Patent ID: 6920332

Claim:
A method of controlling subscriber use of a short message service in a telecommunication system in which a short message sent from an originating subscriber terminal device to a destination number of an intended recipient of the short message is routed from the terminal device to a short message service center of the telecommunication system for further transmission of the short message from the short message service center to the destination number, comprising the steps of: checking, prior to further transmission of the short message from the short message service center to the destination number, whether the destination number is among a predetermined numerical space; and if the destination number is determined to be among the predetermined numerical space; checking in a database whether the originating subscriber is permitted to send the short message to the destination number and, if it is determined that the subscriber is not permitted to send the short message to the destination number, blocking further transmission of the short message from the short message service center to the destination number; and notifying the originating subscriber that transmission of the short message to the destination number has been blocked.