Wireless mobile image messaging

• US 9,392,101 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2010
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Graham, Tyrol R., Hull, Eric J., Nelson, Jonathan O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hua, Quan M
• Application Number:
  US12/975,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20110151844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,030 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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, for a recipient who is a user of another wireless mobile device, a mixed-media message equivalently conveying an all-text message to the recipient, where the mixed-media message includes both text from the all-text message and at least one image in place of one or more words from the all-text message, the at least one image graphically conveying the one or more words in substitution for the one or more words themselves such that the at least one image is placed in a position in the mixed-media message at which the one or more words are located in the all-text message;

forming, by the wireless mobile device, the mixed-media message; and

transmitting, from the wireless mobile device, the mixed-media message to the recipient at the other wireless mobile device for display of the text and the at least one image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the wireless mobile device, one or more indications of the at least one image from the user during generation of the mixed-media message;

displaying, by the wireless mobile device, the mixed-media message, including the at least one or more image, to the user; and

replacing, by the wireless mobile device, each of the at least one image with a textual equivalent and said transmitting comprises transmitting the message in a textual form.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the method further comprises supplementing the message with instructions identifying the one or more words having equivalent image(s); and

said transmitting comprises transmitting the mixed-media message in a textual form supplemented with the instructions identifying the one or more words.

4. 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 of the wireless mobile device in selecting a first of the one or more images employed for the mixed-media message formed from the first plurality of images of the first selected image category.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said first plurality of image categories include at least one of a location image category, a mood image category, an activity image category, a symbol image category, and a face image category.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises facilitating the user, by the wireless mobile device, in selecting a second of the one or more images employed for the mixed-media message formed from the first plurality of images of the first selected image category.

7. The method of claim 4, 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 one or more images employed for the mixed-media message formed from the second plurality of images of the second selected image category.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixed-media message is configured such that, upon being read by the recipient, the mixed-media message may be interpreted by the recipient to convey a meaning substantially similar to the all-text message.

8. A wireless mobile device comprising:

a storage medium having a plurality of programming instructions designed to enable the wireless mobile device to;

facilitate a user of the wireless mobile device in forming, for a recipient who is a user of another wireless mobile device, a mixed-media message substantially conveying an all-text message to the recipient, where the mixed-media message includes both text from the all-text message and at least one image in place of one or more words from the all-text message, the at least one image graphically conveying the one or more words in substitution for the one or more words themselves such that the at least one image is placed in a position in the mixed-media message at which the one or more words are located in the all-text message;

form the mixed-media message; and

transmit the mixed-media message from the wireless mobile device to the recipient for display of the text and the at least one image; and

a processor coupled to the storage medium to execute the programming instructions.

9. The wireless mobile device of claim 8, wherein the programming instructions are further designed to enable the wireless mobile device to:

receive one or more indications of the at least one image from the user during generation of the mixed-media message;

display the mixed-media message, including the at least one image, to the user; and

replace each of the at least one image with a textual equivalent, and transmit the message in a textual form.

10. The wireless mobile device of claim 9, wherein the programming instructions are further designed to enable the wireless mobile device to:

supplement the mixed-media message with instructions identifying the one or more words having equivalent image(s); and

transmit the mixed-media message in a textual form supplemented with the equivalent identification instructions.

11. The wireless mobile device of claim 8, wherein the programming instructions are further designed 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 one or more images employed for the mixed-media message formed from the first plurality of images of the first selected image category.

12. The wireless mobile device of claim 11, wherein said first plurality of image categories include at least one of a location image category, a mood image category, an activity image category, a symbol image category, and a face image category.

13. The wireless mobile device of claim 11, wherein the programming instructions are further designed to enable the wireless mobile device to facilitate the user of the wireless mobile device in selecting a second of the one or more images employed for the mixed-media message formed from the first plurality of images of the first selected image category.

14. The wireless mobile device of claim 11, wherein the programming instructions are further designed 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 one or more images employed for the mixed-media message formed from the second plurality of images of the second selected image category.

22. The wireless mobile device of claim 8, wherein the mixed-media message is configured such that, upon being read by the recipient, the mixed-media message may be interpreted by the recipient to convey a meaning substantially similar to the all-text message.

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

receiving, at the wireless mobile device, a mixed-media message sent by a user of another wireless mobile device to substantially convey an all-text message, the mixed-media message being transmitted in a textual form; and

rendering, by the wireless mobile device, the message in a mixed-media mode, with one or more words from the all-text message that have equivalent image(s) being replaced in-line in the mixed-media message by the equivalent image(s) in a position at which the one or more words that have equivalent image(s) were located in the all-text message.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises parsing the mixed-media message and replacing one or more words in place with their equivalent images.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the mixed-media message is supplemented with instructions identifying the one or more words with equivalent images; and

said parsing and replacement are performed using the supplemental instructions.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

accessing a first of a plurality of image categories, the first image category having a first plurality of images; and

retrieving a first of the first plurality of images of the first image category to effectuate a first of the one or more replacements as instructed.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said first plurality of image categories include at least one of a location image category, a mood image category, an activity image category, a symbol image category, and a face image category.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises retrieving a second of the first plurality of images of the first image category to effectuate a second of the one or more replacements as instructed.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the mixed-media message is configured such that, upon being read by the recipient, the mixed-media message may be interpreted by the recipient to convey a meaning substantially similar to the all-text message.