KR100559347B1 - A method for implementing a multimedia messaging service, a multimedia messaging system, a server of a multimedia messaging system and a multimedia terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for implementing a multimedia messaging service between a server (20) and a wireless terminal (MS) communicating with a communication network (12, 15, 18) over a wireless path. The method comprises receiving and storing a multimedia message comprising at least one multimedia component addressed to the wireless terminal at the server and storing information on at least one characteristic of the wireless terminal MS in the server. Steps. The method further includes determining which components of the multimedia message are available for processing by the wireless terminal according to the stored information about at least one characteristic of the wireless terminal. If there is one or more such component (s), the component (s) are selected for transmission and transmitted to the wireless terminal.

Description

A method for implementing a multimedia messaging service, a multimedia messaging system, a server of a multimedia messaging system and a multimedia terminal}

The present invention provides a method for transmitting multimedia messages in a multimedia messaging system between a server and a wireless terminal by a communication network comprising a wireless path, wherein the multimedia message comprising one or more components and addressed to the wireless terminal is received at the server. A user profile is stored in the server, the user profile comprising information about characteristics of the wireless terminal. The invention also includes a communication network comprising a wireless path, a server and a wireless terminal, means for receiving at the server a multimedia message comprising at least one component and addressed to the wireless terminal, and the characteristics of the wireless terminal. And means for storing a user profile on the server, the user profile comprising information on the server. In addition, the present invention provides a server for use in a multimedia messaging system, the multimedia messaging system comprising a communication network and a wireless terminal including a wireless path and including one or more components to receive a multimedia message addressed to the wireless terminal. Means for receiving at the server and means for storing in the server a user profile comprising information about the characteristics of the wireless terminal. The invention also relates to a wireless terminal for use in a multimedia messaging system, the multimedia messaging system comprising a communication network and a server comprising a wireless path, comprising one or more components and receiving a multimedia message addressed to the wireless terminal. Means for receiving at the server and means for storing in the server a user profile comprising information about the characteristics of the wireless terminal.

Wireless communication networks and the Internet network are expanding rapidly and the number of users of these networks is increasing. By WAP technology, for example, it is possible to introduce advanced Internet services to digital mobile stations in wireless communication networks such as so-called media phones. WAPs include Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Personal Digital Cellular (PDC), and Code Division Multiple Access IS-95 (CDMA IS). -95), designed to comprehensively support most digital wireless communications networks such as time division multiple access IS-136 (TDMA IS-136) and third-generation networks such as wideband CDMA and CDMA-2000. Standard. Because the WAP system has only recently been developed and in some cases the WAP system specifications only determine configuration for different implementations, there are no known solutions for implementing specific functions of the WAP system.

In the WAP system (FIG. 1), a terminal or a wireless terminal (MS), where a so-called WAP terminal using the WAP protocol for external communication, can communicate with a server 20 of an internet network. The connection between the WAP terminal and the Internet network is implemented by a WAP gateway 15, which functions as a means for transmitting messages between the WAP terminal (MS) and the Internet network 18. do. If necessary, the WAP gateway 15 sends messages sent to the Internet network by the WAP terminal MS according to an Internet protocol such as TCP / IP protocol (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol). Convert to messages. Similarly, messages from the Internet network 18 addressed to the WAP terminal (MS) in the wireless network 12 are, if necessary, a WAP protocol (e.g., Wireless Session Protocol (WSP) at the WAP gateway). Are converted into messages according to)).

As such, the WAP terminal (MS) is compatible with, for example, a mobile station of a cellular network or a mobile station of, for example, a cellular network, or for example compatible with the International Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) standard. It can be any device that uses WAP protocols for external communication, such as a computer terminal connected to the wireless network 12 via a wireless card detachably attached to the computer terminal via an interface.

Communication modes supported by the WAP and intended for information transmission on the wireless path are called bearers. These include, for example, short messages (short message service (SMS)), data calls (circuit switched data (CSD) and packet radios, as well as other bearers defined in the WAP specifications. Ie GPRS services, USSD service (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data).

The WAP system is a hierarchical system as far as its communication protocols are concerned. Both the WAP terminal and the WAP gateway include a WAP protocol stack that includes some WAP protocol layers and is implemented by software. The WAP protocol layers are, for example, the WDP layer (Wireless Datagram Protocol), as well as the WAE layer (Wireless Application Environment), WSP layer (Wireless Session Protocol), WTP layer ( Wireless Transaction Protocol (Wireless Transaction Protocol). The corresponding WAP protocol layers of the WAP terminal and the WAP gateway communicate with each other to provide reliable data transfer between the WAP terminal and the WAP gateway using a particular bearer.

For a long time, computer terminal users connected to the internet network have had the opportunity to retrieve multimedia components such as images, text, short video clips and audio clips in electronic format from a server of the internet network to their computer terminal. It was. As the data transmission speed has increased and the characteristics of mobile stations have improved, interest in multimedia messaging services has also arisen in wireless networks. However, no solution has yet been provided for implementing a multimedia messaging service, for example in connection with the WAP system.

International patent application WO 98/19438 discloses a solution for implementing a multimedia messaging service in a telecommunications network. The multimedia messaging system disclosed in document WO 98/19438 comprises a multimedia message storage in which a multimedia message addressed to a particular user is stored. The user is given the opportunity to communicate the multimedia characteristics of his / her terminal to the multimedia messaging system, which partially or wholly translates the multimedia message, taking into account the characteristics of the user's terminal. The multimedia messaging system then sends the multimedia message to the user's terminal. In the device provided in document WO 98/19438, information about the characteristics of the terminal of the user is transmitted to the multimedia messaging system in the step in which an incoming message is notified to the terminal of the user. Wherein the terminal and the multimedia messaging system perform connection establishment signaling (dynamic dialogue) to establish a connection for carrying the multimedia components of the multimedia message. However, the characteristics of the terminal of the user are not necessarily changed. Here, the transmission of characteristics in connection with all connection settings results in unnecessary loading of the data network, such as the mobile communication network used for the transmission of the multimedia message.

When the multimedia messaging service is implemented in connection with wireless communication systems, new problems arise due to the limited capacity of the wireless terminal and the wireless path. For example, the mobile terminal may have limitations on its processing power and / or available memory, while the wireless communication network may have a limited transmission bandwidth.

A third generation mobile communication network, such as WCDMA, to be implemented in a manner similar to the short message service, i.e. by pushing messages to the wireless terminal and stored in a particular message service center to the wireless terminal substantially as soon as it can be reached. A multimedia messaging service for children has been proposed. However, problems arise when multimedia messages are sent to the wireless terminal. Because of the limited storage capacity of the wireless terminal, such as a mobile station of a cellular network, the multimedia message will not necessarily fit into the available memory of the mobile station. Perhaps due to technical limitations of the terminal (e.g. insufficient processing capacity, lack of video characteristics, lack of suitable software), multimedia messages sent to the wireless terminal may also not be processed by the wireless terminal. And as a result radio resources are unnecessarily wasted when the elements are sent to the wireless terminal.

In a multimedia messaging service under development for third generation mobile networks, with respect to the transmission of multimedia messages it is possible for the receiving terminal to receive and process the multimedia message, taking into account the user's own specific settings if necessary. It has been proposed that the data transfer performed between the wireless terminal and the multimedia messaging system is necessary with respect to the characteristics of the wireless terminal so as to be guaranteed. The transmission of the characteristics may be performed at other layers of the protocol stack, such as the application layer and the link layer.

In connection with the notification of the characteristics, the wireless terminal transmits information on the multimedia messaging client and the characteristics of the wireless terminal used therein to the multimedia messaging system. These characteristics can be roughly classified into four different groups: 1) hardware characteristics, 2) software characteristics, 3) the multimedia service application (user agent) characteristics and 4) special multimedia message specifics. Characteristics.

Many of the features described above do not vary and include features that depend primarily on the version and model of the terminal. Some of the characteristics of the terminals depend, for example, on the application software used in the terminal. Some such features are, for example, software-based decoders, protocol features, etc. supported at the terminal. These characteristics are relatively constant, but the software characteristics may change, for example in connection with a software update or when attachments are attached to the wireless terminal. The properties of the multimedia application include properties such as, for example, the MMS User Agent, settings that can be configured by the user. Special multimedia message specific features are typically only associated with a particular multimedia message and are communicated in connection with the transmission of the multimedia message.

In the course of developing a multimedia messaging service for the WAP system, a wireless session (WSP session) will be established for each multimedia message, where each such session is established, the wireless terminal receiving the multimedia message. It has been proposed that features are transmitted from the wireless terminal to a multimedia message service center. To enable this, a so-called user agent profile (UAProf) has been developed, which is the settings (preferences) and characteristics (capabilities) associated with the multimedia functions created by the user of the wireless terminal. Like information on, it includes information about the characteristics of the wireless terminal (capability and preference information (CPI)). As detailed above in this description, the characteristics of the wireless terminal are relatively constant and thus the provided device unnecessarily loads the radio resources.

International Patent Publication WO 99/56431 provides a method for a wireless terminal protocol (WSP) in which a communication terminal initiates a WAP session by passing some data request to a server. The request sent by the communication terminal to the server includes a terminal identification number previously assigned to the communication terminal by the server and an identification of the requested data. Upon receiving the request including the identification number of the terminal, the server retrieves user profile information from an associated database memory. The user profile information indicates a data format that can be processed by the communication terminal, and the server then responds to the request by delivering the requested data to the communication terminal in a format defined in the stored user profile information. do. In this way the communication terminal does not need to provide the server with information about its data processing characteristics with respect to the establishment of each session.

It should be noted that the method described in WO 99/56431 operates in such a way that the data required by the receiving terminal is transmitted to the terminal in a format that the terminal can process. This means for example that the server must store the data to be downloaded in a number of different formats or be able to translate data from one format that is not suitable for a given communication terminal to another format suitable for the terminal. This approach can work well, for example, in situations where some content is provided for download from a given server. Downloadable data may then be stored on the server, for example in a limited number of commonly used data formats, or a translation function to convert the stored data into any of a number of commonly used alternative formats. This may be provided. However, in a multimedia messaging service, the server storing multimedia messages (i.e., the multimedia message service center (MMSC)) can receive multimedia messages from a wide variety of sources and include the multimedia components contained by the messages. The type and format of the elements can also vary widely. In other words, the server has no control over the type or format of data (multimedia messages) it receives for delivery. Moreover, the characteristics of the terminal (s) intended for receiving the multimedia messages can be quite different. Thus, providing a comprehensive data translation function that can match any possible multimedia component received to the MMSC to the characteristics of any possible receiving terminal is difficult and costly in terms of computational power and complexity.

It is an object of the present invention to introduce a method and system for transmitting multimedia messages that can avoid unnecessary message transmission. The method according to the invention is used to determine whether the multimedia message comprises any component that the wireless terminal can process, wherein the information about the characteristics of the wireless terminal included in the user profile is used. When included in the multimedia message, the component is transmitted to the wireless terminal, wherein the wireless terminal does not explicitly identify the component to the multimedia messaging system. A multimedia messaging system according to the invention comprises means for using information about the characteristics of the wireless terminal included in the user profile to determine whether the multimedia message contains any component that the wireless terminal can process. And means for transmitting such a component to the wireless terminal, wherein the wireless terminal does not explicitly identify the component to the multimedia messaging system. The server of the multimedia messaging system according to the present invention uses the information about the characteristics of the wireless terminal included in the user profile to determine whether the multimedia message contains which component the wireless terminal can process. Means for transmitting the component to the wireless terminal, wherein the wireless terminal does not explicitly identify the component to the multimedia messaging system. Moreover, the wireless terminal according to the present invention includes a means for the wireless terminal to send a request to the multimedia messaging system, wherein the request does not identify a component that the wireless terminal can handle in the request. And to initiate transmission of at least one component of the multimedia message.

The invention is based on the idea that information about the characteristics of the wireless terminal is stored in the multimedia messaging system, preferably in a multimedia message service center, so that characteristic information does not have to be transmitted in connection with each message. . In a method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a maximum valid time is set for the characteristic information, and in that case, before sending a message to the wireless terminal, the system determines whether the characteristic information is still relevant. Or determine whether information about the characteristics of the wireless terminal should be updated before transmitting the message.

By applying the present invention, significant advantages are achieved when compared to prior art solutions. When the method according to the present invention is applied, it is possible to reduce the data transmission between the wireless terminal and the multimedia messaging system, so that the resources of the message transmission system are not unnecessarily wasted and the utilization of the system can be increased. . Moreover, by the apparatus according to the present invention, it is possible to increase the transmission speed of multimedia messages since it is not always necessary to determine the characteristics of the wireless terminal.

In a system according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is not necessary at the application level for the wireless terminal to require the multimedia service center to send the multimedia message components that can be processed by the wireless terminal. Accordingly, the components of the multimedia message that the receiving wireless terminal can process according to the characteristic information of the receiving wireless terminal stored in the multimedia message transmitting system are transmitted to the wireless terminal. It is possible by this device to reduce the data transmission carried out between the wireless terminal and the multimedia messaging system.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 illustrates a prior art model of a WAP system.

2 shows an implementation of a method according to the invention in a WAP system.

3 shows the basic parts of a wireless terminal implementing the method according to the invention.

4 is a block diagram illustrating functional blocks of a multimedia message service center.

5A shows the basic structure of a notification message.

5B illustrates a basic structure of a connection establishment message.

The WAP system according to FIG. 1 has been provided above in connection with the description of the prior art. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 2, a multimedia messaging system in which a wireless terminal (MS) using the WAP protocol for communication has subscribed to a multimedia messaging service from a multimedia message service center (MMSC). This is checked. The multimedia message service center (MMSC) is a server which is a network element that can be located, for example, in a cellular network or on the Internet. The multimedia message service center (MMSC) stores a multimedia message addressed to a wireless terminal (MS) in its memory when the wireless terminal (MS) to which the multimedia message is addressed cannot be reached in the multimedia messaging system. It functions as a means. When the wireless terminal MS can be reached again, the multimedia message service center MMSC delivers the multimedia message to the wireless terminal MS. This situation can occur, for example, when the wireless terminal is turned off or when the wireless terminal is outside the coverage area of the wireless telecommunications network. It should be noted that the storage of the multimedia message on the server is implicit. In other words, when a multimedia message addressed to a terminal is received by the MMSC, the message is present in the memory of the MMSC. The memory may be, for example, random access memory (RAM) of the MMSC, or may be some other physical memory means, such as a hard disk drive. Thus, even in situations where the terminal to which the message is addressed may be contacted substantially immediately, it may be considered that temporary storage of the multimedia message in the MMSC still occurs. If the server has to store the multimedia message for a longer period of time, some limitation may be placed on the maximum length of time that the message can be stored. This may for example be determined by the subscription options of the addressed terminal. This message transfer mechanism is called store-and-forward messaging. The device is known with respect to short messages in the GSM network, where the short message service center (SMSC) of the network performs the store-and-forward transmission of short messages.

The multimedia message service center (MMSC) communicates with the wireless terminal (MS) via a WAP gateway (15). Physically, the multimedia message service center (MMSC) is preferably located in the same Internet network part as the WAP gateway 15. Typically, communication between the multimedia message service center (MMSC) and the WAP gateway 15 is carried out in accordance with Internet protocols (IP protocols). These include, for example, TCP / IP and HTTP 1.1.                 

When a multimedia message, which may include one or more multimedia components and is addressed to the multimedia message service center (MMSC), which is addressed to a wireless terminal subscribed to the multimedia messaging service, the multimedia message service center (MMSC) is stored in the memory. Save a multimedia message and send a notification message 30 to the wireless terminal indicating that the multimedia message has been stored. The multimedia components can be, for example, text, images, photos, audio clips or video clips in electronic format. One multimedia message may also include other types of multimedia components.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a content type called Multimedia Message Indication (MMI) in this context is used to implement the notification message 30. The MMI is a content type defined in such a way as to allow the transmission of information in both text and binary formats within the same content type. Preferably, both an Internet compatible Extensible Markup Language (XML) textual representation and a binary format according to WAP binary coding are defined as the MMI content type. One possible basic structure of the MMI-type notification message 30 is shown in FIG. 5A, where the notification message 30 is only a request field 38 for updating the properties of the wireless terminal MS. Rather, it includes a “general information” section 36, fields 37 (there are two in the example of FIG. 5A) indicating the characteristics of the multimedia components included in the multimedia messages.

In order to implement the method according to the invention, it is possible to store information on the characteristics of the wireless terminal MS in the multimedia message service center MMSC of FIG. 4 attached, showing a preferred embodiment in a reduced block diagram. A first data store 56 (cache) is provided. Preferably, such a first data storage 56 formed in a memory area designated to the memory of the multimedia message service center (MMSC) can be fixed in length or variable in length at a given time. have. The information about the properties of the wireless terminal MS stored in the first data storage 56 may be, for example, the hardware characteristics of the wireless terminal MS, as well as possible user settings. Characteristics, the characteristics of the multimedia service application.

The operation of the method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the system shown in FIG. In the situation where the multimedia message service center (MMSC) receives a multimedia message, the service center examines the address data of the message to determine which wireless terminal (MS) to which the message is addressed. The address information may be, for example, a telephone number, an IP address or a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). If the terminal intended to receive the message is determined, the multimedia message service center (MMSC) notifies the multimedia message service center (MMSC) that the multimedia message addressed to the wireless terminal (MS) has arrived. ) Is transmitted to the wireless terminal (MS) via the WAP gateway (15).                 

Preferably the notification message 30 is sent using a so-called connectionless service supported by the WAP. In a service without a connection, such as the short message service (SMS) known from the GSM system, the transmission of a message to the receiver does not require the connection to be established. However, in the transmission of multimedia messages to a wireless terminal (MS) according to the invention, a connection oriented service is preferably used.

The notification message 30 sent by the multimedia message service center (MMSC) to the wireless terminal (MS) is adapted to the characteristics of the multimedia message to determine the wireless terminal in connection with the retrieval of the multimedia message. Include specific information. Preferably, the notification message 30 includes information 37 on the size and type of the multimedia message stored in the multimedia message service center (MMSC) or the size and type of the components included in the multimedia message. do. The type is the notification message 30 using MIME types of text format (e.g. image / jpeg, text / plain, video / mpeg, audio / wav) or with corresponding binary equivalents defined in WAP. Are displayed within. Furthermore, the notification message 30 may include information about the importance of the multimedia message, that is, the so-called priority value. Typically, the notification message 30 is information about the sender of the multimedia message, as well as the URL or Uniform Resource Indicator (URI) of the multimedia message or any other identifier for identification of the multimedia message. It includes. If the multimedia message includes one or more multimedia components, the notification message 30 may be configured to provide different information (type, size, address information, video format, audio format, etc.) separately for each multimedia component of the multimedia message. As well as identifiers. If necessary, the multimedia message 30 also includes a request to update the characteristic information 38 of the wireless terminal stored in the MMSC.

The characteristic information of the wireless terminal MS stored in the multimedia message service center MMSC is preferably valid for a certain time period. Therefore, when the multimedia message to be delivered to the wireless terminal MS arrives at the multimedia message service center MMSC, the MMSC is preferably before the notification message 30 is transmitted. Check whether information on the characteristics of the is stored in the memory of the multimedia message service center (MMSC). If characteristic information is stored, the MMSC also checks whether the characteristic information is still valid. This can be done, for example, in such a way that the MMSC supplements the information (time label) for the time when the information was stored in the characteristic information. In addition, a maximum valid time is set for the characteristic information. The multimedia message service center (MMSC) compares the time label of the characteristic information of the wireless terminal (MS) with the maximum valid time. If the comparison indicates that the valid time has not expired, there is no need to request that the characteristic information be sent. However, if the comparison indicates that the characteristic information is too old (although the characteristics have not changed at all), the multimedia message service center (MMSC) tells the wireless terminal (MS) its characteristics. Require information to be updated.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the multimedia message service center (MMSC) deletes old-fashioned information from the first data storage unit 56, and thus the characteristic information of the wireless terminal MS stored in the storage unit. Can not be found. Deletion of the characteristic information may also result from the fact that the storage capacity allocated for the characteristic information becomes full, where the oldest information is preferably deleted. In this embodiment, even if the characteristics have not changed at all, the wireless terminal MS transmits the characteristic information when the multimedia message service center MMSC requests the characteristic information.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the multimedia message service center (MMSC) does not necessarily delete the characteristic information indicating that the time label has expired. Thus, when the multimedia message service center MMSC receives new information from the wireless terminal MS, the new information is written over the expired information. Although the multimedia message service center (MMSC) requires the characteristic information, if the wireless terminal (MS) does not transmit the characteristic information, the MMSC assumes that the information related to the wireless terminal is still valid. Thus, the multimedia message service center (MMSC) preferably sets a new time label for the characteristic information at the step of the wireless terminal (MS) sending a connection establishment message (40), which is described further in this description below. It will be described in detail. Thus, in this embodiment, even if the time label indicates that the information has expired, it is possible to further reduce message transmission, especially in situations where the characteristics have not actually changed.

In any of the above-described embodiments implemented in the multimedia message service center (MMSC), for example two different requests are used in the notification message 30 to update the wireless terminal characteristic information. It may be displayed on the terminal MS.

If the multimedia message service center (MMSC) contains information stored for the properties of the wireless terminal (MS) and if the property information is still valid, this means informing the wireless terminal of a multimedia message and the multimedia It can be used when sending a message to the wireless terminal (MS). In this case, there is no need to update the characteristic information, so the multimedia message service center (MMSC) sets a value corresponding to a non-update request, for example a binary value 0, in the field 38 of the notification message. . However, if the information on the characteristics of the wireless terminal MS is not currently stored in the memory of the multimedia message service center MMSC or if the information is invalid, the MMSC corresponds to an update request. By setting a value, for example binary value 1, in field 38, the wireless terminal MS is requested to transmit information to the multimedia message service center MMSC. If the wireless terminal MS wishes to transmit the characteristic information only when the characteristic information has changed, for example, a value 2 is placed in the field 38. It is apparent that other methods of sending a feature update request to the wireless terminal MS may also be employed.

In case of receiving the notification message 30, if there is no connection between the wireless terminal MS and the MMSC at that time, the wireless terminal MS first of all receives the multimedia message service center (MMSC) (WAP WSP connection). The formation of the connection with the start is started. Typically, a connection setup establishes that the wireless terminal (MS) opens a WSP session with the WAP gateway 15 in a manner known per se from the WAP, and the WAP gateway 15 then uses the multimedia message service, for example. This is done in such a way as to open an IP connection with the center (MMSC). The information about the bearer selected by the wireless terminal MS used in the opening WSP session is known from the WAP to the WAP gateway 15 from the wireless terminal MS in a manner known per se from the WAP as a bearer indication value. Sent in the header field. The transmission of the information occurs during the negotiation phase between the wireless terminal (MS) and the WAP gateway 15 when the WSP session is opened, for example in a connection establishment message 40 (FIG. 5B). When an update request is set in the field 38 of the notification message 30, the wireless terminal MS adds information about the characteristics of the wireless terminal MS to the connection establishment message 40. do. Uaprof information message according to the WAP specifications may be used, for example, as a connection establishment message 40. This information is appended in the header field 41 of the connection establishment message such as, for example, a profile header field or profile-diff header information as defined in the Uaprof specification of the WAP. Accordingly, the multimedia message service center (MMSC) may determine that the message includes information about the characteristics of the terminal based on the message header field. In some applications, it may be necessary to add explicit information to the connection establishment message indicating that the message contains characteristic information of the terminal.

Information 42 necessary to establish a session is transmitted in the connection establishment message 40. When the multimedia message service center (MMSC) receives the connection establishment message 40 and detects that information about the characteristics of the wireless terminal MS has been transmitted in the message, the MMSC sends the message. The information about the characteristics of the wireless terminal MS included therein is transferred to the first data storage 56. After the connection establishment, the multimedia message service center MMSC has in the first data storage 56 up-to-date information on the characteristics of the wireless terminal MS. In addition to the characteristic information, information for identifying the wireless terminal MS is stored in the first data storage 56, so that the multimedia message service center MMSC has certain characteristic information for each wireless terminal. Can be determined. For example, it is possible to use an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) or some other unique identifier as information identifying the wireless terminal (MS).

The multimedia message service center (MMSC) responds to the connection establishment message with an acknowledgment message, where the wireless terminal (MS) is informed whether a connection can be established. For example, if a user of a terminal addressed as a receiver does not have a subscriber contract with the multimedia messaging service, the connection establishment may fail, for example, when the subscriber connection is closed due to unpaid bills.

When the connection is established, it is possible to initiate the transmission of the multimedia message from the multimedia message service center (MMSC) to the wireless terminal (MS). In order to optimize radio resources, the wireless terminal (MS) can select the best bearer for the transmission of each multimedia component.

In a system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wireless terminal (MS) determines the selection of the bearer based on some information transmitted in the notification message (30). This information typically includes information about the size and type of the multimedia message or the multimedia components that the multimedia message includes. The selection of the bearer may be performed based on only one of the characteristics of the multimedia message or the multimedia components included in the multimedia message. Thus, the selection of the bearer for each multimedia component included in the multimedia message may only be performed based on the size of the multimedia components, for example. Moreover, when decisions are made, the wireless terminal MS such as free memory capacity as well as any user configurable rules, priority of the multimedia message and the ability to handle different types of multimedia components and present them on the display. It is possible to take into account certain characteristics of. This processing power depends, among other things, on the hardware features of the wireless terminal (MS) as well as the programs installed on the wireless terminal (MS). The multimedia message may be retrieved from the multimedia message service center (MMSC), for example by the GET method specified in the WAP. In this method, the wireless terminal sends a GET request to the WAP gateway 15 in binary format to initiate the transmission of the multimedia message components. The gateway 15 converts the GET request 31 into a GET request according to the Internet protocol, for example into a GET request 32 and sends it to the multimedia message service center (MMSC).

In this system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at the application level, the wireless terminal (MS) transmits the multimedia message components that the wireless terminal (MS) can process to the multimedia message service center (MMSC). There is no need to ask for them individually. Thus, these components do not need to be identified in the GET request 31, but the multimedia message service center MMSC is determined from the characteristic information of the receiving wireless terminal MS and the first data storage 56 Select the multimedia message components stored in for transmission. Thus, if a multimedia message contains only components that the wireless terminal MS can process, it is not necessary for the GET request 31 to include information about these components. Correspondingly, if the multimedia message contains components that the wireless terminal MS cannot process, the following steps are taken in a system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. If the wireless terminal MS or its user also decides to receive components that the wireless terminal MS cannot directly process, the multimedia application of the wireless terminal MS may cause the components to Require transmission from (MMSC). Thus, these components are identified in the GET request 31. Such an operation may, for example, be performed on a computer such as a portable computer (not shown) which the user can handle multimedia message components that cannot be handled by the wireless terminal (MS) but can only be transmitted to the portable computer. This may be necessary when connecting a wireless terminal (MS).

On the other hand, if the user of the wireless terminal MS does not want to receive all the components that can be processed by the wireless terminal MS, the user may, for example, as provided before this description, The characteristic information of the wireless terminal MS may be changed in a corresponding manner in which the characteristic information is transmitted to the multimedia message service center MMSC.

The multimedia message service center (MMSC) examines the contents of the converted GET request 32 it receives and initiates the transmission of multimedia message components. The multimedia message service center (MMSC) stores the components included in the multimedia message transmitted to the wireless terminal (MS) in the first data storage unit 56 of the multimedia message service center (MMSC). The characteristic information of the terminal MS is compared. Based on the comparison, the multimedia message service center (MMSC) selects the components to be transmitted supported by the wireless terminal (MS). In addition, the multimedia message service center (MMSC) checks whether the wireless terminal has also requested the MMSC to send other possible components of the multimedia message. In this case, the MMSC also selects these components that are sent to the wireless terminal (MS). It is then possible to initiate the transmission 33 of the selected components of the multimedia message to the WAP gateway 15 via the IP connection, the WAP gateway 15 being a connection-oriented or connectionless service. Either one is used to transmit 34 the components / components to the wireless terminal MS via the bearer selected by the wireless terminal MS for the WSP session.

If the multimedia message sent comprises one or more types of multimedia components, the wireless terminal MS will have the bearers described above typically selected for the transmission of different types of multimedia components in a previously provided manner. Thus, the multimedia component that selects the bearer used in the WSP session in which the wireless terminal (MS) is in progress for transmission of the multimedia component is first transmitted. The change of bearer can be performed by putting the WSP session on hold by S-Suspend primitive and restarting it by S-Resume primitive. Thus, the bearer used in the WSP session can also be changed. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each component of the multimedia message selected for transmission is matched with the bearer (s) selected by the wireless terminal, for example in the MMSC. Thus, a suitable correspondence between the transmitted multimedia component (s) and the bearer (s) used for the transmission is achieved.

Thus, using the method according to the invention, it is not necessary to transmit information about the properties of the wireless terminal MS in connection with the transmission of each multimedia message, and thus a radio path when compared with the prior art method. It is possible to reduce message transmission on the network.

As described above, it is possible to define a fixed memory area for the first data store 56 of the multimedia message service center (MMSC) or an expandable memory area if necessary. When a fixed memory area is used, it may occur that the characteristic information of all required wireless communication stations is not suitable in the first data storage 56. Assume that the multimedia message service center (MMSC) receives a multimedia message addressed to such a wireless terminal whose characteristic information is not stored in the first data storage 56. As shown in FIG. In this case, it is possible for example to operate in such a way that the multimedia message service center MMSC searches the first data store 56 for expired property information. After the MMSC receives the characteristic information from the wireless terminal, the information is recorded on the expired information. If none of the property information has yet expired, the new property information is preferably recorded on the property information whose time label is substantially the oldest.

In practical applications, it is apparent that the storage capacity allocated for the first data store 56 cannot be expanded indefinitely. Thus, the above procedures described above in connection with the fixed memory area may also be necessary in connection with the expandable memory area. This situation can be met if the popularity of WAP communications has increased significantly, where there may be multimedia messages sent to many groups of wireless terminals (MS).

Although it has been described above that the wireless terminal MS transmits the characteristic information only when the multimedia message service center MMSC requires the characteristic information to be transmitted, the wireless terminal MS also receives the multimedia message service center ( It is clear that the characteristic information can be transmitted even if the MMSC) does not require the characteristic information. This may be necessary, for example, in such cases where the wireless terminal MS detects that the characteristics have changed since the previous transmission of the characteristic information to the multimedia message service center MMSC. The characteristics may change, for example in connection with software version updates or hardware changes. In such a case the property information is also preferably updated in connection with the connection establishment message 40.

The invention may also be implemented without WAP technology, in which case the implementation depends on the network in question. For example, communication between an Internet server and a wireless terminal (MS) implementing the functionality of a multimedia message service center (MMSC) is directly possible by packet switching using IP protocols. The radio path may for example be traversed using IP protocols on a packet network (GPRS) of the GSM network. In this case, the element connecting the wireless network and the Internet is a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) instead of a WAP gateway. In this case, the selection of bearers according to the invention can be made between bearers supported by the GPRS, which include, for example, GPRS-SMS, GPRS data calls and other bearers assigned to GPRS. Corresponding solutions are also possible in third generation networks.

Although in the above examples connection-oriented services have been used for the transmission of multimedia components to the wireless terminal (MS), it is evident that the present invention can also be applied when multimedia components are transmitted in a connectionless manner. Also in such an implementation, the multimedia message service center (MMSC) can examine the characteristic information of the wireless terminal in the first data storage 56 and can be processed by the wireless terminal MS for transmission. The components may be selected. If the multimedia message includes components that the wireless terminal MS cannot process, the multimedia message service center (MMSC) may preferably transmit information about these components to the wireless terminal. In this case, the wireless terminal MS may individually request that these components be transmitted.

The invention can be implemented by a program by making the necessary changes to the program code in the wireless terminal MS and in the multimedia message service center MMSC. The computer program products may be recorded on a data carrier, for example in memory, and they may be transferred and executed, for example, on a computer or on a microprocessor of a mobile phone. Program changes necessary in connection with the implementation of changes in the MMI data structure are performed at the WAP gateway interface of the multimedia message service center (MMSC).

Figure 3 illustrates the basic functional parts of a wireless terminal (MS) to which the method according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is applied. The wireless terminal MS includes a processor (MPU) and parts functionally connected to the processor: a memory (MEM), a user interface (UI) and a wireless unit (RF). The processor (MPU) is preferably a microprocessor, micro-controller or digital signal processing unit (Digital Signal Processor (DSP)). Preferably, the memory MEM includes a non-volatile memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM). The radio part RF may transmit radio frequency signals, such as messages according to the WAP protocol, and receive radio frequency signals, such as multimedia messages, via an antenna ANT. Preferably, the user interface (UI) provides a display and a keyboard to the user to enable the operation of the wireless terminal.

Software of the wireless terminal (MS), and also software associated with the implementation of the multimedia messaging service, is typically stored in the read-only memory. Based on the software, the processor (MPU) is responsible for the functionality of the wireless terminal (MS), for example the use of the radio (RF), the display of the messages on the user interface (UI) and the user interface (UI). Control reading of input received from The software, which can be implemented in various ways, preferably includes program blocks responsible for implementing the different procedures. These procedures may include providing the user with the multimedia components included in the multimedia messages as well as procedures related to the transmission and reception of messages such as, for example, preparation of characteristic information for checking and transmitting update request information. Include associated procedures. In the wireless terminal (MS), the multimedia messaging service is implemented by the processor (MPU) together with the software and the memory (MEM) of the wireless terminal. The processor (MPU) uses the random access memory as a temporary buffer memory when processing information.

The block diagram of FIG. 4 illustrates the functional blocks of the multimedia message service center (MMSC) in connection with an implementation of the present invention. The multimedia message service center (MMSC) includes a WAP gateway interface 51, via which the multimedia message service center (MMSC) communicates with the WAP gateway 15. Communication with other networks outside the WAP system is performed via an external interface 52 and communication with other multimedia message service centers is performed via an MMSC interface 53. The first data storage unit 56 is a database in which information about the characteristics of the wireless terminals is recorded and stored. The second data storage unit 54 is a database in which multimedia messages are recorded and stored. The control unit 55 controls the function of the multimedia message service center (MMSC). Moreover, the multimedia message service center (MMSC) typically includes several blocks related to authentication and maintenance of the multimedia message service center (MMSC), but is not shown in the accompanying FIG. 4 for clarity.

Multimedia messages addressed to the wireless terminal MS arrive at the multimedia message service center MMSC via one of their interfaces 51-53 and are stored in the second data storage 54. The notification message 30 sent to the wireless terminal MS is preferably generated at the WAP gateway interface 51 in accordance with the command of the control unit 55. The transmission of the notification message 30 takes place via the WAP gateway interface 51. In addition, the multimedia messages retrieved from the multimedia message service center (MMSC) by the wireless terminal (MS), or the multimedia components included in the multimedia messages, are sequentially transmitted through the same path. MS) (33).

It is apparent that the invention is not limited to the embodiments provided above, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (52)

A method for transmitting multimedia messages in a multimedia messaging system between a server 20 and a wireless terminal (MS) by a communication network (12, 15, 18) comprising a wireless path, comprising one or more components and comprising the wireless terminal ( In a method in which a multimedia message addressed to MS) is received at the server 20 and a user profile containing information on the characteristics of the wireless terminal MS is stored at the server 20, Information about the characteristics of the wireless terminal MS included in the user profile is used to determine whether the multimedia message contains any component that the wireless terminal MS can process, and that component is When included in the multimedia message, the component is transmitted to the wireless terminal (MS), wherein the wireless terminal (MS) does not explicitly identify the component to the multimedia messaging system. The wireless terminal (MS) of claim 1, wherein the wireless terminal (MS) sends a request to the multimedia messaging system, and the request does not identify a component that the wireless terminal (MS) can process in the request. MS) to initiate transmission of at least one component of the multimedia message. The method of claim 1, wherein the component of the multimedia message that can be processed by the wireless terminal (MS) is transmitted to the wireless terminal (MS) without the wireless terminal (MS) transmitting a transmission request. . 4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said information about the characteristics of said wireless terminal (MS) comprises information on the available memory of said wireless terminal (MS). 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the information about the characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS) comprises information about the ability of the wireless terminal (MS) to process any type of component. The method of claim 5, wherein the ability of the wireless terminal (MS) to handle any type of component is characterized by the hardware characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS), the software characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS), the wireless terminal ( MS) is determined by at least one of the software characteristics of the accessory device connected to the MS). The method of claim 1, wherein a notification message (30) indicating that the multimedia message has been received by the server (20) is transmitted to the wireless terminal (MS), and information on characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS) is obtained. It is determined whether or not it is stored in the server 20, and if the information is not stored in the server 20, a characteristic information update request 38 is included in the notification message 30, and the wireless terminal (MS), in response to receiving the characteristic information update request (38), transmits information about its characteristics to the server (20). Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the maximum valid time is determined for information on the characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS) stored in the server (20). 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining whether a maximum valid time defined for information about characteristics of the wireless terminal MS stored in the server 20 has been exceeded, in which case characteristic information. An update request (38) is included in the notification message (30). 10. The information on the characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS) stored in the server (20) when no response to the characteristic information update request (38) is received from the wireless terminal (MS). Used as information about the characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS). The wireless terminal (MS) according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein a connection establishment request message (40) is connected to the wireless terminal (MS) to establish a connection for transmission of at least one component of the multimedia message. (MS) is sent from the MS to the multimedia messaging system, and checked to determine whether the notification message 30 includes a feature information update request 38, and information about the properties of the wireless terminal MS is And from said wireless terminal (MS) in said connection establishment request message (40) to said multimedia messaging system. The wireless terminal (MS) according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein a connection establishment request message (40) is connected to the wireless terminal (MS) to establish a connection for transmission of at least one component of the multimedia message. (MS) is sent from the MS to the multimedia messaging system, and checked to determine whether the notification message 30 includes a feature information update request 38, and information about the properties of the wireless terminal MS is And from said wireless terminal (MS) together with said connection establishment request message (40). The method of claim 1, wherein said wireless terminal (MS) is a WAP terminal. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the server (20) is a multimedia message service center (MMSC). 14. The method of claim 13, wherein a user agent profile (Uaprof) information transmission message in accordance with the WAP specification is used to transmit information about characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS). 14. A connection establishment request message (40) from said wireless terminal (MS) to said multimedia messaging system for establishing a connection for transmission of at least one component of said multimedia message to said wireless terminal (MS). Is transmitted, and during the connection establishment, a user agent profile (Uaprof) information transmission message according to a WAP specification is used to transmit information about characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS). 2. A method according to claim 1, for transmitting a component of a multimedia message which cannot be processed by the wireless terminal MS based on information on the characteristics of the wireless terminal MS included in the user profile. And wherein said wireless terminal (MS) transmits a transmission request identifying said component. The server comprises a multimedia message including a communication network (12, 15, 18), a server (20), and a wireless terminal (MS) including a wireless path and comprising one or more components and addressed to the wireless terminal (MS). Means (51), (52), (53) for receiving at the server and means for storing in said server (20) a user profile comprising information about the characteristics of said wireless terminal (MS). In Means (55) for using information about the characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS) included in the user profile to determine whether the multimedia message includes which component the wireless terminal (MS) can process. And means 51 for transmitting such components to the wireless terminal MS, wherein the wireless terminal MS comprises means 51 that do not explicitly identify the component to the multimedia messaging system. Characterized in that the multimedia messaging system. 19. The device of claim 18, wherein said wireless terminal (MS) comprises means for sending a request to said multimedia messaging system, said request without identifying a component that said wireless terminal (MS) can process in said request. And initiate the transmission of at least one component of the multimedia message to the wireless terminal (MS). 19. The method of claim 18, comprising means for transmitting the components of the multimedia message that the wireless terminal MS can process to the wireless terminal MS without transmitting the transmission request. Characterized in that the multimedia messaging system. 21. The multimedia messaging according to any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein said information about the characteristics of said wireless terminal (MS) comprises information on the available memory of said wireless terminal (MS). system. 19. The multimedia messaging system of claim 18, wherein said information about the characteristics of said wireless terminal (MS) comprises information about said wireless terminal (MS) 's ability to handle any type of component. . 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the ability of the wireless terminal (MS) to handle any type of component is characterized by the hardware characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS), the software characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS), the wireless terminal ( MS) is determined by at least one of the software characteristics of the accessory device connected to the MS). 19. The system of claim 18, comprising means (18, 15, 12) for sending a notification message (30) to the wireless terminal (MS) to indicate that the multimedia message has been received at the server (20). Means for determining whether information about characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS) is stored in the server 20, and if the information is not stored in the server 20, the characteristic information update request ( Means 55 for including 38 in the notification message 30, the wireless terminal MS responding to the reception of the characteristic information update request 38; And means (MPU, RF, ANT) for transmitting information on the server (20). 19. A multimedia messaging system according to claim 18, wherein a maximum valid time is determined for information about characteristics of said wireless terminal (MS) stored in said server (20). 26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising: means (55) for determining whether a maximum valid time defined for information about characteristics of said wireless terminal (MS) stored in said server (20) has been exceeded, and said maximum valid time is Means (55) for including a property information update request (38) in said notification message (30) if exceeded. 27. The information on the characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS) stored in the server (20) when no response to the characteristic information update request (38) is received from the wireless terminal (MS). And to be used as information about characteristics of said wireless terminal (MS). 28. A connection establishment request message according to any one of claims 24 to 27, wherein said wireless terminal (MS) sets up a connection for transmission of at least one component of said multimedia message to said wireless terminal (MS). Means (MPU, RF, ANT) for transmitting 40 from the wireless terminal MS to the multimedia messaging system, wherein the wireless terminal MS receives the characteristic information update request 38; A terminal (MS) is configured to transmit information on characteristics of said wireless terminal (MS) to said multimedia messaging system in said connection establishment request message (40). 28. A connection establishment request message according to any one of claims 24 to 27, wherein said wireless terminal (MS) sets up a connection for transmission of at least one component of said multimedia message to said wireless terminal (MS). Means (MPU, RF, ANT) for transmitting 40 from the wireless terminal MS to the multimedia messaging system, wherein the system determines whether the notification message 30 includes a characteristic information update request 38. Means for inspecting the notification message 30 to determine whether the wireless terminal MS includes information about characteristics of the wireless terminal MS in the connection establishment request message 40; Means for transmitting from said wireless terminal (MS) to said multimedia messaging system (MPU, RF, ANT). 19. The multimedia messaging system of claim 18, wherein said wireless terminal (MS) is a WAP terminal. 19. The multimedia messaging system of claim 18, wherein the server (20) is a multimedia message service center (MMSC). 31. The multimedia messaging system of claim 30, configured to use a user agent profile (Uaprof) information transmission message according to the WAP specification to transmit information about characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS). 32. The system of claim 30, wherein the wireless terminal (MS) is connected to the multimedia messaging system from the wireless terminal (MS) to establish a connection for transmission of at least one component of the multimedia message to the wireless terminal (MS). Means for transmitting a connection establishment request message 40 (MPU, RF, ANT), and for transmitting information about the characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS) during the connection establishment; Uaprof) multimedia messaging system configured to use an information transfer message. A server (20) for use in a multimedia messaging system, the multimedia messaging system comprising a communication network (12, 15, 18) and a wireless terminal (MS) comprising a wireless path, comprising one or more components and Means (51, 52, 53) for receiving a multimedia message addressed to a wireless terminal (MS) at the server (20), and a user profile comprising information about the characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS); 20. A server 20 comprising means for storing in 20), Means (55) for using information about the characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS) included in the user profile to determine whether the multimedia message includes which component the wireless terminal (MS) can process. And means 51 for transmitting such components to the wireless terminal MS, wherein the wireless terminal MS comprises means 51 that do not explicitly identify the component to the multimedia messaging system. Characterized by a server 20. 35. The server (20) of claim 34, wherein a maximum valid time is determined for information about characteristics of said wireless terminal (MS) stored in said server (20). 37. The apparatus of claim 34 or 35, further comprising: means for transmitting a notification message 30 from the server 20 to the wireless terminal MS indicating that the multimedia message has been received at the server 20; Means for determining whether or not information on characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS) is stored in the server (20), wherein the information is stored in the server (20). Means for including a property information update request 38 in the notification message 30, if not stored therein, and means for receiving information about properties of the wireless terminal MS from the wireless terminal MS ( 51) further comprising server. 36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein means 55 for determining whether a maximum valid time defined for information about characteristics of the wireless terminal MS stored in the server 20 has been exceeded, and the maximum valid time is Means (55) for including a property information update request (38) in said notification message (30) if exceeded. 35. The server (20) of claim 34, wherein said server (20) is a Multimedia Message Service Center (MMSC). A wireless terminal (MS) for use in a multimedia messaging system, the multimedia messaging system comprising a communication network (12, 15, 18) and a server (20) comprising a wireless path, comprising one or more components and Means (51, 52, 53) for receiving a multimedia message addressed to a wireless terminal (MS) at the server (20), and a user profile comprising information about the characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS); 20. A wireless terminal (MS) comprising means for storing in 20), The wireless terminal (MS) comprises means for sending a request to the multimedia messaging system, wherein the request does not identify a component that the wireless terminal (MS) can process in the request and the wireless terminal (MS). And initiate transmission of at least one component of the multimedia message. 40. The wireless terminal (MS) of claim 39, wherein said information about characteristics of said wireless terminal (MS) comprises information about the available memory of said wireless terminal (MS). 41. The method of claim 39 or 40, wherein the information about the characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS) comprises information about the ability of the wireless terminal (MS) to handle any type of component. Wireless terminal (MS). 42. The wireless terminal (MS) of claim 41, wherein the ability of the wireless terminal (MS) to handle any type of component is characterized in that the hardware characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS), the software characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS), the wireless terminal ( MS) characterized by at least one of the software characteristics of the accessory device connected to the MS). 40. The method of claim 39, wherein the notification message 30 indicating that the multimedia message has been received by the server 20 receives a notification message 30 sent from the server 20 to the wireless terminal MS. Means (55) comprising means (18, 15, 12), said means (55) for determining whether said notification message (30) includes a characteristic information update request (38), and said notification message (30) is a characteristic information update request. (38), characterized in that it further comprises means (MPU, RF, ANT) for transmitting information on the characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS) from the wireless terminal (MS) to the server 20 Wireless terminal (MS). 40. The wireless terminal (MS) of claim 39, wherein said wireless terminal (MS) is a WAP terminal. 45. A wireless terminal (MS) as claimed in claim 44, configured to use a user agent profile (Uaprof) information transmission message according to the WAP specification to transmit information about the characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS). 45. A connection establishment request message (40) from said wireless terminal (MS) to said multimedia messaging system for establishing a connection for transmission of at least one component of said multimedia message to said wireless terminal (MS). Means for transmitting a message (MPU, RF, ANT), and use a user agent profile (Uaprof) information transmission message according to the WAP specification to transmit information about the characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS) during the connection establishment And a wireless terminal (MS). 40. The transmission request of claim 39, wherein the transmission request identifies a component of a multimedia message that cannot be processed by the wireless terminal MS based on information on the characteristics of the wireless terminal MS included in the user profile. Wireless terminal (MS), characterized in that it comprises means for transmitting (MPU, RF, ANT). A storage medium having recorded thereon a computer program for use in a server 20 of a multimedia messaging system comprising a communication network (12, 15, 18) including a wireless path and at least one wireless terminal (MS), The computer program includes instructions for storing information on characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS) in the server (20); Instructions for receiving and storing at the server 20 a multimedia message comprising one or more components; Instructions for sending a notification message for the multimedia message to the wireless terminal (MS) via the communication network; Further comprising instructions for using information about characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS) included in the user profile to determine whether the multimedia message includes a component that can be processed by the wireless terminal (MS); , Instructions for sending the notification message, if it is determined that the multimedia message includes a component that can be processed by the wireless terminal, the wireless terminal (MS) does not explicitly specify the component in the multimedia messaging system. And instructions for transmitting the multimedia message to the wireless terminal. A wireless terminal (MS) of a multimedia messaging system comprising a communication network (12, 15, 18) including a wireless path and at least one server (20) storing a user profile containing information about the characteristics of the wireless terminal (MS). Is a storage medium that records computer programs used in The computer program, Instructions for receiving a notification message for a multimedia message including one or more components from the server; Instructions for receiving a multimedia message comprising one or more components from the server (20) via the communications network (12, 15, 18); And Instructions for sending a request to the server to initiate transmission of at least one component of the multimedia message, And said request does not explicitly specify a component that said wireless terminal (MS) can process. delete delete delete

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