Intelligent Delivery Agent for Short Message Distribution Center

Abstract

A message distribution center (MDC) and Intelligent Delivery Agent are implemented in a wireless Internet gateway interposed between content providers and a wireless carrier to subjectively examine and direct messages via SMTP based on desired rules (non-peak hours, paying subscribers only, etc.) using standard SMTP Gateway and other well-known protocols. The MDC includes an individual queue for each subscriber, and the provider is informed through conventional SMTP protocol messages that the short message has been accepted. If the carrier has specifically disallowed service for a particular MIN (in the case of churning), then the content provider is informed through an SMTP interchange that the recipient is invalid.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A message server comprising one or more computing devices comprising:
 a memory to store machine-executable instructions; and   one or more processors to execute the machine-executable instructions causing the message server to at least:
 establish a queue threshold for a given subscriber queue associated with a given subscriber based on a size of the given subscriber queue, wherein the given subscriber queue is one of a plurality of subscriber queues; 
 receive a new short message that is directed to a recipient device associated with the given subscriber; 
 insert the new short message into the given subscriber queue, wherein the insertion of the new short message causes the queue threshold to be exceeded; and 
 delete an oldest short message held within the subscriber queue according to a first in first out model in response to the insertion. 
   
     
     
         3 . The message server of  claim 2 , wherein the new short message is stored within the chosen subscriber queue for a given time period before deletion. 
     
     
         4 . The message server of  claim 3 , wherein the processor executes the computer-executable instructions to:
 define the given time period; and   delete short messages in the given subscriber queue in response to the given time period elapsing.   
     
     
         5 . The message server of  claim 2 , wherein the new short message is received according to a simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) protocol communication channel. 
     
     
         6 . The message server of  claim 2 , wherein at least two of the plurality of subscriber queues comprise different queue thresholds. 
     
     
         7 . The message server of  claim 2 , wherein the new short message is formatted according to a short message service (SMS) protocol, a remote method invocation (RMI) protocol, or a short message peer-to-peer protocol. 
     
     
         8 . The message server of  claim 1 , wherein the processor executes the computer-executable instructions to:
 detect a new subscriber being associated with the given subscriber queue; and   clear the given queue in response to the detecting.   
     
     
         9 . A method comprising:
 establishing, at a message distribution center, a queue threshold for a given subscriber queue associated with a given subscriber based on a size of the given subscriber queue, wherein the given subscriber queue is one of a plurality of subscriber queues;   receiving, by the message distribution center, a new short message that is directed to a recipient device associated with the given subscriber;   inserting, by the message distribution center, the new short message into the given subscriber queue, wherein the insertion of the new short message causes the queue threshold to be exceeded; and   deleting, by the message distribution center, an oldest short message held within the subscriber queue in response to the inserting.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the new short message is stored within the chosen subscriber queue for a given time period before deletion. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 defining, by the message distribution center, the given time period; and   deleting, by the message distribution center, short messages in the given subscriber queue after the given time period elapses to clean the given subscriber queue.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 detecting, by the message distribution center, a new subscriber being associated with the given subscriber queue; and   clearing, by the message distribution center, the given queue in response to the detecting.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein at least two of the plurality of subscriber queues comprise different queue thresholds. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising prior to the deleting, sending, by the message distribution center, a message characterizing an offer to increase the queue threshold to a provider associated with the given subscriber. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the short message comprises packetized content addressed to the recipient wireless device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the new short message is formatted according to a short message service (SMS) protocol, a remote method invocation (RMI) protocol, or a short message peer-to-peer protocol. 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor facilitate the performance of operations, the operations comprising:
 establishing a queue threshold for a given subscriber queue associated with a given subscriber based on a size of the given subscriber queue, wherein the given subscriber queue is one of a plurality of subscriber queues;   receiving a new short message that is directed to a recipient device associated with the given subscriber;   inserting the new short message into the given subscriber queue, wherein the insertion of the new short message causes the queue threshold to be exceeded; and   deleting an oldest short message held within the subscriber queue according to a first in first out model, in response to the inserting.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the new short message is stored within the chosen subscriber queue for a given time period before deletion. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the new short message is formatted according to a short message service (SMS) protocol, a remote method invocation (RMI) protocol, or a short message peer-to-peer protocol. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the short message comprises packetized content addressed to the recipient wireless device. 
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise prior to the deleting, sending a message characterizing an offer to increase the queue threshold to a provider associated with the given subscriber.