IE83427B1 - Short messaging system, especially for prepaid messages - Google Patents
Short messaging system, especially for prepaid messagesInfo
- Publication number
- IE83427B1 IE83427B1 IE2001/1012A IE20011012A IE83427B1 IE 83427 B1 IE83427 B1 IE 83427B1 IE 2001/1012 A IE2001/1012 A IE 2001/1012A IE 20011012 A IE20011012 A IE 20011012A IE 83427 B1 IE83427 B1 IE 83427B1
- Authority
- IE
- Ireland
- Prior art keywords
- smsc
- server
- message
- sms
- address
- Prior art date
Links
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000002452 interceptive Effects 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000001755 vocal Effects 0.000 claims description 4
- 241000725302 Adult diarrheal rotavirus Species 0.000 claims description 2
- 210000004271 bone marrow stromal cells Anatomy 0.000 description 9
- 101700067115 msc1 Proteins 0.000 description 4
- 101700070455 MSC2 Proteins 0.000 description 3
- 230000000875 corresponding Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000003111 delayed Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
Classifications
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- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
- G06Q20/08—Payment architectures
- G06Q20/10—Payment architectures specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M15/00—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M15/00—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
- H04M15/43—Billing software details
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M15/00—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
- H04M15/51—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP for resellers, retailers or service providers
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M15/00—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
- H04M15/56—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP for VoIP communications
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M15/00—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
- H04M15/70—Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M15/00—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
- H04M15/70—Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges
- H04M15/73—Validating charges
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M15/00—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
- H04M15/82—Criteria or parameters used for performing billing operations
- H04M15/8207—Time based data metric aspects, e.g. VoIP or circuit switched packet data
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M15/00—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
- H04M15/90—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
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- H—ELECTRICITY
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- H04M17/00—Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M17/00—Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems
- H04M17/02—Coin-freed or check-freed systems, e.g. mobile- or card-operated phones, public telephones or booths
- H04M17/026—Constructional features
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- H—ELECTRICITY
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- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
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- H04M17/10—Account details or usage
- H04M17/103—Account details or usage using SIMs (USIMs) or calling cards
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- H04M17/00—Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems
- H04M17/10—Account details or usage
- H04M17/106—Account details or usage using commercial credit or debit cards
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- H—ELECTRICITY
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- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M17/00—Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems
- H04M17/20—Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment
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- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M17/00—Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems
- H04M2017/12—Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using calling, telephone credit/debit cards
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M17/00—Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems
- H04M2017/14—Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using commercial credit/debit cards, e.g. VISA, AMEX
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
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- H04M2215/01—Details of billing arrangements
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- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
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- H04M2215/20—Technology dependant metering
- H04M2215/202—VoIP; Packet switched telephony
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- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M2215/00—Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
- H04M2215/20—Technology dependant metering
- H04M2215/2026—Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
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- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M2215/00—Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
- H04M2215/22—Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M2215/00—Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
- H04M2215/28—SMS billing
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M2215/00—Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
- H04M2215/32—Involving wireless systems
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- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M2215/00—Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
- H04M2215/54—Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M2215/00—Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
- H04M2215/70—Administration aspects, modify settings or limits or counter-check correct charges
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M2215/00—Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
- H04M2215/70—Administration aspects, modify settings or limits or counter-check correct charges
- H04M2215/7072—Validate charges
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M2215/00—Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
- H04M2215/78—Metric aspects
- H04M2215/7813—Time based data, e.g. VoIP or circuit switched packet data
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
- H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
- H04W4/12—Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
- H04W4/14—Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
- H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
- H04W4/24—Accounting or billing
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
- H04W88/00—Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices
- H04W88/18—Service support devices; Network management devices
- H04W88/184—Messaging devices, e.g. message centre
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
- H04W92/00—Interfaces specially adapted for wireless communication networks
- H04W92/02—Inter-networking arrangements
Description
PATENTS ACT, 1992
2001/1012
SHORT MESSAGING SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY FOR PREPAID MESSAGES
NILCOM
The present invention relates to a short message system,
especially a prepaid message system, for sending messages
by means of mobile telephones and, where appropriate,
managing a prepaid short message
service, which system
comprises switching arrangements on which the mobiles
depend for radio connection, and short message servers at
which the messages from a mobile arrive and are routed
back, in the form of messages "destined for a mobile", to
the destination mobiles, the mobile sending messages
including a secret code in the message, although that is
not obligatory.
Short messages SMS are transmitted by mobile telephones.
In a large number of cases, however, mobile telephones
use the prepayment system, which does not allow the
question of short messages to be handled efficiently.
The prepaid telephone card market for mobiles has been a
major factor in the expansion of the mobiles market in
order to avoid the problems of non-payment or to make a
costly billing system more economical and simplify
administration.
In some countries, all subscribers are prepaid, and some
operators are abandoning post~payment completely and
accepting only prepaid subscriptions.
Under these circumstances there arises the problem of the
short message service which must be provided for
subscribers with prepaid subscriptions, since short
messages are likely to represent a very considerable
proportion of an operator's activity.
There are at present three types of solution for dealing
with this problem:
— the intelligent network IN,
— service nodes SN and
— hot—billing.
The intelligent network IN uses a service control point
SCP which is interrogated by service switching point
software SSP of the short message services each time a
subscriber wishes to make a telephone communication. The
control point SCP then interrogates the credit database
SDP in order to authorise the communication for a period
of X seconds and interrupt it after that time.
The second solution is that of service nodes SN, which
consists in routing all prepaid subscribers‘
communications to that dedicated switching arrangement,
which manages the credit database.
Finally, hot—billing consists in creating billing tickets
at the level of network switching arrangements MSC, which
transmit periodically, typically every few minutes, their
consumption to a debiting system for the credits that is
capable of interrupting a call. However, this relatively
old solution has many disadvantages owing to the risk of
credit being exceeded.
In those three solutions for prepaid telephony, telephone
credit can generally be topped up by the purchase of
credit cards (scratch cards) which contain a concealed
secret number with all security rules. That number is
used to ask an interactive vocal server SVI to top up the
credit by the amount of the scratch card. The various
handling operations are relatively complicated. In
addition, there is the cost of the interactive vocal
server and that of the credit database SDP. Nevertheless,
the invention can, without changing anything, also be
associated with a SVI for topping up credit. In that
case, the system is more convenient to use because the
prepaid user does not have to add a secret code before
the text.
In conclusion, the solutions hitherto employed are
relatively cumbersome, not very flexible, not very
reliable and are generally not suitable for small or
medium—sized operators.
Among the current technical solutions envisaged and
envisageable for prepaid short messages, in the case of
the intelligent network IN it is not possible to
interrogate a service control point SCP when a message
SMS—MO transmitted by a mobile is sent.
The second theoretical solution, that of service nodes
(SN), does not work since they are not requested at the
time of a SMS—MO unless a special SMSC which is capable
of interrogating the credit in the SN is incorporated in
the SN (a solution which is not very widespread and in
this case the SMSC is too simplified).
Finally, the hot—billing of SMS—MO messages is a
possibility, but the billing tickets for the SMS—MO
messages are sent with a considerable delay, which may
reach several hours, to the database SDP containing the
credit remaining for the prepaid service. Where there is
insufficient credit, there is disconnection by way of an
interface with the database in order to locate the
subscriber on the basis of his mobile number (HLR). The
disadvantage of this solution is that it requires a
specially developed and costly SDP server, as well as the
disadvantage that debiting is delayed according to the
rate of receipt of the SMS—MO message tickets.
Certain other solutions have already been employed, for
example that of the SMSC server equipped with particular
software allowing the credit database SDP to be
interrogated, but such solutions have been developed in
closed contexts. The solution is excellent but the price
of the software is very high.
Finally, another solution which is sometimes used by some large
operators consists in sending all SMS—MO messages to a dedicated
server SMSC which sends them, by way of a dedicated connection,
to the credit management point SDP; the latter checks whether the
subscriber is prepaid and whether he has credit, and then sends
the nmssage to other servers SMSC dedicated to forwarding the
destination mobile (SMS—MT), while the
message to the first
server SMSC is dedicated to messages coming from a mobile SMS—MO
with reduced means, in a flexible manner and in total security.
In that system, SMS message debits are made in real time, but
the cost of the solution is relatively high and it is not
suitable for small or medium~sized operators.
The object of the present invention is to develop a short
message system which is, in particular, suitable for small and
medium—sized operators and, especially, for those which have only
prepaid subscribers, allowing prepaid short messages SMS to be
managed easily.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a
short message system for handling short messages (SMSMO)
(MSC)
sent by
mobiles (MO), comprising switching arrangements on which
the mobiles (MO)
(SMSC)
depend for radio connection, and short message
servers at which the messages from a mobile (SMS—MO)
arrive and are routed back, in the form of messages "destined for
a mobile" (SMS—MT), to the destination mobiles (MO’),
the mobile sending messages (SMS—MO) including in the message the
address of the server (SMSC) of its card (SIM),
which system is characterised in that it comprises
— a virtual server (SMSC—V) which is defined by its address
(ADRV) and is associated with an operator,
— a real server (SMSC—R) which is defined by its address (ADR—R)
— the address (ADR—V) of the virtual server (SMSC—V) being the
only server address recorded on the cards (SIM),
— the switching arrangement (MSC) contains an address
translator for replacing the address (ADR—VJ of the virtual
server (SMSC—V) with that (ADR—R) of the real server (SMSC—R) to
which the message (SMS—MO) will be routed, which real server
handles the message and routes it to the intended receiver (MO').
This system has the advantage that it is very simple to
implement and, especially, has possibilities for
expansion and for being opened up. In fact, the system
allows different operators to join together and to have
their subscribers‘ short messages handled by the real
server, by way of the address of a virtual server and the
translation of that address, which is carried out by the
switching arrangement(s) of the operator.
In particular, this allows the handling of short messages
of operators from different countries to be grouped
together.
The real server is therefore located in a different
country from that of the operator, and the connection
between the switching arrangement of the operator of the
sending subscriber and the real server is made by way of
the international network.
And, the virtual server has an address in
the country of the operator on which the subscriber
in particular,
sending the message depends.
The invention is of interest especially in the management
of the short message service and, in particular, in
allowing prepayment therefor.
To that end, the system comprises a prepaid card database
containing the credit accounts of prepaid short message
cards and the associated code numbers, a prepaid short
message card, having a secret code, which the subscriber
purchases and the secret code of which he uses and
includes in his short messages, the real short message
server receiving a short message from a mobile and
verifying authorisation of transmission by checking the
code and the account credit assigned to that code in the
prepaid card database, and it sends the message to the
intended receiver if the credit permits, and otherwise
the server sends a credit exhaustion message to the
mobile sending the message.
The present invention will be described hereinbelow in
more detail with the aid of three embodiments of short
message systems shown in the attached drawings, in which:
— Figure 1 shows a short message system in its general
definition,
- Figure 2 shows a prepaid short message system,
— Figure 3 shows a centralised short message system
which operates both for prepaid subscribers and for
post—paid subscribers.
According to Figure 1, a system of short messages sent by
mobiles MO comprises switching arrangements MSC1 which
receive the short messages SMS—MO and transmit them to a
short message server, for example by way of an
international network S37 and a gateway IGP in the case
where the short message server is not in the same country
as the switching arrangement MSC.
The server searches for the destination mobile MO’ and
then transmits the short message SMS back, in the form of
a short message mobile terminated SMS—MT, by
substantially the opposite path, passing through the
international network SS7 again and the switching
arrangement MSC2 on which the destination mobile MO’
depends.
More precisely according to the invention, the system
comprises a virtual server SMSC-V which is defined solely
by its address ADR—V, and that server is associated with
an operator or with the switching arrangements MSC of
that operator, for example the switching arrangement MSC1
on which a mobile MO depends.
The system also comprises a real server SMSC—R which is
defined by its address ADR—R.
The address ADR~V of the virtual server SMSC—V is the
only server address that will be supplied to the mobile
MO using this service.
The address ADR—V is recorded on the SIM cards of the
users of the operator connected to the switching
arrangement MSC1. The real address is not known to the
user and exists only in the address translator.
According to the invention, the switching arrangements of
the system,
MSCl,
replaces the virtual address ADR—V with the address ADR—R
and in particular the switching arrangement
contain an address translator which automatically
of the real server SMSC—R which is to handle the
messages .
According to the example shown, the real server SMSC—R is
located in a different country from that of the switching
arrangement MSC1 or the operator on which it depends, and
the connection is made by way of the international
network S87 and by way of a gateway IGP.
Different countries P1, P2, P3 are shown diagrammatically
as being connected to the international network SS7.
The centralised server SMSC—R is able to handle messages
for operators located in different countries, such as the
operator using the switching arrangement MSCI. In each of
the countries P1, P2, P3 it is possible to have operators
associated with switching arrangements MSC equipped with
an address translator.
In each country, the SIM cards for the mobiles MO contain
the address of a virtual server as the address ADR—V
described above. When a message is received, the address
translator of the country's network switching arrangement
replaces the virtual address ADR-V with the real address
ADR—R and routes the message to the real server SMSC—R,
which centralises the messages and forwards them to their
intended receiver.
Forwarding is carried out to the switching arrangement of
the destination mobile MO’ back by way of the
international network SS7 and the gateway IGP, if the
switching arrangement MSC2 of the intended receiver is
not located in the same country as the server SMSC—R,
which corresponds to the most general case shown in
Figure 1.
Figure 2 shows the application of the general system
according to the invention to the handling and management
of prepaid short messages.
The organisation of the system is the same. Each short
message operator uses a virtual server SMSC—V whose
address ADR—V is recorded on the SIM cards supplied by
that operator.
As in the general system, the SIM card of each user
contains the address ADR—V of the virtual server SMSC—V
on which the switching arrangement MSCI of the mobile MO
depends. In order to send prepaid messages, the user of
the mobile MO obtains a prepaid message card CA. That
card opens a corresponding credit for him.
The card CA, which is different from the SIM card,
contains the user's credit code CD. The user includes the
code CD in each message to be sent by the mobile MO. The
code forms part of the message.
At the same time as the message is sent, the virtual
server's address ADR-V is also transmitted. The address
is transmitted automatically without the user of the
mobile MO having to take any action.
The prepayment system is also completed by a prepaid card
database BD—CPRP which manages the credits. The database
contains the codes CD and the credits associated with the
codes.
The base is connected to the real server SMSC—R.
When a short message SMS—MO is sent by the mobile M0, the
message, which is automatically combined with the virtual
address ADR—V of the virtual server, and the code CD
included in the message SMS—MO arrive at the switching
arrangement MSCl, which simply translates the virtual
address ADR—V into the real address ADR—R without
touching the code CD, because the code forms part of the
text of the message.
The message is then transmitted by the switching
arrangement MSCl to the real server SMSC—R, either
directly, if that server is in the same country, or by
way of the international network SS7 and the associated
gateway IGP.
The server SMSC—R receiving the message refers to the
database BD—CPRP in order to check the code and the
available credit assigned to that code. If the amount of
credit is greater than the cost of transmitting the
message,
the message is handled. Otherwise, it is
rejected.
In order to handle the message, the server SMSC—R sends
it, in the form of a message mobile terminated SMS—MT, to
the mobile MO’, as has already been described, optionally
using the international network SS7, the gateway IGP to
the switching arrangement MSC2 of the destination mobile
MO‘.
The message SMS—MT which is sent will have been cleaned
of the code CD, which will not appear in the text of the
message SMS—MT.
If there is not sufficient credit to authorise
transmission, the server SMSC—R sends a corresponding
message to the sending mobile M0, by way of optionally
the international network SS7, the gateway IGP, the
switching arrangement MSCl and the mobile MO.
The invention makes it possible to generalise operation
to the case of ”post—paid" subscribers, for whom no
To that end, the SMSC—R must
know whether the subscriber is prepaid or not, which in
credit check is carried out.
almost all cases cannot be deduced from the number of the
originating mobile.
According to Figure 3, the SMSC—R sends a GSM message of
the type "MAP-UPDATE-LOCATION" to the HLR of the
originating subscriber, which message contains
— the number of the MSC visited, because it receives
it with the SMS—MO, which it knows,
— the associated VLR number, which it deduces from the
MSC using a table,
— the originator's IMSI, which is obtained by
interrogating the HLR.
The SMSC—R therefore behaves like a VLR. In response, the
HLR sends a standard GSM message of the type
"MAP—INSERT—SUBSCRIBER-DATA" which contains a subscriber
profile allowing it to be known whether the subscriber is
prepaid or not, without actually modifying the location
because it is identical. In the latter case, checking of
the CD code with access to the database is not carried
out.
_.l2_
GLOSSARY
IMSI International Mobile Subscriber Identity
IN Intelligent Network
SCP Service Control Point of the Intelligent Networks, which
has the service logic
SMSC Information system allowing the receipt of Short
Messages sent by a mobile (SMS-MO) and the transmission
thereof to another mobile subscriber (SMS-MT)
SMS—MO Short Message Service Mobile Originated,
service for sending Short Messages from a mobile to a SMSC,
offered by a mobile operator
SMS-MT Short Message Service Mobile Terminated,
service consisting in sending a Short Message, from a SMSC, to
a mobile
MSC Mobile Switching Centre, Switching Centre of a mobile
operator, allowing communications to be established (and
"SMSMO" to be sent)
HLR Home Location Register, database allowing a subscriber
to be located on the basis of his mobile number
SDP Service Data Point, database interrogated by a HLR and
containing, in the case of a prepaid service, the remaining credit
prepaid System of paying for services by a mobile subscriber,
consisting in allowing him to purchase a card representing a
defined usage of the services [in contrast to "post-paid" services,
where a bill is sent out (monthly) once the services have been
used]
SDP credit database
SVI interactive vocal server
SSP switching point software
"hot-billing" hot-billing, but not actually immediate billing
VLR Visited Location Register, database containing the
detailed location of a subscriber and the profile of authorised
services.
Claims (6)
1. Short message system for handling short messages (SMSMO) sent by mobiles (MO), comprising switching arrangements (MSC) on which the mobiles (MO) depend for radio connection, and short message servers (SMSC) at which the messages from a mobile (SMS-MO) arrive and are routed back, in the form of messages "destined for a mobile" (SMS-MT), to the destination mobiles (MO'), the mobile sending messages (SMS-MO) including in the message the address of the server (SMSC) of its card (SIM), which system is characterised in that it comprises — a Virtual server (SMSC-V) which is defined by its address (ADRV) and is associated with an operator, - a real server (SMSC-R) which is defined by its address (ADR-R), - the address (ADR-V) of the virtual server (SMSC-V) being the only server address recorded on the cards (SIM), - the switching arrangement (MSC) contains an address translator for replacing the address (ADR-V) of the virtual server (SMSC-V) with that (ADR-R) of the real server (SMSC-R) to which the message (SMS-MO) will be routed, which real server handles the message and routes it to the intended receiver (MO').
2. Short message system according to claim 1, characterised in that the real server (SMSC-R) is located in a different country from that of the operator, and the connection between the switching arrangement (MSC) of the operator visited by the transmitting subscriber (MO) and the real server (SMSC-R) is made by way of the international network (SS7).
3. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the virtual server (SMSC-V) has an address in the country of the operator on which the subscriber (MO) sending the message (SMS-MO) depends.
4. Short message system according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises, for prepaid subscribers, a prepaid card database (BD-CP RP) containing the credit accounts of prepaid short message cards and the associated code numbers, a prepaid short message card (CA), having a secret code (CD), which the subscriber purchases and the secret code (CD) of which he uses and includes in his short messages (SMS-MO), in the case where there is no interactive vocal server (SVI) for top-up, the real short message server (SMSC-R) receiving a short message (SMS) from a mobile and verifying authorisation of transmission by checking the code (CD), if there is one, and the account credit assigned to that code (CD) in the prepaid card database (BD-CPRP), and it sends the message to the intended receiver (SMS-MT) if the credit permits, and otherwise the server (SMSC-R) sends a credit exhaustion message to the mobile (MO) sending the message (SMS-MO).
5. System according to claim 2, allowing the real server (SMSC-R) to supply the short message service (SMS-MO) also to non-prepaid subscribers without checking the secret code, solely on the basis of the number of the sending subscriber, by obtaining the subscriber profile from the HLR in order to ascertain whether the subscriber is prepaid or not, especially by behaving like a VLR carrying out the GSM location update procedure (MAP-UPDATE-LOCATION) without there actually being a location update.
6. Short message system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. F. R. KELLY & C0,, AGENTS FOR THE APPLICANTS
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
FRFRANCE30/05/20010107052 | |||
FR0107052A FR2825555B1 (en) | 2001-05-30 | 2001-05-30 | SHORT MESSAGE SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY PREPAID MESSAGES |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
IE20011012A1 IE20011012A1 (en) | 2002-12-11 |
IE83427B1 true IE83427B1 (en) | 2004-05-05 |
Family
ID=
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