Methods and apparatus for use in forwarding short messages for mobile communication devices

Equipment for use in a wireless communication network for forwarding short messages for a mobile communication device having an address utilized to identify the mobile communication device in the wireless communication network, the equipment comprising:

• one or more processors;
• the one or more processors being configured to:
• maintain access to storage of an association between the address and an alternate address utilized to identify an alternate communication device;
• receive a short message having a destination address that matches the address;
• and
• send the short message to the alternate address for delivery to the alternate communication device;
• wherein the equipment is assigned the address based on a message forwarding enable function being activated.

A method in a mobile communication device for use in controlling a forwarding of short messages in a wireless communication network, the method comprising the acts of:

• receiving, via a user interface, a user input comprising a message forwarding enable instruction or message;
• in response to the receiving of the user input comprising the message forwarding enable instruction or message:
• causing a message forwarding enable message to be sent to equipment in the wireless communication network, the message forwarding enable message being defined to cause the equipment to register its location in the wireless communication network with respect to an address associated with the mobile communication device, for receipt and forwarding of short messages addressed to the address to an alternate address which identifies an alternate communication device;
• receiving, via the user interface, a user input comprising a message forwarding disable instruction or message;
• and
• in response to the receiving of the user input comprising a message forwarding disable instruction or message:
• causing a message forwarding disable message to be sent to the equipment in the wireless communication network, the message forwarding disable message being defined to cause the equipment to deregister its location from the wireless communication network with respect to the address.

A mobile communication device which is configured to control a forwarding of short messages in a wireless communication network, the mobile communication device comprising:

• a wireless transceiver;
• one or more processors coupled to the user interface and the wireless transceiver;
• the one or more processors being configured to:
• receive, via a user interface, a user input comprising a message forwarding enable instruction or message;
• in response to the receiving of the user input comprising the message forwarding enable instruction or message:
• cause a message forwarding enable message to be sent to equipment in the wireless communication network through the wireless transceiver, the message forwarding enable message being defined to cause the equipment to register its location in the wireless communication network with respect to an address associated with the mobile communication device, for receipt and forwarding of short messages addressed to the address to an alternate address which identifies an alternate communication device;
• receive, via the user interface, a user input comprising a message forwarding disable instruction or message;
• and
• in response to the receiving of the message forwarding disable instruction or message:
• cause a message forwarding disable message to be sent to the equipment in the wireless communication network through the wireless transceiver, the message forwarding disable message being defined to cause the equipment to deregister its location from the wireless communication network with respect to the address.