Abstract:
A computer program product, method and a terminal for receiving and processing a notification message for notifying a second terminal of an arrival of a multimedia message addressed to a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) of a first terminal installed in the second terminal and storing the received notification message in the SIM card.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on Patent Application No. 10-2007-0021381 filed in Republic of Korea on Mar. 5, 2007, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    This document relates to moving notification message. 
         [0004]    2. Related Art 
         [0005]    Recently, Multimedia Message Services (MMS) have become more widely available for mobile communication terminals. A multimedia message provided by MMS may include audio, image or video files. 
         [0006]    Suppose that a first subscriber has received a multimedia message through a first communication terminal, in which the multimedia message was sent by a second subscriber through a second terminal. The first subscriber is capable of using the multimedia message if the first communication terminal has equipped with a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card of the first subscriber. Thus, the purpose of the second subscriber to send the multimedia message to the first subscriber can be achieved. 
         [0007]    However, the first subscriber is not capable of using the multimedia message through the first communication terminal, which is his or her own communication terminal, if the first subscriber temporarily inserted the SIM card to a third communication terminal, which is not his or her own communication terminal, and has received a notification message of the multimedia message through the third communication terminal. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    In one general aspect, the invention is directed to a method, computer program product and terminal for receiving a notification message for notifying a user or user&#39;s terminal of an arrival of a multimedia message, and storing the received notification message in a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card. 
         [0009]    The invention may further include a display of a screen inquiring whether or not the user wants to store the received notification message in the SIM card. 
         [0010]    The invention may still further include the ability to compare a recipient phone number included in the received notification message with that of a previously received notification message stored in an internal storage, and to store the received notification message in the SIM card if the recipient phone numbers are not identical. 
         [0011]    In another aspect, the invention includes a terminal having a communication module for receiving a notification message for notifying of an arrival of a multimedia message. The terminal may further include a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card for storing notification messages, and a controller for storing the received notification message at the SIM card. 
         [0012]    In still another aspect, the invention includes the ability to detect an insertion of a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card that stores a notification message for notifying of an arrival of a multimedia message. The invention includes the ability to then request a Multimedia Message Service (MMS) server to download the multimedia message based on the notification message stored at the SIM card, and to download the multimedia message from the MMS server. 
         [0013]    Further features will be apparent from the following description, including the drawings, and the claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The details of one or more implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. In the entire description of this document, like reference numerals represent corresponding parts throughout various figures. 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a view of a multimedia message communication system diagram, 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary terminal, 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for moving a notification message, 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating another exemplary method for moving a notification message, and 
           [0019]      FIGS. 5A to 5C  are views illustrating examples of screens displayed on the terminal. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    Hereinafter, exemplary implementations of notification message moving will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0021]      FIG. 1  schematically shows a view of a multimedia message communication system diagram. 
         [0022]    The multimedia message communication system  100  comprises a first terminal  110 , a second terminal  112 , a third terminal  114 , a mobile communication network  120 , an MMS server  130 , and a Short Message Service (SMS) center  140 . 
         [0023]    The first, second, and third terminals  110 ,  112 , and  114  include SIM cards inserted by subscribers to transmit and receive data or to connect calls with other parties based on information embedded in the SIM cards, respectively. 
         [0024]    The first, second, and third terminals  110 ,  112 , and  114  may store notification messages received through the mobile communication network  120  at their SIM cards or internal storages, respectively. 
         [0025]    The first, second, and third terminals  110 ,  112 , and  114  may download multimedia messages based on the notification messages stored in the SIM cards or the internal storages, respectively. 
         [0026]    The mobile communication network  120  provides paths for the first, second, and third terminals  110 ,  112 , and  114  to access the MMS server  130  and further provides paths for downloading the multimedia messages from the MMS server  130 . 
         [0027]    Any of the first, second, and third terminals  110 ,  112 , and  114  may request that the MMS server  130  transmit a multimedia message. The MMS server  130  then transmits to a recipient terminal a notification message notifying the recipient terminal that the multimedia message is to be received. 
         [0028]    Each of the first, second, and third terminals  110 ,  112 , and  114  may receive a notification message from the MMS server  130  notifying them of the existence of a multimedia message to be received. The MMS server  130  transmits each of the multimedia messages to one of the first, second, and third terminals  110 ,  112 , and  114  upon receiving a corresponding request for downloading the multimedia messages identified in the corresponding notification message. 
         [0029]    The MMS server  130  includes database (not shown) for storing notification messages and multimedia messages to be transmitted to subscriber terminals. 
         [0030]    The SMS center  140  converts a notification message to a SMS message format to transmit the notification message in the SMS message format to the recipient terminal. 
         [0031]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary terminal. The terminal may be a mobile terminal such as a cell phone, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) or other portable communication device. 
         [0032]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , the terminal  200  includes a display  210 , an input  220 , a controller  230 , a communication module  240 , a SIM card connector  250 , and a storage  260 . 
         [0033]    The display  210  displays various information, including an operation status of the terminal  200 . The display  210  may display a screen inquiring whether to store a message received through the communication module  240  in a SIM card connected to the terminal through the SIM card connector  250 . 
         [0034]    The input  220  receives operation commands from a user and transfers the input operation commands to the controller  230 . The user may use input  220  to input a command to establish a connection with the MMS server  130 , or a command to download a multimedia message from the MMS server  130 . 
         [0035]    The controller  230  controls the communication module  240  to transmit and receive multimedia data or voice signals for a call with another terminal. 
         [0036]    Upon receiving a notification message, the controller  230  compares a recipient number contained in the received notification message with other recipient number contained in other notification message stored in the storage  260 . If two numbers are identical, the controller  230  stores the received notification message at the storage  260 . But, if two numbers are not identical, the controller  230  stores the received notification message at the SIM card. The controller  230  may download a corresponding multimedia message from the MMS server  130  based on the received notification message stored in the SIM card or the storage  260 . 
         [0037]    The communication module  240  transmits and receives multimedia data or voice signals for a call with another terminal via the mobile communication network  120 . The communication module  240  may establish a connection with the MMS server via the mobile communication network  120 . The communication module  240  transmits a multimedia message via the mobile communication network  120 , or receives a multimedia message or a notification message via the mobile communication network  120 . 
         [0038]    The SIM card connector  250  reads subscriber information from the SIM card inserted thereinto, and transfers the subscriber information to the controller  230 . 
         [0039]    A SIM card (not shown) stores private information of a service subscriber such as an account number, call information, a phone number, and a serial number of the terminal  200 . The SIM card has 6 to 8 contacts laid thereon to contact with the SIM card connector  250 . 
         [0040]    The storage  260  stores data or multimedia messages received through the communication module  240 . Here, the multimedia messages may include notification messages. 
         [0041]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of the present invention. 
         [0042]    It is supposed that an owner of the first terminal  110 , a first user, temporarily uses the second terminal  112  by inserting his or her SIM card into the second terminal  112 . After the SIM card is inserted, the second terminal  112  notifies the MMS server  130  of the SIM card&#39;s new host terminal. 
         [0043]    A third user may create a multimedia message using the third terminal  114  and then requesting the MMS server  130  to transmit the created multimedia message to the first terminal  110  of the first user. 
         [0044]    The MMS server  130  then transmits a notification message to the second terminal  112  having the SIM card of the first user inserted thereinto via mobile communication network  120  and SMS center  140  upon receiving the request of the multimedia message transmission from the third terminal  114  of the third user. 
         [0045]    The second terminal performs a location registration with base stations (not shown) based on the subscriber information stored in the SIM card of the first user. Here, the subscriber information includes a phone number and a serial number of the first terminal  110 . Therefore, the base stations may transmit voice signals or signals related to the request of the message transmission to the second terminal  112  based on the subscriber information of the SIM card of the first user with regard to the location registration. 
         [0046]    In step S 302 , the second terminal  112  used by the first user receives the notification message through its communication module  240  indicating that the multimedia message has arrived at the MMS server  130 . 
         [0047]      FIG. 5A  is a view showing an example of a screen displayed on the display  210 . Referring to  FIG. 5A , the screen displays an icon  211   a  indicating the reception of the message upon reception of the message at step S 302 . The icon  211   a  may be displayed until the received message is confirmed by the first user. 
         [0048]    The screen may display an information prompt in a form of a popup window  211  as shown in  FIG. 5A  to inform the first user that the notification message for notifying of the arrival of the multimedia message is received. 
         [0049]    The second terminal  112  may have previously received a notification message having an owner of the second terminal, second user, assigned as a recipient and stored the received notification message at the storage  260 . 
         [0050]    A notification message may take up about  2  kilo bytes of packetized data in forms of a Packet Data Unit (PDU) having information of an access route to the MMS server  130 . 
         [0051]    The notification message received by the MMS server  130  defines fields as listed in following table 1. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Name 
                 Content 
                 Comments 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 X-Mms-Message-Type 
                 Message-type-value = m- 
                 Mandatory. Specifies the 
               
               
                   
                 send-req 
                 transaction type 
               
               
                 X-Mms-transaction-ID 
                 Transaction-id-value 
                 Mandatory. A unique 
               
               
                   
                   
                 identifier for the message. 
               
               
                 X-Mms-MMS-Version 
                 MMS-version-value 
                 Mandatory. The MMS 
               
               
                   
                   
                 version number. 
               
               
                 Date 
                 Date-value 
                 Optional. Arrival time of 
               
               
                   
                   
                 the message. 
               
               
                 From 
                 From-value 
                 Mandatory. Address/phone 
               
               
                   
                   
                 number of the message 
               
               
                   
                   
                 sender. 
               
               
                 To 
                 To-value 
                 Optional. Address/phone 
               
               
                   
                   
                 number of the recipient. 
               
               
                 Cc 
                 Cc-value 
                 Optional. 
               
               
                 Bcc 
                 Bcc-value 
                 Optional. 
               
               
                 Subject 
                 Subject-value 
                 Optional. Subject of the 
               
               
                   
                   
                 message. 
               
               
                 X-Mms-Message-Class 
                 Message-class-value 
                 Optional. Class of the 
               
               
                   
                   
                 message. 
               
               
                 X-Mms-Expiry 
                 Expiry-value 
                 Optional. Length of time 
               
               
                   
                   
                 the message will be stored 
               
               
                   
                   
                 in the MMS server. 
               
               
                 X-Mms-Priority 
                 Priority-value 
                 Optional. Priority of the 
               
               
                   
                   
                 message. 
               
               
                 X-Mms-Sender-Visibility 
                 Sender-visibility-value 
                 Optional. Do not show 
               
               
                   
                   
                 address/phone number of 
               
               
                   
                   
                 the sender 
               
               
                 X-Mms-Delivery-Report 
                 Delivery-report-value 
                 Optional. Specifies whether 
               
               
                   
                   
                 the user wants a delivery 
               
               
                   
                   
                 report from each recipient. 
               
               
                 X-Mms-Read-Reply 
                 Read-reply-value 
                 Optional. Specifies whether 
               
               
                   
                   
                 the user wants a read report 
               
               
                   
                   
                 from each recipient. 
               
               
                 X-Mms-Reply-charging 
                 Reply-charging-value 
                 Optional. Present if the 
               
               
                   
                   
                 originator is willing to pay 
               
               
                   
                   
                 for the Reply-MM of the 
               
               
                   
                   
                 recipient(s). 
               
               
                 X-Mms-Reply-charging- 
                 Reply-charging-deadline- 
                 Optional. Specifies the 
               
               
                 Deadline 
                 value 
                 latest time of the 
               
               
                   
                   
                 recipient(s) to submit the 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Reply-MM paid by the 
               
               
                   
                   
                 originator. 
               
               
                 X-Mms-Reply-charging- 
                 Reply-charging-size-value 
                 Optional. Specifies the 
               
               
                 Size 
                   
                 maximum size (number of 
               
               
                   
                   
                 octets) for the Reply-MM. 
               
               
                 X-Mms-Reply-charging-ID 
                 Reply-charging-ID-value 
                 Optional. Same as the 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Message-ID of the 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Original-MM that is replied 
               
               
                   
                   
                 to if this PDU contains the 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Reply-MM paid by the 
               
               
                   
                   
                 originator. 
               
               
                 Content-Type 
                 Content-type-value 
                 Mandatory. The content type 
               
               
                   
                   
                 of the message. 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0052]    The controller  230  identifies a phone number of a recipient in the “To” field of the received notification message, and at step S 304  compares the identified recipient phone number with that of any notification message previously stored in the storage  260 . 
         [0053]    If the second terminal  112  has a SIM card of the second user inserted thereinto, and the recipient of the received notification message is the second user, then the recipient phone number of the received notification message coincides with that of the notification message previously stored in the storage  260 . 
         [0054]    The controller  230  determines at step S 306  whether the recipient phone number of the received notification message is identical to that of the previously stored notification message. 
         [0055]    Accordingly, the controller  230  stores at step S 308  the received notification message at the storage  260  if it is determined that the recipient phone number of the received notification message coincides with that of the previously stored notification message, a “Yes” is determined at step S 306 . 
         [0056]    If a “Yes” is determined at step S 306 , the controller  230  may display information on the display  210  or produce a sound or a vibration. 
         [0057]    Alternatively, if it is determined that the recipient phone number of the received notification message does not coincide with that of the previously stored notification message, “No” at step S 306 , the controller  230  displays at step S 310  a notice on the display  210  to inform the user that a new message is received and further displays a notice on the display  210  inquiring whether to store the received notification message at the SIM card currently inserted into the second terminal  112 . 
         [0058]      FIG. 5B  is a view showing an example of a screen displayed on the display  210 . Referring to  FIG. 5B , the screen may display a popup window for displaying the notice. The content of the notice may read, for example, as “Press a left button 213a to store the received notification message at the SIM card or press a right button 213b to store the received notification message at the terminal” to allow the first user to select where to store the received notification. 
         [0059]      FIG. 5C  is a view showing an example of a screen displayed on the display  210 . Referring to  FIG. 5C , the screen may display a popup window  215  for displaying the notice. The content of the notice may read, for example, as “Store notification message at SIM card?” to allow the first user to select whether to store the received notification at the SIM card. 
         [0060]    At step S 312 , the first user using the second terminal  112  may check the notice displayed on the display  210  to enter an instruction, for example, by selecting the left button to store the received notification message at the SIM card of the first user. 
         [0061]    Accordingly, at step  314  the controller  230  stores the received notification message at the SIM card of the first user inserted into the SIM card connector  250 . 
         [0062]    The controller  230  may further store in the SIM card information about whether the received notification message is confirmed by the first user. This enables another terminal, into which the SIM card is inserted later, to check whether the received notification message is confirmed, whereby the another terminal may display an information prompt in forms of the icon  21  la or the popup window  211  as shown in  FIG. 5A  if the notification message is not confirmed by the first user. 
         [0063]    Alternatively, the controller  230  stores the received notification message in the storage  260  of the second terminal  112  if the instruction from the first user is made by selecting the right button. 
         [0064]    Upon receiving the notification message, the controller  230  may display a notice inquiring whether to store the received notification message at the SIM card even if no notification message is previously stored in the storage  260 . Accordingly, the controller may store the received notification message at the SIM card or at the storage  260  in accordance with the selection of the first user. 
         [0065]    After having stored the received notification message at the SIM card inserted into the second terminal  112 , the first user may insert the SIM card storing the received notification message into the first terminal  110 , and then use the first terminal  110  to download the corresponding multimedia message from the MMS server  130 . 
         [0066]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating another exemplary method of the present invention. 
         [0067]    If the first user inserts his or her SIM card into the SIM card connector  250  of the first terminal  110 , the controller  230  may detect at step S 402  the insertion of the SIM card through the SIM card connector  250 . 
         [0068]    The SIM card connector  250  outputs a high level (or a low level) signal to the controller  230  during when the SIM card is not inserted therein, and switches to output a low level (or a high level) signal to the controller  230  upon inserting of the SIM card thereinto. Thus, the controller  230  may detect the insertion of the SIM card by detecting the level change of the signals from the SIM card connector  250 . 
         [0069]    Alternatively, the SIM card connector  250  may output a predetermined voltage to the controller  230 , and thus the controller  230  may detect a voltage change generated at the time when the SIM card is inserted into the SIM card connector  250 , thereby detecting the insertion of the SIM card. 
         [0070]    Upon detecting the insertion of the SIM card into the SIM card connector  250 , the controller  230  determines at step S 404  whether the notification message is stored in the SIM card. The controller  230  identifies content of data stored in the SIM card to search the data in a notification message format including an access route to the MMS server  130 . 
         [0071]    Upon identifying the notification message through searching of the data stored in the SIM card, “Yes” at step S 406 , the controller  230  requests the MMS server  130  to download a corresponding multimedia message at step S 408  based on the notification message stored in the SIM card. 
         [0072]    To this end, the controller  230  transmits a request message to the MMS server  130  for downloading the multimedia message received in the name of the first user. The request message includes information with respect to the first terminal  110  of the first user. 
         [0073]    The MMS server  130  retrieves the multimedia message forwarded to the first user from its database based on the request message received from the first terminal  110 , and transmits the retrieved multimedia message to the first terminal  110  via the mobile communication network  120 . 
         [0074]    The first terminal  230  receives the multimedia message at step S 410  transmitted from the MMS server  130  through the communication module  240 . 
         [0075]    The first terminal  230  then stores the received multimedia message at step S 412  at the storage  260 . 
         [0076]    The controller  230  outputs the multimedia message from the storage  260  and displays the multimedia message on the display  210  in accordance with a request of the first user. In case that music or video data is attached on the multimedia message, the attached music or video data may be reproduced through a multimedia reproducing module (not shown) according to a selection of the first user. 
         [0077]    Therefore, if the notification message for reception of the multimedia message is received through the second terminal of another user, the notification message may be stored in the SIM card of the first user, and then the first user may insert his or her SIM card into his or her terminal to download the multimedia message. 
         [0078]    One implementation of this notification message moving technology is configured to provide a terminal capable of moving a received notification message to another terminal using a SIM card. Therefore, the another terminal may retrieve a multimedia message transmitted to the owner of the SIM card based on the notification message moved with the SIM card. 
         [0079]    In the claims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structure described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures. 
         [0080]    The present invention may be practiced in software stored on a computer readable medium such as a disk or computer memory device. A description of how a computer works is found in “How Computers Work,” Ron White, Que Publishing, 8 th  Edition, November 2005, the entire contents of which being incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0081]    Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. Further, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.