Methods for bearer selection performed by a sending mobile device

A method comprising:

• (a) retrieving a destination address of a message from the message, wherein the destination address is a phone number of a receiving mobile phone;
• (b) receiving information, by a server of a packet switched message service (PSMS), wherein the information indicates the phone number of the receiving mobile phone;
• (c) sending, by the server of the PSMS, a response to the receiving of the information;
• (d) based at least in part on the response, automatically selecting, by a sending mobile phone, a bearer for the message, wherein the bearer is selected from a group including:
• a short message service (SMS) bearer;
• a packet-switched message bearer supported by a cellular connection between the sending mobile phone and a cellular base station;
• and
• a packet-switched message bearer supported by a wireless local area network (WLAN) connection between the sending mobile phone and a WLAN base station;
• (e) after step (c), formatting, by the sending mobile phone, the message for transmission via the selected bearer;
• and
• (f) after step (d), transmitting, using the selected bearer, the message to a receiving mobile phone;
• and
• (g) performing steps (a)-(f) for at least first, second and third iterations, wherein:
• during the first iteration, a first message is sent to a first receiving mobile phone using the SMS bearer;
• during the second iteration, a second message is sent to a second receiving mobile phone using the packet-switched message bearer supported by the cellular connection;
• and
• during the third iteration, a third message is sent to a third receiving mobile phone using the packet-switched message bearer supported by the WLAN connection;
• wherein a server of the PSMS receives content of the third message and sends the content to the third receiving mobile phone;
• wherein the PSMS is a service for sending and receiving packet switched messages other than SMS, enhanced message service (EMS) and multimedia message service (MMS) messages;
• wherein a same messaging application on the sending mobile phone performs at least steps (a), (b), (d) and (e) for each of the first, second and third iterations.

A method performed by a sending mobile device that transmits short message service (SMS) messages and packet switched messages, the method comprising:

• sending first information representing a first phone number of a first receiving mobile device to a server;
• receiving a first response to the sending of the first information;
• based at least in part on the first response, automatically selecting an SMS bearer for a first message;
• formatting the first message for transmission via the SMS bearer;
• and
• transmitting the first message using the SMS bearer;
• retrieving a destination address of a second message, wherein the destination address of the second message represents at least a second phone number of a second receiving mobile device;
• sending the destination address of the second message to the server;
• receiving a second response to the sending of the destination address of the second message;
• based at least in part on the second response, automatically selecting a first packet-switched message bearer for the second message;
• formatting the second message for transmission via a cellular connection between the sending mobile device and a cellular base station;
• transmitting, via the cellular connection, the second message to the second receiving mobile device;
• retrieving a destination address of a third message, wherein the destination address of the third message represents at least a third phone number of a third receiving mobile device;
• sending the destination address of the third message to the server;
• receiving a third response to the sending of the destination address of the third message, wherein the third response indicates that a plurality of receiving mobile devices corresponding to the destination address of the third message are associated with a packet switched message service (PSMS);
• based at least in part on the third response, automatically selecting a second packet-switched bearer for the third message;
• formatting the third message for transmission via the second packet-switched bearer and a wireless local area network (WLAN) connection between the sending mobile device and a WLAN base station;
• and
• transmitting, using the second packet-switched bearer and the WLAN connection, the third message to the plurality of receiving mobile devices;
• wherein the PSMS is a service for sending and receiving packet switched messages other than SMS, enhanced message service (EMS) and multimedia message service (MMS) messages.

A method performed by a sending mobile device that transmits short message service (SMS) messages and packet switched messages, the method comprising:

• sending first information representing a first phone number of a first receiving mobile device to a server;
• receiving a first response to the sending of the first information;
• based at least in part on the first response, automatically selecting an SMS bearer for a first message;
• formatting the first message for transmission via the SMS bearer;
• and
• transmitting the first message using the SMS bearer;
• retrieving a destination address of a second message, wherein the destination address of the second message represents at least a second phone number of a second receiving mobile device;
• sending the destination address of the second message to the server;
• receiving a second response to the sending of the destination address of the second message indicating that the second message is not to be sent to at least one of a first plurality of receiving mobile devices corresponding to the destination address of the second message via a packet switched message service (PSMS);
• based at least in part on the second response, automatically selecting the SMS bearer for sending the second message to the at least one of the first plurality of receiving mobile devices;
• formatting the second message for transmission via a cellular connection between the sending mobile device and a cellular base station;
• transmitting, via the cellular connection, the second message to the at least one of the first plurality of receiving devices;
• retrieving a destination address of a third message, wherein the destination address of the third message represents at least a third phone number of a third receiving mobile device;
• sending the destination address of the third message to the server;
• receiving a third response to the sending of the destination address of the third message, wherein the third response indicates that a second plurality of receiving mobile devices corresponding to the destination address of the third message are associated with the PSMS;
• based at least in part on the third response, automatically selecting a packet-switched bearer for the third message;
• formatting the third message for transmission via the packet-switched bearer and a wireless local area network (WLAN) connection between the sending mobile device and a WLAN base station;
• and
• transmitting, using the packet-switched bearer and the WLAN connection, the third message to the second plurality of receiving mobile devices.