Methods and apparatus for formatting information for a communication

• US 20040203648A1
• Filed: 07/22/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wong, Gregory Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,277,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• 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 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

The invention provides an apparatus and method for formatting information for a communication. The apparatus has an interface to receive an identifier that identifies at least one physical property or capability of a communication device or an identifier that identifies at least one service to be provided to the user of the communication device, and further includes a controller that formats information to be sent to the communication device based on the identified physical property or capability of a communication device or based on the identified service to be provided to the user of the communication device.

Claims

1. A method of formatting information for transmission to a communication device, comprising:

receiving a first identifier from a communication device that identifies at least one physical property of the communication device; and

formatting information to be transmitted to the communication device based on the first identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second identifier from the communication device that identifies at least one service available to a user of the communication device; and

formatting information to be transmitted to the communication device based on the first and second identifiers.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

searching a local database for the at least one physical property of the communication device identified by the first identifier; and

if the at least one physical property of the communication device is not located, then searching an external database for the at least one physical property of the communication device identified by the first identifier.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

searching a local database for the at least one service available to the user of the communication device identified by the second identifier; and

if the at least one service available to the user of the communication device is not located, then searching an external database for the at least one service available to the user of the communication device identified by the second identifier.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

using a default format to format information to be transmitted to the communication device if the at least one physical property of the communication device is not identifiable by the first identifier in the external database.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

using a default format to format information to be transmitted to the communication device if the at least one service available to the user of the communication device is not identifiable by the second identifier in the external database.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the first identifier to track a type of the communication device that is being used.

8. An apparatus for formatting information for a communication, comprising:

an interface that receives a first communication device identifier that identifies at least one physical property of a communication device; and

a controller coupled to the interface, wherein said controller formats information to be transmitted to the communication device based on the first identifier.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the interface receives a second identifier that identifies at least one service available to a user of the communication device; and

the controller formats information to be transmitted to the communication device based on the first and second identifiers.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a local database that stores a plurality of physical properties of a plurality of communication devices, said local database coupled to the controller; and

whereby the controller searches the local database for the at least one physical property of the communication device identified by the first identifier.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the controller is further coupled to an external database that stores a plurality of physical properties of a plurality of communication devices; and

the controller searches the external database for the at least one physical property of the communication device identified by the first identifier if the at least one physical property of the communication device is not located in the local database.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the controller formats information to be transmitted to the communication device using a default format if the at least one physical property of the communication device is not identifiable by the first identifier in the external database.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

if the at least one physical property of the communication device is not identifiable by the first identifier in the external database, the controller requests additional information from the communication device about the physical properties of the communication device; and

after receiving a response from the communication device, formats information to be transmitted to the communication device according to the additional information provided by the communication device.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a local database that stores a plurality of services available to users of communication devices, said local database coupled to the controller; and

whereby the controller searches the local database for the at least one service available to the user of the communication device identified by the second identifier.

15. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the controller is further coupled to an external database that stores a plurality of services available to users of communication devices; and

the controller searches the external database for the at least one service available to the user of the communication device identified by the second identifier if the at least one service available to the user of the communication device is not located in the local database.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:

the controller formats information to be transmitted to the communication device using a default format if the at least one service available to the user of the communication device is not identifiable by the second identifier in the external database.

17. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is a server.

18. A system for formatting information for a communication, comprising:

a wireless network;

at least one wireless communication device coupled to the wireless network, the communication device adapted to send through the wireless network,

a first identifier that identifies at least one physical property of a communication device; and

a second identifier that identifies at least one service available to a user of the communication device; and

a server coupled to the wireless network, the server including,

an interface that receives the first identifier and the second identifier; and

a controller that formats information to be sent to the wireless communication device based on the physical property of the wireless communication device identified by the first identifier and the service available to the user of the wireless communication device identified by the second identifier.

19. A mobile communication device, comprising:

an antenna;

a transceiver coupled to said antenna for transmitting to, and receiving transmissions from, a wireless network;

a processor coupled to the transceiver; and

a display for displaying information to a user;

wherein said processor is programmed to receive a request for a device identifier, respond to the device identifier request by providing the device identifier to the wireless network via the transceiver, receive information formatted in accordance with the provided device identifier, and provide the received information to the display.

20. The mobile communication device of claim 19, wherein said device identifier is an IMEI.

21. The mobile communication device of claim 19, wherein said device identifier is an ESN.

22. The mobile communication device of claim 19, wherein said processor is further programmed to:

receive a request for information about the physical properties or capabilities of the mobile communication device, respond to the request by providing the requested information to the wireless network via the transceiver, receive information formatted in accordance with the requested information, and provide the received information to the display.

23. The mobile communication device of claim 22, wherein the provided information is at least one from the group of processor speed, sound, communication rate, memory, display type, display resolution, mobile communication device operating system, and currently loaded software.