METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR TRIGGERLESS PREPAID SMS SCREENING AND ACCOUNTING IN A SIGNALING MESSAGE ROUTING NODE

摘要

A prepaid SMS screening, accounting, (Fig. 2) and routing node (200) performs prepaid SMS screening and accounting functions. When it receives an SMS message, it determines whether the originating subscriber is a ported subscriber attempting to access an SMSC from the donor network. If it is a ported, and to access the network SMSC, the SMS message may be discarded. If it is not a ported it determines whether it is a prepaid subscriber. If it is a prepaid, and it determines whether the subscriber has sufficient credit to send the SMS message. If it has sufficient credit, the prepaid SMS debits its accounting database and forwards the message to its intended destination. It may also be performed for message directed to subscribers with terminating prepaid SMS service. In such situations, it may screen messages to determine whether the terminating subscriber is a prepaid SMS subscriber, and, if so, debit the terminating subscriber's prepaid SMS account.