Method, apparatus and system for providing multimedia messages to incompatible terminals

• US 20030172121A1
• Filed: 03/11/2002
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Oren, David, Schwarz, Karl, Squillante, Peter L., Evans, John P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,200,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• 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: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/288 Distributed intermediate devices, i.e. intermediate devices for interaction with other intermediate devices on the same level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

The present invention provides a method, apparatus and system for providing multimedia messages to incompatible terminals. The apparatus includes a notification module (216), a media converter (220) and a retrieval module (218). The notification module (216) notifies the incompatible terminal (210) that the multimedia message (222) is available. The media converter (220) transcodes one or more parts of the multimedia message (222). The retrieval module (218) is communicably coupled to the media converter (220) and retrieves the multimedia message (222) in response to a delivery request (232, 234) from the incompatible terminal (210), renders the multimedia message (222), using the media converter (220) as necessary, into a message that is compatible with the incompatible terminal (210) and sends the message to the incompatible terminal (210). This method can be implemented using a computer program embodied on a computer readable medium wherein each function is executed using a code segment.

Claims

1. A method of providing a multimedia message to an incompatible terminal comprising the steps of:

receiving a notification that the multimedia message is available for delivery to the incompatible terminal;

notifying the incompatible terminal that the multimedia message is available;

requesting that retrieval of the multimedia message be deferred;

receiving a request for delivery of the multimedia message from the incompatible terminal;

retrieving the multimedia message;

rendering the multimedia message into a message that is compatible with the incompatible terminal; and

sending the message to the incompatible terminal.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the incompatible terminal is notified that the multimedia message is available via a SMS server.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the request for delivery of the multimedia message is received and in response the message is sent to the incompatible terminal via a WAP gateway.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the request for delivery of the multimedia message is received and in response the message is sent to the incompatible terminal via a web browser.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the request to defer retrieval of the multimedia message is sent to a multimedia service center and the multimedia message is retrieved from the multimedia service center.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of rendering the multimedia message comprises the steps of:

determining a model for use in rendering the multimedia message;

getting a header from the multimedia message;

putting the header in the message; and

getting each body part from the multimedia message, converting the body part to a format that is compatible with the incompatible terminal and putting the converted body part in the message.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a save request containing an electronic mail address; and

sending the multimedia message to the electronic mail address.

8. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium for providing a multimedia message to an incompatible terminal, the computer program comprising:

a code segment adapted to receive a notification that the multimedia message is available for delivery to the incompatible terminal;

a code segment adapted to notifying the incompatible terminal that the multimedia message is available;

a code segment adapted to requesting that retrieval of the multimedia message be deferred;

a code segment adapted to receiving a request for delivery of the multimedia message from the incompatible terminal;

a code segment adapted to retrieving the multimedia message;

a code segment adapted to rendering the multimedia message into a message that is compatible with the incompatible terminal; and

a code segment adapted to sending the message to the incompatible terminal.

9. The computer program as recited in claim 8, wherein the incompatible terminal is notified that the multimedia message is available via a SMS server.

10. The computer program as recited in claim 8, wherein the request for delivery of the multimedia message is received and in response the message is sent to the incompatible terminal via a WAP gateway.

11. The computer program as recited in claim 8, wherein the request for delivery of the multimedia message is received and in response the message is sent to the incompatible terminal via a web browser.

12. The computer program as recited in claim 8, wherein the request to defer retrieval of the multimedia message is sent to a multimedia service center and the multimedia message is retrieved from the multimedia service center.

13. The computer program as recited in claim 8, wherein the code segment adapted to render the multimedia message comprises:

a code segment adapted to determine a model for use in rendering the multimedia message;

a code segment adapted to get a header from the multimedia message;

a code segment adapted to put the header in the message; and

a code segment adapted to get each body part from the multimedia message, convert the body part to a format that is compatible with the incompatible terminal and put the converted body part in the message.

14. The computer program as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

a code segment adapted to receive a save request containing an electronic mail address; and

a code segment adapted to send the multimedia message to the electronic mail address.

15. An apparatus for providing a multimedia message to an incompatible terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a notification module that notifies the incompatible terminal that the multimedia message is available;

a media converter that transcodes one or more parts of the multimedia message; and

a retrieval module communicably coupled to the media converter, wherein the retrieval module retrieves the multimedia message in response to a delivery request from the incompatible terminal, renders the multimedia message, using the media converter as necessary, into a message that is compatible with the incompatible terminal and sends the message to the incompatible terminal.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein the incompatible terminal is notified that the multimedia message is available via a SMS server.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein the request for delivery of the multimedia message is received and in response the message is sent to the incompatible terminal via a WAP gateway.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein the request for delivery of the multimedia message is received and in response the message is sent to the incompatible terminal via a web browser.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein the request to defer retrieval of the multimedia message is sent to a multimedia service center and the multimedia message is retrieved from the multimedia service center.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein the retrieval module renders the multimedia message by determining a model for use in rendering the multimedia message, getting a header from the multimedia message, putting the header in the message, and getting each body part from the multimedia message, converting the body part to a format that is compatible with the incompatible terminal and putting the converted body part in the message.

21. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein the retrieval module further receives a save request containing an electronic mail address and sends the multimedia message to the electronic mail address.

22. A system for providing a multimedia message to an incompatible terminal, the system comprising:

a multimedia service center;

a message gateway for communicating with the incompatible terminal; and

a multimedia client proxy communicably coupled to the multimedia service center and the message gateway, the multimedia client proxy notifying the incompatible terminal that the multimedia message is available via the message gateway, retrieving the multimedia message from the multimedia service center in response to a delivery request from the incompatible terminal via the message gateway, rendering the multimedia message into a message that is compatible with the incompatible terminal and delivering the message to the incompatible terminal via the message gateway.

23. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein the message gateway comprises:

a SMS server; and

WAP gateway.

24. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein the message gateway comprises:

a SMS server; and

a web browser.

25. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein the multimedia client proxy renders the multimedia message by determining a model for use in rendering the multimedia message, getting a header from the multimedia message, putting the header in the message, and getting each body part from the multimedia message, converting the body part to a format that is compatible with the incompatible terminal and putting the converted body part in the message.

26. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein the multimedia client proxy further receives a save request containing an electronic mail address and sends the multimedia message to the electronic mail address.