Patent ID: 7181538
Filing Date: 2007-02-20
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method for providing multimedia message service (MMS) interoperability between an initiating mobile telephone service provider and a destination mobile telephone service provider, comprising: receiving an MMS message from the initiating mobile telephone service provider; querying a number portability database that identifies a corresponding mobile telephone service provider for each of a plurality of telephone numbers to determine an identity of the destination mobile telephone service provider to which the MMS message is intended to be sent; querying a carrier profile repository to access a carrier profile for the destination mobile telephone service provider, the carrier profile including information regarding an MMS format acceptable to the destination mobile telephone service provider; determining, based on the carrier profile and a format of the MMS message received from the initiating mobile telephone service provider, whether the format of the MMS message received from the initiating mobile telephone service provider must be modified to be effectively received by a subscriber of the destination mobile telephone service provider and, if so, transcoding the MMS message in accordance with the carrier profile to generate a transcoded MMS message; and sending the MMS message received from the initiating mobile telephone service provider to the destination mobile telephone service provider if the destination mobile telephone service provider can accept the received MMS message as is, sending the transcoded MMS message to the destination mobile telephone service provider when the destination mobile telephone service provider cannot accept the received MMS message as is, after a weighted iteration through entries in the carrier profile for the destination mobile telephone service provider, and the transcoding step is applicable to a current situation, and sending a short message service (SMS) message to the destination mobile telephone service provider, and alternatively employing a best possible routing model and delivering the MMS message to the destination mobile telephone server provider if the destination mobile telephone service provider cannot accept the received MMS message as is, and the transcoding step is not applicable to the current situation.