US-12627631-B2 - Inter-partner messaging interoperabilty

US12627631B2US 12627631 B2US12627631 B2US 12627631B2US-12627631-B2

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, identifying, at an originating network, a recipient of a message at a terminating network, communicating a query message from the originating network to a domain name service, the query message including a query message service identifier for an inter-partner messaging service, receiving, at the originating network, a response message, the response message including a response message service identifier for the inter-partner messaging service, the response message including addressing information for communicating the message to the terminating network, formatting the message, and transmitting the message from the originating network to the terminating network based on the addressing information. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Inventors

Timothy Yao

Assignees

AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240109

Claims (20)

1 . A method, comprising: identifying, by a processing system including a processor at an originating network operated by a first network operator, a recipient of a message at a terminating network operated by a second network operator; communicating, by the processing system, a query message from the originating network to a domain name service, the query message including a query message service identifier, wherein the query message service identifier is associated with an inter-partner messaging service, the inter-partner messaging service based on an agreement between the first network operator and the second network operator; receiving, by the processing system, at the originating network, a response message, the response message including a response message service identifier, wherein the response message service identifier is associated with the inter-partner messaging service, the response message including addressing information for communicating the message to the terminating network; formatting, by the processing system, the message; transmitting, by the processing system, the message from the originating network to the terminating network based on the addressing information; receiving, by the processing system, a file at the originating network, the file being associated with a user of a user device; communicating, by the processing system, a text message from the originating network to the terminating network, the text message including information about the file; and communicating, by the processing system, the file to the terminating network responsive to a query from the terminating network.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying the recipient of the message at the terminating network comprises: confirming, by the processing system, that the recipient is served by the terminating network.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the identifying the recipient of the message at the terminating network comprises: communicating, by the processing system, a query to the terminating network, the query requesting a uniform resource identifier for the recipient; and receiving, by the processing system, from the terminating network, a username of the recipient on the terminating network or a telephone number of the recipient, or both of these.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the formatting the message comprises: associating the username of the recipient or the telephone number of the recipient with the message for delivery to the recipient at the terminating network.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the communicating the query message from the originating network to the domain name service comprises: communicating, by the processing system, a session initiation protocol query message including a service (SRV) record to the terminating network, the SRV record including a query prefix, wherein the query prefix identifies the inter-partner messaging service.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the receiving the response message comprises: receiving, by the processing system, a session initiation protocol response message including a service (SRV) record including a response prefix, wherein the response prefix identifies the inter-partner messaging service.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the receiving the session initiation protocol response message comprises: receiving, by the processing system, the session initiation protocol response message having a response prefix matching the query prefix, wherein the query prefix and the response prefix are associated with the inter-partner messaging service.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the communicating the text message from the originating network to the terminating network comprises: communicating, by the processing system, a text message including a uniform resource locator (URL) identifying a location at the originating network where the file is located after the receiving the file from the user of the user device.
9 . The method of claim 8 , comprising: receiving, by the processing system, a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) query message from the terminating network requesting the file, the HTTP query message including a query prefix, wherein the query prefix identifies the inter-partner messaging service; and communicating, by the processing system, a HTTP response message from the originating network to the terminating network, the HTTP response message including the file, the HTTP response message including a response prefix, wherein the response prefix identifies the inter-partner messaging service.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying the recipient of the message at the terminating network further comprises determining a service type for the message, wherein the service type is used for service-deterministic routing to the terminating network.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the communicating of the file from the originating network to the terminating network includes using a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) message having a protocol prefix to establish a socket for file transfer from the originating network to the terminating network.
12 . A device, comprising: a processing system including a processor; and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising: receiving a text message from a user at a user device on an originating network operated by a first network operator, the message including recipient identification information for a recipient on a terminating network operated by a second network operator; communicating a service initiation protocol (SIP) query message to a domain name service, the SIP query message including a service identifier for an inter-partner messaging service, wherein the inter-partner messaging service is based on an operating agreement between the first network operator and the second network operator; receiving a SIP response message from the domain name service, the SIP response message including information about a socket and an internet protocol (IP) address of the terminating network to use for the inter-partner messaging service; transmitting the text message from the originating network to the terminating network at the socket and the IP address of the terminating network received in the SIP response message; receiving a file from the user of a user device at the originating network, the file for transfer to the recipient at the terminating network; communicating, by the processing system, a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) message including a uniform resource locator (URL) identifying a location at the originating network where the file is located after the receiving the file from the user of the user device, the HTTP message including a prefix, wherein the prefix identifies the inter-partner messaging service; receiving, by the processing system, a HTTP query message from the terminating network requesting the file, the HTTP query message including a query prefix, wherein the query prefix identifies the inter-partner messaging service; and communicating, by the processing system, a HTTP response message from the originating network to the terminating network, the HTTP response message including the file, the HTTP response message further including a response prefix, wherein the response prefix identifies the inter-partner messaging service.
13 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise: formatting a query message requesting a Uniform Resource Indicator for the recipient on the terminating network; communicating the query message to the domain name service, the query message including a query prefix, wherein the query prefix identifies the inter-partner messaging service; and receiving a response message from the domain name service, the response message including a response prefix, wherein the query prefix identifies the inter-partner messaging service.
14 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise: determining, from the response message from the domain name service, that the recipient is served by a messaging service on the terminating network.
15 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the receiving a response message from the domain name service comprises: receiving from the domain name service, a username of the recipient on the terminating network or a telephone number of the recipient, or both of these.
16 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the transmitting the text message from the originating network to the terminating network comprises: formatting a SIP message including one of the username of the recipient or the telephone number of the recipient; and transmitting in the text message a service identifier for the inter-partner messaging service.
17 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the receiving of the file from the user of the user device includes storing the file in a file transfer content server (FTCS) of the originating network and generating a uniform resource locator (URL) to identify a location of the stored file.
18 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising: receiving a text message from a user at a user device on an originating network, the text message including content intended for a recipient at a recipient device on a terminating network; confirming the recipient is served by a messaging service of the terminating network, including transmitting a confirming message, the confirming message including a message service identifier identifying an inter-partner messaging service by the originating network and the terminating network; obtaining, for the recipient, a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) which identifies an account of the recipient on the terminating network, including transmitting a query message from the originating network to the terminating network, the query message including the message service identifier identifying the inter-partner messaging service by the originating network and the terminating network; formatting a message including the content intended for the recipient at the recipient device on a terminating network, the message further including addressing information based on the URI which identifies the account of the recipient on the terminating network, the message further including the message service identifier identifying the inter-partner messaging service by the originating network and the terminating network; transmitting the message from the originating network to the terminating network; identifying a file attachment to be transmitted with the content intended for the recipient at the recipient device on a terminating network; and providing the file attachment from the originating network to the terminating network, including communicating a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) message from the originating network to the terminating network, the HTTP message including the file attachment, the HTTP message including the message service identifier for inter-partner messaging by the originating network and the terminating network; communicating a text message from the originating network to the terminating network, the text message including information about the file attachment, the text message having a HTTP service type, the text message including the message service identifier for inter-partner messaging by the originating network and the terminating network; and receiving a HTTP query message from the terminating network requesting the file attachment, the HTTP query message including the message service identifier for inter-partner messaging by the originating network and the terminating network.
19 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise: formatting the message including the message service identifier for inter-partner messaging by the originating network and the terminating network set to a value of _ipm and with a service type set to E2U+ipm.
20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the HTTP query message from the terminating network requesting the file attachment includes a query prefix identifying the inter-partner messaging service and specifies a location of the file at the originating network.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/502,519 filed on May 16, 2023, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The subject disclosure relates to messaging among differing messaging service providers using networks such as the public internet. BACKGROUND Generally, Mobile Network Operators and Internet companies each have their own versions of messaging services. Such messaging services allows subscribers to communicate messages to other subscribers and other destinations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein: FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary, non-limiting embodiment of a communications network in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 2A is a block diagram illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of a system for inter-partner messaging, functioning within the communication network of FIG. 1, in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 2B is a block diagram illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of a system for inter-partner messaging with file transfer, functioning within the communication network of FIG. 1, in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 2C is a block diagram illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of a system for inter-partner messaging, functioning within the communication network of FIG. 1, in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of a virtualized communication network in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example, non-limiting embodiment of a computing environment in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example, non-limiting embodiment of a mobile network platform in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an example, non-limiting embodiment of a communication device in accordance with various aspects described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The subject disclosure describes, among other things, illustrative embodiments for enabling message communication, including communication of file attachments, delivery receipts and read receipts, between operators of mobile networks and operators of internet-based messaging and chat systems. A message format is defined which enable confirmation that an intended recipient has an account served by the internet-based messaging service. A further message format is defined which allows the mobile network operator or other originating network to resolve the routing target for the message communication. A further message format is defined which allows for communication of file attachments, delivery receipts and read receipts. Other embodiments are described in the subject disclosure. One or more aspects of the subject disclosure include identifying, at an originating network, a recipient of a message at a terminating network, communicating a query message from the originating network to a domain name service, the query message including a query message service identifier for an inter-partner messaging service, receiving, at the originating network, a response message, the response message including a response message service identifier for the inter-partner messaging service, the response message including addressing information for communicating the message to the terminating network, formatting the message, and transmitting the message from the originating network to the terminating network based on the addressing information. One or more aspects of the subject disclosure include receiving a text message from a user at a user device on an originating network, the message including recipient identification information for a recipient on a terminating network, communicating a service initiation protocol (SIP) query message to a domain name service, the SIP query message including a service identifier for an inter-partner messaging service, receiving a SIP response message from the domain name service, the SIP response message including information about a socket and an internet protocol (IP) address of the terminating network to use for the inter-partner messaging service, and transmitting the text message from the originating network to the terminating network at the socket and the IP address of the terminating network received in the SIP response message. One or more aspects of the subject disclosure include receiving a text message from a user at a user device on an originating network, the text message including content intended for a recipient at a recipient device on a terminating network, confirming the recipient is served by a messaging service of the terminating network, including transmitting a confir