Patent ID: 7200680
Filing Date: 2007-04-03
Classification: H04L,H04M,H04W

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for sending a multimedia message from a multimedia service center to a terminal incompatible with multimedia messages, the apparatus comprising: a notification module that receives a notification from the multimedia service center indicating that the multimedia message is available via a message gateway, sends the notification to the incompatible terminal via a Short Message Service Center (SMSC) and, responsive to the notification module receiving the notification from the multimedia service center indicating that the multimedia message is available, sends a deferral request to the multimedia service center requesting that delivery of the multimedia message be deferred until delivery is requested; a media converter for transcoding one or more parts of the multimedia message; a retrieval module communicably coupled to the media converter, said retrieval module: receiving a retrieval request originated by the incompatible terminal, wherein the retrieval request is received from a communication device selected from a group consisting of a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) gateway and a Web browser; requesting delivery of the multimedia message from the multimedia service center in response to the retrieval request from the incompatible terminal; converting the multimedia message to a converted multimedia message compatible with the incompatible terminal by determining whether the multimedia message requires transcoding and responsive to a determination that the multimedia message requires transcoding, sending the multimedia message to the media converter for transcoding and receiving the transcoded multimedia message from the media converter; and sending the converted multimedia message to the incompatible terminal; and at least one processor for running the notification module, the media converter, and the retrieval module; wherein the apparatus is adapted to function as a proxy for communications between the multimedia service center and the message gateway such that incompatible messages can be transmitted between incompatible terminals.