System and method for transmitting and displaying messages in a mobile terminal

• US 20030125055A1
• Filed: 11/27/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kweon, O. Seong, Kim, Young Hoon, Lee, Ka Eun
• Granted Patent: US 7,372,470 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A method and system for transmitting and displaying messages in a mobile terminal using short messaging service (SMS) is disclosed. An SMS message having a primary format information is encoded with a secondary format information, wherein the primary and secondary formats define attributes of the message such as foreground, background, and text color or images.

Claims

1. A method for constructing a message using short messaging service (SMS), the method comprising:

encoding an SMS message having a primary format information with a secondary format information, wherein the primary format information defines attributes associated with the manner in which the message is displayed on a monochrome display, and wherein the secondary format information defines attributes associated with the manner in which the message is displayed on a color display, such that if the message is received by a system equipped with a color display the message is displayed in accordance with the secondary format instead of the primary format.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises of a background and a foreground.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the secondary format defines attributes associated with the message'"'"'s background.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the secondary format defines attributes associated with the message'"'"'s foreground.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the attributes associated with the message'"'"'s background define a background color.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the attributes associated with the message'"'"'s background define an image.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the attributes associated with the message'"'"'s foreground define format of text included in the message.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the attributes associated with the message'"'"'s foreground define color of text included in the message.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

encoding the SMS message with a format code indicating whether the SMS message is encoded with the secondary format information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the format code can be used by a message receiving system to determine if the message can be displayed according to attributes of the secondary format.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the SMS message is forwarded in a communication packet having a call-back number field, the method further comprising:

inserting the secondary format information into the call-back number field.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the SMS message is forwarded in a communication packet having a user data field, the method further comprising:

inserting the format code into the user data field.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the SMS message is forwarded in a communication packet having a call-back number field, the method further comprising:

inserting the format code into the call-back number field.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the SMS message is forwarded in a communication packet having a user data field and a user call-back number field, the method further comprising:

inserting the SMS message into the user data field; and

inserting the second format information into the call-back number field.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting the encoded SMS message into ASCII code.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting the converted message to a system having a color display.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the converted message may be decoded from ASCII code for display on a color display in accordance with the second format information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the SMS message is converted into a 2-byte ASCII code prior to transmission.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the converted message may be decoded from a 2-byte ASCII code to a 4-byte ASCII code prior to being displayed on a color display.

20. A method of displaying the encoded SMS message of claim 1, the method comprising:

determining if the SMS message is encoded with the secondary format information; and

displaying the SMS message in accordance with the secondary format.

21. A method of displaying the encoded SMS message of claim 9, the method comprising:

determining if the SMS message is encoded with the secondary format information based on said format code;

displaying the SMS message in accordance with the primary format if the format code is equal to a first value; and

displaying the SMS message in accordance with the secondary format if the format code is equal to a second value.

22. A method of displaying the encoded SMS message of claim 1, wherein the secondary format defines attributes associated with the message'"'"'s foreground and background, the method comprising:

automatically changing the foreground color to provide a contrast between the message'"'"'s foreground and background, if the message'"'"'s foreground and background are such that the message cannot be clearly displayed.

23. A method of displaying the encoded SMS message of claim 1, wherein the secondary format defines attributes associated with the message'"'"'s foreground and background, the method comprising:

automatically changing the background color to provide a contrast between the message'"'"'s foreground and background, if the message'"'"'s foreground and background are such that the message cannot be clearly displayed.

24. A method of displaying the encoded SMS message of claim 1, wherein the secondary format defines attributes associated with the message'"'"'s foreground and background, the foreground comprising a text message, the method comprising:

automatically changing the text color to provide a contrast between the message'"'"'s foreground and background, if the message'"'"'s foreground and background are such that the message cannot be clearly displayed.

25. A method of displaying the encoded SMS message of claim 1, wherein the secondary format defines attributes associated with the message'"'"'s foreground and background, the background comprising an image, the method comprising:

automatically changing the image'"'"'s characteristics to provide a contrast between the message'"'"'s foreground and background, if the message'"'"'s foreground and background are such that the message cannot be clearly displayed.

26. A logic code for transmitting a message using short messaging service (SMS) comprising executable instructions for causing an embedded system having a color display to:

encode an SMS message having a primary format information with a secondary format information;

encode the SMS message with a format code indicating whether the SMS message is encoded with the secondary format information; and

transmit the SMS message in a communication packet having a data field.

27. The logic code of claim 26, wherein the secondary format information is inserted n a data filed of the communication packet.

28. The logic code of claim 27 wherein the primary format information defines attributes associated with the manner in which the message is displayed on a monochrome display, and wherein the secondary format information defines attributes associated with the manner in which the message is displayed on a color display, such that if the message is received by a system equipped with a color display the message is displayed in accordance with the secondary format instead of the primary format.

29. The logic code of claim 28, wherein the message comprises a background and a foreground.

30. The logic code of claim 29, wherein the secondary format defines attributes associated with the message'"'"'s background.

31. The logic code of claim 29, wherein the secondary format defines attributes associated with the message'"'"'s foreground.

32. The logic code of claim 30, wherein the attributes associated with the message'"'"'s background define a background color.

33. The logic code of claim 30, wherein the attributes associated with the message'"'"'s background define an image.

34. The logic code of claim 31, wherein the attributes associated with the message'"'"'s foreground define format of text included in the message.

35. The logic code of claim 31, wherein the attributes associated with the message'"'"'s foreground define color of text included in the message.

36. The logic code of claim 26, wherein the format code can be used by a message receiving system to determine if the message can be displayed according to attributes of the secondary format.

37. The logic code of claim 26, wherein the communication packet comprises a call-back number field, further comprising executable instructions for causing an embedded system having a color display to:

insert the secondary format information into the call-back number field.

38. The logic code of claim 26, wherein the communication packet comprises a user data field field, further comprising executable instructions for causing an embedded system having a color display to:

insert the format code into the user data field.

39. The logic code of claim 26, wherein the communication packet comprises a call-back number field, further comprising executable instructions for causing an embedded system having a color display to:

insert the format code into the call-back number field.

40. The logic code of claim 26, wherein the communication packet comprises a call-back number field and a user data field, further comprising executable instructions for causing an embedded system having a color display to:

insert the SMS message into the user data field; and

insert the second format information into the call-back number field. convert the encoded SMS message into ASCII code; and

transmit the converted message to a system having a color display.

41. The logic code of claim 29, wherein the foreground comprises a text message, the logic code further comprising executable instructions for causing an embedded system having a color display to:

automatically change the text color to provide a contrast between the message'"'"'s foreground and background, if the message'"'"'s foreground and background format are such that the message cannot be clearly displayed.

42. The logic code of claim 29, wherein the background comprises an image, further comprising executable instructions for causing an embedded system having a color display to:

automatically change the image'"'"'s characteristics to provide a contrast between the message'"'"'s foreground and background, if the message'"'"'s foreground and background format are such that the message cannot be clearly displayed.

43. A system for executing the logic code of claim 26, the system comprising:

a computer readable storage medium for storing the logic code;

a memory for storing the primary and secondary format information;

one or processors for executing the logic code; and

a keypad.