Method and apparatus for providing multimedia messaging service

• US 8,583,732 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2007
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Bae, Young Kyu, Shin, Ho Chul, Kim, Chul Seung, Jung, Hee Won, Oh, Yun Je, Kim, Joon Oo
• Primary Examiner(s): Zong, Ruolei
• Application Number:
  US11/696,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20070264975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,414 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/203, 709205-207, 709217-219, 707/770, 707966-974, 715733-759
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]

Abstract

A method for providing a multimedia messaging service according to the present invention includes the steps of: collecting multimedia contents accessible through a network in response to a request for preparing a multimedia message, generating the multimedia message including multimedia file access information by selecting a multimedia file from the collected multimedia contents, converting the multimedia message to a web page, transmitting the web page as an Internet mail, extracting the multimedia file access information from the web page included in the mail after receiving the mail, accessing a multimedia file by using the multimedia file access information and executing the multimedia file.

Claims

1. A method for providing a multimedia messaging service, comprising:

at a sender'"'"'s mobile terminal;

receiving multimedia contents information from a server in a first DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) network to which the sender'"'"'s mobile terminal is connected;

selecting a multimedia file from the received multimedia contents information;

generating a multimedia message including multimedia file access information corresponding to the selected multimedia file, the access information including a DLNA network address of an instrument in the first DLNA network at which the selected multimedia file is stored;

transmitting the multimedia message to a receiver'"'"'s mobile terminal connected in a second network, to enable subsequent access by the receiver'"'"'s mobile terminal to the selected multimedia file stored at the instrument via the access information and the server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

converting the multimedia message to a web page; and

transmitting the web page as an Internet mail.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, in the step of converting the multimedia message, the multimedia message is converted to the web page by using Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML).

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

extracting the multimedia file access information from the web page included in the mail after receiving the mail;

accessing a multimedia file by using the multimedia file access information; and

executing the multimedia file.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein extracting the multimedia file access information comprises:

identifying whether the web page included in the received mail is a multimedia message;

transmitting, if the web page is a multimedia message, a notifying signal of reception of a multimedia message to the receiver'"'"'s mobile terminal by detecting the telephone number of the receiver'"'"'s mobile terminal;

transmitting the web page to the receiver'"'"'s mobile terminal by converting the web page to a mobile terminal display format according to a request signal for viewing the multimedia message; and

extracting multimedia file access information included in the multimedia message according to a request signal for executing the multimedia file.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, in the step of transmitting the notifying signal of reception of the multimedia message, the notifying signal is transmitted through a second DLNA network to which the receiver'"'"'s mobile terminal is connected.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein, in the step of transmitting the converted web page, the converted web page is transmitted through a second DLNA network to which the receiver'"'"'s mobile terminal is connected.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, in the step of transmitting the converted web page, the web page is converted to an Extensible Markup Language (XML) format.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein, in the step of extracting the multimedia file access information, the multimedia file access information is extracted from the first DLNA network to which the sender'"'"'s mobile terminal is connected.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein accessing the multimedia file comprises:

transmitting, through the Internet, the request signal for executing the multimedia file including the multimedia file access information to the first DLNA network to which the sender'"'"'s mobile terminal is connected; and

requesting the multimedia file to an instrument storing multimedia files in the first DLNA network by using the multimedia file access information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein executing the multimedia file comprises:

receiving the multimedia file from a multimedia file storage unit connected to the first DLNA network;

transmitting, through Internet, the multimedia file to a second DLNA network to which the receiver'"'"'s mobile terminal is connected;

transmitting the multimedia file to the receiver'"'"'s mobile terminal through the second DLNA network; and

executing the multimedia file with the receiver'"'"'s mobile terminal.

12. A first mobile terminal operative to transmit a multimedia message to a second mobile terminal, the first mobile terminal comprising:

a DLNA interface unit that receives multimedia contents information from a server in a DLNA network; and

a control unit for selecting, from the received multimedia contents information, at least one multimedia file to be accessed by the second mobile terminal, according to an input selection, and for generating the multimedia message including multimedia file access information corresponding to the at least one selected multimedia file, the multimedia file access information including a DLNA network address of an instrument within the DLNA network in which the selected multimedia file is stored, to enable subsequent access by the second mobile terminal to the selected multimedia file stored at the instrument via the server.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the DLNA interface unit receives a notifying signal of reception of a multimedia message through the DLNA network and transmits a request signal for viewing the multimedia message to the DLNA network.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the DLNA interface unit receives a multimedia message provided with a web page in an XML format through the DLNA network and transmits a request signal for executing the multimedia file included in the multimedia message to the DLNA network.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the control unit executes the multimedia file requested for execution by receiving the multimedia file through the DLNA network.

16. A content management apparatus for integrally managing contents of instruments connected to a DLNA network, comprising:

a DLNA interface unit for controlling the communication of the DLNA network;

a multimedia content storage unit for storing multimedia contents information accessible through the DLNA network, the contents information including information on multimedia files accessible through the DLNA network and multimedia access information including a DLNA network address of an instrument in which multimedia files are stored;

a control unit for controlling, if a request signal for multimedia contents information is received from a sender'"'"'s mobile terminal through the DLNA interface unit, the DLNA interface unit such that multimedia contents information stored in the multimedia content storage unit is transmitted to the sender'"'"'s mobile terminal according to the request signal;

a document conversion unit for converting, if a multimedia message is received through the DLNA interface unit, the multimedia message to a web page, the multimedia message being transmitted by the sender'"'"'s mobile terminal and intended for a receiver'"'"'s mobile terminal connected in another network; and

a web communication interface unit for controlling web communication and transmitting the web page converted by the document conversion unit as an Internet mail;

wherein the control unit is further operative to control access by the receiver'"'"'s mobile terminal to a multimedia file referenced in the multimedia message and stored in the instrument, upon receiving a request for execution of the multimedia file originating from the receiver'"'"'s mobile terminal.

17. The content management apparatus of claim 16, wherein, if an e-mail including a multimedia message in a web page format is received through the web communication interface unit, the DLNA interface unit transmits a notifying signal of reception of a multimedia message to a mobile terminal of a receiver of the multimedia message.

18. The content management apparatus of claim 17, wherein the document conversion unit converts the multimedia message in a web page format to an XML format in response to a request signal for viewing a message from the receiver'"'"'s mobile terminal.

19. The content management apparatus of claim 18, wherein the DLNA interface unit transmits the multimedia message provided with a web page in an XML format to the receiver'"'"'s mobile terminal and receives a request signal for executing the multimedia file included in the multimedia message from the receiver'"'"'s mobile terminal.

20. The content management apparatus of claim 19, wherein the control unit controls extracting the multimedia file access information in response to the request signal for executing the multimedia file, and controls execution of the multimedia file by using the multimedia file access information.

21. The content management apparatus of claim 20, wherein the multimedia file access information is the DLNA network address of the instrument storing the multimedia files in the DLNA network to which a mobile terminal of a sender of the multimedia message is connected.

22. A method for providing a multimedia messaging service, comprising:

at a sender'"'"'s mobile terminal;

receiving multimedia contents information from a server in a first DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) network to which the sender'"'"'s mobile terminal is connected;

selecting a multimedia file from the received multimedia contents information;

generating a multimedia message in multimedia message (MMS) data format including multimedia file access information corresponding to the selected multimedia file, the access information including a DLNA network address of an instrument in the first DLNA network at which the selected multimedia file is stored; and

transmitting the multimedia message to the server in the first DLNA; and

at the server in the first DLNA;

converting the multimedia message to a web page; and

transmitting, via the Internet, the multimedia message to a receiver'"'"'s mobile terminal connected in a second DLNA network, to enable a subsequent access by the receiver'"'"'s mobile terminal to the selected multimedia file stored at the instrument via the access information and the server.

23. A first mobile terminal operative to transmit a multimedia message to a second mobile terminal, the first mobile terminal comprising:

a DLNA interface unit for receiving multimedia contents information from a server in a DLNA network; and

a control unit configured for;

selecting, from the received multimedia contents information, at least one multimedia file to be accessed by the second mobile terminal, according to an input selection,

generating the multimedia message, in MMS data format, including multimedia file access information corresponding to the at least one selected multimedia file, the multimedia file access information including a DLNA network address of an instrument within the DLNA network in which the selected multimedia file is stored, to enable subsequent access by the second mobile terminal to the selected multimedia file stored at the instrument via the server, and

controlling the DLNA interface unit to send the generated multimedia message to the server in the DLNA network.

24. A content management apparatus for integrally managing contents of instruments connected to a DLNA network, comprising:

a DLNA interface unit for controlling the communication of the DLNA network and for receiving a multimedia message from a sender'"'"'s mobile terminal;

a multimedia content storage unit for storing multimedia contents information accessible through the DLNA network, the contents information including information on multimedia files accessible through the DLNA network and multimedia access information including a DLNA network address of an instrument in which multimedia files are stored;

a control unit for controlling, if a request signal for multimedia contents information is received from the sender'"'"'s mobile terminal through the DLNA interface unit, the DLNA interface unit such that multimedia contents information stored in the multimedia content storage unit is transmitted to the sender'"'"'s mobile terminal according to the request signal;

a document conversion unit for converting, if the multimedia message in MMS data format is received through the DLNA interface unit from the sender'"'"'s mobile terminal, the multimedia message to a web page, the multimedia message being intended for a receiver'"'"'s mobile terminal connected in another network; and

a web communication interface unit for controlling web communication and transmitting, via Internet, the web page converted by the document conversion unit as an Internet mail to the receiver'"'"'s mobile terminal in the another network.