Virtual Mobile Equipment for SMS Forwarding Across PLMN Domains
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing SMS message forwarding systems are ineffective as they require complex agreements with every SMS-SC in every network operator's domain, making it difficult to forward messages from non-home PLMN domains to a mobile subscriber's alternate MSISDN, and the service becomes useless due to potential unwanted message delivery.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of 'virtual mobile equipment' in the wireless network, which allows a mobile device to assign its MSISDN to a virtual entity, enabling message forwarding to an alternate address without requiring agreements with every SMS-SC, using SMS commands or USSD for control, and utilizing existing VME technologies to route messages efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If SMS forwarding is implemented through home PLMN SMS-SC agreements, then forwarding works for messages delivered via home PLMN, but it cannot easily work for messages from other PLMN domains without highly complex agreements with every SMS-SC
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a Virtual Mobile Equipment (VME) as an intermediary entity that acts as a universal interface between external SMS-SCs and the subscriber's home PLMN. The VME receives forwarding requests from any SMS-SC, validates them against stored forwarding rules, and routes messages appropriately. This intermediary eliminates the need for direct complex agreements between every SMS-SC and the home PLMN, as the VME handles all external communications using standardized protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the SMS forwarding function into distinct modular components: the VME entity that handles external communications, the forwarding rule storage mechanism, and the message routing logic. This segmentation allows each component to be independently implemented and managed, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining versatile forwarding capabilities across multiple PLMN domains.
2Adaptability or versatility
If optional SMS-SC capability is implemented in non-home PLMN, then some commercial agreement is possible, but the Forwarding service becomes useless as the recipient still receives Short Messages to the unwanted destination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring forwarding rules in the VME before messages arrive. The VME stores forwarding destinations and routing logic in advance, allowing it to immediately intercept and redirect messages from any PLMN domain without requiring real-time negotiations or optional capabilities at the receiving SMS-SC. This ensures reliable forwarding execution for all incoming messages.
3Ease of manufacture
If a mobile subscriber assigns their MSISDN to virtual mobile equipment, then message forwarding can be controlled without complex agreements, but requires new virtual equipment infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The VME is designed as a universal multi-functional entity that can serve multiple subscribers and handle various types of SMS forwarding scenarios (conditional forwarding, unconditional forwarding, time-based forwarding). By creating a single versatile VME infrastructure rather than dedicated forwarding mechanisms for each subscriber, the patent reduces overall infrastructure complexity while maintaining ease of service implementation.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
In one illustrative example, when a message forwarding function is enabled for a mobile communication device which operates in a wireless communication network, an address of the mobile device is assigned to "virtual mobile equipment" in the wireless network. The equipment registers with the wireless network with respect to the address, and stores an association in memory between the address and an alternate address of an alternate communication device. Subsequently, the equipment receives a short message having a destination address that matches the address. In response, the equipment forwards the short message to the alternate address for delivery to the alternate device based on the stored association. When the message forwarding function is disabled for and/or by the mobile device, the address of the mobile device is deassigned from the equipment, so that the mobile device is again able to receive short messages having destination addresses that match the address.