitted from the terminal device to the telecommunication
network. The short message is routed to the short message service
center in which the short message is checked or screened, i.e. as
to whether they are among those not authorized or permitted, as
they arrive. By way of illustration, this initial checking or
screening may determine whether the destination address of the
short message lies within a predetermined address space for which
short messages addressed to that address space are not necessarily
permitted to proceed (so-called non-allowed messages)--as for
example where the destination address could be for a service that
requires special access rights, or where additional charges might
be applicable for the service. From the short message service
center, those short messages that have been identified as
forwardable from the short message service center are sent to the
gateway. The message is then checked or screened against a database
in or accessible to the gateway to determine whether the subscriber
is in fact permitted to send that short message. In the event that
it is determined that transmission of the short message should be
blocked, then further transmission to the intended recipient is
prevented and the originating subscriber is informed that the short
message has in fact been blocked. This notification may be
transmitted to the originating subscriber's terminal device using,
by way of example, a short message, USSD (Unstructured
Supplementary Service Data), or any other suitable mechanism.
[0015] In an embodiment of the invention, the latter checking of
the short message is based on the destination number dialed or
entered by the subscriber attempting to send the short message. The
short message may also be checked based on its text content.
[0016] The blocking definitions that are used in the checking of
short messages may be attached to the blocking information that is
located in the telecommunication system home location register, as
defined by the system operator.
[0017] The present invention additionally provides a system for
controlling subscriber use of a short message service in a
telecommunication system that includes a telecommunication network,
a terminal device by which the subscriber is connected to the
telecommunication network, a mobile services switching center that
is connected to the telecommunication network, a gateway connected
to the telecommunication network and which operatively provides
functionality associated with the transmission of traffic, a short
message service center that is connected to the gateway, and a
database connected to the gateway and in which subscriber
information and checking or screening or blocking definitions may
be stored.
[0018] In the inventive system, a checking block or function is
employed to check, in the short message service center using a
first checking condition, whether the short message is among
non-allowed short messages. Non-allowed messages may by way of
example be those for which the intended destination address or
number is in or among a predetermined numerical address space of
the system or network. If it is determined that the message is
among such non-allowed short messages, then a database block is
employed to further check, based on the stored blocking
definitions, whether the subscriber is permitted or entitled to
send such the short message.
[0019] The aforementioned checking block is also operable to check
the short message based on a second checking condition utilizing
the intended destination number of the short message as dialed or
entered by the originating subscriber, and to further check the
short message based on a third checking condition directed to the
text content that is contained in the short message that has been
sent by the originating subscriber.
[0020] In an embodiment of the inventive system, the database is
located in or attached to one of the mobile services switching
center of the A-subscriber (i.e. the message-sending or originating
subscriber), the gateway, and the short message switching center,
and these various components of the mobile communication system
operatively carry out the checking of the short message using the
blocking definitions stored in the database. The database may be
external (i.e. attached to one of these system components) or
internal (i.e. integral or a part of one of these system
components.
[0021] In an embodiment of the invention, the database is based on
and utilized integrally with the functionality of the interface
between the home location register and the visitor location
register. In such implementations, from the viewpoint of the system
operator of the home network, the home location register functions
as the master database. As a consequence, when a mobile station
moves into the coverage area or region of a particular mobile
services switching center, information relating to the blocking of
short message transmissions for that mobile station is copied from
the database to the visitor location register in accordance with
normal operating procedures of the GSM mobile communication
system.
[0022] Also in an embodiment of the invention, the gateway includes
or is provided with a signaling block that is operable to send the
signals needed to implement the blocking of short message
transmissions between the first and second interfaces.
[0023] Additionally in an embodiment of the inventive system, the
system includes a saving block operable for attaching short message
blocking definitions to the blocking information stored or
maintained in the home location register (HLR) as defined by the
system operator.
[0024] As compared to prior art systems, operations and methods,
the present invention advantageously permits ready control of short
message service access rights based on the intended recipient
subscriber number and/or a search of short message text or content
as a result of the shared use of modified databases and network
elements.
[0025] Other objects and features of the present invention will
become apparent from the following detailed description considered
in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be
understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for
purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of
the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended
claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] In the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote
similar or corresponding elements throughout the various
Figures:
[0027] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system in accordance with the
present invention;
[0028] FIG. 2 is a flow chart of an implementation of the present
invention;
[0029] FIG. 3 is a signaling diagram illustrating functionality
provided by an implementation of the invention; and
[0030] FIG. 4 is a signaling diagram illustrating functionality
provided by another implementation of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0031] The system shown in FIG. 1 includes a terminal device MS and
a telecommunication network MSN to which the terminal device is
connected, as for example by way of a wireless communication link
or radio interface. In this implementation, by way of preferred
example, the telecommunication network MSN is a mobile
communication network, and the terminal device MS is a mobile
station. The system also includes a mobile services switching
center MSC, a short message service center SMSC, a gateway GW, and
a database DB. The mobile services switching center MSC is
connected to the mobile communication network MSN and to the short
message service center SMSC. The gateway GW is connected to the
short message service center SMSC, and the database DB is connected
to the gateway GW.
[0032] Provided in short message service center SMSC is a checking
block 1 that is operable to determine, in the short message service
center based on a first checking condition, whether a short message
is among predetermined non-allowed short messages. The first
checking condition may, by way of preferred example, determine
whether the intended destination number or address of the short
message is among or within a predetermined numerical address space
or range. The checking block 1 is also operable to check a short
message based on a second checking condition utilizing the specific
destination number to which the short message is to be delivered as
dialed or entered by the originating subscriber that has sent the
short message. This second checking condition may, for example, be
employed to determine whether the short message is directed to a
destination number of a service for which an additional charge is
applicable or levied. The checking block 1 is sill further operable
to check a short message using a third checking condition based on
the text content contained in the short message as prepared or sent
by the originating subscriber. Thus, separate and apart from checks
based on the intended destination subscriber address or number for
the short message, the originating user may have included in the
message text a word or phrase for which a search can be carried
out, as for example the word "balance". Checking of the short
message for the presence of predetermined search words or phrases
can accordingly be used to identify messages seeking to utilize
services that are billed at different charges and that have
therefore been grouped in different blocking classes.
[0033] The gateway GW may by way of illustration be implemented by
a server computer containing or running software that supports the
GSM system and the necessary signaling protocols. Among other
things, gateway GW typically contains or has access to databases
for the storage of subscriber-specific information as well as
signaling components such as SS7 (Signaling System number 7) for
signaling functionality, to which the various signaling interfaces
required for communications may be appropriately tailored or
matched.
[0034] Gateway GW also includes the software needed to carry out
its various conventional system operations, such as service
creation, execution and management of the environment, and
descriptions of services. Gateway GW further includes or implements
signaling protocols such as INAP (Intelligent Network Application
Part, i.e. the protocol used in inter-network application
performance), MAP (Mobile Application Part, which is used for GSM
network signaling), TCAP (Transaction Capabilities Application
Part), TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol,
i.e. the protocol used in the control of data transfers and
Internet transmissions), and SMTP (Short Message Transfer Protocol,
i.e. the protocol used in the transmission of short messages). In
the system of FIG. 1 gateway GW is connected to short message
service center SMSC and to database DB. Gateway GW receives short
messages from the short message service center SMSC and analyzes
the received short messages.
[0035] From the viewpoint of the system operator, the transmission
from the originating subscriber contains significant identifying
information that can be compared with the information contained in
the database of (or attached to) gateway GW. Following such
identification, the database block 2 of gateway GW is utilized to
check in database DB, based on the blocking definitions, whether
the message-originating subscriber is entitled or permitted to send
the short message. The invention provides a signaling block 3 in
gateway GW for sending the signals needed for blocking of short
message transmissions between the first and second signal
interfaces, in accordance with the appropriate aforementioned
protocols.
[0036] The database DB can also, in accordance with the invention,
define protocols on the basis of which the sending of a short
message to the intended recipient (i.e. the B-subscriber) is
blocked. The intended B-subscriber recipient of the short message
may also him- or herself define blocking functionality for one or
more identified A-subscriber senders, based on which the
transmission of short messages originating from the identified
A-subscribers to the mobile station of the B-subscriber will be
blocked.
[0037] The database DB may be external or internal. The external
database may for example be a home location register HLR, in which
case the database DB is based on the functionality of the interface
between the home location register HLR and the visitor location
register VLR so that, from the viewpoint of the home network
operator, the home location register HLR functions as the master
database. In such implementations the saving block 4 of gateway GW
functions to attach the short message blocking definitions to the
blocking information located in the home location register HLR, as
defined by the system operator. The database DB may be located in
(or attached to) the mobile services switching center MSC, in
gateway GW, or in the short message service center SMSC.
[0038] FIG. 2 is a flow chart that illustrates the operations and
functioning of an advantageous implementation of the present
invention. A short message is initially sent from the terminal
device MS1 of the originating subscriber to the mobile services
switching center MSC (arrow 20). The short message is then
transmitted from mobile service switching center MSC to the short
message service center SMSC (arrow 21). The short message service
center receives the short message, analyzes it and sends to the
gateway GW only those short messages that, based on the analysis,
are among those short messages to be further transmitted from the
short message service center (arrow 22).
[0039] Gateway GW receives the short message and checks, through a
database query in database DB, whether the originating subscriber
is entitled or permitted to send the short message (arrow 23). At
this point, the signaling block of gateway GW attends to providing
or assuring compatibility of traffic between the first and second
signal interfaces SRP1, SRP2. The first signal interface SRP1 is
the interface between gateway GW and short message service center
SMSC, and the second signal interface SRP2 is the interface between
gateway GW and database DB.
[0040] The database query by gateway GW may for example be carried
out using a structured query language (SQL) protocol. In response
to that query gateway GW obtains the originating subscriber
information that indicates whether the subscriber is entitled to
send a short message or whether the transmission should be blocked
(arrow 24). If blocking of short message transmission is not
indicated for the subscriber, then the transmission is permitted to
proceed (arrow 25). If on the other hand the transmission is to be
blocked, then notification of the blocking of the transmission is
sent from gateway GW to mobile services switching center MSC (arrow
26). This notification may fore example be sent by way of a short
message, USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data), or by any
other suitable arrangement or mechanism.
[0041] The signaling diagram of FIG. 3 depicts another
implementation of the invention illustrating additional
functionality. The A-subscriber sends an MO (Mobile Originated)
short message to the intended recipient B-subscriber. The short
message is transmitted to the short message service center SMS-C
(arrow 1). The short message service center SMS-C retrieves the
routing information of the B-subscriber from the home location
register HLR, as for example via an SRI (Send Routing Information)
for SMS message (arrow 2). In response to that query, home location
register HLR normally returns the address of the mobile services
switching center for the B-subscriber. However, in accordance with
this implementation of the invention it is determined from the
B-subscriber information that SMS blocking service has been
activated in the home location register HLR for the B-subscriber.
As a consequence, the home location register HLR returns to the
short message service center SMS-C not the address of the mobile
services switching center but, instead, the address of the gateway
GW (arrow 3). The short message sent by the A-subscriber is in this
manner directed from the short message service center SMS-C to the
gateway GW by a Forward SM MT (Mobile Terminated) message (arrow
4). Having received the short message from the short message
service center SMS-C, gateway GW carries out a search in database
DB of the stored B-subscriber information (arrow 5), and database
DB returns to gateway GW a response indicating whether the
A-subscriber information could be found in a blocking list
associated with the B-subscriber in the database (arrow 6). If the
A-subscriber information was found in the B-subscriber blocking
list, then the short message is blocked and thereby not transmitted
to the B-subscriber.
[0042] If on the other hand the A-subscriber information was not
found in the B-subscriber blocking list, then gateway GW sends an
SRI for SM message to gateway GW (arrow 7). The SRI for SM message
provides to gateway GW the routing information for the B-subscriber
from the home location register HLR (arrow 8). An SRI (Send Routing
Info) message may be sent from gateway GW to home location register
HLF in place of an SRI for SM message, in which case the home
location register recognizes that the message has come from gateway
GW and returns the routing information for the B-subscriber to
gateway GW (arrow 8). Where, however, the gateway sends an SRI for
SM message, the home location register HLR first determines whether
it should return the address of the gateway GW or the address of
the proper mobile services switching center; that determination may
for example be based on the state of a single bit in the SRI for SM
message. Gateway GW then sends a Forward SM message to the mobile
services switching center MSC (arrow 9), and mobile services
switching center MSC further transmits the short message to the
B-subscriber (arrow 10).
[0043] When a client or subscriber requests or orders a blocking
service, the system operator creates for the client an information
field in database DB. The client may also directly, i.e. without
involving the system operator, add or eliminate specific
A-subscriber telephone numbers from the blocking service, as for
example by way of a World Wide Web or browser-based user interface
set up for the client, to define those A-subscribers from which the
B-subscriber does not wish to receive short messages. The
operations of the gateway GW may also be implemented so as to
provide a variety of functions associated with short messages; for
example, the blocking service may send a notification of a blocked
short message to the sender or originator of the short message, may
store a message for later or delayed delivery, etc. The short
message blocking service may be implemented with respect to normal
subscriber numbers as well as service-access numbers.
[0044] Still further functionality provided by the present
invention is illustrated in the signaling diagram of FIG. 4. An
A-subscriber sends an MO (Mobile Originated) short message
addressed to the number of a B-subscriber. The short message is
transmitted to the short message service center SMS-C (arrow 1).
Short message service center SMS-C retrieves the routing
information for the B-subscriber from the home location register
HLR, as for example by an SRI for SMS message (arrow 2). In
response to the query from the short message service center, the
home location register HLR returns the address of the mobile
services switching center MSC of the B-subscriber (arrow 3). The
short message is then transmitted, in accordance with the query
response, from the short message service center SMS-C to the
identified mobile services switching center MSC (arrow 4). Based on
the B-subscriber user information, the mobile services switching
center MSC is informed as to whether any special measures are to be
taken for short message traffic addressed to the B-subscriber. The
B-subscriber user information is retrieved from the home location
register HLR when the B-subscriber enters the coverage area of the
mobile services switching center MSC. The B-subscriber user
information is preferably saved in the visitor location register
VLR(Visitor Location Register) located in or attached to or
otherwise associated with the mobile services switching center MSC.
In this illustrative implementation, the SMS blocking service is
indicated in the B-subscriber user information as having been
activated and, as a consequence, the short message is further
directed to the gateway GW (arrow 5).
[0045] Gateway GW carries out or effects a search in the database
DB based on the B-subscriber information (arrow 6), and database DB
returns to gateway GW an indication of whether the A-subscriber
information was present in the stored blocking list associated with
the B-subscriber (arrow 6). If the A-subscriber information was
found in the blocking list, then the short message is blocked and
is therefore not transmitted to the B-subscriber. If on the other
hand the A-subscriber information was not located in the blocking
list, then gateway GW forwards or returns the short message to the
mobile services switching center MSC of the B-subscriber. Mobile
services switching center MSC recognizes that the short message
came from gateway GW and further transmits the short message to the
B-subscriber (arrow 9).
[0046] The invention thus enables system subscribers to
advantageously utilize its functionality to implement a virtually
unlimited number of blocking scenarios. For example, in the
embodiments of either FIG. 3 or FIG. 4, a subscriber or client A
may wish to not receive short messages from her ex-boyfriend. The
client defines in her blocking service that short messages coming
from the telephone number of her ex-boyfriend are not to be
transmitted to her mobile station, and may herself set the duration
of the service block.
[0047] Similarly, in either of the embodiments of FIG. 3 or 4, a
client B may not wish to receive short messages from the client's
work colleagues during the client's vacation. The client may
accordingly define in the blocking service all those
message-originating telephone numbers for which the client wishes
to implement short message blocking. In this manner the client can
avoid receipt of work-related short messages during the vacation.
The blocked short messages may instead be stored by the service,
and the senders of the short messages can be notified of the fact
that the short messages have not been delivered to the intended
recipient.
[0048] As should be apparent, the invention is not intended to be
restricted merely to those implementations described herein, as
numerous variations are possible and should be deemed to be within
the scope and contemplation of the invention.
[0049] Thus, while there have shown and described and pointed out
fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to preferred
embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions
and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the
methods described and devices illustrated, and in their operation,
may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the
spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that
all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which
perform substantially the same function in substantially the same
way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the
invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or
elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection
with any- disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be
incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form
or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the
intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope
of the claims appended hereto.
* * * * *