Arrangement for implementing transmission of multimedia messages

• US 20020078228A1
• Filed: 12/17/2001
• Published: 06/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kuisma, Jussi, Pihlajamaki, Sisko
• Granted Patent: US 7,886,007 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/237
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of transferring a multimedia message in a multimedia messaging system, which comprises a terminal (MS) and a multimedia messaging centre (MMSC), which are arranged to communicate with each other at least partially wirelessly. The multimedia messaging centre (MMSC) is arranged to receive multimedia messages addressed to the terminal (MS) and transmit a notification message to the terminal (MS) to inform it of a multimedia message addressed to the terminal (MS) which has arrived at the multimedia messaging centre (MMSC). The method comprises transmitting a first message (11) wirelessly from the terminal (MS) to the multimedia messaging centre (MMSC), the first message (11) requesting the multimedia messaging centre (MMSC) to transmit a notification message (12) to the terminal (MS) on the multimedia messages addressed to the terminal (MS) which have arrived at the multimedia messaging centre and on which the terminal (MS) has not received a notification message yet. The invention also relates to a system for transmitting a multimedia message, and to a terminal and a multimedia messaging centre.

Claims

1. A method of transferring a multimedia message in a multimedia messaging system, which comprises a terminal and a multimedia messaging centre, which are arranged to communicate with each other at least partially wirelessly, the multimedia messaging centre being arranged to receive multimedia messages addressed to the terminal and transmit a notification message to the terminal to inform it of a multimedia message addressed to the terminal which has arrived at the multimedia messaging centre, wherein the method comprises:

transmitting a first message wirelessly from the terminal to the multimedia messaging centre, the first message requesting the multimedia messaging centre to transmit a notification message to the terminal on multimedia messages addressed to the terminal which have arrived at the multimedia messaging centre and on which the terminal has not received a notification message yet.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first message requests the multimedia messaging centre to transmit a notification message to the terminal on multimedia messages addressed to the terminal which have arrived at the multimedia messaging centre and on which the terminal has not received a notification message which has already been transmitted from the multimedia messaging centre.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method also comprises:

receiving the first message transmitted by the terminal at the multimedia messaging centre;

determining at the multimedia messaging centre whether there are multimedia messages addressed to the terminal at the multimedia messaging centre on which the terminal has not received a notification message yet;

transmitting a second message from the multimedia messaging centre to the terminal in response to the first message, the second message containing the notification messages on said multimedia messages on which the terminal has not received a notification message yet.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving the second message at the terminal, which has been transmitted by the multimedia messaging service and contains said notification messages;

transmitting a third message from the terminal to the multimedia messaging centre in response to said second message, the third message indicating to the multimedia messaging centre the terminal'"'"'s desire to fetch the multimedia message on which a notification message was transmitted to the terminal in said second message.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving the third message transmitted by the terminal at the multimedia messaging centre;

transmitting a fourth message from the multimedia messaging centre to the terminal in response to said third message, the fourth message containing the multimedia message the desire to fetch of which the terminal has indicated in said third message.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the terminal and the multimedia messaging centre comprise a protocol stack and a multimedia application on top of it, and said first, second, third and fourth message are transmitted at the level of the multimedia application, the messages then being independent of the implementation of the protocol stack below the multimedia application.

7. A method according to claim 3, wherein it is determined at the multimedia messaging centre whether the multimedia messaging centre has multimedia messages addressed to the terminal on which the terminal has not received a notification message by investigating whether the multimedia messaging centre has received an acknowledgement to the notification message from the terminal.

8. A multimedia messaging centre for transferring a multimedia message in a system, which comprises a terminal (MS) and a multimedia messaging centre (MMSC), which are arranged to communicate with each other at least partially wirelessly, the multimedia messaging centre being arranged to receive multimedia messages addressed to the terminal and transmit a notification message to the terminal to inform it of a multimedia message addressed to the terminal which has arrived at the multimedia messaging centre, wherein it comprises:

means for receiving a first message transmitted by the terminal, the first message requesting the multimedia messaging centre to transmit a notification message to the terminal on multimedia messages addressed to the terminal which have arrived at the multimedia messaging centre and on which the terminal has not received a notification message yet; and

means for determining whether there are multimedia messages addressed to the terminal at the multimedia messaging centre on which the terminal has not received a notification message yet.

9. A terminal (MS) which is arranged to function in a system which comprises a terminal and a multimedia messaging centre (MMSC), which are arranged to communicate with each other at least partially wirelessly, the multimedia messaging centre being arranged to receive multimedia messages addressed to the terminal and transmit a notification message to the terminal to inform it of a multimedia message addressed to the terminal which has arrived at the multimedia messaging centre, wherein the terminal comprises:

means (CPU, MEM, SW, RF, ANT) for transmitting a first message wirelessly from the terminal to the multimedia messaging centre, the first message requesting the multimedia messaging centre to transmit a notification message to the terminal on multimedia messages addressed to the terminal which have arrived at the multimedia messaging centre and on which the terminal has not received a notification message yet.

10. A system for transferring a multimedia message, the system comprising a terminal (MS) and a multimedia messaging centre (MMSC), which are arranged to communicate with each other at least partially wirelessly, the multimedia messaging centre being arranged to receive multimedia messages addressed to the terminal and transmit a notification message to the terminal to inform it of a multimedia message addressed to the terminal which has arrived at the multimedia messaging centre, wherein the system comprises:

means (CPU, MEM, SW, RF, ANT) for transmitting a first message wirelessly from the terminal to the multimedia messaging centre, the first message requesting the multimedia messaging centre to transmit a notification message to the terminal on multimedia messages addressed to the terminal which have arrived at the multimedia messaging centre and on which the terminal has not received a notification message yet.