Transmission of mms messages with the conversion of data types and/or data formats

• US 8,731,097 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2003
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Laumen, Josef, Schmidt, Andreas, Trauberg, Markus, Van Niekerk, Sabine, Wojzischke, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): Fotakis, Aristocratis
• Application Number:
  US10/516,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20050174261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,005 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 709/227, 709/231, 709/206, 709/246, 341/50, 375/377, 375/295, 455/466, 455/412.1, 370/356, 370/349
• US Class Current: 375/295
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for transmitting data, a subscriber terminal, a computer program product, and a communications system that provides a sender of data or of a message with additional possibilities for sending data with a higher degree of flexibility for the error-free adaptation of every combination of data and data formats to a given communications system and/or provides the sender with an MMS user application. To this end, a data type and/or data format conversion (KONV) is carried out according to a profile of the recipient (B), whereby a respective reference (LK) to the maintaining of the validity of this reference (LK) is accordingly changes in the data and/or between different data elements of the data type and/or data format conversion (KONV).

Claims

1. A method for transmitting a multimedia message in a communication system, the method comprising:

transmitting the multimedia message according to a multimedia messaging standard from a transmitting terminal toward a receiving terminal, the multimedia message comprising first and second data elements that are coded to the same or different standards, and a link identifying the second data element and indicating at least one of a data type and a data format of the second data element;

receiving the transmitted multimedia message at an intermediate terminal connected between the transmitting terminal and receiving terminal,

in response to receiving the multimedia message, the intermediate terminal;

automatically performing at least one of a data type and a data format conversion of the second data element based on a profile of the receiving terminal specifying at least one of data types and data formats supported by the receiving terminal; and

automatically updating the link in the received multimedia message based on the conversion of the second data element to allow the receiving terminal to access the converted second data element using the updated link, wherein the updated link identifies the converted second data element and indicates at least one of a data type and a data format of the converted second data element.

2. The method for transmitting data in a communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate terminal that performs the conversion of the second data element and updates the link is a provider of the receiving terminal.

3. The method for transmitting a multimedia message in a communication system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising verifying the updated link in the multimedia message.

4. The method for transmitting a multimedia message in a communication system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising preparing the multimedia message for transmission as a plurality of data packets containing a header to transport organization information and a body to transmit appropriate payload information as data elements including the first and second data elements.

5. The method for transmitting a multimedia message in a communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the link identifying the second data element is included in the first data element such that the first data element links to the second data element.

6. The method for transmitting data in a communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data is transmitted on a WAP-enabled mobile phone.

7. A method for transmitting a data volume in a communication system telecommunications network, the method comprising:

transmitting the data volume from a user application of a sender terminal to a user application of a receiver terminal via the telecommunications network, the data volume including a first data element and a second data element coded according to the same or different standards, the first data element including a link pointing to the second data element and indicating at least one of a data type and a data format of the second data element;

accessing a profile of the receiver specifying at least one of data types and data formats supported by the receiver terminal;

automatically converting at least one of a file type and a file format of the second data element based on the accessed profile of the receiver terminal, and

due to the conversion of the second data element, automatically updating the link in the first element that points to the second data element, based on the conversion of the second data element, in order to allow the receiving terminal to access the second data element using the updated link, wherein the updated link identifies the converted second data element and indicates at least one of a data type and a data format of the converted second data element.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the conversion of the second data element and updating of the link are performed by a relay server connected between the sender terminal and the receiver terminal.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the conversion of the second data element and updating of the link are performed by a provider of the receiver terminal.

10. The method of claim 7, comprising formatting the data volume to comprise a header for transporting organizational information and a body for transporting data packets.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the data volume comprises a Multimedia Message (MM) transmitted in a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS).