Apparatus and method for transmission of messages to multiple recipients

• US 8,032,162 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2007
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Do Hyung, Park, Jae Wan
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hwang; Stamford
• Application Number:
  US11/776,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20080076455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/414.4, 455/518, 455/519, 455/566
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A method for transmitting a message containing both common content to be transmitted to a plurality of receiving mobile communication terminals and specific content to be transmitted to a specific receiving mobile communication terminal includes displaying, when in a message writing mode, a message writing window including a first writing area and a second writing area, writing messages in the first writing area and the second writing area, inputting a telephone number of the receiving mobile communication terminal to which the message written in the second writing area is to be transmitted, combining the messages written in the first writing area and in the second writing area, and transmitting the messages to the receiving mobile communication terminal.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting messages from a transmitting mobile communication terminal to a plurality of receiving mobile communication terminals, the method comprising:

receiving a common content commonly transmitted to all receiving mobile communication terminals;

receiving a plurality of specific contents transmitted to specific receiving mobile communication terminals only;

receiving a plurality of identification codes, each identification code corresponding to a receiving mobile communication terminal to receive each of the plurality of specific contents;

combining each of the plurality of specific contents with the common content to create a plurality of combined messages; and

transmitting each of the plurality of combined messages to each of the specific receiving mobile communication terminals,

wherein each of the plurality of combined messages is composed of the common content and at least one of the plurality of specific contents,

wherein the common content is separate from the specific content, and

wherein the common content is received in a common content input area of a display of the transmitting mobile communication terminal, and the plurality of specific contents are received in a specific content input area of the display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of identification codes are received in an identification code input area of the display.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a first specific content and a first identification code corresponding to the first specific content are both received prior to either of a second specific content and a second identification code corresponding to the second specific content.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the specific content input area comprises a plurality of specific content input sub-areas;

the identification code input area comprises a plurality of identification code input sub-areas; and

each identification code input sub-area corresponds to one of the plurality of specific content input sub-areas.

4. An apparatus for transmitting a message, the apparatus comprising:

an input device to receive a common content commonly transmitted to all receiving mobile communication terminals, to receive a plurality of specific contents transmitted to specific receiving mobile communication terminals only, and to receive a plurality of identification codes, each identification code corresponding to a receiving mobile communication terminal to receive the specific contents; and

a control unit to combine each of the plurality of specific contents with the common content to create a plurality of combined messages and to transmit each of the plurality of combined messages to each of the specific receiving mobile communication terminals,

wherein each of the plurality of combined messages is composed of the common content and at least one of the plurality of specific contents,

wherein the common content is separate from the specific content, and

wherein the input device is configured to receive the common content in a common content input area of a display of the apparatus, to receive the plurality of specific contents in a specific content input area of the display, and to receive the plurality of identification codes in an identification code input area of the display.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

the specific content input area comprises a plurality of specific content input sub-areas;

the identification code input area comprises a plurality of identification code input sub-areas; and

each identification code input sub-area corresponds to one of the plurality of specific content input sub-areas.