Mobile terminal for chatting by using SMS and method thereof

• US 8,213,969 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2007
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KT Corporation
• Original Assignee: KT Corporation
• Inventors: Paik, Seung-Hwa, Seo, Kwang-Soo, Jeung, Youn-Pil, Han, Ji-Woong
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimesh
• Application Number:
  US12/159,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20090005089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,979 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/513, 455/403, 715/758, 715/762, 715/751
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminal that supports a text chatting function by using a short message service, and a text chatting service method. For this purpose, the present invention provides a mobile communication terminal including a program memory, a data storage unit, a key input unit, a display, and a microprocessor. The program memory stores a text chatting program for the text chatting service and a program that performs additional functions executed in the text chatting service. The data storage unit stores a text chatting message transmitted/received through the text chatting service. The key input unit includes a key button for generating the text chatting message. The display displays the transmitted/received text chatting message on a chatting window. The microprocessor executes the text chatting program and performs a control function to display text chatting messages communicated with a mobile communication terminal of a chatting contact on the chatting window. Herein, the text chatting message is transmitted/received by using a short message service. According to the present invention, a text chatting service using a short message service can be realized by simply changing a user interface of the mobile communication terminal so that a user can check a transmitted/received short message through one screen window, and provide a cost reduction by using a less expensive short message service than a data charge.

Claims

1. A mobile communication terminal that supports a text chatting service providing a chatting function by using a short message service, the mobile communication terminal comprising:

a program memory configured to store a text chatting program for the test chatting service and a program configured to perform additional functions executed in the text chatting service;

a data storage unit configured to store a text chatting message that is transferred through the text chatting service;

a key input unit including a key button for generating the text chatting message;

a display configured to display the text chatting message in a chatting window; and

a microprocessor configured to execute the text chatting program and perform a control function to display text chatting messages communicated with a mobile communication terminal of a chatting contact in the chatting window, the text chatting message transferred by using the short message service,

wherein the text chatting messages communicated with the mobile communication terminal of the chatting contact and an input chatting message to be transferred to the chatting contact that is input by a user are displayed together in the chatting window,

wherein the mobile communication terminal terminates a text chatting mode for the text chatting service, stores the text chatting message transferred through the text chatting service in the data storage unit,

wherein the mobile communication determines whether a received text chatting message is received within a predetermined time period, sets the mobile communication terminal to the text chatting mode and displays the text chatting message stored in the data storage unit on the display when the received text chatting message is received within the predetermined time period.

2. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor calls up the text chatting program from the program memory and executed the text chatting program when the text chatting message is received from a remote mobile communication terminal of the chatting contact through the short message service, and initiates the text chatting program from the program memory and executes the text chatting program when a text chatting program execution request is input from the user of the mobile communication terminal through the key input.

3. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor comprises:

an additional function execution module for performing an additional function executed in the text chatting service;

a chatting contents storing module configured to generate text chatting message data for storing the text chatting messages transferred through the text chatting service and configured to store the text chatting message data in the data storage unit, and retrieve text chatting message data from the storage unit; and

a chatting window setting module configured to set a chatting window for the text chatting service.

4. The mobile communication terminal of claim 3, wherein the additional function execution module performs at least one of selecting a chatting contact, adding and deleting a chatting contact, and changing a user name, while using the text chatting service.

5. The mobile communication terminal of claim 3, wherein the chatting contents storing module generates the text chatting message data by integrating a transmitted text chatting message and a received text chatting message in the text chatting service into a log-type text.

6. The mobile communication terminal of claim 5, wherein the text chatting message data includes contents of the text chatting message, and additionally stores at least one of a chatting start date, chatting contact information, and a chatting end date.

7. The mobile communication terminal of claim 3, wherein the chatting window setting module comprises at least one of:

a default screen setting module configured to set a default screen of the chatting window, including a chatting title display area, a chatting message display area, a menu area, and a scroll area;

a user display screen setting module configured to display the user using the text chatting message service; and

a message display module configured to display contents of the text chatting messages.

8. The mobile communication terminal of claim 7, wherein the menu area comprises:

a menu button for selecting an additional function to be executed in the text chatting service;

a send button for transmitting the input chatting message; and

a character button for selecting a text input format for generating the text chatting message.

9. The mobile communication terminal of claim 7, wherein the user display screen setting module and the message display module display each user by using a different color to distinguish each user.

10. The mobile communication terminal of claim 3, wherein the user microprocessor additionally comprises an interrupt handling module configured to process at least one of a short message, a multimedia message, and a voice call incoming signal received while using the text chatting service.

11. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication terminal further comprises at least one of:

a voice input/output unit configured to perform a sound signal output function for informing arrival of the text chatting message, and an opponent party'"'"'s voice output function and a caller'"'"'s voice input function during a voice call;

a subscriber information storage unit configured to store information about a subscriber of the mobile communication terminal;

a radio frequency (RF) signal processor configured to modulate the text chatting message into an RF signal for transferring through a mobile communication network; and

an antenna configured to transfer the RF signal through the mobile communication network.

12. A method for providing a text chatting message from a mobile communication terminal that provides a chatting function by using a short message service, the method comprising:

(a) displaying a chatting window by setting a text chatting mode for the text chatting service;

(b) selecting a chatting contact to use the text chatting service and generating a text chatting message to be transmitted to the chatting contact;

(c) transmitting the text chatting message by using the short message service;

(d) determining whether a received text chatting message is received, responding to the transmitted text chatting message, and displaying the received text chatting message when the received text chatting message is received; and

(e) determining whether a termination signal for terminating the text chatting service is input from a user, terminating the text chatting service when the termination signal is input and;

if so;

(e1) terminating the text chatting mode and storing the text chatting message transferred through the text chatting service, and terminating the text chatting service, and

(e2) determining whether the received text chatting message is received within a predetermined time period, and setting the mobile communication terminal to the text chatting mode and displaying the stored text chatting message when the received text chatting message is received within the predetermined time period, or,

if not;

(e3) generating a response message for the received text chatting message and repeating from the step (c) when the termination signal is not input, and

wherein the text chatting message communicated with the mobile communication terminal of the chatting contact and an input chatting message to be transferred to the chatting contact that is input by the user are displayed together in the chatting window.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein (e2) comprises storing the text chatting message and the received message by integrating the text chatting message into a log-type text.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein (a) comprises setting the mobile communication terminal to the text chatting mode when a text chatting menu is selected from among a plurality of additional functions installed in the mobile communication terminal.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein (b) further comprises selecting a contact to which the text chatting message is transmitted.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the selecting of the contact is performed by searching for a phone number, searching through a recent call record list, or directly entering a phone number of the contact.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein (b) comprises simultaneously transmitting the text chatting message to more than two contacts.

18. A method for providing a text chatting service by receiving a text chatting message from a mobile communication terminal that provides a chatting function using a short message service, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a received text chatting message for the text chatting service through a mobile communication network;

(b) displaying a chatting window by setting the mobile communication terminal to a text chatting mode for the text chatting service;

(c) displaying the received text chatting message in a chatting window;

(d) when a response message generation request message is received for the received text chatting message from a user of the mobile communication terminal, generating and transmitting a transmitted text chatting message according to the response message generation request message;

(e) determining whether the received text chatting message is additionally received through the mobile communication network, and repeating from step (c) when the received text chatting message is additionally received; and

(f) determining whether a text chatting service termination signal is input from the user, terminating the text chatting service when the termination signal is input, and repeating from the step (e) when the termination signal is not input,

wherein, when the termination signal is input in (f), the method comprises;

(g1) terminating the text chatting mode; and

(g2) storing the text chatting messages transferred through the text chatting service,

wherein, after (g2), the method further comprises determining whether the received text chatting message is received within a predetermined time period, setting the mobile communication terminal to the text chatting mode and displaying the stored text chatting message when the received text chatting message is received within the predetermined period

wherein text chatting messages communicated with the mobile communication terminal of a chatting contact and an input chatting message to be transferred to the chatting contact that is input by the user are displayed together in the chatting window.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein (g2) comprises storing the transmitted text chatting message and the received text chatting message by integrating the text chatting messages into a log-type text.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein (b) comprises receiving information on whether or not to change the mobile communication terminal to the text chatting mode by displaying information on an arrival of the received text chatting message in the chatting window and setting the mobile communication terminal to be automatically changed to the text chatting mode when the received text chatting message is received.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein when the user does not change the mobile communication terminal to the text chatting mode, the received text chatting message is displayed according to a typical short message displaying period.