# US 10,375,535 B2 · SMS-IWF reassignment for SMS link outage > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,375,535 B2 - Document ID: US10375535B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/631,660 - Filed: 2017-06-23 - Published: 2018-12-27 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-06-23 - Assignees: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc. - Applicants: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc. - Inventors: Suzann Hua; Priscilla Lau - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10375535B2 ## CPC - H04W 4/14: Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD] - H04B 1/707: using direct sequence modulation - H04L 69/40: for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection (management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06) - H04W 24/04: Arrangements for maintaining operational condition - H04W 48/12: using downlink control channel - H04W 72/30: Resource management for broadcast services - H04W 76/19: Connection re-establishment - H04W 80/04: Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol] - H04W 88/18: Service support devices; Network management devices - H04W 92/14: between access point controllers and backbone network device - H04W 60/04: using triggered events - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A computer device may include a memory configured to store instructions and a processor configured to execute the instructions to receive a service request from a user equipment (UE) device via a wireless access network; identify a Short Message Service Inter-Working Function (SMS-IWF) device associated with the UE device; and determine that the identified SMS-IWF device is associated with a link failure. The processor may further be configured to instruct the UE device to detach based on determining that the identified SMS-IWF device is associated with a link failure; receive a re-attach request from the UE device, in response to instructing the UE device to detach; and assign a functioning SMS-IWF device to the UE device, in response to receiving the re-attach request. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: receiving, by a computer device, a service request from a user equipment (UE) device via a wireless access network; identifying, by the computer device, a Short Message Service (SMS) device associated with the UE device; determining, by the computer device, that the identified SMS device is associated with a link failure; instructing, by the computer device, the UE device to take action based on determining that the identified SMS device is associated with a link failure; receiving, by the computer device, a re-attach request from the UE device, in response to instructing the UE device to take action; and assigning, by the computer device, a functioning SMS device to the UE device, in response to receiving the re-attach request. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein instructing the UE device to take action based on determining that the identified SMS device is associated with a link failure includes: instructing the UE device to detach based on determining that the identified SMS device is associated with the link failure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the SMS device includes an SMS Inter-Working Function (IWF) device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein determining that the identified SMS-IWF device is associated with the link failure includes: determining that a link associated with the identified SMS-IWF device is down; and wherein assigning the functioning SMS-IWF device to the UE device includes: assigning a different SMS-IWF device to the UE device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the service request corresponds to a Tracking Area Update (TAU) request, and wherein determining that the identified SMS-IWF device is associated with the link failure includes: determining that a link associated with the identified SMS-IWF device experienced a failure since a last TAU request received from the UE device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein determining that the identified SMS-IWF device is associated with the link failure includes: accessing a database that stores information relating to link failures associated with SMS-IWF devices in the wireless access network. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising: monitoring links associated with SMS-IWF devices in the wireless access network; detecting the link failure associated with the identified SMS-IWF device; and updating a database that stores information relating to link failures associated with SMS-IWF devices in the wireless access network based on the detected link failure. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising: receiving a Short Message Service (SMS) message for the UE device via the assigned functioning SMS-IWF device, wherein the SMS message was sent during a time period associated with the link failure; and forwarding the received SMS message to the UE device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the service request includes at least one of: a service request for an update from an application server (AS) device; or a service request to send information to the AS device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the link failure includes an SGs interface link failure. ### Claim 11 A computer device comprising: a memory configured to store instructions; and a processor configured to execute the instructions to: receive a service request from a user equipment (UE) device via a wireless access network; identify a Short Message Service (SMS) device associated with the UE device; determine that the identified SMS device is associated with a link failure; instruct the UE device to take action based on determining that the identified SMS device is associated with a link failure; receive a re-attach request from the UE device, in response to instructing the UE device to take action; and assign a functioning SMS device to the UE device, in response to receiving the re-attach request. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer device of claim 11, wherein, when instructing the UE device to take action based on determining that the identified SMS device is associated with a link failure, the processor is further configured to: instruct the UE device to detach based on determining that the identified SMS device is associated with a link failure. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The computer device of claim 11, wherein the SMS device includes an SMS Inter-Working Function (IWF) device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The computer device of claim 13, wherein, when determining that the identified SMS-IWF device is associated with the link failure, the processor is further configured to: determine that a link associated with the identified SMS-IWF device is down; and wherein, when assigning the functioning SMS-IWF device to the UE device, the processor is further configured to: assign a different SMS-IWF device to the UE device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The computer device of claim 13, wherein the service request corresponds to a Tracking Area Update (TAU) request, and wherein, when determining that the identified SMS-IWF device is associated with the link failure, the processor is further configured to: determine that a link associated with the identified SMS-IWF device experienced a failure since a last TAU request received from the UE device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The computer device of claim 13, wherein, when determining that the identified SMS-IWF device is associated with the link failure, the processor is further configured to: access a database that stores information relating to link failures associated with SMS-IWF devices in the wireless access network. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The computer device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to: monitor links associated with SMS-IWF devices in the wireless access network; detect the link failure associated with the identified SMS-IWF device; and update a database that stores information relating to link failures associated with SMS-IWF devices in the wireless access network based on the detected link failure. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The computer device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to: receive a Short Message Service (SMS) message for the UE device via the assigned functioning SMS-IWF device, wherein the SMS message was sent during a time period associated with the link failure; and forward the received SMS message to the UE device. ### Claim 19 A system comprising: a plurality of Short Message Service Inter-Working Function (SMS-IWF) devices configured to send and receive Short Message Service (SMS) messages to a plurality of user equipment (UE) devices; and a Mobility Management Entity (MME) configured to: receive a Tracking Area Update (TAU) request from a UE device, of the plurality of UE devices, via a wireless access network; identify a SMS-IWF device, of the plurality of SMS-IWF devices, associated with the UE device; determine that the identified SMS-IWF device is associated with a link failure; instruct the UE device to detach based on determining that the identified SMS-IWF device is associated with a link failure; receive a re-attach request from the UE device, in response to instructing the UE device to detach; and assign a functioning SMS-IWF device, of the plurality of SMS-IWF devices, to the UE device, in response to receiving the re-attach request. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the MME is further configured to: monitor links associated with the plurality of SMS-IWF devices; detect the link failure associated with the identified SMS-IWF device; and update a database that stores information relating to link failures associated with the plurality of SMS-IWF devices based on the detected link failure.