Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q30/00—Commerce
  • G06Q30/06—Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method for provid- ing unique content in a system comprising a subscriber terminal device provided with a unique identifier, a telecommunication network and a content server to be controlled with control information.
• the invention relates to the creation of im- ages and tones to be sent to a terminal device and to sending them from the server to the terminal device.
• the image and tone contents have been created manually to be stored in the server's memory. From a set of contents maintained by the server, the users of the terminal devices have requested or ordered these image and tone contents to their terminal devices. Typically, the contents have been identifying logos or ring tones to be used in the terminal devices. Further, in the case of personal computers, the contents have included e.g. wall paper or screen saver programs which produce the desired image on the computer's screen that relates to a particular program.
• the predetermined set of contents has been limited quantitatively. Thus, it has not been possible to store on the server an infinite number of various contents. Furthermore, all the contents of this predetermined set of contents have been available to any user within the same terminal device category. Thus, it has not been possible for a user to order for himself or herself a completely unique content.
• a unique content is a highly sought-after fea- ture among the users. Very often the users wish to have e.g. a completely unique identifying logo or ring tone, on their mobile station or a completely unique screen saver image on their computer. Further, it has not been possible in the prior-art solutions to create an infinite number of various contents, i.e.
• Fig. 1 shows a prior-art situation in which a particular content, i.e. herein an image 106, 108 is retrieved from a server 104 to a mobile station 102 to be displayed on the mobile station's display 110.
• a particular content i.e. herein an image 106, 108 is retrieved from a server 104 to a mobile station 102 to be displayed on the mobile station's display 110.
• the contents i.e. the images 106, 108 have been chosen from a predetermined, limited set of images.
• the objective of the invention is to disclose a new type of method, system and server for creating unique contents such as images and tones and for sending them from the server to the mobile station.
• One specific objective of the invention is to also facilitate the problems of the prior-art solutions referred to above.
• One further objective of the invention is to create a method, server and system which enable one to create personalised i.e. unique contents for the users of terminal devices.
• These unique contents include e.g. the wall papers of a Screensaver or of a display of your personal computer, so-called operator logos on your mobile station, and tone contents, e.g. modified ring tones and title songs.
• Title songs can be used e.g. as a ring tone.
• the method in accordance with the invention enables one to dynamically create personalised, unique contents for the users who wish to individualise their own digital devices, e.g. a computer, PDA device or mobile station.
• the method in accordance with the invention comprises the steps of sending from a subscriber terminal device a content request provided with the aforementioned unique identifier to a telecommunication network; transmitting the aforementioned content request from the aforementioned telecommunication net- work to the aforementioned content server; creating, in response to the aforementioned unique identifier and to the aforementioned control information, unique content parameters in the aforementioned content server; creating, in response to the aforementioned content parameters, a unique content using the aforementioned content parameters; sending the aforementioned unique content to the aforementioned subscriber terminal device by way of the telecommunication network.
• the invention further relates to a system for providing unique content, the system comprising a subscriber terminal device provided with a unique identi- bomb, a telecommunication network and a content server to be controlled with control information.
• the subscriber terminal device in accordance with the invention comprises means for sending the content request provided with the aforementioned unique identifier from the subscriber terminal device to the telecommunication network.
• the aforementioned system for providing unique content comprises means for transmitting the aforementioned content request from the aforementioned telecommunication network to the aforementioned content server.
• the aforementioned content server comprises: means in response to the aforementioned unique identifier and the aforementioned control information for creating, unique content parameters, means in response to the aforementioned content parameters for creating unique content using the aforementioned content parameters, and transmission means for sending the aforementioned unique content to the aforementioned subscriber terminal device by way of the telecommunication network.
• the invention relates to the creation of unique contents and their transmission to a terminal device which has submitted a request for obtaining a unique content for its use.
• the content server in response to the unique identifier of the terminal device and to the control information, creates the unique content parameters and generates by means of them a unique content which is sent back to the terminal device.
• the unique content parameters are created using the terminal device's unique identifier. This is to ensure that all the content parameters that are created and also the contents really are unique.
• a fractal algorithm is used in the creation of the unique contents. It enables one to ensure that all the contents that are created certainly are unique .
• the invention has the advantage that the method and system in accordance with the invention solve the creation of personalised and truly unique contents, in telecommunication and data processing sys- tems. Furthermore, the method and system in accordance with the invention enable the creation of content with an n number of pieces dynamically without the content provider having to execute any procedures .
• the invention further has the advantage that it offers the possibility of personalisation dynamically and cost-effectively. Furthermore, the invention enables one to save storage capacity compared to the fact that the corresponding contents would be created beforehand one by one and saved beforehand on the storage media of the system, and would be transmitted to the subscribers when necessary.
• Fig. 1 shows a prior-art method and system in which predetermined images are ordered to a terminal device .
• Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a system in accordance with the invention
• Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the structure of the system in accordance with the invention
• Fig. 4 is a functional diagram illustrating a method and system in accordance with the invention
• Fig. 5 is a functional diagram illustrating the method and system in accordance with the invention
• Fig. 6 is a flow chart illustrating the implementation of the system in accordance with the in- vention
• Fig. 7 is a flow chart illustrating the implementation of the method in accordance with the invention when as the content, an image is created
• Fig. 8 is a flow chart illustrating the im- plementation of the method in accordance with the. invention when as the content, an image is created,
• Fig. 9 is a flow chart illustrating the implementation of the method in. accordance with the invention when as the content, an image is created
• Fig. 10 is a flow, chart illustrating the implementation of the method in accordance with the invention when as the content, a tone is created
• Fig. 11 is a functional diagram illustrating the method and system of the invention
• Fig. 12 is a flow, chart illustrating the implementation of the method in accordance with the invention when the unique content is created using fractal technology
• Fig. 13 is block diagram showing the struc- ture of the system in accordance with the invention.
• Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a sys- tem in accordance with the invention.
• the figure shows a first 202 and a second 204 mobile station which, send a message requesting content 214, 216 to a server 206 by way of a telecommunication network 215.
• This telecommunication network typically is a telephone net- work, internet network, mobile communication network or some other telecommunication network-.
• an identifier individualising the terminal device e.g. a user identifier, a telephone number, a device identifier, a MAC or IP address is used when creating the parameters for a content generator 206, herein for an image generator, which herein has been placed in the server 218.
• the image generator creates unique images using the aforementioned identifier individualising the terminal device and an algorithm which is capable of creating unique contents, in particular image contents.
• the unique images have been created using a fractal algorithm.
• the fractal algorithm is the Mandelbrot fractal algorithm, which is generally known in the field. It is also possible to use other fractal algorithms.
• Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a content generator (Fig. 2, 206) . By means of this new content generator it is possible, based on the identifier individualising the user, e.g. a user identifier, to dynamically create a unique content to be sent to the user.
• the content generator is an image generator 304 or a tone generator.
• an identifier such as e.g. a number sequence 987654321 that individualises the user is obtained from the source system. Based on this number, a numerical encoder 308, 302 modifies the identifier to serve as the parameters of the generator. If there is a wish to generate a unique tone content, the numerical encoder 302 sends the parameters of the generator to a tone generator 306. In case it is a question about an image generator 304, the input parameters can be used to control e.g. the colours, shades, brightness or other attributes.
• the desired content e.g. a wall paper, some other image or a ring tone can be created completely computationally or based on a predetermined piece of source data i.e. a content model.
• Source data of this kind can be e.g. a source image to which the amendments are made, either randomly or based on an individualising identifier.
• the encoder 302 modifies the identifier to suit the parameters needed by the tone generator 306, based on which it is possible to control the tone attributes., e.g. intensities, melodies,- drums and other corresponding attributes.
• a MIDI tone has melodies of 16 different levels and drums 128.
• One implementation mode is to use as the content generator, e.g. as the image generator, software applications based on fractal algorithms that create unique contents by means of the fractals. Typically, these contents are images. Characteristic of the fractal computation is infinity and continuation of the figure into infinity. If, for example, you think that the images 208 and 210 shown in Fig. 2 are three- dimensional, i.e. you consider the situation deep from inside the image, then when modifying the images using fractals, the same images are repeated into infinity e.g. in such a manner that their colours and shapes change a little. This effect is achieved using a particular algorithm, and by changing its values, various two-dimensional images are obtained. The values to be used, which are e.g.
• initial values are obtained e.g. from the identifier that individualises the user or subscriber.
• the encoder 308, 302 inputs into the algorithm of the content generator the pa- rameters that have been obtained from the identifier that individualises the subscriber or user, e.g. from a telephone number or some other identifier.
• the content generator as shown in Fig. 3, i.e. an image generator 304 or a tone generator 306, sends the content, an image 310 or a ' tone 312, to a target system 314, 316.
• the target system can be e.g. a mobile station or a computer connected to a telecommunication system.
• Fig. 4 is a functional diagram illustrating an encoder 402 in accordance with the invention.
• This encoder in accordance with the invention can receive and generate XML, text or binary data, or it can be something else that defines the parameters that are input into the content generator 404.
• the encoder would be a general-purpose one, its con-, trol information 406 must be capable of being parame- tred
• Fig. 4 is an example of the control information 406 of the encoder in practice. The following is an example of the control information to be input into the encoder 402.
• control information 406 to be input into the encoder 402 ⁇ control> ⁇ output> ⁇ channel> ⁇ id> 1 ⁇ /id> ⁇ range> 1-10 ⁇ /range> ⁇ scale> l ⁇ /scale> ⁇ type>int ⁇ /t pe> ⁇ /channel> ⁇ channel> ⁇ id>2 ⁇ /id> ⁇ range>l-128 ⁇ /range> ⁇ scale>l ⁇ /scale> ⁇ type>int ⁇ /type> ⁇ /channel> ⁇ channel> ⁇ channel> ⁇ id>3 ⁇ /id> ⁇ range>- 1.0- 1.0 ⁇ /range> ⁇ scale>0. l ⁇ /scale> ⁇ type>double ⁇ /typex/channel>
• control information is also possible to build encoders with inbuilt controls which thus do not need control information.
• the outcoming data depends on the definitions of the control information.
• One part of the control information is the identifier individualising the subscriber 408, 987654321, which individualises the subscriber.
• both the individualising identifier 408 and the control information 406 are input into the encoder 402.
• the encoder 402 processes 410 the identifier and modifies 412 the value to be output.
• the modification is performed based on the control information 406.
• the modification can be performed using e.g. a computation equation (value*scaling factor) /maximum range. Thus, it can be described in the programming as follows: (value*scale/max. range) .
• the obtained value can consist of one or more numbers.
• the result 420 of the modifica- tion is buffered 414 and sent to an output 418 at a suitable moment of time 416, from which output it pro- ceeds into the content generator 404.
• This content generator can be e.g. an image generator or a tone generator.
• the following shows an example, by means of programming language, of an output 418, which is sent to the content generator '404.
• Fig. 5 is a functional diagram illustrating a content generator in accordance with the invention.
• Fig. 4 and the description above corresponding to it show the output parameters (Fig. 4, 418) of the encoder 502, which parameters are input from the encoder 502 into the content generator 504.
• Fig. 5 shows, by means of programming language, an example of an input 506 to be input into the content generator 504.
• the parameters outcoming from the encoder 502 are directed to the content generator 504, such as an image generator, which reads 508 the parameters and inputs 508 the value into the content creation and creates 512 the content by means of its own algorithm or a separate modifier.
• the content generator 514 saves the obtained content.
• the content 520 is sent back to the terminal device 518.
• the content is an image in the case of an image generator, and in the case of a tone generator, the content is a tone content .
• Fig. 6 is a flow chart illustrating the implementation of the method in accordance with the in- vention.
• a terminal device 602 gives its own identifier to a personalisation system, e.g. an encoder (402, Fig. 4), which saves 612 the identifier to memory.
• control information 604 (Fig. 4, 406) is input into the encoder, the con- trol information being first processed 606 and then input 608 into the encoder.
• the encoder allocates 614 a memory in accordance with the control and sets the variables. In that case, both the identifier of the terminal device and the control informa- tion 604 are needed.
• the encoder processes 616 the following identification value and selects 620 the encoding equation to be used based on the control information 610 and calculates the parameter.
• the parameter is saved 622 after this to memory.
• it is checked 624 whether the iteration has been completed 628 or not 626. In case the iteration has not been completed, it is proceeded with step 616. If, in turn, the iteration has been completed 628, the procedure is continued so that the encoder creates 630 a list of parameters and sends 632 the parameter values to the content generator (Fig. 5, 508; Fig. 4, 404) .
• the content generator can be an image or tone generator. The.
• the content generator reads and saves 636 the parameters to memory and inputs 638 the parameters into memory for calculation, which memory has been allocated 640.
• the content generator calculates 642 an algorithm for creating a content.
• Various content algor rithms have been shown in this description in conjunction with Figs. 7-10.
• the sum of the algorithm is gen- erated 644 and saved to memory. After this, it is checked 646 whether the algorithm for content creation has been completed. In case the algorithm has not been completed, the execution of the program gets back 648 to step 642 of calculating the algorithm, and proceeds thenceforth. If the execution of the algorithm has, in turn, been completed, the execution of the algorithm proceeds 650 with step 652, at which the sum of the algorithm is sent to the terminal device for further utilisation.
• Fig. 7 is a flow cart illustrating the implementation of the method in accordance with the inven- tion when as the content an image is created.
• the image generator first introduces 702 the parameters and determines the colour of a pixel situated at location (x, y) .
• a pixel is plotted at location (x, y) .
• the execution of the method gets back to step 704. If, in turn, it is detected that the plotting is not unfinished but the whole image ' has already been plotted 712, then the plotted image is saved 714.
• FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating the implementation of the method on accordance with the . invention when as the content an image is created.
• the image generator first introduces 802 the parameters. These image parameters [parameterl] are retrieved.804 to be utilised by the generator. Next, the image is painted 806 by a colour using a second parameter [parameter] , value 16 functioning as an example. After this, the image is retrieved using a third parameter [parameters] . After this, the images are pasted 810 and saved 812.
• Fig. 9 is a flow chart illustrating the implementation of the method in accordance with the invention when as the content, an image is created.
• the parameters are retrieved 902 and the loca- tion of the image is determined 904 using the parameters referred to above [parameter 1, parameter 2] , and after that, a three-dimensional one is plotted 906 using the third parameter [parameter3] .
• the colour of the image is determined 908 using a parame- ter 4 [the value of the parameter is 16] .
• the program determines to which angle the image is located using in the determination a parameter 5 [parameter ⁇ ] .
• Fig. 10 is a flow chart illustrating the . implementation of the method in accordance with the invention when as the content, a tone is created.
• the desired tone and parameters are introduced 1002.
• the intensity of the tone to be created is determined 1004, e.g. the minimum of the parameters showing the smallest possible intensity of the tone, and an additional parameter [parameter 1] by means of which it is determined how much louder the- final tone to be created will be heard in relation to the minimum tone.
• the method determines the instrument to be used in the tone using parameter 2 e.g.
• the program determines 1008.
• a second instrument to be used using parameter 3 e.g. as follows [param 3%127] .
• the corresponding determination phases of instruments can be repeated 1010 several times according to how many instruments are desired.
• the modified tone i.e. the data for repeating the tone in the subscriber's hardware, is saved.
• the following shows, by way of example, a software application by means of which it is possible to create contents utilising e.g. the Mandel fractal algorithm.
• the aforementioned algorithm is used to create an image which corresponds e.g. to the image 520 shown in Fig. 5.
• double px, py; double zx, zy; double delta (bean. width ⁇ bean.height) ? (double) (2.0*bean.radius / bean.width)
• Fig. 11 is a functional diagram illustrating a method and system in accordance with the invention.
• a terminal device 1102 typically its user, selects what kind of image he or she wishes to order, for himself/herself .
• the image can be e.g. a car, a star or a fractal image which has been made to be unique with respect to its appearance.
• the figure shows a numerical encoder 1104 which has blocks for calculating various image parameters; star parameters 1106, car parameters 1112 and fractal parameters 1114.
• the parameters are introduced 1130, 1132, 1134, as shown in the figure, into an image generator 1108, each into its own image creation algorithm.
• the parameters of the star image are introduced into the creation algorithm 1140 of the star image 1120, the parameters of the car image 1124 are introduced into the corresponding algorithm 1116, and the parameters of the fractal image 1126 are introduced into the corresponding algorithm 1118.
• each algorithm generates the image that it was meant to generate.
• This content server in accordance with the inven- tion has, in addition, means 1120 for creating the encoders and the generators .
• Fig. 12 is a flow chart illustrating a method of the invention when fractal technology is used in the creation of the unique content.
• This method in ac- cordance with the invention comprises e.g. the steps of determining 1202 the allowed location area of the fractal parameters, examining 1204 whether the fractal parameter to be used is situated in the aforementioned allowed location area of fractal parameters; in case the fractal parameter to be used is not situated 1206 in the aforementioned allowed location area of fractal parameters, a new fractal parameter is created 1208; and in case the fractal parameter to be used is situated in the aforementioned allowed location area of fractal parameters, a unique content is created 1210 using the aforementioned fractal parameter.
• FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a system in. accordance with the invention for providing unique content.
• the system shown herein comprises a subscriber terminal device (Fig. 2, 202) provided with a unique identifier, a telecommunication network (Fig. 2, 215) and a content server to be- controlled with control information.
• the subscriber terminal device as shown in Fig. 2 comprises means 1302 for sending a content request provided with the aforementioned unique identifier from the subscriber terminal device 202, 204 to the telecommunication network 215.
• the system in accordance with the invention comprises means 1304 for sending the aforementioned content request from the aforementioned telecommunication network to the aforementioned content server 208.
• the aforementioned content server 402 further comprises the following parts: means 1306 in response to the aforementioned unique identifier 408 and to the aforementioned control information 406 for creating 412 unique content parameters, as well as means 1308 in response to the aforementioned content parameters for creating 512 a unique content using the aforemen- tioned content parameters, and further transmission means 1310 for sending 516 the aforementioned unique content to the aforementioned subscriber terminal device 518 by way of the telecommunication network.
• the aforementioned unique identifier 408 can be one of the following identifiers or addresses: subscriber identifier, sub- scriber's MAC address, subscriber's ISDN address, subscriber's IP address, subscriber's e-mail address.
• the aforementioned means for creating content parameters comprise: means 1312 for receiving 408 the aforementioned unique identifier and- the aforementioned control information into the content server 402, means 1314 for processing 410 the aforementioned identifier, means 1316 in response to the aforemen- tioned identifier and to the aforementioned control information for modifying 412 the value of the aforementioned content parameter, storage means 1318 for saving 414 the value of the aforementioned content parameter, and transmission means 1320 for sending 416 the value of the aforementioned content parameter to the content generator ' 514.
• the aforementioned means 1316 for modifying 412 the value of the aforementioned content parameter are adapted to modify 412 the value of the content parameter using the aforementioned identifier and the aforementioned control information, implementing the equation value*scaling factor/maximum range.
• the aforementioned means 1308 for creating a unique content comprise: means 1318 for receiving 506 the content parameters and inputting 508 them into the content generator 514; means 1320 in response to the aforementioned content parameters for creating 512 a unique content; storage means 1322 for saving 514 the aforementioned unique content; and means 1324 for sending 516 the aforementioned unique content to the aforementioned subscriber terminal device 518.
• the aforementioned unique content can be a unique image 520.
• This image can be selected from the following set of images: a screen saver, image, an operator logo, a wall paper.
• the aforementioned unique, identifier can be a unique tone, which can further be a unique ring tone.
• the aforementioned unique content can be created 512 by using fractal technology 520.
• the system in accordance, with the invention can comprise: means 1328 for determining 1302 the location area of the allowed fractal parameters, and means 1330 for examining 1204 whether the fractal parameter to be used is situated in the afore- mentioned allowed location area of fractal parameters, which means 1330 are adapted, in case the fractal parameter to be used is not situated 1206 in the aforementioned allowed location area of fractal parameters, to create a new fractal parameter; and in case the fractal parameter to be used is situated 1208 in the aforementioned allowed location area of fractal parameters, to start the creation 1210 of the aforementioned unique content using the aforementioned fractal parameter.
• the aforementioned unique content can be created by using one more fractal technologies which can be selected from the following technologies: the Mendelson technology, Julian Set technology and the Iterated Function System technology.

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Citations (4)

• 2002
  • 2002-12-30 FI FI20022284A patent/FI113711B/fi active
• 2003
  • 2003-12-30 EP EP03782498A patent/EP1584052A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-12-30 AU AU2003290136A patent/AU2003290136A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-12-30 WO PCT/FI2003/000991 patent/WO2004059541A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

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