Transmission of multimedia messages between mobile station terminals

Abstract

A method and a system for transmitting messages containing multimedia information or content that enables transmission and communication of multimedia messages between subscribers connected to telecommunication systems of different system operators. The inventive system includes a first mobile station terminal from which a multimedia message is sent, a second mobile station terminal that is the intended recipient of the multimedia message, a digital mobile network, a first multimedia message server for receiving a multimedia message from the first mobile station terminal, a first address database associated with the first multimedia message server, a second multimedia message server for receiving the multimedia message from the first multimedia message server, an IP network for carrying communications between the first and second multimedia message servers, and a second address database associated with the second multimedia message server.

1. A method of transmitting a multimedia message from a first mobile station terminal of a sender to a second mobile station terminal of an intended recipient of the multimedia message, comprising the steps of:
 transmitting the multimedia message from the first mobile station terminal to a first multimedia message server that receives the multimedia message from the first mobile station terminal via a mobile telecommunication network;  
 saving the received multimedia message on the first multimedia message server in a mailbox of the sender;  
 identifying, from the received multimedia message, address information of a second multimedia message server, optionally by utilizing a first database associated with the first multimedia message server;  
 creating, at the first multimedia message server, an e-mail message based on the received multimedia message;  
 transmitting the created e-mail message from the first multimedia message server to the second multimedia message server for receipt by the second multimedia message server;  
 creating a new multimedia message based on the e-mail message received by the second multimedia message server;  
 saving the created new multimedia message on the second multimedia message server in a mailbox of the recipient;  
 identifying, at the second multimedia message server, address information of the second mobile station terminal, optionally by utilizing a second database associated with the second multimedia message server; and  
 sending, from the second multimedia message server to the second mobile station terminal via the mobile communication network, a notification of the new multimedia message that has been saved by the second multimedia message server.  
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of creating an e-mail message further comprises creating an e-mail message based on the multimedia message by coding the multimedia message into an e-mail message in MIME format. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first database comprises a first address database containing information correlating DNS addresses and MSISDN numbers of the first and second multimedia message servers. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second database comprises a second address database correlating MSISDN numbers and e-mail addresses of mobile subscribers associated with the second multimedia message server. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of transmitting the multimedia message from the first mobile station terminal further comprises transmitting the multimedia message using a browser-type interface in the first mobile station terminal. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of retrieving the new multimedia message from the second multimedia message server onto the second mobile station terminal using a browser-type user interface in the second mobile station terminal. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of encrypting the created e-mail message to be transmitted to the second multimedia message server. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of transmitting the created e-mail message from the first multimedia message server to the second multimedia message server further comprises transmitting the created e-mail message using SMTP protocol. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of generating a billing ticket based on the multimedia message. 
     
     
       10. A system for transmitting a multimedia message in a telecommunication network from a first mobile station terminal of a sender to a second mobile station terminal of an intended recipient of the multimedia message, said system comprising:
 a second multimedia message server;  
 a first multimedia message server operable for receiving the multimedia message from the first mobile station terminal, for saving the received multimedia message, for transforming the received multimedia message into an e-mail message and for sending the e-mail message to the second multimedia message server;  
 a first address database associated with the first multimedia message server for maintaining address information of plural multimedia message servers of the telecommunication network;  
 an IP network for transmitting the e-mail message from the first multimedia message server to the second multimedia message server;  
 said second multimedia message server being operable for receiving the e-mail message from the first multimedia message server, for transforming the received e-mail message into a new multimedia message, for saving the new multimedia message and for sending to the second mobile station terminal a notification of the saved new multimedia message; and  
 a second address database associated with the second multimedia message server for maintaining address information of subscribers associated with the second multimedia message server.  
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a coder for coding the received multimedia message into MIME format. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first address database contains information correlating DNS addresses and MSISDN numbers of the plural multimedia message servers. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the second address database contains information correlating MSISDN numbers and e-mail addresses of subscribers associated with the second multimedia message server. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first mobile station terminal includes a browser-type user interface. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the second mobile station terminal includes a browser-type user interface. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 10 , further comprising an encrypter for encrypting the e-mail message to be sent from the first multimedia message server to the second multimedia message server. 
     
     
       17. A method of transmitting a multimedia message, comprising:
   receiving a multimedia message from a first mobile station at a multimedia message server associated with a mobile operator, wherein the received multimedia message is destined for a second mobile station;        obtaining address information associated with the second mobile station, based upon the received multimedia message;        generating an e - mail message based upon the received multimedia message if the second mobile station is not associated with the mobile operator, wherein the e - mail message is formatted to be transformable back into the received multimedia message; and        transmitting the e - mail message to a server from a network interface.      
     
     
       18. The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising saving the received multimedia message.  
     
     
       19. The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the saving the received multimedia message comprises saving the received multimedia message on the multimedia message server in a mailbox.  
     
     
       20. The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising generating billing information based upon the received multimedia message.  
     
     
       21. The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the e- mail message comprises a mobile subscriber number associated with the second mobile station.    
     
     
       22. The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the e- mail message comprises a Multipurpose Internet Mail Exchange  ( MIME )  formatted message.    
     
     
       23. The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the e- mail message is transmitted from the network interface using Simple Message Transfer Protocol  ( SMTP )  and Internet Protocol  ( IP ).  
     
     
       24. The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the address information associated with the second mobile station includes a mobile subscriber number that is correlated to a Domain Name Server ( DNS )  address.    
     
     
       25. The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the address information associated with the second mobile station includes a mobile subscriber number that is correlated to an email address.  
     
     
       26. The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the address information associated with the second mobile station includes a mobile subscriber number that is transformed to an email address format having a first name and a family name of the intended recipient associated with the second mobile station.  
     
     
       27. The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the received multimedia message includes a plurality of different media contents.  
     
     
       28. The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the received multimedia message includes at least one non- text content.    
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the obtaining address information associated with the second mobile station further comprises accessing a database having address information associated with the mobile operator.  
     
     
       30. A system for transmitting a multimedia message, comprising:
   means for receiving a multimedia message from a first mobile station at a multimedia message server associated with a mobile operator, wherein the received multimedia message is destined for a second mobile station;        means for obtaining address information associated with the second mobile station, based upon the received multimedia message;        means for generating an e - mail message based upon the received multimedia message if the second mobile station is not associated with the mobile operator, wherein the e - mail message is formatted to be transformable back into the received multimedia message; and        means for transmitting the e - mail message to a server from a network interface.      
     
     
       31. The system according to  claim 30 , further comprising means for saving the received multimedia message.  
     
     
       32. The system according to  claim 30 , further comprising means for generating billing information based upon the received multimedia message.  
     
     
       33. The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the e- mail message comprises a mobile subscriber number associated with the second mobile station.    
     
     
       34. The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the e- mail message comprises a Multipurpose Internet Mail Exchange  ( MIME )  formatted message.    
     
     
       35. The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the e- mail message is transmitted from the network interface using Simple Message Transfer Protocol  ( SMTP )  and Internet Protocol  ( IP ).  
     
     
       36. The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the address information associated with the second mobile station includes a mobile subscriber number that is correlated to a Domain Name Server ( DNS )  address.    
     
     
       37. The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the address information associated with the second mobile station includes a mobile subscriber number that is correlated to an email address.  
     
     
       38. The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the received multimedia message includes a plurality of different media contents.  
     
     
       39. The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the received multimedia message includes at least one non- text content.    
     
     
       40. A system, comprising:
   a multimedia message server configured to:      receive a multimedia message from a first mobile station associated with a mobile operator, wherein the received multimedia message is destined for a second mobile station;        obtain address information associated with the second mobile station, based upon the received multimedia message;        generate an e - mail message based upon the received multimedia message if the second mobile station is not associated with the mobile operator, wherein the e - mail message is formatted to be transformable back into the received multimedia message; and        transmit the e - mail message to a server from a network interface.        
     
     
       41. The system according to  claim 40 , wherein the multimedia message server is further configured to save the received multimedia message.  
     
     
       42. The system according to  claim 40 , wherein the e- mail message comprises a mobile subscriber number associated with the second mobile station.    
     
     
       43. The system according to  claim 40 , wherein the e- mail message comprises a Multipurpose Internet Mail Exchange  ( MIME )  formatted message.    
     
     
       44. The system according to  claim 40 , wherein the e- mail message is transmitted from the network interface using Simple Message Transfer Protocol  ( SMTP )  and Internet Protocol  ( IP ).  
     
     
       45. The system according to  claim 40 , wherein the address information associated with the second mobile station includes a mobile subscriber number that is correlated to a Domain Name Server ( DNS )  address.    
     
     
       46. The system according to  claim 40 , wherein the address information associated with the second mobile station includes a mobile subscriber number that is correlated to an email address.  
     
     
       47. The system according to  claim 40 , wherein the address information associated with the second mobile station includes a mobile subscriber number that is transformed to an email address format having a first name and a family name of the intended recipient associated with the second mobile station.  
     
     
       48. The system according to  claim 40 , wherein the multimedia message server is further configured to obtain address information associated with the second mobile station by accessing a database having address information associated with the mobile operator.  
     
     
       49. The system according to  claim 40 , further comprising a database.  
     
     
       50. The system according to  claim 40 , wherein the received multimedia message includes a plurality of different media contents.  
     
     
       51. The system according to  claim 40 , wherein the received multimedia message includes at least one non- text content.