Method for delivering messages in a wireless communications system using the same protocol for all types of messages

• US 6,956,832 B1
• Filed: 06/14/1999
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Networks (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Rooke, Michael, Heino, Mikko, Haumont, Serge, Hippeläinen, Lassi, Muhonen, Ahti, Puuskari, Mikko, Kurronen, Kari
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Frank
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOORE JR, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US09/719,589
• Time in Patent Office: 2,318 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/465, 370/466, 370/401, 370/419, 370/420, 370/463, 370/231, 370/235, 370/237, 455/412.1, 709/206
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A method and a wireless telecommunications system, a message service center and a mobile station implementing the method for transmitting messages between a mobile station and a second party. The method of the invention includes delivering messages irrespective of the presentation thereof: delivering messages through the same message service center irrespective of the content type and employing the same protocol between the terminal and the message service center for all messages. The content type indicates the presentation of the message contents which may include test, speech, images, video images or various combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A method for delivering messages between a terminal using wireless data transmission in a telecommunications system utilizing wireless data transmission and a second party, the method comprising:

delivering messages of at least two different content types through a same message service centre, the content types indicating a presentation of the message contents;

determining at least one first condition at the message service centre, said at least one condition determining at least one of the following;

the content type or types of a message to be sent directly, and a maximum size of the message to be sent directly;

checking from the message to be delivered to the terminal whether it meets the first condition;

delivering the message directly to the terminal, if it meets the first condition; and

informing the terminal about the message, if it does not meet the first condition, and delivering the message as a response to a message request concerning the message.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the message content indicates the presentation of the message contents which can include text, speech, images, video images or combinations thereof.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising receiving a value associated with the first condition from a terminal user in the message service centre;

and updating said value with a received value.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising receiving a terminal property as a value associated with the first condition in the message service centre;

and

updating said value with a received value.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising

adding a recipient identifier to the message to provide information about the message to be sent to the terminal, the identifier enabling identification of the recipient of the message to be received;

and

delivering the message only if the message request includes the recipient identifier associated with the message.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising

delivering messages from the message service centre to the terminal using at least two different delivery routes;

determining at least a second condition at the message service centre; and

selecting the delivery route for the message on the basis of the second condition.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising

transferring the message between the terminal and the message service centre in packets of a particular size;

checking before transferring the message whether it fits into one packet; and

if so, transferring the message in one packet;

if the message does not fit into one packet;

dividing the message into segments so that one segment fits into one packet; and

transferring the message in consecutive segments.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising employing a same protocol for the messages between the terminal and the message service centre.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising composing the message of the received segments.

10. A wireless telecommunications system comprising at least one terminal, the terminal being able to receive messages of at least a first content type and a second content type, the content type indicating the presentation of the message contents;

and

a message service centre for transmitting messages of at least the first content type and the second content type between the at least one terminal and a second party, the message service centre delivering said messages to said terminal as messages according to a first protocol, wherein

the message service centre is arranged to check before delivering the message to the terminal, whether the message meets at least one predetermined first condition, said at least one condition determining at least one of the following;

the content type or types of a message to be sent directly, and a maximum size of the message to be sent directly, and in response to a result of the check, to deliver the message directly to the terminal or to inform the terminal about the message and to deliver the message in response to a message request concerning the message; and

the terminal is arranged to receive an indication about the message, to inform the terminal user about the indication, and to send the message request concerning the message to the message service centre as a response to instructions received from the user.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein

the terminal is arranged to inform the message service centre about message content codings that it supports;

and

the message service centre is arranged to check the coding of the message to be delivered to the terminal, to compare it to the codings supported by the terminal, and if the terminal does not support the message coding, to change the message coding to a coding supported by the terminal.

12. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein

the system is arranged to transfer the messages in the system between the terminal and the message service centre in packets of a particular size;

and

the message service centre is arranged to check before a message is delivered to the terminal, whether the message fits into one packet, and if the message does not fit into one packet, to divide the message into segments and to deliver the message to the terminal in consecutive segments.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein

the message service centre is arranged to pack an unpacked message with a packaging method supported by the terminal before the message service centre checks whether the message fits into one packet.

14. A message service centre connectable to a wireless telecommunications system, the message service centre comprising

interface means for receiving messages of at least two different content types and for forwarding to a terminal in a telecommunications system, the content types indicating the presentation of the message contents;

and

application means for selecting the manner of delivery of said messages by checking whether the message meets at least one predetermined condition, said at least one predetermined condition determining at least one of the following;

the content type or types of a message to be sent directly to the terminal, and a maximum size of the message to be sent directly to the terminal, and in response to a result of the check, to deliver the message directly to the terminal or to inform the terminal about the message and to deliver the message to the terminal as a response to a message request concerning the message.

15. The message service centre as claimed in claim 14,

wherein the application means are arranged to deliver said messages addressed to the terminal and to receive the messages received from the terminal using a same protocol.

16. The message service centre as claimed in claim 14, wherein the application means are arranged:

to check before delivering the message to the terminal, whether the message fits into one packet, and if the message does not fit into one packet, to divide the message into segments and to deliver the message to the terminal in consecutive segments; and

to receive the message from the terminal in consecutive segments and to deliver the segments to a second terminal of the system without composing a message thereof.

17. The message service centre as claimed in claim 14,

wherein the application means are arranged to select a delivery route for each message on the basis of a predetermined condition or predetermined conditions.

18. A mobile station for receiving messages, the mobile station being configured to determine at least one condition determining at least one of the following:

the content type or types of a message to be sent directly to the mobile station, and a maximum size of the message to be sent directly to the mobile station, wherein the content type indicates the presentation of the message contents;

the mobile station comprising;

a user interface through which the mobile station user can receive messages of at least a first content type and a second content type; and

a controller for receiving messages of at least the first content type and the second content type using a same protocol, wherein the controller is capable of receiving an indication concerning a message waiting for delivery, transmitting the indication to the user through the user interface, sending a delivery request of said message in response to a user command received through the user interface, a receiving said message as a response to the delivery request, and sending said at least one condition in response to a user command received through the user interface.

19. The mobile station as claimed in claim 18, wherein the controller is further capable of receiving the message in consecutive segments and composing the message of the received segments.

20. The mobile station as claimed in claim 18, wherein the controller is further capable of sending messages of at least the first content type and the second content type, checking before sending the message whether it fits into one packet;

and

if so, sending the message in one packet;

if the message does not fit into one packet;

dividing the message into segments so that one segment fits into one packet;

sending the message in consecutive segments.