Method and apparatus for message management in portable communication system

• US 7,953,393 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2007
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jin-Goo, Chin, Mi-Ae
• Primary Examiner(s): GELIN, JEAN ALLAND
• Application Number:
  US11/939,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20080112547A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/413, 455/414.1, 455/414.4, 455/453, 455/466, 455/566, 455/410, 455/411
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging

Abstract

Provided is a method and apparatus for altering a stored message into a single unified message and controlling a capacity of a message box in a portable communication system. The method includes checking an available capacity of a message box; and when the available capacity is less than a critical value, creating and storing a unified message, which is a unification of a plurality of messages stored in the message box, into a single message.

Claims

1. A method for storing a message in a portable communication system, the method comprising:

checking an available capacity of a message box; and

creating and storing a unified message that is a unification of a plurality of messages stored in the message box into a single message, when the available capacity is less than a critical value,

wherein the unified message comprises an arrangement of messages previously stored in the portable communication system, based on at least one of a calling number, a caller name, and a message-type, and

wherein the unified message can be stored in at least one of a text file, a Excel file, and a Word file formats.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after creating and storing the unified message, deleting the plurality of messages previously stored in the portable communication system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises at least one of a Short Message Service (SMS) message, an electronic mail (e-mail) message, and a Multimedia Message System (MMS) message.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the message comprises at least one of an incoming message, an outgoing message, and an incoming/outgoing message stored in the portable communication system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the unified message is stored in a storage space independent of a storage space for storing the plurality of messages.

6. A method for checking a message in a portable communication system, the method comprising:

when detecting a request for checking a unified message that is a unification of a plurality of messages into a single message, displaying a list of unified messages and receiving a user'"'"'s selection of the unified message requested by the user; and

extracting the plurality of messages from the selected unified message and displaying the extracted messages,

wherein the unified message comprises an arrangement of messages previously stored in the portable communication system, based on at least one of a calling number, a caller name, and a message-type, and

wherein the unified message can be stored in at least one of a text file, a Excel file, and a Word file formats.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the message comprises at least one of an SMS message, an e-mail message, and an MMS message.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the message comprises at least one of an incoming message, an outgoing message, and an incoming/outgoing message stored in the portable communication system.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller controls and deletes the messages previously stored in the memory after creating the unified message.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller extracts the plurality of messages from the unified message.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the message comprises at least one of an SMS message, an e-mail message, and an MMS message.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the message comprises at least one of an incoming message, an outgoing message, and an incoming/outgoing message stored in the portable communication system.

9. An apparatus for managing a message in a portable communication system, the apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing incoming messages and outgoing messages;

a message management unit for checking an amount of a plurality of messages stored in the memory and when checking that the amount of the plurality of messages is greater than a critical value, creating a unified message that is a unification of the plurality of messages stored in the memory into a single message; and

a controller for controlling the message management unit to store the unified message,

wherein the unified message comprises an arrangement of messages previously stored in the portable communication system, based on at least one of a calling number, a caller name, and a message-type, and

wherein the unified message can be stored in at least one of a text file, a Excel file, and a Word file formats.

14. An apparatus for storing a message in a portable communication system, the method comprising:

means for checking an available capacity of a message box; and

means for creating and storing a unified message that is a unification of a plurality of messages stored in the message box into a single message, when the available capacity is less than a critical value,

wherein the unified message comprises an arrangement of messages previously stored in the portable communication system, based on at least one of a calling number, a caller name, and a message-type, and

wherein the unified message can be stored in at least one of a text file, a Excel file, and a Word file formats.

15. An apparatus for checking a message in a portable communication system, the method comprising:

means for displaying a list of unified messages and receiving a user'"'"'s selection of a unified message requested by a user; and

means for extracting a plurality of messages from the selected unified message and displaying the extracted messages,

wherein the unified message comprises an arrangement of messages previously stored in the portable communication system, based on at least one of a calling number, a caller name, and a message-type, and

wherein the unified message can be stored in at least one of a text file, a Excel file, and a Word file formats.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program storing a message in a portable communication system, the method comprising:

a first segment, for checking an available capacity of a message box; and

a second segment, for creating and storing a unified message that is a unification of a plurality of messages stored in the message box as a single message, when the available capacity is less than a critical value,

wherein the unified message comprises an arrangement of messages previously stored in the portable communication system, based on at least one of a calling number, a caller name, and a message-type, and

wherein the unified message can be stored in at least one of a text file, a Excel file, and a Word file formats.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program checking a message in a portable communication system, the method comprising:

a first segment, for displaying a list of unified messages and receiving a user'"'"'s selection of a unified message requested by the user; and

a second segment, for extracting the plurality of messages from the selected unified message and displaying the extracted messages,

wherein the unified message comprises an arrangement of messages previously stored in the portable communication system, based on at least one of a calling number, a caller name, and a message-type, and

wherein the unified message can be stored in at least one of a text file, a Excel file, and a Word file formats.