Patent Publication Number: US-2004054738-A1

Title: Multimedia messaging system and method

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention relates to multimedia messaging systems and methods, and particularly to a system and method for transmitting messages to substitutes of message receivers if the message receivers themselves do not timely receive the messages.  
       [0003] 2. Background of the Invention  
       [0004] Nowadays, many communication means are available for people to contact each other quickly and conveniently. Such means include short message service (SMS), E-mail, and so on. Communications technology has greatly changed the way of life of many people. In May 2001, the GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) Association reported that over 500 billion short messages were sent by way of the GSM system in the first quarter of 2001. More and more message service providers are providing facilities such as financial information, stock information, news, and entertainment information. With the development of communications technology and business applications thereof, message services are required to be reliable and timely. For instance, when a client receives a message, he/she should send return information to a message provider confirming receipt. The client may not timely receive a message because of network congestion, shutdown of equipment, or failure of part of the network. One solution for this problem is to send the messages by way of alternative means. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,995,594 issued on Nov. 30th, 1999 discloses a system and method for messaging notification in a multimedia messaging system. For example, when a message provider sends an E-mail to a mail box of a client, the message provider also sends a notification by way of alternative means to the client. The notification informs the client that the E-mail has been sent out. The notification is continually sent until the client sends confirmation of receipt of the E-mail to the message provider.  
       [0005] Although the above-described system and method can transmit messages to a client and ensure that the client eventually receives the messages, there is still no assurance that the client can timely receive the messages. A system and method is needed for promptly transmitting messages and ensuring that recipients or representatives thereof can timely receive the messages.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a multimedia messaging system and method for transmitting messages from message providers to message receivers in a timely manner.  
       [0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a multimedia messaging system and method for transmitting messages to representatives of message receivers if the message receivers themselves do not timely receive the messages.  
       [0008] In order to accomplish the above-mentioned objects, the present invention provides a multimedia messaging system and method. A preferred embodiment of the system comprises a database for storing relevant basic data, a message receiving module for receiving first messages provided by a plurality of message providers, a message processing module for generating second messages based on the first messages, and a message sending module for transmitting the second messages to respective message receivers or substitutes thereof. Said basic data include message classification data, data on substitutes of message receivers, contact data on message receivers and substitutes thereof, and data on modes of transmission of messages. The message processing module comprises a message processing sub-module for generating second messages according to respective first messages, a feedback receiving sub-module for receiving return information on second messages, a time controlling sub-module for monitoring whether respective waiting times for receiving return information exceed respective predetermined time limits; and a conversion controlling sub-module for determining whether to transmit second messages to respective substitutes of the message receivers based on the monitoring by the time controlling sub-module.  
       [0009] A preferred embodiment of the multimedia messaging method comprises the following steps: (i) receiving a first message from a message provider, and caching the first message in a first message cache; (ii) generating a second message based on the first message and on contact data on a message receiver, and caching the second message in a second message cache; (iii) transmitting the second message to the message receiver; (iv) determining whether the message receiver sends back return information on the second message within a predetermined time limit; (v) recording feedback time of the second message if the message receiver sends back return information on the second message within the predetermined time limit; (vi) determining whether the message receiver has a substitute receiver if the message receiver does not send back return information on the second message within the predetermined time limit; and (vii) if the message receiver has a substitute receiver, generating a new second message based on contact data on the substitute receiver, adding a new message process record, and returning to step (iii); or (viii) recording no feedback if the message receiver does not have a substitute receiver.  
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0010] Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be drawn from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention with the attached drawings, in which:  
     [0011]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an application environment of a multimedia messaging system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, said application environment including message providers and message receivers;  
     [0012]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of infrastructure of the multimedia messaging system of the present invention, together with said message providers and message receivers;  
     [0013]FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of infrastructure of a basic data setting module of the multimedia messaging system of the present invention;  
     [0014]FIG. 4A illustrates an exemplary message classification sheet in accordance with the present invention;  
     [0015]FIG. 4B illustrates an exemplary substitute message receiver sheet in accordance with the present invention;  
     [0016]FIG. 4C illustrates an exemplary contact data sheet in accordance with the present invention;  
     [0017]FIG. 4D illustrates an exemplary process recording sheet in accordance with the present invention;  
     [0018]FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of infrastructure of a message processing module of the multimedia messaging system of the present invention; and  
     [0019]FIG. 6 is a flow chart of operation of the multimedia messaging system of the present invention in said application environment, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION  
     [0020]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an application environment of a multimedia messaging system  6  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The multimedia messaging system  6  is linked to a plurality of message providers  2  for receiving various first messages. The multimedia messaging system  6  processes received first messages and generates corresponding second messages. The second messages comprise the received first messages. By means of a communication network  8 , the multimedia messaging system  6  transmits various generated second messages to corresponding message receivers  4 . The message providers  2  may for example be any one or more of a short message service (SMS) provider, an E-mail service provider, a website, and an enterprise information system (EIS). Once registered in the multimedia messaging system  6 , each message provider  2  can provide various first messages for the multimedia messaging system  6 . The clients  4  may for example be any one or more of a personal computer, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, and a laptop computer. The communication network  8  may or may not be a wireless network.  
     [0021]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of infrastructure of the multimedia messaging system  6 , together with the message providers  2  and message receivers  4 . The multimedia messaging system  6  comprises a basic data setting module  60 , a database  61 , a message receiving module  62 , a first message cache  64 , a message processing module  66 , a second message cache  67 , and a message sending module  68 . The basic data setting module  60  is used for setting relevant basic data, which includes message classification data, data on substitutes of message receivers, contact data on message receivers and substitutes thereof, and data on modes of transmission of messages. The basic data are stored in various sheets in the database  61 . The sheets include a classification data sheet  611 , a substitute message receiver sheet  612 , a contact data sheet  613 , a media data sheet  614 , and a process recording sheet  615 .  
     [0022] The message receiving module  62  receives first messages from the message providers  2 , and stores the received first messages in the first message cache  64 . Each first message comprises a message classification, a message receiver, and message content. Message classifications may for example include inbound notices and outbound notices. The message processing module  66  accesses the first message cache  64  to obtain the first messages, and generates corresponding second messages. Each second message comprises a mode of transmission, a name of the message receiver, an address of the message receiver, and the first message content. Second messages generated by the message processing module  66  are stored in the second message cache  67 . The message sending module  68  retrieves second messages from the second message cache  67 , and transmits retrieved second messages to relevant message receivers  4 .  
     [0023]FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of infrastructure of the basic data setting module  60 . The basic data setting module  60  comprises a substitute maintenance sub-module  601 , a contact data maintenance sub-module  602 , a classification data maintenance sub-module  603 , a transmission data maintenance sub-module  604 , and a process querying sub-module  605 . The substitute maintenance sub-module  601  is used for adding, modifying, and deleting data on substitutes of message receivers. The contact data maintenance sub-module  602  is used for adding, modifying, deleting, and querying contact data on message receivers and substitutes thereof. The classification data maintenance sub-module  603  is used for adding, modifying, deleting, and querying data on message classifications. The transmission data maintenance sub-module  604  is used for adding, modifying, deleting, and querying data on modes of transmission. The process querying sub-module  605  is used for querying data on procedures for processing messages.  
     [0024]FIG. 4A illustrates an exemplary message classification sheet  611  in accordance with the present invention. The message classification sheet.  611  comprises the following columns: message classification, message classification symbol, transmission mode, and time limit. If no return information is sent back by a message receiver  4  within a time limit of a message, it is assumed that the message is not received by the message receiver  4 .  
     [0025]FIG. 4B illustrates an exemplary substitute message receiver sheet  612  in accordance with the present invention. The substitute message receiver sheet  612  is used for recording substitutes of message receivers, and comprises the following columns: receiver name, message classification symbol, first substitute, second substitute, and third substitute. If a message receiver does not timely receive a second message, the multimedia messaging system  6  transmits the second message to a substitute of the message receiver.  
     [0026]FIG. 4C illustrates an exemplary contact data sheet  613  in accordance with the present invention. The contact data sheet  613  comprises the following columns: receiver name, and address. The address column comprises the following sub-columns: SMS, E-mail, and fax number.  
     [0027]FIG. 4D illustrates an exemplary process recording sheet  615  in accordance with the present invention. The process recording sheet  615  comprises a variety of message processing records. Each message processing record comprises a processing serial number, a message classification symbol, a message receiver, a substitute message receiver, and a plurality of processing steps.  
     [0028]FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of infrastructure of the message processing module  66 . In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the message processing module  66  comprises a message processing sub-module  661 , a time controlling sub-module  662 , a conversion controlling sub-module  663 , a process recording sub-module  664 , and a feedback receiving sub-module  665 . Functions of the above-mentioned sub-modules  661 - 665  are detailed in the following description.  
     [0029]FIG. 6 is a flow chart of operation of the multimedia messaging system  6  in the above-described application environment, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. At step S 601 , the message receiving module  62  receives a first message provided by the message providers  2 , and stores the first message in the first message cache  64 . The first message comprises a message classification symbol, a message receiver, and message content. For example, the message classification symbol may be “Inbound,” the message receiver may be “Tom,” and the message content may be an inbound notice. Then the message processing sub-module  661  of message processing module  66  retrieves the first message from the first message cache  64 , and accesses the database  61  to obtain a mode of transmission of the message, “SMS,” and to obtain an address of the message receiver corresponding to the mode of transmission, “XXXXXX.” Based on the above-mentioned information, at step S 602 , the message processing sub-module  661  generates a second message, and deletes the first message in the first message cache  64 . The second message comprises a serial number, the message classification symbol, the message receiver, the address, and the message content. The second message is stored in the second message cache  67 . At step S 603 , the process recording sub-module  664  of the message processing module  66  adds a message process record in the process recording sheet  615 , thereby recording a processing serial number, the message classification symbol, the message receiver, substitutes of the message receiver, and processing steps. At step S 604 , the message sending module  68  accesses the second message cache  67  to obtain the second message, and transmits the second message to the message receiver  4 . At the same time, the message sending module  68  deletes the second message in the second message cache  67 , and records a transmission time in the process recording sheet  615 . At step S 605 , the time controlling sub-module  662  of the message processing module  66  generates a time controlling object, to monitor whether a waiting time for receiving return information from the message receiver  4  exceeds a predetermined time limit of the message. At step S 606 , the conversion controlling sub-module  663  of the message processing module  66  determines whether the feedback receiving sub-module  665  has received return information within the predetermined time limit. If the feedback receiving sub-module  665  has received return information within the predetermined time limit, at step S 607 , the process recording sub-module  664  records a feedback time of the message in the “Feedback Time” box of the process recording sheet  615 , and records “Y” in the “Feedback?” box. This completes the procedure.  
     [0030] If at step S 606  the feedback receiving sub-module  665  has not received return information within the predetermined time limit, at step S 608 , the conversion controlling sub-module  663  determines whether the message receiver  4  has one or more substitutes, according to the process recording sheet  615 . If the message receiver  4  does not have any substitute, at step S 609 , the process recording sub-module  664  records “N” in the “Feedback?” box of the process recording sheet  615 . This completes the procedure.  
     [0031] If at step S 606  the message receiver  4  has a substitute, the message processing sub-module  661  treats the substitute as the message receiver, and retrieves an address of the substitute from the contact data sheet  613 . At step S 610 , the message processing sub-module  661  of the message processing module  66  generates a new second message, adds a new message process record, and deletes the “old” time controlling object. Then the procedure returns to step S 604 , for transmission of the new second message to the substitute of the message receiver  4 .  
     [0032] Although only preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications to the preferred embodiments are possible without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the present invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are deemed to be covered by the following claims and allowable equivalents of the claims.