Message transmitting scheme of mobile terminal

• US 7,333,804 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2004
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Yong-Sik
• Primary Examiner(s): GELIN, JEAN ALLAND
• Application Number:
  US10/900,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20050143104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/403, 455/414.1, 455/417, 455/432.3, 455/445, 455/466, 455/552.1, 455/414.4, 455/434, 455/407, 455/404.1, 455/456.1, 455/566, 379/900, 379/908, 379 8813- 23, 707/1, 707/3, 707/2, 707/5, 707/100, 707/10, 707/102, 707/7, 715/700, 715/764, 715/781, 715/784
• US Class Current: 455/414.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

A system and method for controlling a mobile terminal transmits collectively messages in different formats, such as LMS and SMS. The message transmission mode is designated by recipient numbers and content is input based on a corresponding message transmission mode. A message can be transmitted to multiple destinations regardless of whether the receiver terminals are able to receive LMS format messages and regardless of whether the receiver terminals are manufactured by different mobile communication providers. In addition, the hardware of the mobile terminal does not need to be re-designed, since the mobile terminal can be implemented simply changing existing software.

Claims

1. A message transmitting method of a mobile terminal, comprising:

receiving information designating different formats of a message;

receiving content of the message;

converting the message into the different formats within the mobile terminal; and

transmitting the message as converted into the different formats from the mobile terminal to a plurality of receiver terminals, wherein the different formats include at least two of a short message type, a long message type, a multimedia message type, or an e-mail type.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the different message formats include the short message type and the long message type.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the long message type includes an MMS format.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information designating an option to be used to send the message to each of the receiver terminals, wherein the option is at least one of a receive confirmation and read confirmation function to be performed for the transmitted message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, in transmitting the message, SMS multiple-destination transmission and LMS multiple-destination transmission are separately performed using multiple-destination transmission fields.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the SMS multiple-destination transmission is performed through a general traffic channel.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the SMS multiple-destination transmission is repeatedly performed a number of times equal to the number of receiver terminals.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein LMS multiple-destination transmission is performed through a data call.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

in LMS multiple-destination transmission, encoding destination information of the plurality of receiver terminals together with a separator symbol; and

collectively transmitting the message based on the encoded destination information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the different formats of the message are designated based on the destination information of the receiver terminals.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the destination information includes a phone number or an e-mail address.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein transmission of the message to the receiver terminals is recognized as one message transmission process by a user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting includes:

transmitting the message in a single transmission to the receiver terminals designated to correspond to the long message format.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the different formats of the message are separately stored within at least one memory of the mobile terminal.

15. A message transmitting method for a mobile terminal, comprising:

adding a long message field, a multimedia message field, and an e-mail field to each of a plurality of recipient numbers to discriminate short message, long message, multimedia message, and e-mail based on the numbers; and

transmitting a message to the recipient numbers after content input is completed, said transmitting including;

dividing transmission of the message in short message type, long message type, multimedia message type, and e-mail type by multiple-destination transmission fields;

performing a short message multiple-destination transmission;

performing a long message multiple-destination transmission;

performing a multimedia message multiple-destination transmission; and

performing an e-mail multiple-destination transmission.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the long message includes an MMS.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein transmission of the message in short message and long message formats are discriminated by a tele-service identifier stored in storage fields associated with the recipient numbers.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the message is transmitted based on a set option, which includes at least one of a receive confirmation and read confirmation function for the transmitted message.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the short message multiple-destination transmission is performed through a general traffic channel.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the short message multiple-destination transmission is repeatedly performed a number of times equal to the number of the recipients'"'"' numbers.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the long message multiple-destination transmission is performed through a data call.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein, in the long message multiple-destination transmission, the message is transmitted at one time as the recipient numbers are encoded together with separator symbols.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein transmitting the message is performed by a procedure which is recognized as one message transmission process by a user.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the recipients'"'"' numbers include at least one phone number and at least an e-mail address.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein LMS multiple-destination transmission is performed before short message multiple-destination transmission.

26. A message transmitting method of a mobile terminal, comprising:

designating a plurality of recipient numbers for multiple-destination transmission;

receiving information designating short message, long message, multimedia message, and e-mail transmission formats for the recipient numbers;

discriminately storing in the terminal information indicating short message, long message, multimedia message, and e-mail formats in storage fields of the recipient numbers;

receiving content of a message; and

transmitting the message to die recipient numbers based on the discriminated fields, said transmitting including;

dividing transmission of the message in short message, long message, multimedia message, and e-mail formats by multiple-destination transmission fields,

performing a short message multiple-destination transmission,

performing a long message multiple-destination transmission,

performing a multimedia multiple-destination transmission, and

performing an e-mail message multiple-destination transmission.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the recipient numbers include at least one telephone number and at least one e-mail address.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

setting an option indicating that at least one of a receive confirmation and read confirmation function is to be performed for the transmitted message.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the short message multiple-destination transmission is performed through a general traffic channel.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the short message multiple-destination transmission is repeatedly performed a number of times equal to a number of the recipient numbers.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the long message multiple-destination transmission is performed through a data call.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein, in the long message multiple-destination transmission, the message is transmitted at one time as the recipients'"'"' numbers are encoded together with separator symbols.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein transmission of the short message and long message are recognized as one message transmission process by a user.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein long message multiple-destination transmission is performed before short message multiple-destination transmission.

35. A mobile terminal apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

a selector to allow a user to select a particular format of a message to be transmitted, among multiple message formats comprising a long message format, a short message format, a multimedia message format, and an e-mail format;

an input device to allow the user to create the message to be transmitted according to the selected message format;

a processor to process the created message and output a processed message according to the selected message format; and

a transmitter to transmit the processed message to a plurality of receiver terminals in said long message, short message, multimedia message, and e-mail format, wherein the processor includes an encoder to encode the created message if the selected message format requires encoding, and the processed message output by the processor is either an encoded message or a non-encoded message.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the selector is implemented in software executed by the processor.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the selector provides display of a user menu with selectable options.

38. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the long message format supports a MMS (multimedia messaging service).

39. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the encoded message corresponds to the long message format.

40. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the non-encoded message corresponds to the short message format.

41. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the encoding by the processor allows a single message to be sent to multiple destinations by encoding all destination information together with separators to distinguish each destination.

42. A message transmitting method of a mobile terminal, comprising:

receiving information designating different formats of a message;

receiving content of the message; and

transmitting the message to a plurality of receiver terminals in the different formats, wherein the different formats include at least two of a short message type, a long message type, a multimedia message type, or an e-mail type, said method further comprising;

pre-storing format information for at least one of the receiver terminals,

wherein the message is transmitted to said at least one receiver terminal based on the pre-stored format information, said format information retrieved based on selection of destination information associated with said at least one receiver terminal.

43. A message transmitting method of a mobile terminal, comprising:

receiving information designating different formats of a message;

receiving content of the message; and

transmitting the message to a plurality of receiver terminals in the different formats, wherein the different formats include at least two of a short message type, a long message type, a multimedia message type, or an e-mail type, said method further comprising;

displaying a list of destination numbers for the receiver terminals;

receiving selection of one of the numbers; and

displaying a first menu in response to said selection, the first menu providing a user with an option to select at least one of the different formats of the message.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein said information designates one of the different formats of the message indicated in the first menu.

45. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

displaying a second menu in response to selection of one of the different formats in the first menu, the second menu include a number of options corresponding to a service to be performed for message transmission.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the service includes at least one of a received message confirmation or a read message confirmation.