Unified management method of various types of messages of a personal information terminal

• US 20020152220A1
• Filed: 04/10/2002
• Published: 10/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Seung Ho, Kang, Yun Gyu, Kim, Sang Bum, Shin, Yong Soo, Jung, Byung Hak, Pan, Su Young
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/101
• 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 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• 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 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/922 Communications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of displaying several types of messages all together through a single window and of enabling a user to write and transmit a message with no consideration of message type. This unified message management method displays various types of messages all together along with their respective message types through a single window, converts the type of a written message, if needed, to match it to a protocol determined based on information written in its field distinguishing a message type, and transmits the type-converted message, whereby a user can confirm all types of received messages at a time and user'"'"'s inconvenience that a message type to write should be distinguished in advance prior to choosing a message input screen can be removed.

Claims

1. A method of displaying plural types of messages in a personal information terminal where each type has different message field set from others, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving and storing messages each type of which belongs to the plural types;

(b) composing unified management information including information written in fields of each of the stored messages; and

(c) displaying the stored plural types of messages all together with reference to the composed unified management information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said unified management information includes at least message identifying information and information regarding a message type, a sender, and receipt date/time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein an entry of said unified management information is linked with an actual message by said message identifying information.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said step (c) displays icons differently based on said message type information along with each corresponding message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (c) displays the plural types of messages in ascending or descending order with respect to data written in an arbitrary field of said unified management information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plural types includes at least SMS type defined by a mobile communication and e-mail type defined by a data network.

7. A method of displaying plural types of messages in a personal information terminal where each type has different message field set from others, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving and storing messages each type of which belongs to the plural types; and

(b) displaying the stored plural types of messages all together in ascending or descending order of data written in an arbitrary field which is common to all the plural types.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the plural types includes at least SMS type defined by a mobile communication and e-mail type defined by a data network.

9. A method of transmitting a message in a personal information terminal capable of transmitting plural types of messages where each type has different message field set from others, comprising the steps of:

(a) reading information on a receiver of a written message of which type is intended to belong to one of the plural types;

(b) checking whether or not the read receiver information is matched with said one type;

(c) converting the written message to other type different from said one type based on a result of said step (c); and

(d) transmitting the type-converted message.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the plural types includes at least SMS type defined by a mobile communication and e-mail type defined by a data network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said step (b) regards that the receiver information is matched with said one type if the receiver information is composed of numeric data and said one type is SMS one or if the receiver information includes a symbol indicative of a mail account and said one type is e-mail one.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said step (c) further translates the receiver information of the written message with other receiver information defined in said other type with reference to a pre-stored mapping table of telephone number to e-mail address.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said step (c) comprises the steps of:

(c1) asking a user whether to convert type if the receiver information is not matched with said one type; and

(c2) converting the written message to said other type when the user requests for type conversion.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the plural types includes at least SMS type defined by a mobile communication and e-mail type defined by a data network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the plural types includes at least SMS type defined by a mobile communication and e-mail type defined by a data network.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said step (a) checks whether the size of the written message is greater than a predetermined threshold.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said step (b) further translates receiver information of the written message with other receiver information defined in said other type with reference to a pre-stored mapping table of telephone number to e-mail address.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein said step (b) comprises the steps of:

(b1) asking a user whether to convert type if not satisfied; and

(b2) converting the written message to said other type when the user requests for type conversion.

14. A method of transmitting a message in a personal information terminal capable of transmitting plural types of messages where each type has different message field set from others, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving information on a receiver of a message which will be written;

(b) determining which type among the plural types the message to be written belongs to based on the received information on a receiver;

(c) providing a message input window suitable for inputting the determined type of message; and

(d) transmitting a message completed in the provided message input window.

16. A method of transmitting a message in a personal information terminal capable of transmitting plural types of messages where each type has different message field set from others, comprising the steps of:

(a) checking whether or not a written message, of which type is intended to belong to one type among the plural types, satisfies conditions specified by said one type;

(b) converting the written message to other type different from said one type if at least one condition is not satisfied; and

(c) transmitting the type-converted message.