Apparatus and method for processing a message using avatars in a wireless telephone

• US 9,037,982 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2004
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Seo, Jeong-Wook, Kim, Jae-Ho, Park, Wei-Jin, Lim, Chae-Whan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Amy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Takele, Meseker
• Application Number:
  US11/019,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20050143108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,799 Days
• Field of Search: 715/706, 715/758, 715/201, 715/752, 455/466, 709/202
• US Class Current: 715/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided for transmitting a text message in a wireless terminal. The apparatus and method include displaying data input when creating a text message and analyzing the data in order to check whether the data are character display instruction words. Character image information corresponding to the character display instruction words is searched. The character image information is added to the display instruction words, and the display instruction words having the character image information are added to the text message. Character data are added to the text message if the data are general character data. The above steps are repeated and recipient information for the character text message is input when the character text message has been created. The created character text message is then transmitted.

Claims

1. A method of creating and transmitting a text message in a wireless terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying and analyzing text data inputted, when creating the text message;

adding character image information corresponding to the text data inputted to the text data inputted, and adding the text data inputted having the character image information to the text message, if the text data inputted is a character display instruction word;

adding the text data inputted to the text message, if the text data inputted is not a character display instruction word;

creating a character text message by repeatedly performing the above steps;

transmitting the created character text message; and

analyzing the display instruction words that includes the substeps of displaying an avatar image corresponding to the display instruction word, deleting the display instruction word when a delete command is generated while the avatar image is being displayed, and adding the display instruction word to the text message when a selection command is generated while the avatar image is being displayed,

wherein the text data inputted having the character display instruction word animates a character image when received by another wireless terminal.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the character image includes the avatar image such that the text message includes an avatar text message.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the avatar text message includes control information notifying a user of the avatar text message, character data and display instruction words, in which display instruction word identifiers and avatar image information corresponding to the display instruction words are added to front parts of the display instruction words.

4. A method of creating and transmitting a text message in a wireless terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

A) creating and transmitting a character message; and

B) receiving and displaying the character message;

wherein step A) includes the substeps of,

a) displaying and analyzing text data inputted, when creating the text message,

b) adding character image information corresponding to the text data inputted to the text data inputted, and adding the text data inputted having the character image information to the text message, if the text data inputted is a character display instruction,

c) adding the text data inputted to the text message, if the text data inputted is not a character display instruction,

d) creating a character text message by repeatedly performing the above steps, and

e) transmitting the created character text message;

wherein step B) includes the substeps of,

i) analyzing character strings of the text message upon receiving the text message so as to check whether the character strings include character display instruction words and checking avatar image information added to the display instruction words in order to register avatar images corresponding to the avatar image information in an operation list and to set a display time for the avatar images,

ii) checking the character image information contained in the character display instruction words when the character strings include the character display instruction words, registering character images corresponding to the character image information in the operation list, and storing a display time for the stored character images, and

iii) displaying the character images together with the text message for a predetermined period of time by reading the character images registered in the operation list; and

wherein the text data inputted having the character display instruction animates the character images when received by another wireless terminal.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the text message includes control information notifying a user of an avatar text message, character data and display instruction words, in which display instruction word identifiers and the avatar image information corresponding to the display instruction words are added to front parts of the display instruction words.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the step of analyzing the text message further includes the substeps of:

scanning the character strings of the received text message,

storing the display instruction words if the scanned data are display instruction words,

storing general character data if the scanned data are the general character data,

repeating the above substeps, to set an the avatar to be displayed according to the display instruction word contained in the text message in the operation list and the display time for the avatar, and to store the general text message and the display instruction words as the text message to be displayed, and

finishing the message analyzing step when the character string scan is finished.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the step of displaying the text message includes the substeps of displaying the analyzed text message, sequentially accessing the avatars registered in the operation list while scanning the operation list, thereby displaying the avatars together with the text message for a predetermined period of time, displaying an avatar corresponding to a final display instruction word registered in the operation list while the avatar is being displayed together with the text message, sequentially displaying an avatar corresponding to a first display instruction word registered in the operation list, and finishing the message displaying step when a request for finishing a message display is generated.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a substep of accessing a predetermined basic avatar if the display instruction word is not registered in the operation list, thereby displaying the predetermined basic avatar together with the text message.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the text message is displayed together with the avatar while being confined by a balloon-like symbol.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the avatar is overlaid on the text message.

11. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the step of displaying the text message includes the substeps of displaying the analyzed text message in a display area of a display section, sequentially accessing the avatars registered in the operation list while scanning the operation list for the text message displayed in the display area, thereby displaying the avatars together with the text message for a predetermined period of time, scrolling the text message when a scroll command is generated during the displaying step, thereby displaying the text message in the display area of the display section while updating the operation list with the text message displayed in the display section, repeating the text message and the avatar displaying procedure while scanning the operation list updated with the text message displayed in the display section, and finishing the message displaying step when a request for finishing a message confirmation is generated.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising the substeps of displaying an avatar corresponding to a final display instruction word registered in the operation list while the avatar is being displayed together with the text message and sequentially displaying an avatar corresponding to a first display instruction word registered in the operation list.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a substep of accessing a predetermined basic avatar if the display instruction word is not registered in the operation list, thereby displaying the predetermined basic avatar together with the text message.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the text message is displayed together with the avatar while being confined by a balloon-like symbol.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the avatar is overlaid on the text message.

16. An apparatus for displaying a text message in a wireless terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a radio frequency (RF) communication section for receiving the text message;

a data processing section for decoding and demodulating the text message;

a character memory for storing characters having their own emotional expressions;

a character display instruction word memory for storing character display instruction words corresponding to the characters;

a controller for, when transmitting a text message, displaying and analyzing text data inputted when creating a text message, adding character image information corresponding to the text data inputted to the text data inputted, adding the text data inputted having the character image information to the text message if the text data inputted is a character display instruction, adding the text data inputted to the text message if the text data inputted is not a character display instruction, creating a character text message by repeatedly performing the above steps, transmitting the created character text message, for, when receiving a text message, comparing character strings of the decoded text message with the character display instruction words stored in the character display instruction word memory in order to select the character display instruction words contained in the text message, analyzing the display instruction words that by displaying an avatar image corresponding to the display instruction word, deleting the display instruction word when a delete command is generated while the avatar image is being displayed, adding the display instruction word to the text message when a selection command is generated while the avatar image is being displayed, and searching character images corresponding to the selected character display instruction words by accessing the character memory; and

a display section for displaying the text image output from the controller together with the character images,

wherein the text data inputted having the character display instruction animates the character image.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the character includes the avatar image.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the controller selects a first display instruction word from the text message.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the controller selects a final display instruction word from the text message.

20. The apparatus as claimed in any one of claim 19, wherein the display instruction words include emoticons.

21. The apparatus as claimed in any one of claim 19, wherein the display instruction words include instruction words for expressing happy, sad, angry, embarrassed and shy, and the avatar images represents emotional expressions corresponding to happy, sad, angry, embarrassed and shy, respectively.

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the controller selects a display instruction word forming a majority from among various display instruction words contained in the text message.