Sybase 365, Inc.

Derek Hung Kit Tam

Robert C Lovell, Jr

Thilo Rusche

James C Farrow

Brian Jeffery Beggerly

William Herschel Dudley

Kirk Tsai

William Chu

Christian Zimmern

Mark R Smith

Connor C Kyle

William H Duddley

Architecture and methods to provide an intermediary model for inter-carrier Multi-Media Messaging (MMS) services so that numerous wireless operators can transmit MMS messages between them. The architecture also provides for delivery, at least of notification messages, to those wireless operators who are not part of the overall inter-carrier MMS infrastructure.

Architecture and methods for inter-carrier multi-media messaging

A method for detecting an undesirable condition within a messaging network. A message is received and a source of the message is identified. If an entry in a database for the source has not been created, an entry is created. A source counter for the source is then set to one and a timestamp is created for the source. If an entry in the database for the source has been previously created, the source counter is incremented by one and the timestamp is updated. The source counter is then compared to a source threshold, and if the source counter exceeds the source threshold over the course of predetermined amount of time, a source alarm is triggered. A sliding with respect to the predetermined amount of time may also be implemented to account for total counts that may fall across or be split by set periods of time. The invention is particularly useful for detecting 'spam' events and undesirable routing loops.

Dual use counters for routing loops and spam detection

System and methods for providing multimedia message service (MMS) interoperability between an initiating carrier and a destination carrier. A transcoding facility receives an MMS message from an initiating carrier and accesses a number portability database to determine an identity of a destination carrier to which the MMS message is intended to be sent and a carrier profile repository to obtain a carrier profile for the destination carrier, the carrier profile including information regarding an MMS format acceptable to the destination carrier. The transcoding facility determines, based on the carrier profile and a format of the MMS message received from the initiating carrier, whether the format of the MMS message received from the initiating carrier must be modified to be effectively received by the destination carrier and, if so, transcodes the MMS message in accordance with the carrier profile to generate a transcoded MMS message, and thereafter sends one of (i) the MMS message received from the initiating carrier and (ii) the transcoded MMS message to the destination carrier.

System and method for providing configurable, dynamic multimedia message service pre-transcoding

A system for enabling exchange of content over a communications network is disclosed having a first category of users comprising wireless carriers and a second category of users comprising content providers. A content gateway platform is provided having a database for storage of content. The content providers supply content to the database for use by the wireless carriers and the content is ultimately offered to end-user customers of the wireless carriers.

Intermediary content gateway system and method

System and method for providing augmented billing services. Where a billing system cannot keep pace with new services being marketed and the specialized pricing associated with such new services, a system and method are provided that generate a billing augmentation messages that are sent to the billing entity and that cause an incremental increase of a bill for the handling of a particular message type. The incremental increase is equivalent to a charge that the billing system is already configured to bill. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the message is an electronic message such as an SMS message and the billing augmentation messages are generated by and sent from an intercarrier vendor.

System and method for billing augmentation

A method and system for providing a universal voting card (UVC) is disclosed. Generic votes stored in association with a UVC may be used at any time in any combination against voting campaigns that span, e.g., wireless carrier networks, television networks and television shows. A generic vote is issued by a UVC holder through the dispatch of an SMS message to a destination address (USC, toll-free TN, etc.). Each time that a generic vote is issued by a UVC holder the 'number of votes remaining' on the UVC is decremented; when the 'number of votes remaining' on the UVC reaches zero then the UVC is no longer usable.

Growing community of inventors

Reston, VA, United States of America

Derek Hung Kit Tam