Wireless mobile image messaging

• US 7,877,103 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Nelson, Jonathan O., Graham, Tyrol R., Hull, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar; Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choo; Munsoon
• Application Number:
  US11/607,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20080132254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,517 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 707/922
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/922 Communications

Abstract

Non-verbal communications between users of wireless mobile devices are facilitated using image messages. An image message may e.g. convey information about the sender user, in particular, current information about the sender user. In one aspect, a user may select an image message category, and select an image message among the image messages of the selected image message category for transmission, to quickly, efficiently and graphically convey (current) information about the user. The process may be performed to form a mixed media message. Received image message to convey current information may be aged via time and/or color displays.

Claims

1. In a wireless mobile device, a method of operation comprising:

facilitating by the wireless mobile device a user of the wireless mobile device in forming a mixed media message for transmission to a recipient of another wireless mobile device, wherein the mixed media message comprises text and at least one image graphically conveying and corresponding to one or more words;

receiving, by the wireless mobile device, a request to transmit the formed mixed media message to the recipient;

transforming, by the wireless mobile device, in response to the request to transmit, the mixed media message to a text message, replacing the at least one image included in the mixed media message with the corresponding one or more words, and including an indicator indicating the text message is a textual equivalent of a mixed media message; and

transmitting the text message, by the wireless mobile device, to the another mobile device of the recipient, for display of the text and the at least one image in a mixed media form, with the at least one image replacing the corresponding represented one or more words.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said transforming comprises supplementing the text message with instructions identifying the one or more words having equivalent image(s).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises

facilitating the user, by the wireless mobile device, in selecting a first of a plurality of image categories, the first image category having a first plurality of images, and

facilitating the user, by the wireless mobile device, in selecting a first of the at least one images employed for the mixed media message from the first plurality of images of the first selected image category.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said first plurality of image message categories include at least one of a location image category, or a symbol image category.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises facilitating the user, by the wireless mobile device, in selecting a second of the at least one images employed for the mixed media message from the first plurality of images of the first selected image category.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises

facilitating the user, by the wireless mobile device, in selecting a second of the plurality of image categories, the second image category having a second plurality of images, and

facilitating the user of the wireless mobile device in selecting a second of the at least one images employed for the mixed media message from the second plurality of images of the second selected image category.

7. A wireless mobile device comprising:

a non-transitory tangible machine-readable storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions; and

a processor coupled to the storage medium, and configured to execute the programming instructions;

wherein the programming instructions are configured to enable the wireless mobile device, in response to execution of the instructions by the processor, to;

facilitate a user of the wireless mobile device in forming for a recipient of another wireless mobile device a mixed media message comprising text and at least one image graphically conveying and corresponding to one or more words;

receive a request to transmit the formed mixed media message to the recipient of the another wireless mobile device;

transform the mixed media message, in response to the received request, to a textual message, including replacement of the at least one image included in the mixed media message with the corresponding one or more words, and inclusion of an indicator indicating the text message is a textual equivalent of a mixed media message; and

transmit the text message to the recipient of the another wireless mobile device, for display of the text and the at least one image in a mixed media form, with the at least one image replacing the corresponding represented one or more words.

8. The wireless mobile device of claim 7, wherein the indicator includes instructions identifying the one or more words having equivalent image(s).

9. The wireless mobile device of claim 7, wherein the programming instructions are further configured to enable the wireless mobile device to

facilitate the user of the wireless mobile device in selecting a first of a plurality of image categories, the first image category having a first plurality of images;

and

facilitate the user of the wireless mobile device in selecting a first of the at least one images employed for the message formed from the first plurality of images of the first selected image category.

10. The wireless mobile device of claim 9, wherein said first plurality of image message categories include at least one of a location image category, or a symbol image category.

11. The wireless mobile device of claim 9, wherein the programming instructions are further configured to enable the wireless mobile device to facilitate the user of the wireless mobile device in selecting a second of the at least one images employed for the mixed media message from the first plurality of images of the first selected image category.

12. The wireless mobile device of claim 9, wherein the programming instructions are further configured to enable the wireless mobile device to

facilitate the user of the wireless mobile device in selecting a second of the plurality of image categories, the second image category having a second plurality of images, and

facilitate the user of the wireless mobile device in selecting a second of the at least one images employed for the mixed media message from the second plurality of images of the second selected image category.

13. In a wireless mobile device, a method of operation comprising:

receiving, by the wireless mobile device, a text message sent by a user of another wireless mobile device, wherein the text message includes an indicator indicating the text message is a textual equivalent of a mixed media message, wherein at least part of the text message is to be transformed back to one or more corresponding images;

accessing, by the wireless mobile device, a selected one of a location image category library, or a symbol image category library to retrieve the one or more es to transform the text message back into a mixed media message; and

rendering, the wireless mobile device, the mixed media message, with said corresponding images replacing said at least part of the text messages.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises parsing, by the wireless mobile device, the text message;

and replacing said part of the text message with the corresponding one or more images retrieved from the selected one of the location image category library, or the symbol image category library.

15. A wireless mobile device comprising:

a non-transitory tangible machine-readable storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions; and

a processor coupled to the storage medium, and configured to execute the programming instructions;

wherein the programming instructions are configured to enable the wireless mobile device, in response to execution of the instructions by the processor, to;

receive a text message sent by a user of another wireless mobile device, wherein the text message includes an indicator indicating the text message is a textual equivalent of a mixed media message, wherein at least part of the text message is to be transformed back to corresponding one or more images,

access a selected one of a location image category library or a symbol image category library to retrieve the one or more corresponding images to transform the text message back into a mixed media message; and

render the mixed media message, with said corresponding one or more images replacing the at least part of the text message.

16. The wireless mobile device of claim 15, wherein the programming instructions are further configured to enable the wireless mobile device to parse the text message and replace said at least part of the text message with the corresponding one or more images.