System for rendering multimedia messages by providing, in a multimedia message, URL for downloadable software to a receiving terminal

• US 20050021834A1
• Filed: 06/19/2003
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Coulombe, Stephane
• Granted Patent: US 7,103,681 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• 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 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

This invention describes an adaptation system providing terminal-specific uniform resource locators (URLs) of downloadable software allowing a receiving terminal to render originally unsupported components of multimedia messages. The URLs are provided to the receiving terminal by a multimedia messaging service center (MMSC) which identifies the URLs from its database using information on the receiving terminal capabilities (i.e. based on terminal model and software release) and possibly multipurpose internet mail extension (MIME) types of originally unsupported components in multimedia messages.

Claims

1. A method, comprising the steps of:

providing (54) a multimedia messaging service signal (20) incorporating a further multimedia message signal (FMMS) indicative of a multimedia message and a terminal-specific uniform resource locator (URL) signal from a multimedia messaging service center (14) to a receiving terminal (22), said URL signal providing an internet server (32) location of software obtainable by the receiving terminal (22); and

providing (58, 60) the software to the receiving terminal (22) for rendering the multimedia message by the receiving terminal (22).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the software is provided to the receiving terminal (22) in response to a software request signal (34) sent by the receiving terminal (22) to the internet server (32) location provided by the URL signal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the software request signal (34) is sent by the receiving terminal (22) to the internet server (32) location provided by the URL signal only after receiving a software request command (30) from a user (24).

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the software request signal (34) is sent by the receiving terminal (22) to the internet server (32) location provided by the URL signal automatically after receiving the multimedia messaging service signal (20) incorporating the URL signal.

5. The method of claim 1, after the step of providing (54) the multimedia messaging service signal (20), further comprising the step of:

deciding (56) whether additional software is needed to be installed in the receiving terminal (22) for rendering originally unsupported components of a multimedia message signal (12) by the receiving terminal (22).

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said decision is made by the user (24).

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said decision is made automatically by the receiving terminal (22).

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

rendering (62) the further multimedia message signal indicative of the multimedia message by the receiving terminal (22), so that the multimedia message is perceptible by a user (24).

9. The method of claim 1, prior to the step of providing (54) the multimedia messaging service signal (20), further comprising the step of:

receiving and optionally storing (42) the multimedia message signal (12) by the multimedia messaging service center (14).

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

providing (44) optionally a message notification signal (16) to the receiving terminal (22) by the multimedia messaging service center (14); and

providing (46) a message retrieval request signal (18) containing a terminal signal indicative of a terminal information and optionally a multipurpose internet mail extension (MIME) signal indicative of a terminal-specific MIME information to the multimedia messaging service center (14) by the receiving terminal (22).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the message retrieval request signal (18) is sent in response to the message notification signal (16).

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

evaluating (48) by the multimedia messaging service center (14) whether it is appropriate to adapt unsupported components of the MMS (12) to meet the capabilities of the receiving terminal (22) and identifying (48) the URLs for terminal-specific additional software to render the unsupported components of the multimedia message signal (12) based on the terminal and MIME signals using a database (14a) of the multimedia messaging service center (14).

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

adapting (49) by the multimedia messaging service center (14) the appropriate unsupported components of the MMS (12) to meet the capabilities of the receiving terminal (22).

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the MIME information is deduced by the multimedia messaging service center (14) from the terminal information contained in the message retrieval request signal (18) and from a software release information.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein a terminal signal indicative of a terminal information is provided to the multimedia messaging service center (14) during a registration process of a particular application.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the particular application is a session initiation protocol (SIP) instant messaging or a SIP messaging session.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein a terminal-specific multipurpose internet mail extension (MIME) information is deduced by the multimedia messaging service center (14) from the terminal information and from a software release information.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the further multimedia message signal is the same as the multimedia message signal (12).

26. A computer program for storage on a computer readable medium for executing the steps of claim 1.

19. A system, comprising:

a multimedia messaging service center (14), for providing a multimedia message service signal (20) incorporating a further multimedia message signal (FMMS) indicative of a multimedia message and a terminal-specific uniform resource locator (URL) signal, said URL signal providing an internet server (32) location of downloadable software; and

a receiving terminal (22) responsive to the multimedia message service signal, for obtaining said software for rendering the multimedia message.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the multimedia messaging service center (14) is further responsive to a multimedia message signal (12) indicative of the multimedia message and to a message retrieval request signal (18) containing a terminal signal indicative of a terminal information and optionally a multipurpose internet mail extensions (MIME) signal indicative of a terminal-specific MIME information.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the multimedia messaging service center (14) further provides a message notification signal (16) to the receiving terminal (22).

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the receiving terminal (22) is responsive to a software request command (30) by a user (24), for providing a message retrieval request signal (18) containing a terminal signal indicative of a terminal information and optionally a multipurpose internet mail extensions (MIME) signal indicative of a terminal-specific MIME information, for providing a software request signal (34) to the internet server (32), for providing a URL image signal to the user (24), and for rendering the further multimedia message signal indicative of the multimedia message perceptible by the user (24).

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the receiving terminal (22), is further responsive to a message notification signal (16).

24. The system of claim 19, further comprising a sending terminal (10), for providing a multimedia message signal (12) to the multimedia messaging service center (14).

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the further multimedia message signal is the same as the multimedia message signal (12).

27. A multimedia messaging service center (14), comprising:

a database (14a) for identifying uniform resource locators (URLs) of terminal-specific downloadable software; and

means for providing a multimedia message service signal (20) to a receiving terminal (22), incorporating a further multimedia message signal (FMMS) indicative of a multimedia message and a URL signal, said URL signal providing an internet server (32) location of the terminal-specific downloadable software for rendering unsupported components of the FMMS by the receiving terminal (22).

28. A receiving terminal (22), comprising:

means responsive to the multimedia message service signal, incorporating a further multimedia message signal (FMMS) indicative of a multimedia message and a terminal-specific uniform resource locator (URL) signal, said URL signal providing an internet server (32) location of software obtainable by the receiving terminal (22); and

means for sending a software request signal (34) to the internet server (32) location provided by the URL signal.