Patent ID: 8116791

Claim:
A method for sending a text message over a telephone network from a sending device to a receiving device, the sending device not configured to support multimedia service messages, the text message comprising a set of characters, the method comprising the steps of: (a) selecting at least one font file, the at least one font file divided into cells, each cell associated with a specific character of the set of characters, the at least one font file having at least one code indicative of the at least one font file; (b) as the user enters characters of the text message on the sending device, retrieving a specific cell associated with the specific character being entered and displaying the specific cell as an image on the sending device to generate a composite image, by an application residing on the sending device; (c) uploading from the sending device to a server using an SMS message protocol, the text message and at least one code indicative of said at least one font file, wherein said server is operatively connected to the telephone network, the server storing the at least one font file, the receiving device not storing the at least one font file; (d) transmitting a message from the server to the receiving device, wherein said message includes the composite image; and (e) displaying the message, thereby presenting on the receiving device said composite image.