Patent ID: 7215970

Claim:
A messaging applications router comprising: means for interfacing with a plurality of external short message entities (ESMEs) using SMS messaging protocols for receiving mobile terminating messages generated by said ESMEs and for sending mobile originating messages addressed to said ESMEs; means for interfacing with a plurality of short message service centres (SMSCs) using SMS messaging protocols for receiving mobile originating messages addressed to said ESMEs and for sending mobile terminating messages to said SMSCs; routing means comprising means for routing said messages; management means comprising means for setting a routing configuration; a user interface comprising means for receiving user configuration settings and for outputting routing data; wherein said interfacing means and said routing means route said message so that the router provides a single point of contact for said ESMEs such that the ESMEs do not need to be aware of the quantity or configuration of said SMSCs and so that the ESMEs and the SMSCs are not directly connected to each other; wherein said routing means and said management means comprise means for sending mobile terminated messages from any of said ESMEs to a plurality of SMSCs; wherein the routing means and the management means comprise means for routing mobile originating messages from an SMSC to a correct ESME; wherein the routing means and the management means comprise means for rerouting to other SMSCs mobile terminating messages initially destined for failed SMSCs; wherein the routing means and the management means comprise means for throttling mobile terminated messages to said SMSCs according to a configuration by monitoring the number of messages in a time period; and wherein said throttling configuration divides a throttling rate amongst said SMSCs according to weightings assigned to SMSCs; and wherein the routing means comprises a plurality of router nodes for accepting messages from ESMEs and routing them to SMSCs and for receiving messages from SMSCs and routing them to ESMEs; and wherein the routing means further comprises an addressing function for allowing ESMEs to use one address to contact the messaging applications router and for distributing ESME connections to router nodes according to their respective loads to balance their loads.