# US 2019/0357019 A1 · Mobile Terminating Short Message Service Re-Transmission Management

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- Number: US 2019/0357019 A1
- Document ID: US20190357019A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/403,699
- Filed: 2019-05-06
- Published: 2019-11-21
- Earliest claimed: 2018-05-16
- Assignees: Apple Inc.
- Applicants: Apple Inc.
- Inventors: Yifan Zhu; Utkarsh Kumar; Lakshmi N. Kavuri; Shivani Suresh Babu; Hariharan Sukumar; Krisztian Kiss
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190357019A1

## CPC

- H04W 4/14: Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
- H04W 8/02: Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
- H04W 88/06: adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

This disclosure relates to techniques for managing mobile-terminating short message service re-transmissions for wireless devices. A cellular network entity of a cellular network may receive a request to provide a short message service message to a wireless device. The wireless device may be registered with the cellular network entity via at least two access types. An attempt to provide the short message service message to the wireless device via a first access type may be performed. An attempt to provide the short message service message to the wireless device via a second access type may be performed if the attempt to provide the short message service message to the wireless device via the first access type is unsuccessful.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus, comprising:
a processor configured to cause a mobility function entity of a cellular network to:
receive a request to provide a mobile terminating short message service (SMS) message to a wireless device, wherein the wireless device is registered with the mobility function entity via a plurality of access types;
perform a first attempt to provide the SMS message to the wireless device, wherein the first attempt is performed via a first access type;
determine that the first attempt to provide the SMS message to the wireless device is unsuccessful; and
perform a second attempt to provide the SMS message to the wireless device, wherein the second attempt is performed via a second access type.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the mobility function entity to:
determine to perform the second attempt to provide the SMS message via the second access type based at least in part on the first attempt to provide the SMS message to the wireless device being unsuccessful.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the mobility function entity to:
store information indicating that an unsuccessful attempt to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via the first access type was performed based at least in part on determining that the first attempt to provide the SMS message to the wireless device is unsuccessful,
wherein the second attempt to provide the SMS message to the wireless device is performed via the second access type further based at least in part on the stored information indicating that an unsuccessful attempt to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via the first access type was performed.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the mobility function entity to:
perform the first attempt to provide the SMS message to the wireless device and the second attempt to provide the SMS message to the wireless device without providing a response to the request to provide the SMS message to the wireless device between the first attempt and the second attempt.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cellular network entity is further configured to:
determine that the second attempt to provide the SMS message to the wireless device is unsuccessful;
determine that delivery of the SMS message failed based at least in part on both the first attempt to provide the SMS message to the wireless device being unsuccessful and the second attempt to provide the SMS message to the wireless device being unsuccessful; and
provide a response to the request to provide the SMS message indicating that delivery of the SMS message failed.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the cellular network entity is further configured to:
determine that delivery of the SMS message failed if attempts to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via each of the plurality of access types are unsuccessful.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1,
wherein the request to provide the SMS message is received from a SMS function (SMSF) of the cellular network
wherein the mobility function entity comprises an access and mobility management function (AMF).

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1,
wherein the plurality of access types comprise at least a 3GPP access type and a non-3GPP access type.

### Claim 9

A cellular network entity of a cellular network, comprising:
a network interface; and
a processing element coupled to the network interface;
wherein the cellular network entity is configured to:
receive a request to provide a short message service (SMS) message to a wireless device, wherein the wireless device is registered with the cellular network entity via at least two access types;
attempt to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via a first access type of the at least two access types; and
attempt to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via a second access type of the at least two access types if attempting to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via the first access type is unsuccessful.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The cellular network entity of claim 9, wherein the request to provide the SMS message to the wireless device further comprises an indication to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via the first access type, wherein the cellular network entity is further configured to:
provide a response to the request to provide the SMS message indicating that attempting to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via the first access type is unsuccessful; and
receive a request to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via the second access type,
wherein attempting to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via a second access type of the at least two access types if attempting to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via the first access type is unsuccessful is further based at least in part on receiving the request to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via the second access type.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The cellular network entity of claim 9, wherein the cellular network entity is further configured to:
provide a response to the request to provide the SMS message indicating that an unsuccessful attempt to provide the SMS message to the wireless device was performed if attempting to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via the first access type is unsuccessful; and
receive a request to re-try providing the SMS message to the wireless device,
wherein attempting to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via a second access type of the at least two access types if attempting to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via the first access type is unsuccessful is further based at least in part on receiving the request to re-try providing the SMS message to the wireless device.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The cellular network entity of claim 11,
wherein the response further indicates that the unsuccessful attempt to provide the SMS message to the wireless device was performed via the first access type.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The cellular network entity of claim 11,
wherein the response further indicates that the unsuccessful attempt comprises a temporary failure to deliver the SMS message to the wireless device.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The cellular network entity of claim 11, wherein the cellular network entity is further configured to:
store information indicating that an unsuccessful attempt to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via the first access type was performed if attempting to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via the first access type is unsuccessful,
wherein attempting to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via a second access type of the at least two access types if attempting to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via the first access type is unsuccessful is further based at least in part on the stored information indicating that an unsuccessful attempt to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via the first access type was performed.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The cellular network entity of claim 9, wherein the cellular network entity is further configured to:
provide a response to the request to provide the SMS message indicating that delivery of the SMS message failed if attempting to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via the first access type is unsuccessful and attempting to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via the second access type is also unsuccessful.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The cellular network entity of claim 9,
wherein the request to provide the SMS message is received from a SMS function (SMSF) of the cellular network

### Claim 17 (depends on 9)

The cellular network entity of claim 9,
wherein the cellular network entity comprises an access and mobility management function (AMF).

### Claim 18

A short message service function (SMSF) of a cellular network, comprising:
a network interface; and
a processing element coupled to the network interface;
wherein the SMSF is configured to:
provide a request to provide a short message service (SMS) message to a wireless device, wherein the request to provide the SMS message is provided to an access and mobility management function (AMF) of the cellular network, wherein the wireless device is registered with the cellular network via at least two access types;
receive a response to the request to provide the SMS message indicating that an unsuccessful attempt to provide the SMS message to the wireless device was performed; and
provide a request to re-try providing the SMS message to the wireless device to the second cellular network entity of the cellular network, wherein the request to re-try providing the SMS message is provided to the AMF of the cellular network.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The SMSF of claim 18,
wherein the request to provide the SMS message further comprises an indication to attempt to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via a first access type,
wherein the request to re-try providing the SMS message further comprises an indication to attempt to provide the SMS message to the wireless device via a second access type.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The SMSF of claim 18,
wherein the at least two access types comprise a 3GPP access type and a non-3GPP access type.