Method and apparatus for integrating multi-media messaging and image serving abilities

• US 8,046,009 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2004
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Syniverse ICX LLC
• Original Assignee: Syniverse ICX Corp. (Syniverse Corp.)
• Inventors: Bodnar, Eric, Genske, Timothy, Bodmer, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost; Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gonzalez; Amancio
• Application Number:
  US10/893,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20060013196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,657 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/392, 370/466, 455/466, 4554121- 2, 709/206, 379/93.01
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing a user inbox on an multi-media service center (MMSC), the user inbox using a central repository for storing multimedia content on the MMSC.

Claims

1. A method in an integrated messaging server comprising:

receiving a multimedia message in a wireless communications network including multimedia content in an integrated messaging server;

storing the multimedia content in a repository of the integrated messaging server;

selecting an optimal communications protocol from among a plurality of communications protocols for delivery of a multimedia message to a user'"'"'s handset based on content of the multimedia message to be sent, the user'"'"'s handset a handheld device for communicating on the wireless communications network;

forwarding a notification to the user'"'"'s handset via the wireless communications network including a header and a pointer, the notification for storage on the user'"'"'s handset without storage of the multimedia content on the user'"'"'s handset, the pointer pointing to the multimedia content in the repository;

maintaining a user inbox of received multimedia messages corresponding to the inbox on the user'"'"'s handset at the integrated messaging server with a reference to the multimedia content in the repository on the integrated messaging server, the user inbox at the integrated messaging server managing a collection of multimedia messages that correspond to a plurality of messages sent to the user'"'"'s handset from a plurality of different message sources and received by the integrated messaging server;

enabling the user to forward the original multimedia content via the wireless communications network, wherein the pointer to the original multimedia content in the repository is forwarded in a forwarded message to a recipient when the user and the recipient are subscribers to a first wireless network, and the original multimedia content is attached to the forwarded message when the recipient subscribes to a second wireless network, the first wireless network and the second wireless network are provided by different wireless service providers; and

placing a copy of the forwarded message in a user outbox on the user'"'"'s handset, the copy comprising header information for the multimedia message and a reference to the multimedia content in the repository.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

expiring the multimedia content from the repository.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

enabling a user to archive the multimedia content to prevent expiration of the multimedia content from the repository.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the multimedia content stored in the repository comprises an original multimedia content, and further comprising:

reformatting the original multimedia content for the user'"'"'s handset.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reformatting the original multimedia content if a recipient is on a limited ability MMSC, which cannot handle the original multimedia content without reformatting.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating an extended notification for the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the extended notification comprises a thumbnail of the multimedia content.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the extended notification comprises a full title of the multimedia content.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the extended notification comprises a payload size estimate, indicating an estimated size of the multimedia content.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the multimedia content is too large to retrieve at once; and

creating a multi-part message to enable retrieval of a sequence of messages representing the too large multimedia content.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the multi-part message includes an MM1 retrieve pointer embedded in each non-final message in the sequence to enable automatic retrieval of a next subsequent message from the sequence.

12. An integrated message server comprising:

a multimedia content receiving logic to receive a multimedia message in a wireless communications network including multimedia content;

a message store to store the multimedia content at said integrated message server;

a protocol selection logic to select an optimal communications protocol from among a plurality of communications protocols for delivery of a multimedia message to a user'"'"'s handset based on content of the multimedia message to be sent, the user'"'"'s handset a handheld device for communicating on the wireless communications network;

a notification/retrieval logic to send a notification via the wireless communications network to the user'"'"'s handset including a header and a pointer, the notification for storage on the user'"'"'s handset without storage of the multimedia content on the user'"'"'s handset, the pointer pointing to the multimedia content in the message store;

a forwarding logic to enable the user to forward the original multimedia content via the wireless communications network, wherein the pointer to the original multimedia content in the repository is forwarded in a forwarded message to a recipient when the user and the recipient are subscribers to a first wireless network, and the original multimedia content is attached to the forwarded message when the recipient subscribes to a second wireless network, the first wireless network and the second wireless network are provided by different wireless service providers; and

an inbox/outbox maintenance logic of the integrated message server to maintain a user inbox of received multimedia messages including a reference to the multimedia content in the message store, and to keep a copy of the forwarded message in the user'"'"'s outbox, the copy comprising header information and a reference to the multimedia content in the repository, the user inbox at the integrated message server managing a collection of multimedia messages that correspond to a plurality of messages sent to the user'"'"'s handset from a plurality of different message sources and received by the integrated messaging server.

13. The integrated message server of claim 12, further comprising:

expiration logic to attach an expiration date to the multimedia content in from the message store, and to delete the multimedia content on the expiration date.

14. The integrated message server of claim 13, further comprising:

an archiving logic to enable a user to archive the multimedia content to prevent expiration of the multimedia content from the message store.

15. The integrated message server of claim 12, wherein the multimedia content stored in the message store comprises an original multimedia content, and further comprising:

a reformatting logic to format the original multimedia content for a user'"'"'s handset.

16. The integrated message server of claim 12, further comprising:

reformatting logic to reformat original multimedia content if a recipient is on a limited ability MMSC, which cannot handle the original multimedia content without reformatting.

17. The integrated message server of claim 12, further comprising:

extended notification constructor to create an extended notification for the user.

18. The integrated message server of claim 17, wherein the extended notification comprises one or more of the following:

a thumbnail of the multimedia content, a full title of the multimedia content, a payload size estimate, indicating an estimated size of the multimedia content.

19. The integrated message server of claim 18, further comprising:

a payload calculator to calculate the payload size estimate based on handset data and the multimedia content.

20. The integrated message server of claim 12, further comprising:

a multi-part message constructor to determine if the multimedia content is too large to retrieve at once, and if so, to create a multi-part message to enable retrieval of a sequence of messages representing the too large multimedia content.

21. The integrated message server of claim 20, wherein the multi-part message includes an MMI retrieve pointer embedded in each non-final message in the sequence to enable automatic retrieval of a next subsequent message from the sequence.

22. An integrated messaging server comprising:

a multimedia content receiving logic to receive multimedia messages sent to a user handset over a wireless communications network, the multimedia messages including multimedia content, and the user handset a handheld device for communicating on the wireless communications network;

a message store to store the multimedia content at said integrated message server;

an inbox/outbox maintenance logic of the integrated message server to maintain a user inbox of received multimedia messages, the user inbox at the integrated message server managing a collection of multimedia messages that correspond to a plurality of messages sent to the user'"'"'s handset from a plurality of different message sources and received by the integrated messaging server;

a notification/retrieval logic to send a notification to a user'"'"'s handset, the notification including a header and a pointer, the notification for storage on the user'"'"'s handset without storage of the multimedia content on the user'"'"'s handset, the pointer pointing to the multimedia content in the message store, wherein the pointer to the multimedia content in the repository is forwarded in a forwarded message to a recipient when the user and the recipient are subscribers to a first network, and the original multimedia content is attached to the forwarded message when the recipient subscribes to a second network, the first wireless network and the second wireless network are provided by different wireless service providers.

23. The integrated messaging server of claim 22, further comprising:

a protocol selection logic to select an optimal communications protocol from among a plurality of communications protocols for delivery of a multimedia message to a user'"'"'s handset based on the multimedia message to be sent.

24. The integrated messaging server of claim 22, further comprising:

expiration logic to attach an expiration date to the multimedia content in from the message store, and to delete the multimedia content on the expiration date.