System and method for multimedia messaging

• US 20080183827A1
• Filed: 01/30/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zavelson, Tracy, Ward, Melynda, Rege, Nabha
• Granted Patent: US 8,577,969 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 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A system and method of multimedia messaging are provided. The system includes an input to receive a multimedia message sent to an address associated with a group profile. The system also includes a group profile database with at least one group profile. The group profile may include routing settings that specify at least one network address for each group member. The group profile may also include preferred data format settings that specify at least one preferred multimedia data format for a multimedia message to be sent to each group member. The system includes logic to select at least one network address and at least one preferred data format for each group member. The system includes a conversion module to convert the multimedia message to the preferred data format. The system further includes an output to send the converted message to the network address for each group member.

Claims

1. A method of multimedia messaging comprising:

receiving a message including multimedia content, wherein the message is addressed to a group address associated with a plurality of group members;

determining a first preferred multimedia data format associated with a first group member;

determining a second preferred multimedia data format associated with a second group member;

converting the multimedia content to the first preferred multimedia data format;

converting the multimedia content to the second preferred multimedia data format;

sending the message including the multimedia content in the first preferred multimedia data format to a first network address associated with the first group member; and

sending the message including the multimedia content in the second preferred multimedia data format to a second network address associated with the second group member.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is received from a device associated with a subscriber to a messaging service, and wherein the first group member is not a subscriber to the messaging service.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the device associated with the subscriber comprises a wireless communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the group address is associated with a group profile specified by subscriber settings.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the group profile includes routing settings for at least the first group member, and wherein the routing settings specify address selection preferences for selecting the first network address from among a plurality of network addresses associated with the first group member.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the address selection preferences are based at least partially on a data format of the multimedia content of the message.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the address selection preferences are based at least partially on time.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the group profile includes preferred data format settings for at least the first group member, and wherein the preferred data format settings specify format selection preferences for selecting the first preferred multimedia data format.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the format selection preferences are based at least partially on a data format of the multimedia content of the message.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the format selection preferences are based at least partially on the first network address.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the first network address from a plurality of network addresses associated with the first group member, and selecting the second network address from a plurality of network addresses associated with the second group member.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising awaiting an acknowledgement from the first network address, and if the acknowledgement is not received within a predetermined time limit, selecting a next network address associated with the first group member, and sending the message to the next network address.

13. The method of claim 14, wherein sending the message to the third network address comprises:

determining a third preferred multimedia data format associated with the first group member;

converting the multimedia content to the third preferred multimedia data format; and

sending the message including the multimedia content in the third preferred multimedia data format to the third network address.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network address comprises an email address.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network address comprises an address of a wireless communication device associated with the first group member.

16. A group profile database comprising:

at least one group profile comprising;

identification data of a plurality of group members;

routing settings associated with at least one group member, wherein the routing settings include at least one network address of the at least one group member; and

preferred data format settings associated with the at least one group member, wherein the preferred data format settings include at least one preferred multimedia data format for a multimedia message to be sent to the at least one group member.

17. The group profile database of claim 16, wherein the routing settings include reach settings for at least one group member, wherein the reach settings include a plurality of network addresses associated with the at least one group member and an order in which to use the network addresses to send the multimedia message to the at least one group member.

18. The group profile database of claim 17, wherein the reach settings further specify a time to wait for an acknowledgement of receipt of the multimedia message before sending the multimedia message to a next network address of the plurality of network addresses.

19. The group profile database of claim 16, wherein the routing settings include at least one network address associated with a type of the message.

20. The group profile database of claim 16, wherein the preferred data format settings specify selection of the at least one preferred multimedia data format based at least partially on a network address selected using the routing settings.

21. A computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions, wherein the computer readable instructions are executable by a processor to:

receive a message including multimedia content, wherein the message is addressed to a group address associated with a plurality of group members;

determine a first preferred multimedia data format associated with a first group member;

determine a second preferred multimedia data format associated with a second group member;

convert the multimedia content to the first preferred multimedia data format;

convert the multimedia content to the second preferred multimedia data format;

send the message including the multimedia content in the first preferred multimedia data format to a first network address associated with the first group member; and

send the message including the multimedia content in the second preferred multimedia data format to a second network address associated with the second group member.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the computer readable instructions are further executable to determine the first preferred multimedia data format based at least partially on subscriber settings.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the first preferred multimedia data format and the second preferred multimedia data format are different.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the message is received from a mobile communication device.

25. A messaging system comprising:

an input to receive a multimedia message sent to an address associated with a group profile;

a group profile database comprising at least one group profile, wherein the at least one group profile includes;

routing settings associated with at least one group member, wherein the routing settings specify at least one network address of the at least one group member; and

preferred data format settings associated with the at least one group member, wherein the preferred data format settings specify at least one preferred multimedia data format for a multimedia message to be sent to the at least one group member;

logic to select at least one network address for each group member based on the routing settings and to select at least one preferred data format for each group member based on the preferred data format settings;

a conversion module to convert the multimedia message to the selected at least one preferred data format; and

an output to send a converted message to the at least one network address for each group member.

26. The messaging system of claim 25, wherein the input comprises an interface to a wireless communication system.

27. The messaging system of claim 25, wherein the output comprises an interface to a wireless communication system.

28. The messaging system of claim 25, wherein the output comprises an interface to a electronic mail system.

29. The messaging system of claim 25, wherein the conversion module converts between voice and text.

30. The messaging system of claim 25, wherein the conversion module converts between a plurality of photographic image formats.

31. The messaging system of claim 25, wherein the conversion module converts between a plurality of video formats.