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.

What is claimed is: 
     
       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 severs. 
     
     
       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 comprising:
 receiving an e-mail message at a first multimedia message server associated with a first mobile operator, wherein the e-mail message includes content corresponding to a multimedia message sent from a mobile station associated with a second mobile operator and destined for a recipient mobile station associated with the first mobile operator;   converting, using a processor, the received e-mail message into a multimedia message for delivery to the recipient mobile station;   sending a notification of receipt of the multimedia message to the recipient mobile station; and   generating a billing ticket based upon the received e-mail message.    
     
     
       18. The method of claim 17, further comprising sending at least part of the multimedia message to the recipient mobile station.  
     
     
       19. The method of claim 18, wherein the multimedia message is sent to the recipient mobile station based on available features of the recipient mobile station.  
     
     
       20. The method of claim 17, further comprising saving the multimedia message in a mailbox.  
     
     
       21. The method of claim 20, further comprising creating the mailbox.  
     
     
       22. The method of claim 17, wherein the received e-mail message is received over a network interface using Simple Message Transfer protocol (SMTP) and Internet Protocol.  
     
     
       23. The method of claim 17, wherein the received e-mail message comprises a Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) formatted message including at least one attachment containing multimedia content.  
     
     
       24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:
 instructions to receive an e-mail message at a first multimedia message server associated with a first mobile operator, wherein the e-mail message includes content corresponding to a multimedia message sent from a mobile station associated with a second mobile operator and destined for a recipient mobile station associated with the first mobile operator;   instructions to convert the received e-mail message into a multimedia message for delivery to the recipient mobile station;   instructions to send a notification of receipt of the multimedia message to the recipient mobile station; and   instructions to generate a billing ticket based upon the received e-mail message.    
     
     
       25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, further comprising instructions to send at least part of the multimedia message to the recipient mobile station.  
     
     
       26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the multimedia message is sent to the recipient mobile station based on available features of the recipient mobile station.  
     
     
       27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, further comprising instructions to save the multimedia message in a mailbox.  
     
     
       28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27, further comprising instructions to create the mailbox.  
     
     
       29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the received e-mail message is received over a network interface using Simple Message Transfer protocol (SMTP) and Internet Protocol.  
     
     
       30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the received e-mail message comprises a Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) formatted message including at least one attachment containing multimedia content.  
     
     
       31. A system comprising:
 one or more processors configured to:   receive an e-mail message at a first multimedia message server associated with a first mobile operator, wherein the e-mail message includes content corresponding to a multimedia message sent from a mobile station associated with a second mobile operator and destined for a recipient mobile station associated with the first mobile operator;   convert the received e-mail message into a multimedia message for delivery to the recipient mobile station;   send a notification of receipt of the multimedia message to the recipient mobile station; and   generate a billing ticket based upon the received e-mail message.    
     
     
       32. The system of claim 31, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to send at least part of the multimedia message to the recipient mobile station.  
     
     
       33. The system of claim 32, wherein the multimedia message is sent to the recipient mobile station based on available features of the recipient mobile station.  
     
     
       34. The system of claim 31, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to save the multimedia message in a mailbox.  
     
     
       35. The system of claim 34, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to create the mailbox.  
     
     
       36. The system of claim 31, wherein the received e-mail message is received over a network interface using Simple Message Transfer protocol (SMTP) and Internet Protocol.