MESSAGING SERVICES IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

摘要

A method and server for providing a message service. The server receives, via a packet switched WLAN, a request message including a destination address associated with a recipient device. The device of the sender is capable of sending messages via the packet switched WLAN or alternatively via an SMS bearer. The server determines whether the device of the recipient corresponds to a subscriber of a service for receiving the outgoing message via a packet switched bearer. The server sends a response message to the device of the sender. If the device of the recipient corresponds to a subscriber of the service for receiving the outgoing message via a packet switched bearer, the response message provides an indication to the device of the sender to send the outgoing message via the packet switched WLAN. Alternatively, the response message provides an indication to send the outgoing message via the SMS bearer.

主权项

1. A method for use in a message server, the method comprising:
receiving, from a wireless device of a sender via a packet switched wireless local area network (WLAN) base station, a request message including a destination address associated with a wireless device of a recipient, from a message client running on the wireless device of the sender, the message client capable of determining a delivery mode for sending an outgoing message to the destination address, wherein the wireless device of the sender is capable of sending, in a first delivery mode, messages via the packet switched WLAN base station or, alternatively, in a second delivery mode, via a short message service (SMS) bearer base station that is independent of the packet switched WLAN base station; determining whether the wireless device of the recipient corresponds to a subscriber of a service for receiving the outgoing message via a packet switched bearer; and sending a response message, to the wireless device of the sender via the packet switched WLAN base station, indicating whether the wireless device of the recipient corresponds to a subscriber of the service for receiving the outgoing message via a packet switched bearer, wherein, if the wireless device of the recipient corresponds to a subscriber of the service for receiving the outgoing message via a packet switched bearer, the response message provides an indication to the wireless device of the sender to send, in the first delivery mode, the outgoing message to the wireless device of the recipient using the destination address via the packet switched WLAN base station, and wherein, if the wireless device of the recipient does not correspond to a subscriber of the service for receiving the outgoing message via a packet switched bearer, the response message alternatively provides an indication to the wireless device of the sender to send, in the second delivery mode, the outgoing message to the wireless device of the recipient using the destination address via the SMS bearer base station.