Method, apparatus and software program for processing and/or evaluating MMS-related messages

• US 7,212,807 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Munitech IP S.a.r.l. (Marathon Patent Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Schmidt, Andreas, Laumen, Josef, Van Niekerk, Sabine
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GENACK, MATTHEW W
• Application Number:
  US10/186,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20030040299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,769 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455/414.3, 709/206, 709/207, 709/213, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/57 for integrated multimedia messaging subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0168 On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/208 IMS, i.e. Integrated Multimedia messaging Subsystem
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/28 SMS billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method for processing and/or evaluating MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service)-related messages (Multimedia Messages (MMs), parts of MMs, delivery reports, read-reply reports, MMS notifications, etc.), on a device or device ensemble adapted to participate in mobile telecommunication (Mobile Station (MS); User Equipment (UE); Mobile Equipment (ME); laptop, notebook, organizer, PC, etc., connected to a MS, UE, etc.), the device or device ensemble accommodating an MMS User Agent and accommodating or adapted to accommodate at least one SIM card (Subscriber Identity module) and/or one UICC (Universal Integrated Circuit Card) with a USIM (UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication Service)-SIM), wherein the MMS-related messages are terminal originated or terminal terminated. The MMS-related messages are processed and/or evaluated by at least one SAT/USAT application (SIM Application Toolkit/USIM Application Toolkit) residing on the SIM card/UICC.

Claims

1. A method for at least one of processing and evaluating an Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)-related message on an apparatus for mobile telecommunication, the method comprising the steps of:

enabling the apparatus to accommodate an MMS user agent;

enabling the apparatus to accommodate at least one of one universal IC card (UICC) having a UMTS subscriber identity module (USIM) and at least one subscriber identity module (SIM) card, wherein the MMS-related message is one of terminal originated and terminal terminated; and

effecting the at least one of the processing and evaluating of the MMS-related message by at least one application toolkit residing on the at least one of the SIM card and the UICC, with the application toolkit being one of an SIM application toolkit (SAT) application and a USIM application toolkit (USAT) application, wherein the step of effecting further comprises controlling at least part of the MMS functionality on the apparatus by passing the MMS-related message to the SAT or USAT application before sending or receiving the message,

wherein the SAT or USAT application performs at least one of the steps of;

checking at least one of outgoing and incoming multimedia messages, MMS notifications, delivery reports and read-reply reports;

modifying the outgoing and incoming multimedia messages, delivery reports and read-reply reports;

deleting the multimedia messages, MMS notifications, delivery reports and read-reply reports;

initiating sending of the multimedia messages, MMS notifications, delivery reports and read-reply reports from the apparatus;

initiating downloading of the multimedia messages, MMS notifications, delivery reports and read-reply reports to the apparatus;

initiating storage of the multimedia messages, MMS notifications, delivery reports and read-reply reports on the respective SIM card and the UICC;

allowing and disallowing the sending of multimedia messages, delivery reports and read-reply report; and

initiating display of multimedia messages, MMS notifications, delivery reports and read-reply reports on the apparatus.

2. A method for at least one of processing and evaluating an MMS-related message as claimed in claim 1, wherein the MMS-related message is received by the apparatus from an MMS relay/server and passed on by the MMS user agent to the at least one application toolkit for the respective processing and evaluating of the MMS-related message, with MMS being used as a bearer service for the application toolkit.

3. A method for at least one of processing and evaluating an MMS-related message as claimed in claim 2, wherein the MMS user agent passes on the MMS-related message from the MMS relay/server to the application toolkit after positively checking whether MMS is used as a bearer service.

4. A method for at least one of processing and evaluating an MMS-related message as claimed in claim 2, wherein the MMS user agent sends a request to the MMS relay/server for immediate retrieval of the multimedia message when being informed by the application toolkit that MMS is used as a bearer service.

5. A method for at least one of processing and evaluating an MMS-related message as claimed in claim 2, wherein the application toolkit uses MMS as a bearer service for uploading data via the MMS user agent and the MMS relay/server to a network element.

6. A method for at least one of processing and evaluating an MMS-related message as claimed in claim 5, wherein the application toolkit passes a multimedia message with the data as content of the multimedia message to the MMS user agent and the multimedia message is submitted from the MMS user agent to the MMS relay/server.

7. A method for at least one of processing and evaluating an MMS-related message as claimed in claim 5, wherein the application toolkit passes the data to the MMS user agent together with a command for the MMS user agent to compose a multimedia message with the data as the content of the multimedia message and the multimedia message is submitted from the MMS user agent to the MMS relay/server.

8. A method for at least one of processing and evaluating an MMS-related message as claimed in claim 5, wherein the application toolkit requests status information about at least one of delivery and handling of the multimedia message to be retrieved from one of the MMS relay/server and the network elements.

9. A method for at least one of processing and evaluating an MMS-related message as claimed in claim 5, wherein at least one of the MMS user agent, the application toolkit and the network element identifies the MMS-related messages, for which MMS is used as a bearer service, by an information element in a header of the multimedia message.

10. A method for at least one of processing and evaluating an MMS-related message as claimed in claim 9 wherein a flag is used as the information element in the header.

11. An apparatus for processing a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)-related message on an apparatus for mobile telecommunication, the method comprising:

a MMS user agent;

a module, comprising at least one of one universal IC card (UICC) having a UMTS subscriber identity module (USIM), and at least one subscriber identity module (SIM) card, and

at least one application toolkit residing on the at least one of the SIM card and the UICC, with the application toolkit being one of an SIM application toolkit (SAT) application and a USIM application toolkit (USAT) application, wherein the at least one application toolkit controls at least part of the MMS functionality on the apparatus, and wherein the MMS-related message is transmitted to the SAT or USAT application before sending or receiving the message, and wherein the SAT or USAT application functions to execute at least one of the operations of;

checking at least one of outgoing and incoming MMS messages, including MMS notifications, delivery reports and read-reply reports related to the messages;

modifying the outgoing and incoming MMS messages, delivery reports and read-reply reports related to the messages;

deleting the MMS messages, MMS notifications, delivery reports and read-reply reports related to the messages;

initiating sending of the MMS messages, MMS notifications, delivery reports and read-reply reports related to the messages from the apparatus;

initiating downloading of the MMS messages, MMS notifications, delivery reports and read-reply reports related to the messages to the apparatus;

initiating storage of the MMS messages, MMS notifications, delivery reports and read-reply reports related to the messages on the respective SIM card and the UICC;

allowing and disallowing the sending of MMS messages, delivery reports and read-reply reports related to the messages; and

initiating display of MMS messages, MMS notifications, delivery reports and read-reply reports related to the messages on the apparatus.

12. The apparatus for processing a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)-related message on an apparatus for mobile telecommunication as claimed in claim 11, wherein the MMS-related message is received by the apparatus from an MMS relay/server and passed on by the MMS user agent to the at least one application toolkit for the respective processing and evaluating of the MMS-related message, with MMS being used as a bearer service for the application toolkit.

13. The apparatus for processing a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)-related message on an apparatus for mobile telecommunication as claimed in claim 12, wherein the MMS user agent passes on the MMS-related message from the MMS relay/server to the application toolkit after positively checking whether MMS is used as a bearer service.

14. The apparatus for processing a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)-related message on an apparatus for mobile telecommunication as claimed in claim 12, wherein the MMS user agent sends a request to the MMS relay/server for immediate retrieval of the multimedia message when being informed by the application toolkit that MMS is used as a bearer service.

15. The apparatus for processing a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)-related message on an apparatus for mobile telecommunication as claimed in claim 12, wherein the application toolkit uses MMS as a bearer service for uploading data via the MMS user agent and the MMS relay/server to a network element.

16. The apparatus for processing a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)-related message on an apparatus for mobile telecommunication as claimed in claim 15, wherein the application toolkit passes a multimedia message with the data as content of the multimedia message to the MMS user agent and the multimedia message is submitted from the MMS user agent to the MMS relay/server.

17. The apparatus for processing a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)-related message on an apparatus for mobile telecommunication as claimed in claim 15, wherein the application toolkit passes the data to the MMS user agent together with a command for the MMS user agent to compose a multimedia message with the data as the content of the multimedia message and the multimedia message is submitted from the MMS user agent to the MMS relay/server.

18. The apparatus for processing a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)-related message on an apparatus for mobile telecommunication as claimed in claim 15, wherein the application toolkit requests status information about at least one of delivery and handling of the multimedia message to be retrieved from one of the MMS relay/server and the network elements.

19. The apparatus for processing a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)-related message on an apparatus for mobile telecommunication as claimed in claim 15, wherein at least one of the MMS user agent, the application toolkit and the network element identifies the MMS-related messages, for which MMS is used as a bearer service, by an information element in a header of the multimedia message.