Patent ID: 7174158
Filing Date: 2007-02-06
Classification: H04L,H04M,H04W

Abstract:
1. A process for the transmission of SMS messages with protected identity, the process comprising the steps of: sending the SMS message from a user with his telephone number visible in a header; receiving and processing the sent SMS message by a SMS message service center; forwarding the sent SMS message from the service center to transit equipment; ciphering with the transit equipment the user's telephone number by an application based on a ciphering algorithm into a ciphered telephone number having a first part containing the user's telephone number ciphered by the ciphering algorithm using a password selected from a plurality of different passwords and a second part containing an index identifying the selected password to its destination, transmitting the SMS message containing the ciphered telephone number to its destination where the identity of the user cannot be determined from the ciphered telephone number, but it is possible to reply using the ciphered number, due to the fact that the transit equipment can decipher the number and restore it to its original form, and then forward the call correctly.