Providing a multimedia message with a multimedia messaging service message in a mobile environment

• US 20060141923A1
• Filed: 12/28/2004
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Goss, Jim
• Granted Patent: US 7,454,164 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for communicating a multimedia messaging service message from a source mobile device to a target mobile device in a telecommunications network. The method comprises receiving a request for a multimedia message and associating the multimedia message to the multimedia messaging service message. The multimedia messaging service message along with the associated multimedia message may be provided for transmission to the target mobile device. For example, an advertisement from a gateway associated with a telecommunication company network may be appended to a multimedia messaging service message as an add-on multimedia messaging service message. An engine may determine content of the appended add-on multimedia messaging service message based on a profile for an end-user and a subscriber profile of an advertising service. A database may store a record of a call to provide information including billing data to one or more concerned parties. In this way, instead of short text messages, using eXtensible Markup Language and Internet protocol, additional multimedia messaging service messages, such as pictures, and/or audio, video streams may be appended with an existing multimedia messaging service message.

Claims

1. A method for communicating a multimedia messaging service message from a source mobile device to a target mobile device in a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a multimedia message;

associating said multimedia message with said multimedia messaging service message; and

providing said multimedia messaging service message with the associated multimedia message for transmission to said target mobile device.

2. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein receiving a request for a multimedia message further comprising:

receiving a request for an advertisement from a gateway associated with said telecommunications network.

3. A method, as set forth in claim 2, wherein associating said multimedia message further comprising:

intercepting said multimedia messaging service message in said gateway; and

appending said advertisement to said intercepted multimedia messaging service message as an add-on multimedia messaging service message.

4. A method, as set forth in claim 3, wherein appending said advertisement further comprising:

receiving a called number and a reference indication for said multimedia messaging service message;

selecting at least one of a picture and a logo of said advertisement for a called party; and

replying to said gateway with the appended add-on multimedia messaging service message including said at least one of a picture and a logo and said reference indication.

5. A method, as set forth in claim 4, wherein replying to said gateway further comprising:

in response to transmission of the appended add-on multimedia messaging service message to said target mobile device, creating a record for describing a particular telephone call to one or more concerned parties that have interest in at least one of said source mobile device and said target mobile device and the appended add-on multimedia messaging service message.

6. A method, as set forth in claim 5, wherein creating a record further comprising:

processing said record of said particular telephone call to determine billing information for the appended add-on multimedia messaging service message.

7. A method, as set forth in claim 6, further comprising:

providing an interface to create a profile for an end-user of a messaging service and to create a subscriber profile of an advertising service.

8. A method, as set forth in claim 7, further comprising:

determining content of the appended add-on multimedia messaging service message based on said profile for an end-user and said subscriber profile.

9. A method, as set forth in claim 6, further comprising:

using one or more characteristics of said multimedia messaging service message and a profile of said advertisement to decide whether or not to append said multimedia message with said multimedia messaging service message for said called party.

10. A method, as set forth in claim 6, further comprising:

maintaining said advertisement in a database of advertisements; and

developing a subscriber database of an advertising service and a user group database associated with each advertising entity of said subscriber database of an advertising service; and

recording information associated with said database of advertisements, said subscriber database of an advertising service and said user group database corresponding to said multimedia messaging service message.

11. A processor-based system associated with a network, said processor-based system comprising:

a controller;

an interface to enable a user to create a profile for an end-user of a messaging service and to create a subscriber profile of an advertising service; and

a storage coupled to said controller, said storage storing instructions that said controller executes to;

receive a request for an add-on multimedia messaging service message when communicating a multimedia messaging service message from a source mobile device to a target mobile device on said network;

append said add-on multimedia messaging service message to said multimedia messaging service message; and

provide said multimedia messaging service message with the appended add-on multimedia messaging service message for transmission to said target mobile device.

12. A processor-based system, as set forth in claim 11, further comprising:

a multimedia messaging service message server to enable said messaging service over a wireless medium.

13. A processor-based system, as set forth in claim 11, further comprising:

an engine that determines content of the appended add-on multimedia messaging service message based on said profile for an end-user and said subscriber profile; and

a database coupled to said engine to store a record of a call, wherein said record to provide information including billing data to one or more concerned parties for the appended add-on multimedia messaging service message.

14. A processor-based system, as set forth in claim 13, further comprising:

a telecommunication company network; and

a gateway associated with said telecommunication company network to receive a request for an advertisement from a caller on said source mobile device and send said multimedia messaging service message to said target mobile device.

15. A processor-based system, as set forth in claim 14, wherein said gateway further comprising:

a multimedia messaging service gateway to communicate with said telecommunication company network; and

a multimedia messaging service center gateway coupled to said multimedia messaging service gateway to communicate with said engine; and

a short message service to application gateway coupled to said multimedia messaging service center gateway to communicate with said target mobile device.

16. A communications system comprising:

a telecommunication company network to enable a messaging service for an end-user that communicates a multimedia messaging service message from a source mobile device to a target mobile device;

a gateway communicatively coupled to said telecommunication company network, said gateway to receive a request for an advertisement from a caller on said source mobile device and send said multimedia messaging service message to said target mobile device;

a server communicatively coupled to said gateway, said server including an engine to determine content of the appended add-on multimedia messaging service message based on a profile for an end-user and a subscriber profile of an advertising service; and

a database coupled to said engine to store a call detail record of a particular telephone call, wherein said call detail record to provide information including billing data to one or more concerned parties for the appended add-on multimedia messaging service message.

17. A telecommunication system, as set forth in claim 16, wherein said telecommunication company network is being defined at least in part by a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) protocol.

18. A telecommunication system, as set forth in claim 16, wherein said telecommunication company network is being defined at least in part by at least one of a Global System for Mobile (GSM) communication protocol and a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) protocol.

19. An article comprising a computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed cause a system to:

receive a request for an add-on multimedia messaging service message when communicating a multimedia messaging service message from a source mobile device to a target mobile device on a telecommunications network;

append said add-on multimedia messaging service message to said multimedia messaging service message; and

provide said multimedia messaging service message with the appended add-on multimedia messaging service message for transmission to said target mobile device.

20. An apparatus for communicating a multimedia messaging service message from a source mobile device to a target mobile device in a telecommunications network, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a request for a multimedia message;

means for associating said multimedia message with said multimedia messaging service message; and

means for providing said multimedia messaging service message with the associated multimedia message for transmission to said target mobile device.

21. A mobile device coupled to a telecommunications network for receiving a multimedia messaging service message, the mobile device comprising:

means for receiving a multimedia message associated with a multimedia messaging service message in a transmission from another mobile device over said telecommunications network; and

means for providing said multimedia messaging service message with the associated multimedia message at said mobile device.

22. A mobile device, as set forth in claim 21, further comprising:

means for receiving an advertisement from a gateway associated with said telecommunications network.

23. A mobile device, as set forth in claim 22, further comprising:

means for appending said advertisement to said multimedia messaging service message as an add-on multimedia messaging service message; and

means for displaying said multimedia messaging service message with the associated multimedia message at said mobile device.