Picture and video message center system

• US 7,349,532 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2003
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intellect Wireless Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Intellect Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Henderson, Daniel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang; Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anwah; Olisa
• Application Number:
  US10/692,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20070275708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,615 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/419, 455/414.1, 455/575, 455/90, 455/344, 455/351, 455/556, 379/142.04, 379/142.17, 340/7.56
• US Class Current: 379/142.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs logging of telephone numbers H04M1/56, H04M1/57

Abstract

A message originator sends a picture or video message to a message center along with caller identifying information. The message is stored in a memory and transmitted to a wireless picture phone, PDA or portable computing device, or stored at the message center in a memory or hard disk drive for later retrieval by a message recipient. The picture or video message may be encoded, encrypted or compressed prior to receipt by the wireless device.

Claims

1. A wireless picture messaging system in which a picture is sent from a message originator having a telephone number to a message recipient having a wireless portable communication device, comprising:

a message center;

a picture message input device for use by the message originator for generating a message including a picture to be transmitted to the message center from a message originator;

a receiver coupled to the message center for receiving and storing in a memory both message originator information provided automatically by a communications network as the caller ID identifying the telephone number of the message originator, and a picture obtained from the message originator with the caller ID;

a wireless portable communication device for receiving wireless signals from the message center; and

,

a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting the stored caller ID and the stored picture from the message center to the wireless portable communication device.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the picture includes at least one of:

iconographic image data;

logo image data;

photographic image data;

video image data;

image data representative of a calling party; and

other graphic image data.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the picture message input device includes a video telephone and the message includes a video telephone message, and wherein the picture includes video image data.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the picture message input device includes a personal computer.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the message is encoded and wherein the wireless portable communication device includes a decoder for decoding the encoded message.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the message includes optional data.

7. A system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

a compression algorithm for compressing at least part of the message prior to storage in the memory; and

a compression algorithm for compressing at least part of the message prior to transmission to the wireless portable communication device.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the caller ID includes caller identifying data associated with the message.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the transmitter that wirelessly transmits the caller ID and the picture is operably connected to transmit the picture and caller ID based on the caller identifying data.

10. A system according to claim 1, and further including an encryption algorithm for encrypting the picture, and wherein the transmitter transmits the encrypted picture to the wireless portable communication device.

11. A wireless picture messaging system according to claim 1, wherein the memory comprises a hard disk drive.

12. A wireless picture messaging system according to claim 1, wherein the picture is stored at the message center for later retrieval by the message recipient.

13. A wireless picture messaging system according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the message is compressed prior to at least one of (a) storing the message in the memory and (b) forwarding the message.

14. A wireless picture messaging system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network includes at least one of:

a cellular telephone system;

a wireless communication system; and

a radio telephone system.

15. A wireless picture messaging system according to claim 1, wherein the message center device includes one of:

a telephone answering system;

a video telephone answering system;

a computer;

a voice messaging system; and

a video messaging system.

16. A wireless picture messaging system according to claim 1, wherein the memory comprises a hard disk drive.

17. A wireless picture messaging system according to claim 1, wherein the picture is stored at the message center for later retrieval by the message recipient.

18. A wireless picture messaging system according to claim 1, wherein the message is compressed prior to at least one of (a) storing the message in the memory and (b) forwarding the message.

19. A wireless picture messaging system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless picture messaging system includes a wireless communications network and wherein the wireless communication network includes at least one of:

a cellular telephone system;

a wireless communication system; and

a radio telephone system.

20. A wireless picture messaging system according to claim 1, wherein the message center includes one of:

a telephone answering system;

a video telephone answering system;

a computer;

a voice messaging system; and

a video messaging system.