SMS TP-OA Field Encoding for Sender Recognition

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing SMS message handling systems fail to efficiently recognize the sending entity, especially when the sending entity has a non-routable number not included in the receiving entity's contact list, leading to user confusion and unnecessary message reading.

Innovation Solution

The method involves encoding an SMS message with both a number and a text description associated with the sending entity in the Transfer-Protocol-Originating-Address (TP-OA) field, allowing the receiving entity to decode and display both as the title of the message, enhancing recognition.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If only the number of the sending entity is displayed in the TP-OA field, then the message title remains simple and compact, but the user cannot efficiently recognize the sending entity when the number is non-routable or not in the contact list

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesending entity recognition informationVSAvoidTP-OA field structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The TP-OA field is segmented into multiple components: a first area containing the sending entity's number and a second area containing the text description. This segmentation allows both the numerical identifier and the descriptive text to coexist in a structured manner, enabling efficient sending entity recognition without overwhelming the field structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The solution transitions from a one-dimensional numerical identifier to a two-dimensional information structure by adding the text description dimension. This allows the system to provide both the compact numerical identifier and the human-readable description simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and recognizability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of operation

If a text description is added to the TP-OA field along with the number, then the user can efficiently recognize the sending entity, but the message title becomes longer and more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesending entity identificationVSAvoidinformation displayed in message title
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system displays information partially by prioritizing the essential elements (number and text description) in the message title while omitting less critical details. This partial display approach provides sufficient information for sending entity recognition without overwhelming the user with excessive information in the title area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP2860915B1Method of handling SMS messages and related communication system
Publication Date: 2018.07.25 ACER INC
  • EP2860915B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2860915B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2860915B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

In a communication system, an SMS message can be transmitted from a sending entity to a receiving entity. The sending entity is configured to encode the SMS message by inserting both the sender number and the sender text description of the sending entity in the TP-OA field of the SMS message. After transmission, the receiving entity is configured decode the TP-OA field of the encoded SMS message and display simultaneously the sender number and the sender description as the title of the SMS message on a screen.