US 20030040300A1
`
`(19) United States
`(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2003/0040300 A1
`(43) Pub. Date: Feb. 27, 2003
`
`Bodic et al.
`
`(54) SYSTEM OF INTEROPERABILITY
`BETWEEN MMS MESSAGES AND SMS/EMS
`MESSAGES AND AN ASSOCIATED
`EXCHANGE METHOD
`
`(75)
`
`Inventors: Gwenael Le Bodic, Puteaux (FR);
`Jean-Luc Ricoeur, Paris (FR)
`
`Publication Classification
`
`
`
`Int. Cl.7
`(51)
`(52) us. Cl.
`
`.H04M 11/10; H04Q 7/20
`............................................ 455/412; 455/466
`
`Correspondence Address:
`SUGHRUE MION, PLLC
`Suite 800
`
`2100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.
`Washington, DC 20037-3213 (US)
`
`(73) Assignee: ALCATEL
`
`(21) Appl. N0.:
`
`10/218,580
`
`(22)
`
`Filed:
`
`Aug. 15, 2002
`
`(30)
`
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`
`Aug. 27, 2001
`
`(FR) ........................................... 01 11 131
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`A message system is associated with a message domain
`which includes a mobile radio network, a message server
`conforming to a first standard referred to as the Enhanced
`Message Service and/0r Short Message Service standard
`and/or a message server conforming to a second standard
`referred to as the Multimedia Message Service standard. The
`message domain further includes a message gateway which
`includes a database including a table of message profiles of
`terminals belonging to the message domain and is able to
`convert a message sent in accordance with the first standard
`into a message in accordance with the second standard.
`
`A
`
`1 E
`
`
`
`
`Apple Inc.
`EX. 1023 - Page 1
`
`Apple Inc.
`Ex. 1023 - Page 1
`
`

`

`Patent Application Publication
`
`Feb. 27, 2003 Sheet 1 0f 6
`
`US 2003/0040300 A1
`
`FIGJ
`
`
`
`TP~UD
`
`TP‘User- Da’ta(TP-UD)
`
`
`
`
`
` TP-Dafa-Unif (TP-DU)
`
`
`--l--/
`
`
`message
`
`Presentation
`
`Message
`
`Apple Inc.
`EX. 1023 - Page 2
`
`Apple Inc.
`Ex. 1023 - Page 2
`
`

`

`Patent Application Publication
`
`Feb. 27, 2003 Sheet 2 0f 6
`
`US 2003/0040300 A1
`
`Fl6_3
`
`Apple Inc.
`Ex. 1023 - Page 3
`
`Apple Inc.
`Ex. 1023 - Page 3
`
`

`

`Patent Application Publication
`
`Feb. 27, 2003 Sheet 3 0f 6
`
`US 2003/0040300 A1
`
`FlGJrw
`
`
`
`Ex’rernal server
`
`Message
`
`gateway
`
`
`
`
`
`C
`
`
`
`
` Message
`Message
`w Mm
`meme
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`“—
`
`
`
`
`Apple Inc.
`EX. 1023 - Page 4
`
`Apple Inc.
`Ex. 1023 - Page 4
`
`

`

`Patent Application Publication
`
`Feb. 27, 2003 Sheet 4 0f 6
`
`US 2003/0040300 A1
`
`F|G_6a
`
`TPDU
`
`EJLLQD.
`
`TP Header
`
`
`
`
`
`Gateway
`
`rwwflfl—fi-
`
`
`
`
`
`Apple Inc.
`Ex. 1023 - Page 5
`
`Apple Inc.
`Ex. 1023 - Page 5
`
`

`

`Patent Application Publication
`
`Feb. 27, 2003 Sheet 5 0f 6
`
`US 2003/0040300 A1
`
`FIG_83
`
`l— """"""" _l [— ””””””” _|
`
`
`
`
`Destination
`gateway
`
`l | I I
`
`| i I
`
`L_ _____JL
`
`TPDU
`
`address
`
`MMS destination
`
`Apple Inc.
`Ex. 1023 - Page 6
`
`Apple Inc.
`Ex. 1023 - Page 6
`
`

`

`Patent Application Publication
`
`Feb. 27, 2003 Sheet 6 0f 6
`
`US 2003/0040300 A1
`
`
`goiewoy
`
` Im’rlofor
`
`
`L
`_JL_ _____
`
`
`
`| .
`
`
`
` Inifio’ror
`
`
`gateway
`
`Apple Inc.
`EX. 1023 - Page 7
`
`Apple Inc.
`Ex. 1023 - Page 7
`
`

`

`US 2003/0040300 A1
`
`Feb. 27, 2003
`
`SYSTEM OF INTEROPERABILITY BETWEEN
`MMS MESSAGES AND SMS/EMS MESSAGES AND
`AN ASSOCIATED EXCHANGE METHOD
`
`CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATIONS
`
`[0001] This application is based on French Patent Appli-
`cation No. 01 11 131 filed Aug. 27, 2001, the disclosure of
`which is hereby incorporated by reference thereto in its
`entirety, and the priority of which is hereby claimed under
`35 U.S.C. §19.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`[0002]
`
`1. Field of the Invention
`
`invention relates to messages sent
`[0003] The present
`and/or received by mobile radio terminals such as mobile
`telephones.
`
`[0004]
`
`2. Description of the Prior Art
`
`[0005] The exchange of Short Message Service (SMS)
`short messages has grown considerably in recent
`times.
`Conventionally, an SMS comprises a transport protocol data
`unit (TPDU), shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1.
`
`(TP)
`[0006] The TPDU includes a transport protocol
`header associated with the transport protocol used and TP
`user data. The TP header contains transmission information
`
`such as the destination address (TP-DA), which can be a
`telephone number or an electronic address, for example, the
`identification of the transport protocol used, which can be a
`file, hypertext, radio or other transport protocol, the length
`of the data of the message (TPUDL), and other information
`relating to the routing of the message, such as the time, the
`presence of a header in the data, etc. Some of this informa-
`tion is mandatory and some is optional. The SMS message
`data (TP User Data) includes a user data header (TP-UDH)
`followed by the message itself, referred to as the user data
`(TP-UD).
`
`[0007] As initially developed, short messages included
`only text, without any multimedia data such as music or
`pictures, for example, and did not contain a great deal of
`information. Accordingly, a single data unit (TPDU) was
`able to transport the information to be transmitted. However,
`the development of Enhanced Message Service (EMS) short
`messages has recently expanded and has led to the issuing of
`a recommendation on this subject in the form of the SMS
`standard 3GPP TS 23.040. An enhanced message can con-
`tain much more information, which generally makes it
`essential to concatenate data units (TPDU) to transmit EMS
`via a mobile radio network.
`
`In an EMS message, the data header (TP-UDH)
`[0008]
`includes an indication of the length of the header (UDHL)
`and at least one information element (IEI) followed by the
`data of the message (User Data). The information elements
`IE can contain multimedia data to be associated with the
`
`EMS enhanced message. Each information element IE con-
`tains an identification field (IEI) followed by a field (IEDL)
`indicating the length of the element followed by the data of
`the element (IED). Accordingly, the text (User Data) of the
`EMS message contains calls to the various IE defined in the
`header to be integrated into the data of the message trans-
`mitted.
`
`[0009] A new type of message has recently been devel-
`oped, known as Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
`messages. MMS messages, which are shown diagrammati-
`cally in FIG. 2, have a transmission protocol and a structure
`completely different from those of SMS and EMS messages,
`and are standardized in 3GPP Recommendation TS 23.140.
`
`MMS messages have a structure defined by the IETF (in
`RFC 2045) consisting in a Multipurpose Internet Mail
`Extensions (MIME) file format, with a header and a message
`body that can contain pictures, music, text and a presentation
`of graphical elements on the screen as well as temporal
`synchronization of some elements. An MMS message can
`include much denser multimedia data than an EMS message
`and provide richer multimedia presentations, of the type
`available on computers, for example. MMS messages are
`generally transmitted in accordance with the wireless appli-
`cation protocol (WAP).
`
`[0010] The exchange of MMS messages presupposes the
`presence in the mobile radio network of a particular server
`dedicated to MMS messages which is separate from the
`server dedicated to SMS and EMS messages. Furthermore,
`the sending and/or receiving of MMS messages by a termi-
`nal is conditional on the installation of particular application
`software necessitating the allocation of high memory and
`processing capacities. Low-cost terminals and terminals of
`an older generation cannot support an application of this
`kind, although they can exchange SMS and EMS messages.
`
`[0011] The use of MMS messages is therefore restricted to
`terminals which are capable of supporting this kind of
`application, which significantly reduces the interest
`in
`exchanging such messages and is retarding the growth of
`this new type of message. Moreover, some terminals incor-
`porate the MMS application but reject the EMS application,
`although they retain the possibility of exchanging SMS.
`
`[0012] Furthermore, different versions of EMS messages
`have already been developed,
`later ones generally being
`compatible with earlier ones. Nevertheless, sending an EMS
`message from a terminal integrating a new version (for
`example release 5) to a terminal having only the old version
`(for example release 4) can lead to defective display of the
`content of the message.
`
`[0013] An objective of the invention is therefore to
`address the problem of interworking between the MMS
`message system and the SMS/EMS message system, as well
`as between different versions of the EMS message system,
`by proposing to adapt the content of messages transmitted to
`suit the reception possibilities of the terminal to which the
`message is addressed.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`the invention provides a
`To be more specific,
`[0014]
`method of exchanging messages between a first mobile
`terminal which is part of a first message domain and at least
`one second mobile terminal which is part of a second
`message domain, each domain including at least one mobile
`radio network, one message server conforming to a first
`standard, referred to as the enhanced message service/short
`message service standard, and/or one message server con-
`forming to a second standard, referred to as the multimedia
`message service standard, which method includes the fol-
`lowing steps:
`
`Apple Inc.
`Ex. 1023 - Page 8
`
`Apple Inc.
`Ex. 1023 - Page 8
`
`

`

`US 2003/0040300 A1
`
`Feb. 27, 2003
`
`initiation of a message conforming to the first
`[0015]
`standard from a first terminal to at least one second
`
`terminal not compatible with the first standard to
`which the initiated message conforms;
`
`transmission of the message by the message
`[0016]
`server conforming to the first standard to a message
`gateway including a database comprising a table of
`message profiles of terminals belonging to a message
`domain with which the gateway is associated;
`
`conversion by the message gateway of the
`[0017]
`initiated message conforming to the first standard
`into a message conforming to the second standard
`supported by the destination terminal;
`
`transmission of the converted message con-
`[0018]
`forming to the second standard by the message
`gateway to the message server conforming to the
`second standard; and
`
`delivery of the message conforming to the
`[0019]
`second standard by the server conforming to the
`second standard to the destination terminal.
`
`In a first embodiment of the invention an initiated
`[0020]
`message conforming to the first standard is converted into a
`message conforming to a second standard by the message
`gateway of the second domain of the destination terminal
`and the gateway determines the message standard or stan-
`dards supported by the destination terminal listed in its table
`of message profiles.
`
`In a second embodiment of the invention an initi-
`[0021]
`ated message conforming to the first standard is converted
`into a message according to the second standard by the
`message gateway of the first domain of the terminal which
`initiated the message, the message conforming to the first
`standard including the address of the gateway in a header
`and including an information element indicating that data
`conforming to the second standard is included in the data of
`the message conforming to the first standard, the conversion
`of the message including extraction of the data conforming
`to the second standard.
`
`In one application of the invention the conversion
`[0022]
`is from a message conforming to a first version of the first
`standard to a message conforming to a second version of the
`first standard.
`
`[0023] According to one feature of the invention the table
`of profiles contained in the message gateway of a message
`domain is updated by sending from a terminal listed in the
`table to the message gateway an update short message
`including an information element containing the message
`profile or profiles of the terminal.
`
`In a first embodiment of the invention the table of
`[0024]
`profiles is updated automatically by the terminal at the time
`of a change of its message processing capacities.
`
`In a second embodiment of the invention the table
`[0025]
`of profiles is updated at
`the command of a user of the
`terminal.
`
`In one application of the invention the message
`[0026]
`domains of the terminal
`initiating the message and the
`terminal to which the message is addressed are one and the
`same.
`
`invention also provides a message
`[0027] The present
`system associated with a message domain which includes a
`mobile radio network, a message server conforming to a first
`standard referred to as the Enhanced Message Service and/or
`Short Message Service standard and/or a message server
`conforming to a second standard referred to as the Multi-
`media Message Service standard, and a message gateway
`which includes a database including a table of message
`profiles of terminals belonging to the message domain and
`is able to convert a message sent in accordance with the first
`standard into a message in accordance with the second
`standard.
`
`[0028] According to one feature of the invention the
`message gateway connects the message server conforming
`to the first standard and the message server conforming to
`the second standard of the same domain.
`
`[0029] According to another feature of the invention the
`message gateway of a first domain is connected to the
`message gateway of a second domain.
`
`[0030] The invention defines a Short Message Service
`short message initiated by a mobile radio terminal and
`containing user data including a header including informa-
`tion elements and a data text, wherein each information
`element includes an identification field followed by a field
`indicating the length of the data of the information element
`followed by the data of the information element and the
`header includes a profile information element whose iden-
`tifier is associated with the updating of a message profile and
`whose data indicates the message standard or standards
`supported by the terminal which initiated the message.
`
`[0031] The invention also defines an Enhanced Message
`Service enhanced message initiated by a mobile radio ter-
`minal and including user data including a header including
`information elements and a data text, wherein each infor-
`mation element includes an identification field followed by
`a field indicating the length of the data of the information
`element followed by the data of the element and the header
`includes a Multimedia Message Service information ele-
`ment whose identifier indicates the presence of Multimedia
`Message Service information in the data of the message
`whose data indicates the length of the Multimedia Message
`Service information, which includes at least one Multimedia
`Message Service message header.
`
`[0032] The features and advantages of the present inven-
`tion will be understood better after reading the following
`description, which is given by way of illustrative and
`non-limiting example, and with reference to the accompa-
`nying drawings.
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`[0033] FIG. 1, already described, shows diagrammatically
`the structure and parameters of an SMS/EMS message.
`
`[0034] FIG. 2, already described, shows diagrammatically
`the structure of an MMS message.
`
`[0035] FIG. 3 shows diagrammatically a message system
`associated with a given mobile radio network.
`
`[0036] FIG. 4 shows diagrammatically a message gate-
`way according to the invention.
`
`[0037] FIG. 5 is an example of a table of profiles managed
`by a message gateway according to the invention.
`
`Apple Inc.
`Ex. 1023 - Page 9
`
`Apple Inc.
`Ex. 1023 - Page 9
`
`

`

`US 2003/0040300 A1
`
`Feb. 27, 2003
`
`[0038] FIG. 6a shows diagrammatically a profile indica-
`tion SMS.
`
`[0039] FIG. 6b shows diagrammatically the path taken by
`a message corresponding to a message profile update.
`
`[0040] FIG. 7 shows diagrammatically all of the paths that
`a message could take.
`
`[0041] FIG. 8a shows diagrammatically the path taken by
`a message corresponding to direct SMS/EMS to MMS
`sending.
`
`[0042] FIG. 8b shows diagrammatically an EMS sent to a
`terminal able to receive only MMS messages.
`
`[0043] FIG. 9 shows diagrammatically the path taken by
`a message corresponding to indirect SMS/EMS to MMS
`sending. FIG. 10 shows diagrammatically the path taken by
`a message corresponding to direct MMS to SMS/EMS
`sending.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
`
`[0044] Referring to FIG. 3, mobile terminalsA and B send
`and receive message via a mobile radio network. The
`messages can be SMS or EMS messages, MMS messages,
`electronic messages (e-mail), or other messages. The mobile
`radio network transfers the messages from the sending
`terminal to the message server concerned. As a general rule,
`each mobile radio network has its own SMS server, which
`is in contact with the SMS servers of other networks and
`
`with its own MMS relay server, which is generally con-
`nected to a WAP connection gateway and is in contact with
`the MMS relay servers of other networks. On the other hand,
`there is no direct connection between the SMS server and the
`MMS server of the same network.
`
`[0045] According to one essential feature of the invention,
`the message system of the network includes, over and above
`the dedicated SMS, MMS and other servers, a message
`gateway connected to said SMS and MMS servers, and
`possibly other servers.
`
`[0046] The message gateway, which is shown diagram-
`matically in FIG. 4, manages interworking between differ-
`ent message systems, for example, although not exclusively,
`the SMS/EMS and MMS message systems. This kind of
`gateway includes links to a plurality of message servers
`conforming to different standards, for example an MMS
`server, an SMS server, a POP3 (Post Office Protocol) server,
`an IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) server, an
`Internet server or any other server. The function of the
`message gateway is to convert messages exchanged in its
`domain from one standard to another, as and when required
`and as a function of the type of message sent and the
`reception capacities of the destination terminal. The expres-
`sion “message domain” refers to all of the entities needed to
`provide a message service, i.e. at least one network, at least
`one message server (SMS and/or MMS server), and at least
`one message gateway.
`
`In particular, the message gateway according to the
`[0047]
`invention contains a database comprising a table of profiles
`of terminals accessing the domain concerned. FIG. 5 shows
`one example of this kind of table. Each terminal is listed and
`its message profile specified and a given message server is
`associated with each profile.
`
`[0048] Thus the terminal aaa supports only SMS short
`messages either because it is a low-cost terminal or one of
`an older generation or because the user of the terminal
`prefers to receive only that type of message. Any message
`sent to the terminal aaa will necessarily be routed to the SMS
`server after the message gateway has converted it to the
`SMS format if this was not its original format.
`
`the terminal ddd has application soft-
`[0049] Similarly,
`ware only for exchanging MMS. Any message sent to this
`terminal ddd will necessarily be routed to the MMS server,
`after the message gateway has converted it to that format if
`it was not its original format. On the other hand, the terminal
`ccc can interpret MMS messages or EMS messages con-
`forming to the “release 5” standard, whereas the terminal
`bbb can receive only “release 4” standard EMS messages,
`which may oblige the message gateway to convert a “release
`5” standard EMS message before transferring it
`to the
`terminal bbb.
`
`[0050] Other configurations for exchanging different types
`of messages can be envisaged, depending on the intended
`applications or the development of new message standards.
`
`[0051] The message profile assigned to each terminal of a
`message domain in the profile table of the message gateway
`can be defined in various ways.
`
`[0052]
`
`In particular, the profile can be:
`
`(1) predefined by the message service pro-
`[0053]
`vider at the time of subscribing to said service, or
`
`[0054]
`or
`
`(2) updated at the explicit request of the user,
`
`(3) fixed automatically by the mobile terminal
`[0055]
`itself on detecting a change in the message process-
`ing capacity of the terminal.
`
`[0056] The latter two update modes can be effected by
`sending an SMS to the message gateway, for example. To
`this end, as shown in FIGS. 6a and 6b,
`the SMS sent
`includes in its TP-DA the address of the gateway and
`advantageously contains in its data field a specific informa-
`tion element (IE) containing the message profile.
`
`[0057] The terminal A sends the profile update SMS as a
`conventional SMS routed by the SMS server to the desti-
`nation address, i.e. the message gateway. The latter is able
`to interpret an SMS of this kind and to update its profile data
`table appropriately by extracting from the SMS the param-
`eter of the data field of the “profile” information element.
`The terminal A can send the profile update SMS message in
`a manner that is transparent for the user, or the message can
`be sent intentionally by said user, if his mobile equipment
`allows this. For example, a user whose terminal is techni-
`cally able to receive MMS can decide to receive only SMS,
`or EMS if his terminal is able to, during a given period, for
`example because of roaming costs when traveling abroad, or
`for any other reason.
`
`[0058] Several message exchange scenarios are described
`briefly hereinafter without prejudging their importance or
`their frequency of occurrence. FIG. 7 shows diagrammati-
`cally all the paths that any message can take. A terminal A
`is the initiator of a message in a first message domain D1
`comprising a mobile radio network X and including a
`message gateway and at least one SMS server and one MMS
`
`Apple Inc.
`EX. 1023 - Page 10
`
`Apple Inc.
`Ex. 1023 - Page 10
`
`

`

`US 2003/0040300 A1
`
`Feb. 27, 2003
`
`server. A terminal B to which the message is addressed is
`part of another message domain D2 comprising a mobile
`radio network Y and including a message gateway and at
`least one SMS server and one MMS server. According to the
`invention, all messages entering a message domain, regard-
`less of the message type, are received by the message
`gateway, which routes each message to the appropriate
`server of the destination domain.
`
`It is to be understood that the domains D1 and D2
`[0059]
`and the networks X and Y can be one and the same. Note,
`however,
`that
`the same message domain can contain a
`plurality of mobile radio networks, depending on the admin-
`istration of the message system in question.
`
`[0060] Consider first FIG. 8a, in which a terminal Ais the
`initiator of an EMS message to a destination terminal B
`which supports only MMS messages,
`terminal A being
`aware of this limitation of the terminal B.
`
`[0061] The terminal A initiating the EMS message knows
`that its destination is a terminal which supports only the
`MMS standard, and therefore includes the MMS address of
`this destination in its EMS message, as shown in FIG. 8b.
`
`then has the following
`[0062] The EMS message sent
`features. On the one hand, the destination address (TP-DA)
`of the header (TP Header) of the EMS is the address of the
`message gateway of the message domain of the message
`initiator. On the other hand, the EMS message contains an
`information element in the user header (TP-UDH) indicating
`that
`the data of said message (TP-DU) contains MMS
`information, namely the address of the destination terminal.
`Accordingly,
`the message gateway of the domain of the
`terminalAinitiating the message receives the EMS message,
`extracts the MSS address of the destination terminal B, and
`converts (C) the EMS message into a MIME format file
`message which can be interpreted by the destination termi-
`nal B, for example, by converting a bit map IE of the EMS
`message corresponding to pictures into gif or jpg files
`associated with the MMS message, or by converting a music
`IE of the EMS message into WAV files associated with the
`MMS message.
`
`[0063] Consider now FIG. 9 in which a terminal A is the
`initiator of an EMS message to a destination terminal B
`which supports only MMS messages,
`terminal A being
`unaware of this limitation of terminal B.
`
`[0064] The terminal A initiating the message sends it with
`no special precautions to the SMS server of its message
`domain D1 which transmits it to the destination domain D2
`of the terminal B. Incoming messages are systematically
`received by the message gateway, which consults its profile
`table. If the profile of the destination terminal B had been
`‘EMS’,
`then the message would have been transferred
`directly to the SMS server for delivery of the destination
`terminal B. However, because the profile of the destination
`terminal B is ‘MMS’,
`the destination message gateway
`converts the EMS message into an MMS message before
`transmitting it to the MMS server of the destination domain
`D2 for delivery to the destination terminal B.
`
`[0065] Consider finally FIG. 10, in which a terminal Ais
`the initiator of an MMS message to a destination terminal B
`which supports only SMS/EMS messages, whether terminal
`A is aware of this limitation of the terminal B or not.
`
`[0066] The MMS message initiated by the terminal A is
`transmitted to the gateway of the message domain of the
`destination as explained for the preceding situation. The
`gateway of the destination domain D2 consults the profile
`table to determine which message system the destination
`terminal B of the message supports. If the standard associ-
`ated with the terminal B is the SMS/EMS standard, the
`message is converted to that standard and transferred to the
`SMS server identified in the profile table of the destination
`terminal B to be delivered by a conventional method.
`
`[0067] Another situation, not shown explicitly, is the send-
`ing of an EMS message by an initiator terminal using
`application software more sophisticated than that of the
`destination terminal, which will not be in a position to
`process this kind of message, for example a destination
`terminal with the “EMS release 4” software unable to
`
`exploit all the data of an EMS initiated by a terminal with the
`“EMS release 5” software. In this situation, the EMS mes-
`sage is also transmitted by the SMS server of the message
`initiator to the message gateway of the destination domain.
`The destination message gateway checks which profiles the
`destination terminal supports and converts the message
`before sending it to the destination SMS server so that it can
`be transmitted to its destination in the correct format.
`
`There is claimed:
`
`1. A method of exchanging messages between a first
`mobile terminal which is part of a first message domain and
`at least one second mobile terminal which is part of a second
`message domain, each domain including at least one mobile
`radio network, one message server conforming to a first
`standard, referred to as the enhanced message service/short
`message service standard, and/or one message server con-
`forming to a second standard, referred to as the multimedia
`message service standard, which method includes the fol-
`lowing steps:
`
`initiation of a message conforming to said first standard
`from a first terminal to at least one second terminal not
`
`compatible with said first standard to which said initi-
`ated message conforms;
`
`transmission of said message by said message server
`conforming to said first standard to a message gateway
`including a database comprising a table of message
`profiles of terminals belonging to a message domain
`with which said gateway is associated;
`
`conversion by said message gateway of said initiated
`message conforming to said first standard into a mes-
`sage conforming to said second standard supported by
`said destination terminal or terminals;
`
`transmission of the converted message conforming to said
`second standard by said message gateway to said
`message server conforming to said second standard;
`and
`
`delivery of said message conforming to said second
`standard by said server conforming to said second
`standard to said destination terminal or terminals.
`2. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein an initiated
`
`message conforming to said first standard is converted into
`a message conforming to a second standard by said message
`gateway of said second domain of said destination terminal
`
`Apple Inc.
`EX. 1023 - Page 11
`
`Apple Inc.
`Ex. 1023 - Page 11
`
`

`

`US 2003/0040300 A1
`
`Feb. 27, 2003
`
`and said gateway determines the message standard or stan-
`dards supported by the destination terminal listed in its table
`of message profiles.
`3. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein an initiated
`
`message conforming to said first standard is converted into
`a message according to said second standard by said mes-
`sage gateway of said first domain of the terminal which
`initiated said message, said message conforming to said first
`standard including the address of said gateway in a header
`and including an information element indicating that data
`conforming to said second standard is included in the data of
`said message conforming to said first standard, said conver-
`sion of said message including extraction of said data
`conforming to said second standard.
`4. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein said conversion
`
`is from a message conforming to a first version of said first
`standard to a message conforming to a second version of
`said first standard.
`5. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein said table of
`
`profiles contained in said message gateway of a message
`domain is updated by sending from a terminal listed in said
`table to said message gateway an update short message
`including an information element containing the message
`profile or profiles of said terminal.
`6. The method claimed in claim 5 wherein said table of
`
`profiles is updated automatically by said terminal at the time
`of a change of its message processing capacities.
`7. The method claimed in claim 5 wherein said table of
`
`profiles is updated at the command of a user of said terminal.
`8. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein said message
`domains of said terminal initiating said message and said
`terminal to which said message is addressed are one and the
`same.
`
`9. A message system associated with a message domain
`which includes a mobile radio network, a message server
`conforming to a first standard referred to as the Enhanced
`Message Service and/or Short Message Service standard
`and/or a message server conforming to a second standard
`referred to as the Multimedia Message Service standard, and
`
`a message gateway which includes a database including a
`table of message profiles of terminals belonging to said
`message domain and is able to convert a message sent in
`accordance with said first standard into a message in accor-
`dance with said second standard.
`
`10. The message system claimed in claim 9 wherein said
`message gateway connects said message server conforming
`to said first standard and said message server conforming to
`said second standard of the same domain.
`
`11. The message system claimed in claim 9 wherein said
`message gateway of a first domain is connected to said
`message gateway of a second domain.
`12. A Short Message Service short message initiated by a
`mobile radio terminal and containing user data including a
`header including information elements and a data text,
`wherein each information element includes an identification
`
`field followed by a field indicating the length of the data of
`said information element followed by the data of said
`information element and said header includes a profile
`information element whose identifier is associated with the
`
`updating of a message profile and whose data indicates the
`message standard or standards supported by the terminal
`which initiated said message.
`13. An Enhanced Message Service enhanced message
`initiated by a mobile radio terminal and including user data
`including a header including information elements and a
`data text, wherein each information element includes an
`identification field followed by a field indicating the length
`of the data of said information element followed by said data
`of said element and said header includes a Multimedia
`
`Message Service information element whose identifier indi-
`cates the presence of Multimedia Message Service informa-
`tion in said data of said message whose data indicates the
`length of said Multimedia Message Service information,
`which includes at least one Multimedia Message Service
`message header.
`
`Apple Inc.
`EX. 1023 - Page 12
`
`Apple Inc.
`Ex. 1023 - Page 12
`
`