Multilingual wireless messaging system

• US 6,512,448 B1
• Filed: 04/13/1999
• Issued: 01/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Mobile Solutions Inc (Naspers Limited)
• Original Assignee: StarMedia Network, Inc. (Naspers Limited)
• Inventors: Laeyendecker, Isabelle, Spacek, Zdenek, Rincón, Jorge A.
• Primary Examiner(s): ZIMMERMAN, BRIAN A
• Application Number:
  US09/290,758
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: 340/7.51, 340/7.29, 340/7.24, 340/732, 340/7.53, 379/93.01, 455/466
• US Class Current: 340/7.51
• 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 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components

Abstract

A multilingual character conversion system for alphanumeric communications comprises an input unit, provisioning database, translation unit and output unit. The provisioning database contains informtion about the recipient messaging device and associations for a plurality of output character sets. The translation unit converts the incoming message to the form in which the message can be displayed on the recipient device.

Claims

1. A method of decoding characters over a wireless network comprising the steps of:

receiving a packet of information entered into a web browser comprising an alphanumeric message and a destination hardware specification;

and after receiving said packet;

identifying the operating system used to transmit said alphanumeric message;

identifying the web browser software used to transmit said alphanumeric message;

identifying the source language of said alphanumeric message;

identifying a recipient wireless device corresponding to said destination hardware specification;

referencing said operating system, web browser software, source language and recipient wireless device information against a character decoding table; and

transmitting to said recipient wireless device the hexadecimal equivalent of the characters in said alphanumeric message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of substituting a near-match character where said recipient wireless device does not support the original character.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of substituting a plurality of characters supported by said recipient wireless device to form a compound character equivalent to the character sent by said web browse and unsupported by said recipient wireless device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of sending a signal back to the web browser when no near-match character can be found for a recipient wireless device that does not support the original character entered in through the web browser.

5. A method of decoding characters over a wireless network comprising the steps of:

receiving a packet of information entered into a web browser comprising an alphanumeric message and a destination hardware specification;

and after receiving said packet;

identifying the operating system used to transmit said alphanumeric message;

identifying the web browser software used to transmit said alphanumeric message;

identifying the source language of said alphanumeric message;

identifying a recipient wireless device corresponding to said destination hardware specification;

referencing said operating system, web browser software, source language and recipient wireless device information against a character decoding table;

determining whether an exact equivalent character is supported by said recipient wireless device;

determining whether a visually equivalent character is supported by said recipient wireless device;

determining whether a compound set of equivalent characters are supported by said recipient wireless device;

determining whether no exact equivalent character, visually equivalent character or compound set of equivalent characters are supported by said recipient wireless device; and

transmitting to said recipient wireless device the exact equivalent character, visually equivalent character or compound set of equivalent characters supported by said recipient wireless device and transmitting a sign to said web browser where no exact equivalent character, visually equivalent character or compound set of equivalent characters are supported by said recipient wireless device.