METHOD FOR STORING AND FORWARDING SHORT MESSAGES TO MOBILE SUBSCRIBERS IN A CELLULAR COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

摘要

A method and apparatus for transferring a short message between an originating mobile station (12) and the short message service center (29) permanently associated with the destination mobile station is disclosed. The originating mobile station (12) sends the short message (including the address of the destination mobile station) to the mobile network over an air interface. The mobile network transfers the short message internally between switching nodes. One of the switching nodes (18) interrogates a subscriber database (20), and passes the mobile station's address to the database (20), as well as information showing that this is a short message submitted from a mobile station. The database (20) checks to determine if the destination mobile station is short message service capable. If not, the short message is terminated. Otherwise, the database (20) returns the address of the short message service center (24) permanently associated with the destination mobile station. The short message is transferred through the mobile network to that short message service center (24).