Abstract:
A method and apparatus are disclosed that enable: (i) applications that are external to a telecommunications terminal, rather than the user, to initiate the delivery of content to the terminal, and (ii) the terminal to determine, based on the state of the terminal, whether or not to provide the content to a user. The “state” of the terminal is determined by one or more of (i) user-driven states, (ii) data states, and (iii) call states. When the terminal&#39;s state is considered, as in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the readiness of the user and terminal to accept and process the content are accounted for, and as a result the content does not interfere.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to telecommunications in general, and, more particularly, to handling a message received at a telecommunications terminal.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]      FIG. 1  depicts a block diagram of telecommunications system  100  in the prior art. Telecommunications system  100  comprises telecommunications terminal  101 , call server  102 , local area network  103 , internet protocol-based network  104 , and web application server  105 , interconnected as shown.  
         [0003]     Telecommunications terminal  101  is capable of transmitting and receiving signals as part of a call on behalf of its user. It interacts with call server  102  to place outgoing calls and to receive incoming calls. Terminal  101  transmits via local area network  103  call-related traffic in packet format to one or more destinations, such as devices that are associated with Internet Protocol-based network  104 . Terminal  101  also receives via local area network  103  call-related traffic in packet format from one or more sources, such as from devices that are associated with Internet Protocol-based network  104 . Terminal  101  communicates by using the Internet Protocol set of rules and, as such, is an Internet Protocol-based telephone.  
         [0004]     Terminal  101  is also capable of receiving and displaying Internet Protocol-based content, such as text and graphics, on a built-in display screen and by using a built-in browser. The user of terminal  101  uses the browser to request and display content, such as text and graphics, similarly to how a user of a personal computer uses the computer&#39;s browser (e.g., Internet Explorer™, Netscape Communicator™, etc.) to display content on the computer&#39;s screen. The user of terminal  101  requests the content by selecting objects on the display screen, which causes terminal  101  to transmit a request message to the source of the content, such as web application server  105 . Subsequently, terminal  101  receives a message that contains the content, and the content is then displayed on the display screen.  
         [0005]     The browser capability in terminal  101  is useful, in that it enables its user to navigate web applications, including information about the company, news, interactive applications (e.g., a conference room scheduler, etc.), company directory lookup, and so forth. It is the user who determines when to retrieve content; for example, if a call is in progress, the user will typically request content when the content will enhance the call or at a later time so as not to interfere with the call. It is disadvantageous, however, to rely on the user to determine the optimal time to retrieve content because doing so burdens the user rather than making it easier to use a browser-capable telecommunications terminal.  
         [0006]     What is needed is a technique that mitigates some of the burden of retrieving content at a telecommunications terminal.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The present invention enables a technique for retrieving content at a telecommunications terminal without some of the disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, the illustrative embodiment enables: (i) applications that are external to a telecommunications terminal, rather than the user, to initiate the delivery of content to the terminal, and (ii) the terminal to determine, based on its own state, whether or not to provide the content to a user. The “state” of the terminal is determined by one or more of (i) user-driven states, (ii) data states, and (iii) call states. If the terminal&#39;s state were not to be considered, the provided content (e.g., text, graphics, audio, an address, etc.) would interfere at times with the user&#39;s ability to conduct a call or the terminal&#39;s ability to execute background tasks, such as file backups. When the terminal&#39;s state is considered, the readiness of the user and terminal to accept and process the content are accounted for, and as a result the content does not interfere.  
         [0008]     In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, content delivery is a two-part process. In the first part, the telecommunications terminal receives a first message that comprises an address from a message initiator (e.g., a software program, a server, etc.). The terminal then determines its current state. In the second part, the terminal requests a second message from the address provided, basing the decision to transmit the request on the terminal&#39;s current state. The second message, which is received by the terminal in response to the request, contains the content (or other information) that the message initiator intended the user to receive. The terminal then determines whether or not to output the content to the user based on the current state, which could have changed since the previous state determination. This two-part process is analogous to a “push-then-pull” operation, but with the advantage of the terminal&#39;s state being considered as part of the process.  
         [0009]     Taking the terminal&#39;s state into account enables a non-interfering delivery mechanism for a variety of applications that are external to the terminal (e.g., “push” applications, etc.), including: 
        i. Broadcasting emergency alerts,     ii. Broadcasting company news,     iii. Sending meeting reminders with conference bridge numbers so that users do not have to search for the conference number,     iv. Streaming music, such as wake-up alarms in hotel rooms,     v. Streaming audio announcements, such as alerts to clear an office building,     vi. Sending critical stock news information,     vii. Broadcasting critical weather alerts, and     viii. Building intelligent databases to target information to an individual phone or groups of phones, or     ix. any combination of i, ii, iii, iv, v, vi, vii, and viii.        
 
         [0019]     When determining what action to take based on its state, the terminal also considers (i) the type of content and (ii) the priority of the content, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment, to account for the context of the received content. For example, the audio content of normal priority in a received message can be rejected if the user is already on a call. Audio content of a higher priority (e.g., a notification of a building emergency, etc.), however, can preempt the user on the call.  
         [0020]     The illustrative embodiment of the present invention comprises: (1) receiving a first message at a telecommunications terminal that instructs the telecommunications terminal to request a second message from an address specified in the first message; (2) transmitting a request for the second message to the address from the telecommunications terminal; (3) receiving the second message at the telecommunications terminal in response to the request for the second message; (4) determining the state of the telecommunications terminal; and (5) determining whether or not to output a portion of the second message to a user of the telecommunications terminal based on the state of the telecommunications terminal as determined at task 4.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0021]      FIG. 1  depicts a block diagram of telecommunications system  100  in the prior art.  
         [0022]      FIG. 2  depicts a block diagram of telecommunications system  200  in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0023]      FIG. 3  depicts a block diagram of the salient components of telecommunications terminal  201 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0024]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram of how information is stored and organized in memory  303 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0025]      FIG. 5  depicts a message flow diagram of the salient events associated with handling unsolicited content, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0026]      FIG. 6  depicts a flowchart of the salient tasks associated with determining whether or not to transmit a request for a second message, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0027]      FIG. 7  depicts a flowchart of the salient tasks associated with determining how to handle a received second message, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0028]      FIGS. 8A and 8B  depict a first example of a displayed portion of the received second message, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0029]      FIGS. 9A and 9B  depict a second example of a displayed portion of the received second message, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0030]      FIG. 10  depicts a flowchart of the salient tasks associated with determining whether or not to output multiple portions of a received second message, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0031]      FIG. 2  depicts a block diagram of telecommunications system  200  in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. Telecommunications system  200  comprises telecommunications terminal  201 , call server  202 , local area network  203 , internet protocol-based network  204 , web application server  205 , message initiator  206 , content server  207 , and subscription server  208 , interconnected as shown.  
         [0032]     Telecommunications terminal  201  is capable of transmitting and receiving signals as part of a call on behalf of its user. Terminal  201  transmits call-related traffic and control information in packet format to one or more destinations via local area network  203 , in well-known fashion. Terminal  201  also receives call-related traffic and control information, as well as browser-related information, in packet format from one or more sources via local area network  203 , in well-known fashion. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, terminal  201  is an Internet Protocol-based telephone, as is known in the art. In some alternative embodiments, terminal  201  can be another type of packet-based terminal, such as a Session Initiation Protocol-based telephone, as is known in the art. The structure of terminal  201  is depicted in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0033]     Terminal  201 &#39;s call-handling and browsing abilities are supported by local area network  203 , internet protocol-based network  204 , and web application server  205 , which are equivalent to local are network  103 , internet protocol-based network  104 , and web application server  105 , respectively, and as such will not be described further.  
         [0034]     In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, terminal  201  is also capable of exchanging messages with sources of content that is intended for terminal  201 &#39;s user and with sources of the addresses of where the content can be found. In addition, terminal  201  is capable of outputting the received content to the user via a display, a speaker, or another user-oriented, output device. The tasks that are related to terminal  201 &#39;s handling of messages for the purpose of retrieving content are described below and with respect to  FIGS. 5 through 10 .  
         [0035]     It will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use telecommunications terminal  201 .  
         [0036]     Message initiator  206  is the source of a first message. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, message initiator  206  is an application server that specifies in the first message a first address at which content can be found. In some alternative embodiments, message initiator  206  can be a software procedure (e.g., a program that runs on a shared server, etc.), the personal computer of terminal  201 &#39;s user, and so forth. Message initiator  206  is capable of transmitting a first message that specifies the first address to telecommunications terminal  201  and receiving response messages from terminal  201 .  
         [0037]     Message initiator  206  might intend for only terminal  201  to request content at the first address. Alternatively, message initiator  206  might intend for multiple telecommunications terminals to request content at the same address, in which case message initiator  206  transmits the first message to a first terminal (e.g., terminal  201 , etc.), the first message to a second terminal, and so on.  
         [0038]     It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use message initiator  206 .  
         [0039]     Content server  207  is a standalone server that is capable of providing content, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. In some alternative embodiments, content server  207  can be an existing web server (i.e., different from message initiator  206 ) within local area network  203  or the same server as message initiator  206 . Content server  207 , which corresponds to the first address provided to terminal  201  by message initiator  206 , is capable of receiving a request message from terminal  201 . Content server  207  is capable of transmitting one or more messages that comprise content to terminal  201 . It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use content server  207 .  
         [0040]     Subscription server  208  is a server that is capable of receiving terminal-related information in a subscribe transaction from telecommunications terminal  201 . The subscription information comprises one or more of (i) the Internet Protocol address of terminal  201 , (ii) the telephone extension of terminal  201 &#39;s user, (iii) the set identifier of terminal  201  (e.g., make and model number, etc.), and (iv) the Medium Access Control (or “MAC”) address of terminal  201 . Subscription server  208  is used, for example, so that an intelligent application can get terminal  201 &#39;s information from an external database without having to query terminal  201  (i.e., the target terminal of the application). It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use subscription server  208 .  
         [0041]     Even though message initiator  206 , content server  207 , and subscription server  208  are depicted in  FIG. 2  to be within local area network  203 , one or more of elements  206 ,  207 , and  208  can be situated outside of local area network  203 , as those who are skilled in the art will appreciate. For example, message initiator  206  might be situated within a local area network of a hotel, but content server  207  might be maintained by an outside information service provider that is employed by the hotel and accessible through the Internet (i.e., is not within the hotel&#39;s local area network).  
         [0042]      FIG. 3  depicts a block diagram of the salient components of telecommunications terminal  201 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. Telecommunications terminal  201  comprises network interface  301 , processor  302 , memory  303 , video display  304 , handset speaker  305 , and console speaker  306 , interconnected as shown.  
         [0043]     Network interface  301  comprises a receiving part and a transmitting part. The receiving part receives signals from local area network  203 , and forwards the information encoded in the signals to processor  302 , in well-known fashion. The transmitting part receives information from processor  302 , and outputs signals that encode this information to local area network  203 , in well-known fashion. It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use network interface  301 .  
         [0044]     Processor  302  is a general-purpose processor that is capable of: receiving information from network interface  301 ; reading data from and writing data into memory  303 ; executing the tasks described below and with respect to  FIGS. 5 through 10 ; and transmitting information to network interface  301 , video display  304 , handset speaker  305 , and console speaker  306 . In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, processor  302  might be a special-purpose processor. In either case, it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use processor  302 .  
         [0045]     Memory  303  stores data and executable instructions, in well-known fashion, and is a combination of volatile and non-volatile memory. It will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use memory  303 .  
         [0046]     Video display  304  is a display output device as is well-known in the art that receives a video signal and creates a visual image of the signal for a user. It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use video display  304 .  
         [0047]     Handset speaker  305  is an electro-acoustic transducer output device as is well known in the art that is situated in the handset of terminal  201  and that receives a speaker signal and creates an audible sound of the signal for a user. It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use handset speaker  305 .  
         [0048]     Console speaker  306  is an electro-acoustic transducer output device as is well known in the art that is situated in the console (i.e., base part) of terminal  201  and that receives a speaker signal and creates an audible sound of the signal for a user. Console speaker  306  is used, for example, when terminal  201  is operated in “speakerphone” mode. It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use handset speaker  306 .  
         [0049]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram of how information is stored and organized in memory  303 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. The information stored in memory  303  comprises trusted content server list  401 , subscription server list  402 , application software  403 , and operating system  404 . As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the information that is stored in memory  303  can be organized differently than what is depicted in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0050]     Trusted content server list  401  is a list of servers that have been identified as trusted sources of content. List  401  is used to determine the trustworthiness of a received address, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. The address of each trusted server on the list, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment, is identified with a validation string in the form of a uniform resource identifier (URI), as is well-known in the art. Each URI string comprises part or all of a domain  
         [0051]     (e.g., “www.example.com”, etc.), part or all of a path (e.g., “/push”, etc.), or a combination of the two (e.g., “www.example.com/push”, etc.) As those who are skilled in the art will appreciate, there are alternative ways to identify one or more servers on trusted content server list  401 .  
         [0052]     Subscription server list  402  is a list of servers that have been identified as trusted servers to which to transmit subscription information. The address of each subscription server on the list, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment, is identified with a validation string in the format of a uniform resource identifier (URI), as is well-known in the art. Some examples of subscription server URIs are  
         [0000]     “http://10.0.1.101/subscribe.asp”, “http://company.com/subscribe/”, and so forth. As those who are skilled in the art will appreciate, there are alternative ways to identify one or more servers on subscription server list  402 .  
         [0053]     Application software  403  is the software portion of the system described below and with respect to  FIGS. 5 through 10 . Operating system  404  is an operating system, in well-known fashion, that performs input/output, file and memory management, and all of the other functions normally associated with operating systems. It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use operating system  404 .  
         [0054]      FIG. 5  depicts a message flow diagram of the salient events associated with handling unsolicited content, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. It will be clear to those skilled in the art which events depicted in  FIG. 5  can occur simultaneously or in a different order than that depicted.  
         [0055]     In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, telecommunications terminal  201  exchanges messages with call server  202 , message initiator  206 , content server  207 , and subscription server  208  by using files in Extensible Markup Language (XML), as is known in the art, and by using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)-based rules, as known in the art. As those who are skilled in the art will appreciate, other languages (e.g., Wireless Markup Language [WML], etc.) and transfer rules (e.g., Session Initiation Protocol [SIP]-based, etc.) can be used for the purposes of exchanging messages in telecommunication system  200 .  
         [0056]     At event  501 , call server  202  transmits a trusted content server list and a subscription server list to telecommunications terminal  201 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment. In some alternative embodiments, a different server transmits the server lists. In some embodiments, the lists are transmitted in response to having received a boot up signal from terminal  201 , such as when terminal  201  is initially connected to local area network  203 . Terminal  201  stores the lists in memory  303  as trusted content server list  401  and subscription server list  402 .  
         [0057]     At event  502 , message initiator  206  transmits to telecommunications terminal  201  a first message in well-known fashion. The first message comprises a first address and instructs terminal  201  to request a second message from a content server (e.g., content server  207 , etc.). This is analogous to receiving a push request as part of a push transaction, in which an initiator of a push instructs a client to request a message that contains push content from an address specified by the push initiator.  
         [0058]     At task  503 , telecommunications terminal  201  determines whether to accept or reject the received first message, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. The subtasks that make up task  503  are described below and with respect to  FIG. 6 .  
         [0059]     At event  504 , telecommunications terminal  201  transmits a response message back to message initiator  206  in well-known fashion. The response message indicates whether the received first message has been accepted or rejected.  
         [0060]     At event  505 , once telecommunications terminal  201  accepts the received first message, terminal  201  transmits a request to the first address received in the first message. The address corresponds to a content server (e.g., content server  207 , etc.). This is analogous to a client requesting content as part of a push transaction, in which the address of the requested content was specified in a push request made earlier by the initiator of the push.  
         [0061]     At event  506 , content server  207  transmits a second message, with one or more portions of which representing the requested content, back to telecommunications terminal  201 .  
         [0062]     At task  507 , telecommunications terminal  201  determines whether or not to output the received content to the designated output device or devices. The subtasks that make up task  506  with regards to outputting the received content are described below and with respect to  FIG. 7 . Also at event  507 , the portion or portions of content are sent to the designated output device or devices, if so determined.  
         [0063]     At event  507 , telecommunications terminal  201  also determines, based on the received content, whether or not to transmit subscription information to a subscription server (e.g., subscription server  208 , etc.). In this scenario, the received content comprises a second address that corresponds to the subscription server. The subtasks that make up task  506  with regards to transmitting subscription information are described below and with respect to  FIG. 10 .  
         [0064]     At event  508 , telecommunications terminal  201  optionally transmits subscription information to subscription server  208 , if so determined.  
         [0065]      FIG. 6  depicts a flowchart of the salient tasks associated with determining whether or not to transmit a request for a second message, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present Invention. It will be clear to those skilled in the art which tasks depicted in  FIG. 6  can occur simultaneously or in a different order than that depicted.  
         [0066]     At task  601 , terminal  201  receives a first message from message initiator  206 . The first message (i) comprises a first address (e.g., a source of content or other information, etc.) and (ii) instructs terminal  201  to request a second message from the address provided. In some embodiments, the first message also comprises (i) the type of content available at the first address, (ii) the priority of that content, and (iii) other information useful to terminal  201  (e.g., commands to alert the user of incoming content, etc.).  
         [0067]     At task  602 , terminal  201  verifies the trustworthiness of the first address received at task  601 . In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, terminal  201  compares the received first address, which is a URI string, with the validation strings stored in trusted content server list  401 . It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to match the received URI string against one or more validation strings.  
         [0068]     In some alternative embodiments, terminal  201  verifies the trustworthiness of the first address received at task  601  through other means (e.g., by receiving and determining the validity of a name and password, etc.).  
         [0069]     In some other alternative embodiments, terminal  201  verifies the trustworthiness of the first address by comparing both (i) the first address and (ii) the address of message initiator  206  with the list of valid addresses in trusted content server list  401 .  
         [0070]     At task  603 , terminal  201  acts on the outcome of task  602 . If the first address is not trustworthy, task execution ends. If it is trustworthy, execution proceeds to task  604 .  
         [0071]     In some embodiments, terminal  201  transmits a response back to message initiator  206  if the first address was not trustworthy, indicating that the first message has been rejected and the reason for the rejection. Task execution then ends.  
         [0072]     At task  604 , terminal  201  determines its state. The state of terminal  201  is determined by, but is not limited to, user-driven states, data states, and call states. User-driven states include editing a screen and text entry. Data states include terminal-initiated file backups and so forth. Call states include idle, incoming call, and call-in-progress. It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to determine the state of terminal  201 .  
         [0073]     Terminal  201  also notes the priority and the type of the content to be received in the second message, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment. The priority and type are specified in the first message sent by message initiator  206 . Priority can be specified as “low”, “medium”, and “high”, or as “normal” and “emergency” (i.e., “barge-in”), or as some other set of priority levels. Some examples of content types are single-line text, full-screen text, text and graphics, audio, a second address, and so forth.  
         [0074]     At task  605 , terminal  201  determines if the determined state of terminal  201 , content priority, and content type allow a second message to be requested of content server  207 . If not, task execution ends. If the state allows a second message to be requested, execution proceeds to task  606 .  
         [0075]     In some embodiments, terminal  201  transmits a response back to message initiator  206  if the second message is not to be sent, indicating that the first message has been rejected and the reason.  
         [0076]     A first example of how state, priority, and type are used in accordance with the illustrative embodiment is presented here, in which the priority is “normal” and the content type is “text string”. When terminal  201  is in a state in which (i) the user is in text entry mode, (ii) terminal  201  is restoring a retrieved backup file, or (iii) terminal  201  has initiated a local procedure, then the first message from message initiator  206  is rejected. Otherwise, the first message is accepted and acted upon (i.e., terminal  201  requests the second message).  
         [0077]     In a second example in accordance with the illustrative embodiment, the priority is “barge-in” and the content type is “text string”. When terminal  201  is in a state in which (i) terminal  201  is restoring a retrieved backup file or (ii) terminal  201  has initiated a local procedure, then the first message from message initiator  206  is rejected. Otherwise, the first message is accepted and acted upon. In other words, a “barge-in” priority can preempt a user in text entry mode, with the rationale that the barge-in content (e.g., an emergency message to one or more users, etc.) is higher in priority than other content.  
         [0078]     In a third example in accordance with the illustrative embodiment, the priority is “normal” and the content type is “audio”. When terminal  201  is in a state in which (i) terminal  201 &#39;s ringer is active, (ii) any call appearance is active, (iii) terminal  201  is restoring a retrieved backup file, (iv) terminal  201  has initiated a local procedure, or (v) terminal  201  is already broadcasting previously-received audio content, then the first message from message initiator  206  is rejected. Otherwise, the first message is accepted and acted upon. In other words, audio content—that is, of “normal” priority—will not interfere with the user on an active call (i.e., when a call appearance is active) or when the user is already receiving other audio content.  
         [0079]     In some alternative embodiments, terminal  201  uses combinations of rules that are different than those provided in the examples described above. In some other alternative embodiments, terminal  201  bases the decision to transmit the request for the second message on a subset of terminal state, content priority, and content type.  
         [0080]     At task  606 , terminal  201  transmits a request for a second message to the first address received at task  601 . In some embodiments, terminal  201  also transmits a response back to message initiator  206 , indicating that the first message has been accepted. Task execution then ends.  
         [0081]      FIG. 7  depicts a flowchart of the salient tasks associated with determining how to handle a received second message, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. It will be clear to those skilled in the art which tasks depicted in  FIG. 7  can occur simultaneously or in a different order than that depicted.  
         [0082]     At task  701 , terminal  201  receives a second message from content server  207 . The second message comprises content or other information that is requested by terminal  201  by using the first address provided by message initiator  206 . Content can be one or more of single-line text, full-screen text, text and graphics, audio, a second address (e.g., of a subscription server such as server  208 , etc.), and so forth.  
         [0083]     At task  702 , terminal  201  examines the content type provided in the first message by message initiator  206 . In alternative embodiments, terminal  201  can examine the second message to determine the content type. Terminal  201  decides whether the content type is related to transmitting subscription information or related to outputting information to terminal  201 &#39;s user. If the transaction is related to transmitting subscription information (i.e., the second message instructs the transmitting of subscription information), task execution proceeds to task  708 . If the transaction is related to outputting information to the user, task execution proceeds to task  703 .  
         [0084]     At task  703 , terminal  201  determines its state. The state of terminal  201  is determined by, but is not limited to, user-driven states, data states, and call states. User-driven states include editing a screen and text entry. Data states include terminal-initiated file backups and so forth. Call states include idle, incoming call, and call-in-progress. It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to determine the state of terminal  201 .  
         [0085]     At task  704 , terminal  201  determines whether or not to output the portion of received content to the user of terminal  201  based on the state determined at task  703 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment. The current state of terminal  201  (i.e., determined at task  703 ) is considered instead of the earlier-determined state (i.e., at task  604 ) because the terminal&#39;s state might have changed in the interim. Terminal  201  also bases the decision to output the portion on the priority and the type of the content, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment. Priority and type, along with examples, are described above and with respect to tasks  604  and  605 .  
         [0086]     In some alternative embodiments, terminal  201  bases the decision to output the portion of received content to the user on a subset of terminal state, content priority, and content type.  
         [0087]     At task  705 , if terminal  201  determines not to output the portion, task execution ends. If terminal  201  determines that it will output the portion, execution proceeds to task  706 .  
         [0088]     At task  706 , terminal  201  optionally determines the output device to which to output the received content. For example, terminal  201  might direct an audio stream to handset speaker  305  and console speaker  306  if the content is of high priority (e.g., a priority associated with an emergency situation, etc.) or to handset speaker  305  if the content is of normal priority and the handset is off-hook (but the user is not yet on a call).  
         [0089]     At task  707 , terminal  201  outputs the portion of content to the specified or selected device or devices. After task  707 , task execution ends.  
         [0090]     At task  708 , terminal  201  verifies the trustworthiness of a second address received in the second message at task  701 . In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, terminal  201  compares the received second address, which is a URI string, with the validation strings stored in subscription server list  402 . It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to match the received URI string against one or more validation strings.  
         [0091]     In some alternative embodiments, terminal  201  verifies the trustworthiness of the second address received at task  701  through other means (e.g., by receiving and determining the validity of a name and password, etc.).  
         [0092]     In some other alternative embodiments, terminal  201  verifies the trustworthiness of the second address by: 
        (i) comparing the first address with the list of valid addresses in trusted content server list  401 , or     (ii) comparing both: (a) the first address with the list of valid addresses in trusted content server list  401 , and (b) the second address with the list of valid addresses in subscription server list  402 .        
 
         [0095]     At task  709 , terminal  201  acts on the outcome of task  708 . If the second address is not trustworthy, task execution ends. If it is trustworthy, execution proceeds to task  710 .  
         [0096]     At task  710 , terminal  201  transmits its subscription information to the second address (e.g., that of subscription server  208 , etc.), specified in the received second message. Task execution then ends.  
         [0097]      FIGS. 8A and 8B  depict a first example of a displayed portion of the received second message, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. In  FIG. 8A , screen shot  801  represents the default screen as displayed by video display  304 . When terminal  201  receives from content server  207  the second message where a portion of which represents a single line of text, terminal  201  determines, based on state and so forth, whether or not to output the single line of content. Screen shot  802 , which is depicted in  FIG. 8B , represents a screen in which single-line content  803  has been output to video display  304  as part of task  707 .  
         [0098]      FIGS. 9A and 9B  depict a second example of a displayed portion of the received second message, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. In  FIG. 9A , screen shot  901  represents the default screen as displayed by video display  304 . When terminal  201  receives from content server  207  the second message where a portion of which represents a full screen of text and graphics, terminal  201  determines, based on state and so forth, whether or not to output the full screen of content. Screen shot  902 , which is depicted in  FIG. 8B , represents a screen in which full-screen content  903  has been output to video display  304  as part of task  707 .  
         [0099]      FIG. 10  depicts a flowchart of the salient tasks associated with determining whether or not to output multiple portions of a received second message, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. Terminal  201  is capable of determining whether or not to output the first portion and of determining whether or not to output the second portion independently of each other. It will be clear to those skilled in the art which tasks depicted in  FIG. 10  can occur simultaneously or in a different order than that depicted.  
         [0100]     At task  1001 , terminal  201  receives a second message from content server  207 . The second message comprises two segments of content or other information that is requested by terminal  201  by using a first address provided by message initiator  206 . Content can be one or more of single-line text, full-screen text, text and graphics, audio, a second address (e.g., of a subscription server such as server  208 , etc.), and so forth. Each segment of content in the second message can be different from or the same as the other segment.  
         [0101]     At task  1002 , terminal  201  determines its state. The state of terminal  201  is determined by, but is not limited to, user-driven states, data states, and call states. It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to determine the state of terminal  201 .  
         [0102]     At task  1003 , terminal  201  determines whether or not to output the first portion of received content to the user of terminal  201  based on the state determined at task  1002 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment. The current state of terminal  201  (i.e., determined at task  1002 ) is considered instead of the state determined earlier (i.e., at task  604 ) because the terminal&#39;s state might have changed in the interim. Terminal  201  also bases the decision to output the first portion on the priority and the type of the content, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment. Priority and type, along with examples, are described above and with respect to tasks  604  and  605 .  
         [0103]     In some alternative embodiments, terminal  201  bases the decision to output the first portion of received content to the user on a subset of terminal state, content priority, and content type.  
         [0104]     At task  1004 , if terminal  201  determines not to output the first portion, task execution proceeds to  1007 . If terminal  201  determines that it will output the first portion, execution proceeds to task  1005 .  
         [0105]     At task  1005 , terminal  201  optionally determines the output device to which to output the received first portion of content. For example, terminal  201  might direct an audio stream to handset speaker  305  and console speaker  306  if the content is of high priority (e.g., a priority associated with an emergency situation, etc.) or to handset speaker  305  if the content is of normal priority and the handset is off-hook (but the user is not yet on a call).  
         [0106]     At task  1006 , terminal  201  outputs the first portion of content to the specified or selected device or devices.  
         [0107]     At task  1007 , terminal  201  determines whether or not to output the second portion of received content to the user of terminal  201  based on the state determined at task  1002 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment. Terminal  201  also bases the decision to output the second portion on the priority and the type of the content, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment. Priority and type, along with examples, are described above and with respect to tasks  604  and  605 .  
         [0108]     In some alternative embodiments, terminal  201  bases the decision to output the second portion of received content to the user on a subset of terminal state, content priority, and content type.  
         [0109]     At task  1008 , if terminal  201  determines not to output the second portion, task execution ends. If terminal  201  determines that it will output the second portion, execution proceeds to task  1009 .  
         [0110]     At task  1009 , terminal  201  optionally determines the output device to which to output the received second portion of content.  
         [0111]     At task  1010 , terminal  201  outputs the second portion of content to the specified or selected device or devices. After task  1010 , task execution ends.  
         [0112]     In some embodiments of the present invention, both portions of the second message are intended to be outputted together to the user of terminal  201 . For example, the first portion might be a full screen of text and graphics, and the second portion might be an audio stream that describes how to use the screen to select items. In some other embodiments of the present invention, either the first portion or the second portion, but not both portions, is intended to be outputted to the user of terminal  201 . For example, the first portion might be an audio stream of normal priority, which can be outputted if a call is not in progress, while the second portion might be text, which is outputted instead of the audio stream under certain conditions (e.g., while a call is in progress, etc.). As another example, the first portion might represent a full screen of text and graphics, and is displayed whenever possible, while the second portion might represent a single line of text that is displayed when terminal  201  determines not to output the full screen portion.  
         [0113]     It is to be understood that the above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of the present invention and that many variations of the above-described embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, in this Disclosure, numerous specific details are provided in order to provide a thorough description and understanding of the illustrative embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize, however, that the invention can be practiced without one or more of those details, or with other methods, materials, components, etc.  
         [0114]     Furthermore, in some instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the illustrative embodiments. It is understood that the various embodiments shown in the Figures are illustrative, and are not necessarily drawn to scale. Reference throughout the disclosure to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” or “some embodiments” means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment(s) is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention, but not necessarily all embodiments. Consequently, the appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” or “in some embodiments” in various places throughout the Disclosure are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. It is therefore intended that such variations be included within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.