APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TRANSMITTING AND RECEIVING HANDWRITING ANIMATION MESSAGE

• US 20110181619A1
• Filed: 01/24/2011
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2010
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hwang, Seong-Taek, Kim, Do-Hyeon, Oh, Sang-Wook, Kwon, Mu-Sik, Kim, Jung-Rim
• Granted Patent: US 10,277,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving a handwriting animation message. The apparatus for transmitting a handwriting animation message includes an input unit for receiving an input of a handwriting animation message including coordinate information and time information of points being input onto a background image from a user of a transmitting mobile terminal, a controller for controlling merging or synchronization of the background image and the handwriting animation message, and a transmitter for transmitting the merged or synchronized background image and handwriting animation message to a receiving mobile terminal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transmitting a handwriting animation message, the apparatus comprising:

an input unit for receiving an input of a handwriting animation message including coordinate information and time information of points being input onto a background image from a user of a transmitting mobile terminal;

a controller for controlling merging or synchronization of the background image and the handwriting animation message; and

a transmitter for transmitting the merged or synchronized background image and handwriting animation message to a receiving mobile terminal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a handwriting content merging unit for merging the background image and handwriting content of the handwriting animation message under the control of the controller to generate a final still image shown such that the completed handwriting content overlaps on the background image.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller controls the final still image received from the handwriting content merging unit and the controller controls the coordinate information and the time information of the points included in the handwriting animation message to be transmitted together.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the handwriting content merging unit includes handwriting stroke information of the handwriting content in a particular region of the final still image.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory for storing at least one of the background image, the handwriting animation message, and a map application; and

a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for receiving location information of the transmitting mobile terminal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the controller extracts map information based on the location information of the transmitting mobile terminal by interworking the location information of the transmitting mobile terminal with the map application, and sets the extracted map information as a background image.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the map information set as the background image includes the location information of the transmitting mobile terminal.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a synchronizer for synchronizing the handwriting animation message and the background image as a single group.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the synchronizer synchronizes the handwriting animation message and the background image as a single group by using a message identifier included in the handwriting animation message and a message identifier included in the background image.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the message identifier included in the background image comprises:

a message identification number storing a number to be synchronized as the single group; and

a background image number storing a unique number of the background image.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the message identifier included in the handwriting animation message comprises:

a message identification number storing a number to be synchronized as the single group;

a background image number storing a unique number of the background image;

a page number storing an order of reproduction for each of two or more handwriting animation messages included in the single group; and

a total page number storing a number of handwriting animation messages included in the single group.

12. An apparatus for receiving a handwriting animation message, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving a background image and a handwriting animation message including coordinate information and time information of points being input onto the background image, the background image and the handwriting animation message being merged or synchronized with each other;

a controller for controlling the handwriting animation message to be reproduced on the background image by using the merged or synchronized background image and handwriting animation message; and

an output unit for sequentially reproducing and outputting the handwriting animation message under the control of the controller.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a final still image shown such that handwriting content of the handwriting animation message overlaps on the background image is generated by using the merged background image and handwriting animation message, and the receiver receives the final still image.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a handwriting content separating unit for separating the handwriting content and the background image from the final still image.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the handwriting content separating unit separates the handwriting content and the background image by using stroke information of the handwriting content included in the final still image.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a memory for storing at least one of the background image, the handwriting animation message, and a map application; and

a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for receiving location information of the transmitting mobile terminal.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein if the location information of the transmitting mobile terminal is included in the background image, the location information of the transmitting mobile terminal is displayed on the background image by interworking with the map application.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller checks message identifiers included in synchronized background image and handwriting animation message, respectively, to control the handwriting animation message to be sequentially reproduced on the background image.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein if a background image number included in the message identifier of the handwriting animation message is the same as a background image number included in the message identifier of the background image, the handwriting animation message is sequentially reproduced on the background image, and if the background image number included in the message identifier of the handwriting animation message is empty, the handwriting animation message is sequentially reproduced without a background image.

20. A method for transmitting a handwriting animation message, the method comprising:

generating a handwriting animation message including coordinate information and time information of points forming handwriting information being input from a user of a transmitting mobile terminal;

controlling merging or synchronization of the background image and the handwriting animation message; and

transmitting the merged or synchronized background image and handwriting animation message to a receiving mobile terminal.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein controlling merging of the background image and the handwriting animation message comprises:

merging the background image and handwriting content of the handwriting animation message; and

generating a final still image shown such that the completed handwriting content overlaps on the background image.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

storing the background image, the handwriting animation message, or a map application; and

receiving location information of the transmitting mobile terminal.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein map information based on the location information of the transmitting mobile terminal is extracted by interworking the location information of the transmitting mobile terminal with the map application, and the extracted map information is set as a background image.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein controlling synchronization of the background image and the handwriting animation message comprises:

checking a message identifier included in the handwriting animation message and a message identifier included in the background image; and

synchronizing the handwriting animation message and the background image as a single group if they have the same message identifiers.

25. A method for receiving a handwriting animation message, the method comprising:

receiving a background image and a handwriting animation message including coordinate information and time information of points being input onto the background image from a transmitting mobile terminal, the background image and the handwriting animation message being merged or synchronized with each other;

controlling the handwriting animation message to be reproduced on the background image by using the merged or synchronized background image and handwriting animation message; and

sequentially reproducing and outputting the handwriting animation message.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein receiving the background image and the handwriting animation message comprises generating a final still image shown such that handwriting content of the handwriting animation message overlaps on the background image by using the merged background image and handwriting animation message, and receiving the final still image.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising separating the handwriting content and the background image from the final still image.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein separating the handwriting content and the background image comprises separating the handwriting content and the background image by using stroke information of the handwriting content included in the final still image.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

storing at least one of the background image, the handwriting animation message, and a map application; and

receiving location information of the transmitting mobile terminal.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein if the location information of the transmitting mobile terminal is included in the background image, the location information of the transmitting mobile terminal is displayed on the background image by interworking with the map application.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein controlling the handwriting animation message comprises:

checking message identifiers included in synchronized background image and handwriting animation message, respectively, to control the handwriting animation message to be sequentially reproduced on the background image.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein if a background image number included in the message identifier of the handwriting animation message is the same as a background image number included in the message identifier of the background image, the handwriting animation message is sequentially reproduced on the background image, and if the background image number included in the message identifier of the handwriting animation message is empty, the handwriting animation message is sequentially reproduced without a background image.