Method for addressing billing in a message service, messaging service system, server and terminal

• US 7,590,225 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2001
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Sivula, Timo
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahee, Md S
• Application Number:
  US09/882,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20010053687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,014 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412, 455/406, 455/466, 455/417, 4554121-413, 455/432.2, 455/507, 455/403, 455/415, 455/412.2, 340/7.23, 340/7.5, 377 8811- 8812, 377/88.22, 377/88.25, 377/144.01, 377/211.02, 713/200, 709/206, 709/227, 379/114.26, 379/144.02, 379/121.01, 379/88.18, 379 8822- 8828, 379/114.01, 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 379/48, 379/72, 379/76, 379/144.07, 379/144.08, 379/167.08, 379/263, 379/373.04, 379/374.01, 379/374.02, 370/401, 370/254, 370/486, 705/14, 705/79, 715/717
• US Class Current: 379/88.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1471 splitting of costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1482 involving use of telephony infrastructure for billing for the transport of data, e.g. call detail record [CDR] or intelligent network infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• 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 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/57 for integrated multimedia messaging subsystem [IMS]
• 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 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for addressing billing in a multimedia messaging service (MMS) utilizing store-and-automatic forward transmission, in which method the message addressed to a B-subscriber is transmitted from a terminal (TA) of an A-subscriber to a server (MMSC) of the multimedia messaging service system, the arrival of said message to the server (MMSC) is reported to a wireless terminal (MSB) of the B-subscriber, and in which method said message is transmitted from the server (MMSC) further to the wireless terminal (MSB) of the B-subscriber. According to the invention, the message addressed to the B-subscriber is retrieved to the wireless terminal (MSB) of the B-subscriber from the server (MMSC) by establishing a substantially toll-free data transmission connection between wireless terminal (MSB) of the B-subscriber and the server (MMSC), said data transmission connection being opened by the terminal (MSB) of the B-subscriber. The invention also relates to a multimedia messaging service system (MMS), a server (MMSC) for a multimedia messaging service system, and a wtireless terminal (MS).

Claims

1. A method of transmitting multimedia messages, said method comprising:

sending a multimedia message from a terminal of a sender to a server of a multimedia messaging system;

storing the multimedia message in the server;

transmitting, from the server to a terminal of a receiver, over a first wireless interface disposed in said server, a notification of the multimedia message;

automatically retrieving in response to said notification the multimedia message from the server by the terminal of the receiver over a second wireless interface disposed in said server and distinct from said first wireless interface without user intervention; and

charging the sender at least partly for the retrieval of the multimedia message from the server by the terminal of the receiver

wherein the notification contains at least the contact information of the second wireless interface,

the notification comprises at least one of a message-specific identification or a message-specific address related to the message, and the terminal of the receiver retrieves the multimedia message from the server using said notification, a part of which identification/address can be a password or the identification can be merely composed of a password.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising opening a wireless local area network connection to at least the second wireless interface disposed in the server or adapted to be connected to said server by the terminal of the receiver.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising retrieving the multimedia message addressed to the terminal of the receiver by the terminal of the receiver over said second wireless interface by establishing a substantially toll-free data transmission connection between the terminal of the receiver and the server.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the notification comprises at least one of information related to the incoming multimedia message about the sender, the priority of the multimedia message, the type of the multimedia message, or the size of the multimedia message.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information contained in the notification is configured to be a format that can be interpreted by the terminal of the receiver.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising identifying a multimedia message addressed to the terminal of the receiver from the multimedia messages contained in the message memory by means of identification data characteristic.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising identifying a multimedia message addressed to the terminal of the receiver from a group of multimedia messages contained in the message memory by means of a message-specific identification/address.

8. A multimedia messaging service system, the system comprising at least one server, at least one terminal of a sender and at least one terminal of a receiver, the system being configured to:

send a multimedia message from the at least one terminal of the sender to the at least one server;

store the multimedia message in the server;

transmit from the server a notification of the multimedia message to the terminal of the receiver over a first wireless interface disposed in said server;

automatically retrieve in response to said notification the multimedia message from the server by the terminal of the receiver over a second wireless interface disposed in said server and distinct from said first wireless interface without user intervention; and

charge the sender at least partly for the retrieval of the multimedia message from the server by the terminal of the receiver,

wherein the notification contains at least the contact information of the second wireless interface,

the notification comprises at least one of a message-specific identification or a message-specific address related to the message, and the terminal of the receiver retrieves the multimedia message from the server using said notification, a part of which identification/address can be a password or the identification can be merely composed of a password.

9. A server for a multimedia messaging system, said server configured to:

receive a multimedia message from a terminal of a sender;

store said multimedia message;

transmit a notification of said multimedia message to a terminal of a receiver over a first wireless interface disposed in said server;

allow the terminal of the receiver to automatically retrieve in response to said notification the multimedia message over a second wireless interface disposed in said server and distinct from said first wireless interface without user intervention; and

charge the sender at least partly for the retrieval of the multimedia message from the server to the terminal of the receiver,

wherein the notification contains at least the contact information of the second wireless interface,

the notification comprises at least one of a message-specific identification or a message-specific address related to the message, and the terminal of the receiver retrieves the multimedia message from the server using said notification, a part of which identification/address can be a password or the identification can be merely composed of a password.

10. The server according to claim 9, wherein the server is configured to allow the receiving terminal to open a wireless local area network connection to at least the second wireless interface arranged in the server or arranged to be connected to said server.

11. The server according to claim 9, wherein the server is configured to allow the retrieval of the multimedia message by the terminal of the receiver over said second wireless interface by establishing a substantially toll-free data transmission connection between the terminal of the receiver and the server.

12. The server according to claim 9, wherein the notification message comprises at least one of information related to the incoming multimedia message about the sender and/or the priority of the multimedia message, the type of the multimedia message, or the size of the multimedia message.

13. The server according to claim 9, wherein the information contained in the notification is configured to be in a format that can be interpreted by the terminal of the receiver.

14. The server according to claim 9, wherein the server is configured to identify a multimedia message addressed to the terminal of the receiver from multimedia messages contained in a message memory by means of identification data characteristic of the terminal of the receiver.

15. The server according to claim 9, wherein the server contains a circuit configured to identify a multimedia message addressed to the terminal of the receiver from a group of multimedia messages contained in the message memory by means of a message-specific identification/address.

16. The server according to claim 9, wherein the server is a multimedia message service center.

17. A wireless terminal for a multimedia messaging service system, said system comprising at least one server and a terminal of a sender, said wireless terminal being configured to:

receive from the server over a first wireless interface disposed in said server a notification of a multimedia message addressed to the wireless terminal and sent by the terminal of the sender;

automatically retrieve in response to said notification said multimedia message from the server over a second wireless interface disposed in said server and distinct from said first wireless interface without user intervention, and

enable at least partially charging the terminal of the sender for the retrieval of the multimedia message,

wherein the notification contains at least the contact information of the second wireless interface,

the notification comprises at least one of a message-specific identification or a message-specific address related to the message, and the terminal of the receiver retrieves the multimedia message from the server using said notification, a part of which identification/address can be a password or the identification can be merely composed of a password.

18. The wireless terminal according to claim 17, wherein the wireless terminal is configured to open a wireless local network connection to at least the second wireless interface disposed in the server or adapted to be connected to said server.

19. The wireless terminal according to claim 17, wherein the wireless terminal is configured to retrieve the multimedia message over said second wireless interface by establishing a substantially toll-free data transmission connection between the terminal and the server.

20. The wireless terminal according to claim 17, wherein said first wireless interface comprises a cellular interface and the second wireless interface comprises a WLAN interface.