Patent ID: 7154901

Claim:
An intermediary network system for interconnecting multiple networks, comprising: first and second intermediary networks each comprising an input unit selectably connectable to an entity from which a message is received, the input unit including at least one transformation unit that transforms the message from a Short Message Peer to Peer format to an internal format usable by the intermediary network; at least one output unit selectably connectable to an entity via which the message can reach a destination address, the at least one output unit including at least one transformation unit that transforms the message from the internal format usable by the intermediary network to a Short Message Peer to Peer format; said input unit and said at least one output unit also being operable to perform character mapping; and, a first routing unit that checks the validity of a destination number and, when necessary, adds digits to the destination number; a second routing unit, employed when an error occurs in the first routing unit, that generates an error message intended for a source telephone number to inform a subscriber that a message failed due to a numbering error, the second routing unit operable to route the error message to the at least one output unit; a third routing unit, employed when the second routing unit is not employed, that resolves a delivery method for the message based, at least in part, on solving a cost function; a filter unit that, in accordance with a decision made by the entity via which the message can reach the destination address, selectably blocks binary messages from being passed to the entity via which the message can reach the destination address, wherein the first intermediary network is in communication with at least a first carrier; wherein the second intermediary network is in communication with at least a second carrier and the first intermediary network, wherein messages are exchanged between the first and second carriers via the first and second intermediary networks, wherein the first and second intermediary networks have a predetermined peering relationship with each other such that it is known before a message is passed from the first intermediary network to the second intermediary network which transformation and routing actions, if any, are to be performed by the first and second intermediary networks, and wherein an interconnection between the first and second intermediary networks is via a distributed queuing system.