WO2005079084A1

WO2005079084A1 - A method and device for interactive communication

Info

Publication number: WO2005079084A1
Application number: PCT/IB2004/000327
Authority: WO
Inventors: Claus Aagaard Pedersen; Carsten BRøND; Mikko Viitanen; Christian Kraft
Original assignee: Nokia Corporation
Priority date: 2004-01-13
Filing date: 2004-01-13
Publication date: 2005-08-25
Also published as: BRPI0418483A; CN1902959A; HK1099986A1; CN100579258C

Abstract

A method of interactive communication between a mobile cellular radio terminal and a content provider, comprising at a mobile cellular radio terminal: receiving from the content provider a first data message comprising text; displaying the text of the received first data message; and automatically composing in response to a first user input action a second data message replying to the received first data message, wherein the second data message comprises, as text, a first character or characters having a predetermined association with the first user input action. A method of interactive communication between a mobile cellular radio terminal and a content provider, comprising at a mobile cellular radio terminal: receiving from the content provider a first data message comprising text; displaying the text of the received first data message; and parsing at least a portion of a first data message to enable at least one reply option to the first data message.

Description

TITLE

A method and device for interactive communication.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the invention relate to a method or device for interactive communication between a mobile cellular radio terminal and a content provider.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The Global System for Communication (GSM) includes a number of supplementary services (SS) that are provided over the signalling channels of the GSM network. These services include for example call barring, call forwarding and Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD). To enable interoperability, the supplementary services are controlled, in general, by sending messages of a specific and predetermined format to the network. An exception is USSD, which allows messages of an unstructured format to be sent.

USSD is session based. Once a session is initiated the radio connection created remains open until either the terminal or the network releases it. This connection is used to send and receive free-form plaintext messages that can be up to 182 characters long. Consequently, USSD provides a fast mechanism for transferring text data.

The session-based nature of USSD is more effective at enabling a dialogue of text messages than the slower Short Messaging Service (SMS), which is a store and forward service. Fig. 1 illustrates a cellular radio telecommunications network 10 comprising; a plurality of cells 2 each of which has its own base transceiver station (BTS) 4; base station controllers (BSC) 6, a mobile switching centre (MSC) 8, a home location register (HLR) 18 and a USSD Gateway 12.

The base station controllers 6 are each connected to a different group of base transceiver stations 4 and to the mobile switching centre 8. The mobile switching centre 8 is connected to the home location register (HLR) 18 which is connected to the USSD Gateway 12.

A mobile cellular terminal 1 , such as a mobile cellular telephone, roams with its user from cell 2 to cell 2 within the network 10. It may form a physical radio link 14 with the base transceiver station 4 that serves the cell 2 in which it is located.

The USSD Gateway 12 can communicate with any one of a plurality of different applications 16 which may be located within the network 10 or external to the network 10.

A user of the terminal 1 may initiate a USSD session by sending a USSD message to the network. Such a message can be sent from the idle state of the terminal using the 12 standard ITU telephony keys (10 digits plus ^* and #) to compose a USSD message that is terminated and sent by pressing the SEND key.

The USSD message is directed to the HLR 18. The HLR 18 directs the message to the USSD Gateway 12. The USSD Gateway 12 directs the message to the requested application 16, which is controlled by a content provider.

The application 16 may then send a USSD message in reply. This message may contain text laid out as a menu listing various different options. The USSD message 20 is delivered to the terminal 1 as illustrated in Fig. 2. The terminal 1 displays the text 21 of the message 20. The terminal also displays in association with a 'soft' or programmable key 22 a user selectable option

23 to reply. The text 21 , in this example, provides a menu of options each of which has its own index (in this example a different one of the digits 1 , 2, 3).

The displayed text reads:

"Select menu:

1. Download tone

2. Screen savers 3. Other options"

The user replies by selecting the programmable key 22, which opens a new screen 24 for composing a text message in reply. The user then composes a text message, for example, by entering the index corresponding to a desired menu option. In this example, the user enters "1". Selecting 'SEND' sends the entered text in a reply USSD message 25. This message is directed back to the application 16, which may send another USSD message.

It will therefore be appreciated that USSD enables an interactive dialogue between the terminal 1 and the application 16. Such a dialogue may be menu based, so that a user need only send in a reply message an index that represents a presented option. The user replies to a received USSD message with a minimum of three separate user actions: selecting 'reply', actuating a numeric key and selecting send.

It would be desirable to improve the operation of the terminal, so that the manner in which a user can reply to a received USSD message is simplified.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of interactive communication between a mobile cellular radio terminal and a content provider, comprising at a mobile cellular radio terminal: receiving from the content provider a first data message comprising text; displaying the text of the received first data message; and automatically composing in response to a first user input action a second data message replying to the received first data message, wherein the second data message comprises, as text, a first character or characters having a predetermined association with the first user input action.

The association is predetermined that exists before the reception of the first data message. It is not, for example, an ad-hoc association provided by the first data message.

According to another embodiment of the invention there is provided a computer program for enabling a mobile cellular radio terminal to interactively communicate with a content provider, comprising: means for consistently associating a first character or characters with a first user input action; detection means for detecting a first user input action while the text of a first data message received from the content provider is displayed; and composing means, responsive to the detection means, for automatically composing a second data message, in reply to the first data message, comprising, as text, the first character or characters.

According to another embodiment of the invention there is provided a mobile cellular radio terminal comprising: a display; a user input device for converting each of a plurality of distinct user input actions into a plurality of distinct user input signals; radio reception circuitry for receiving a first data message comprising text; terminal control circuitry for controlling the display to display the text of the received first data message and for processing user input signals received from the user input device, wherein, while the text of the received first data message is displayed, the terminal control circuitry is operable, in response to a user input signal, to compose automatically a data message, which includes, as text, a character or character combination having a predetermined association with that at least one user input signal; and radio transmission circuitry for transmitting the composed data message.

According to another embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of interactive communication between a mobile cellular radio terminal and a content provider, comprising at a mobile cellular radio terminal: receiving from the content provider a first data message comprising text; displaying the text of the received first data message; and parsing at least a portion of a first data message to enable at least one reply option to the first data message.

According to another embodiment of the invention there is provided a computer program for enabling a mobile cellular radio terminal to interactively communicate with a content provider, comprising: parsing means for parsing at least a portion of a first data message received from the content provider and enabling at least one reply option to the first data message; and composing means for composing a second data message, in reply to the first data message, comprising, as text, a first character or characters associated with an enabled reply option selected by a user.

According to another embodiment of the invention there is provided a mobile cellular radio terminal comprising: a display; a user input device for converting each of a plurality of distinct user input actions into a plurality of distinct user input signals; radio reception circuitry for receiving a first data message comprising text; terminal control circuitry for controlling the display to display the text of the received first data message and for processing user input signals received from the user input device, wherein, while the text of the received first data message is displayed, the terminal control circuitry is operable to parse at least a portion of a first data message to enable at least one reply option to the first data message.

According to another embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of interactive communication between a mobile cellular radio terminal and a content provider, comprising at the mobile cellular radio terminal: receiving a first data message comprising text; displaying the text of the first data message; detecting a first user input action; and in response to the first user input action, either automatically composing a message in reply to the received first data message or enabling user composition of a message in reply.

In embodiments of the invention, a single first user input action may cause a reply message to be automatically sent. The single user input action may involve actuating a key of a keypad. The number of user actions required is consequently reduced from at least three to one. The reply process is more intuitive, economic and fluent

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 illustrates a cellular radio telecommunications network; Fig. 2 illustrates the steps in a current USSD message dialogue; Fig. 3 illustrates a terminal according to one embodiment of the invention; Fig 4 illustrates the steps in a USSD dialogue according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 5 illustrates the process steps within the terminal during the USSD dialogue of Fig. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT(S) OF THE INVENTION

Fig. 3 illustrates a terminal 101 suitable for operating in the cellular radio telecommunications network 10 illustrated in Fig. 1. It enables a user to reply to a received USSD message in a simple, intuitive manner.

The mobile cellular radio terminal 101 comprises: a display 102; a user input device 110; radio reception circuitry 104; terminal control circuitry 108; radio transmission circuitry 106 and a memory 109. Only as many components are illustrated as are necessary to the following description.

The user input device 110 converts each of a plurality of distinct user input actions into a plurality of distinct user input signals that are provided to the terminal control circuitry 108. In the illustrated example, the user input device 110 includes a keypad such as an ITU telephony keypad. The ITU keypad comprises a 3 column by four row array of keys each of which is associated with one of the characters 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, ^*, 0, #. The actuation of any one of the different keys provides a distinct and different signal to the terminal control circuitry 108. The keypad will not be described in further detail as it is very commonly found in current mobile telephones.

The radio reception circuitry 104 and the radio transmission circuitry 106 may, for example, be part of a cellular radio transceiver module for communicatingwith a base transceiver station 4.

The terminal control circuitry 108 may include one or more processors. The terminal control circuitry 108 is connected to the display 102 and controls the content displayed. It is connected to receive user input signals 111 from the user input device 110. It is also connected to receive data from the radio reception circuitry 104 and to provide data to the radio transmission circuitry 106.

The memory 109 stores a computer program loaded from a carrier. The computer program comprises computer program instructions, which when loaded into the terminal control circuitry, processor 108, controls the operation of the terminal control circuitry 108. Fig 4 illustrates a method of interactive communication between a mobile cellular radio terminal and a content provider via a mobile cellular radio network using USSD messages. Each USSD message is a free-form plaintext message. A USSD session has been initiated between the terminal the network. During the session the radio reception circuitry 104 of the terminal receives from the local base transceiver station 4 a first USSD message 120 comprising text.

The content of the received USSD message 120 is transferred to the terminal control circuitry 108, which controls the display 102 to display the text 121 of the received first USSD message. The terminal 101 also displays in association with a 'soft' or programmable key 122 a user selectable option 123 to reply. The text 121 , in this example, provides a menu of options each of which has its own index (in this example a different one of the digits 1 , 2, 3). The displayed text reads: "Select menu: 1. Download tone 2. Screen savers 3. Other options"

The user replies with a single action, which in the example given is the actuation of a numeric key corresponding to a displayed index, while the text is displayed. In the example illustrated, the actuated key is permanently associated by inscription with the digit '1'.

A first user input signal 111 is sent to the terminal control circuitry 108, which in response automatically composes a USSD message. The composed message includes, as text, a character associated with the received first user input signal. In the example illustrated, the character is the digit '1 ' associated with the actuated numeric key. The terminal control circuitry 108 then controls the radio transmission circuitry 106 to transmit the composed USSD message to the local base transceiver station 4.

Thus actuating a numeric key, while the text of a received USSD message is displayed, causes a USSD message, which contains the number of the key, to be sent in reply immediately and automatically without further user input. A reply message is sent with 'one-touch'.

The user may alternatively reply to the received USSD message 120 by selecting the programmable key 122, as described previously in relation to Fig. 1. This manner of response is slower, more complex and less intuitive.

The above-described 'one-touch' method can be further refined, to control the occasions on which a 'one-touch' reply should be available to a user.

The method may therefore further include an arbitration step that determines whether or not a reply should be sent immediately and automatically in response to the actuation of a numeric key while the text of a received USSD message is displayed. This arbitration step occurs in the terminal control circuitry 108 after the user has selected a key but before the terminal control circuitry 108 automatically composes a message in reply as illustrated in Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 illustrates the process steps at the terminal during the USSD dialogue illustrated in Fig. 4. In Fig. 5 at step 50, a USSD message 120 is received at the terminal 101. Next at step 52, the text content of the received USSD message 120 is displayed. Next at step 54; a user actuates a numeric key, while the text is displayed. Next at step 56, the terminal 101 arbitrates to determine whether a 'one-touch' message should be send in reply. If the arbitration result is positive, the method moves to steps 60, 62 where the terminal 101 automatically composes and sends a reply message 125. If the arbitration result is negative, the method moves to steps 70, 72 where the user can compose and then send a message in reply.

In one implementation, selection of a numeric key followed by a negative arbitration result corresponds to the selection of 'reply' in the process described with reference to Fig. 1. In another implementation, actuation of a numeric key followed by a negative arbitration result corresponds to the selection of 'reply' in the process described with reference to Fig. 1 , followed by the actuation of that numeric key. In this case, the user composed message is initially automatically provided with a first one of a series of alpha characters permanently associated with the actuated numeric key.

The arbitration step 56 may provide a positive result if the received USSD message 120 requires a numeric reply. This may be achieved for example by using the terminal control circuitry 108 to parse the text of the received USSD message 120 and then test the parsed text against one or more predetermined rules. The rules are used to identify indexes within the text that indicate a reply is required.

The text illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 "Select menu:

1. Download tone

2. Screen Savers

3. Other Options" has three indexes "1", "2" and "3". Thus if the user actuates one of the keys "1", "2" or "3" while the text is displayed , the predetermined rule or rules will be passed and the arbitration result will be positive and a reply will be sent immediately and automatically that contains the numeral "1", "2" or "3" corresponding to the respective key that was pressed. If the user actuates, for example, the key "4" there is no corresponding index within the text of the received USSD message 120, at least one of the predetermined rules fails and the arbitration result is negative.

An example of a rule for identifying an index within the text of the received USSD message 120 is "a numeral that is immediately followed by a delimiter" (such as a space or a punctuation mark). In the text of Fig 3 and 4, each of the numerals "1", "2" and "3" are followed by a period (full-stop).

Another example of a rule for identifying an index within the text of the received USSD message 120 is "a numeral that follows a carriage return". Such a numeral will begin a new line of text. In the text of Fig 3 and 4, each of the numerals "1", "2" and "3" is preceded by a carriage return. This rule may be used in combination with or as an alternative to the preceding rule.

The rules are predetermined in the sense that the content provider who originates the message and the terminal control circuitry 108 share the same understanding of what constitutes an index, before the USSD message is received at the terminal 101. The terminal control circuitry 108 may, for example, compare the number associated with the actuated key to each index within the text of the received USSD message 120. If the number associated with the actuated key corresponds to an index within the text then the arbitration is positive. A positive result may in addition require that the index only appears once within the text of the received message 120.

The terminal control circuitry 108 may, for example, process the indexes obtained from the text of the received USSD message 120 to determine if they are ordered within the text as a sequential series. If they are not, the arbitration result is negative. If they are, the number associated with the actuated key is compared to each index within the text of the received USSD message 120. If the number associated with the actuated key corresponds to one of a plurality of indexes then the arbitration result is positive.

The terminal control circuitry 108 may, for example, process the indexes obtained from the text of the received USSD message 120 to determine if they appear only once within the text. If one appears more than once, the arbitration result is negative. If they appear only once and the number associated with the actuated key correspond to an index then the arbitration result is positive.

The above described 'one-touch' process, enables a reply USSD message 125 to be send easily by a user without having to navigate to a new text composition screen. It therefore enables USSD to be used to provide a browsing experience, where a user navigates from one menu to another menu by actuating a numeric key once. The invention therefore provides a cheap and convenient alternative to a WAP or a XHTML browser. The arbitration step 56 prevents a 'one-touch' reply message being sent when it is not appropriate.

Although embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to a terminal 101 that uses a keypad for user input, embodiments of the invention also find application in terminals where user action other than a key actuation may be used to automatically compose and send a reply USSD message. For example, the user input device 110 may respond to voice commands or it may be a joy-stick or touch-screen input.

Although embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to a terminal 101 in which a single key-stroke represents the user action necessary to automatically compose and send a reply USSD message, in other embodiments the necessary user action may involve a sequence of key- strokes and the text of the automatically composed message may include a sequence of digits.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in the preceding paragraphs with reference to various examples, it should be appreciated that modifications to the examples given can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A method of interactive communication between a mobile cellular radio terminal and a content provider, comprising at a mobile cellular radio terminal: receiving from the content provider a first data message comprising text; displaying the text of the received first data message; and automatically composing in response to a first user input action a second data message replying to the received first data message, wherein the second data message comprises, as text, a first character or characters having a predetermined association with the first user input action.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising parsing at least a portion of the first data message and identifying the first character or characters associated with the first user input action.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising applying at least one rule to determine whether the first character or characters associated with the first user input action is a potential reply to the first data message.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising, before the step of sending the second data message but after the step of receiving the first data message: parsing at least a portion of the first data message to identify the character or character sequences having predetermined associations with a plurality of potential user input actions; applying at least one rule to determine whether the identified characters or character sequences are potential replies to the first data message; and determining, in response to a first user input action, whether the first user input action has a predetermined association with a potential reply.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising, before the step of sending the second data message but after the step of receiving the first data message and in response to a first user input action: parsing at least a portion of the first data message to identify the character or character sequences having a predetermined association with the first user input action; and applying at least one rule to determine whether an identified character or character sequence is a potential reply to the first data message.

6. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first user input action is the actuation of a first key.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first key is permanently associated with a first digit and the second data message includes, as text, the first digit.

8. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first user input action is the sequential actuation of a first key and a second key.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first key is permanently associated with a first digit and the second key is permanently associated with a second digit and the second data message includes, as text, the first digit and the second digit.

10. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein, while the text of the first data message is being displayed, the first user input action causes the second data message to be sent in reply immediately and automatically without further user input.

11. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising, before receiving the first data message, establishing an interactive communication session with the content provider during which the first data message is received and the second data message is sent.

12. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first data message is an unstructured plaintext message and the second data message is an unstructured plaintext message.

13. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first data message is received and the second data message is sent as Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD).

14. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first user input action is the actuation of a first key associated with a first digit, further comprising, creating, in response to the first user input action while the text of the first message is displayed, the second data message using a representation of the first digit.

15. A method as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising: detecting a first user input action; and determining whether a reply should be sent immediately, wherein the step of sending the second data message occurs if it is determined that a reply should be sent immediately.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein means for composing a message is provided if it is determined that a reply should not to be sent immediately,

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the message is initially automatically provided with a character or characters associated with the first user input action.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first user input action is the actuation of a first key and the provided character is a first one of a series of alpha characters permanently associated with the first key.

19. A method as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the step of determining determines whether the first message requires a numeric reply.

20. A method as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 19, wherein the step of determining determines whether the text content of the first message satisfies one or more predetermined rules.

21. A method as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 20, wherein the step of determining determines whether the first character or characters associated with the first user input action corresponds to an index within the text content of the first message.

22. A method as claimed in claim 21 , wherein an index is a character or a combination of two characters that is immediately followed by a delimiter and that begins a new line of text.

23. A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the delimiter is a space or a punctuation mark.

24. A method as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 23, wherein the step of determining determines whether the first character or characters associated with the first user input action corresponds to an index within the text that follows a carriage return.

25. A method as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 24, wherein the step of determining determines whether the first character or characters associated with the first user input action corresponds to one of a plurality of distinct indexes within the text that each follow a carriage return.

26. A method as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 25, wherein the step of determining determines whether the first character or characters associated with the first user input action corresponds to one of a plurality of distinct indexes within the text that each follow a carriage return and that appear in a sequential order within the text.

27. A method as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 26, wherein the step of determining determines whether the first character or characters associated with the first user input action corresponds to an index that occurs only once within the text.

28. A method as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 27, wherein the step of determining comprises: parsing the text to identify one or more indexes; and comparing the first character or characters with the identified indexes.

29. A method of interactive communication between a mobile cellular radio terminal and a content provider, comprising at the mobile cellular radio terminal: receiving a first data message comprising text; displaying the text of the first data message; detecting a first user input action; and in response to the first user input action, either automatically composing a message in reply to the received first data message or enabling user composition of a message in reply.

30. A method of interactive communication between a mobile cellular radio terminal and a content provider, comprising at a mobile cellular radio terminal: receiving from the content provider a first data message comprising text; displaying the text of the received first data message; and parsing at least a portion of a first data message to enable at least one reply option to the first data message.

31. A method as claimed in claim 30, wherein enabling a reply option, comprises enabling, as a response to a first user input action, the automatic composition of a data message, which includes, as text, a character or character combination having a predetermined association with the user input action.

32. A method as claimed in claim 30 or 31 , further comprising enabling a reply option that involves a single user input action

33. A method as claimed in claim 30, 31 or 32, further comprising enabling a reply option consisting of pressing a single key

34. A computer program product comprising a plurality of computer program instructions, which when loaded into a processor enable the method of any one of claims 1 to 33.

35. A record carrier or a memory device embodying a computer program comprising a plurality of computer program instructions, which when loaded into a processor enable the method of any one of claims 1 to 33.

36. A computer program for enabling a mobile cellular radio terminal to interactively communicate with a content provider, comprising: means for consistently associating a first character or characters with a first user input action; detection means for detecting a first user input action while the text of a first data message received from the content provider is displayed; and composing means, responsive to the detection means, for automatically composing a second data message, in reply to the first data message, comprising, as text, the first character or characters.

37. A computer program for enabling a mobile cellular radio terminal to interactively communicate with a content provider, comprising: parsing means for parsing at least a portion of a first data message received from the content provider and enabling at least one reply option to the first data message; and composing means for composing a second data message, in reply to the first data message, comprising, as text, a first character or characters associated with an enabled reply option selected by a user.

38. A mobile cellular radio terminal comprising: a display; a user input device for converting each of a plurality of distinct user input actions into a plurality of distinct user input signals; radio reception circuitry for receiving a first data message comprising text; terminal control circuitry for controlling the display to display the text of the received first data message and for processing user input signals received from the user input device, wherein, while the text of the received first data message is displayed, the terminal control circuitry is operable, in response to a user input signal, to compose automatically a data message, which includes, as text, a character or character combination having a predetermined association with that at least one user input signal; and radio transmission circuitry for transmitting the composed data message.

39. A mobile cellular radio terminal as claimed in claim 38, wherein the terminal control circuitry is arranged to parse at least a portion of the first data message and thereby identify the first character or characters associated with the first user input signal.

40. A mobile cellular radio terminal as claimed in claim 38 or 39, wherein the terminal control circuitry is arranged to apply at least one rule to determine whether the first character or characters associated with the first user input signal is a potential reply to the first data message.

41. A mobile terminal as claimed in claim 37, 38, 39 or 40, wherein the user input device is a keypad comprising a plurality of keys wherein the user actuation of a key provides a respective user input signal.

42. A mobile terminal as claimed in claim 41 , wherein each key is associated by markings thereon with a digit and actuation of a key provides a respective user input signal that is associated with the key's digit

43. A mobile terminal as claimed in any one of claims 38 to 42, wherein the terminal is GSM compliant.

44. A mobile cellular radio terminal comprising: a display; a user input device for converting each of a plurality of distinct user input actions into a plurality of distinct user input signals; radio reception circuitry for receiving a first data message comprising text; terminal control circuitry for controlling the display to display the text of the received first data message and for processing user input signals received from the user input device, wherein, while the text of the received first data message is displayed, the terminal control circuitry is operable to parse at least a portion of a first data message to enable at least one reply option to the first data message.

45. A mobile cellular terminal as claimed in claim 37, wherein the terminal control circuitry, when enabling a reply option, is operable in response to a first user input signal, converted from a first user input action by the user input device, to compose automatically a data message, which includes, as text, a character or character combination having a predetermined association with the at least one user input signal;

46. A mobile cellular terminal as claimed in claim 38, further comprising radio transmission circuitry for transmitting the composed data message.