Description
MMS-DEDICATED TRANSMISSION AND RECEPTION RELAY
SYSTEM AND METHOD USING WIRELESS COM¬
MUNICATION NETWORK Technical Field [1] The present invention relates, in general, to a multimedia messaging service- dedicated transmission/reception relay system and transmission/reception method using a wireless communication network and, more particularly, to a multimedia messaging service-dedicated transmission/reception relay system using a wireless com¬ munication network, in which a multimedia messaging service relay system is connected to one side of a server to transmit or receive information (text, voice, ringtones, characters, pictures, moving images, etc.) over a communication network, without utilizing an information transfer service agency when information to be transmitted to the mobile terminal of a client, such as text, voice, ringtones, characters, pictures or moving images, is transmitted or received. Background Art [2] Generally, an information transfer service agency accesses a Short Message Service (SMS) network of a communication service provider through the Internet and a leased line, and provides information, held by information- holding enterprises (normal enterprises, card companies, banks, stock trading companies, insurance corporations, financial service providers, department stores, discount stores, schools, government offices, religious organizations, press agencies, security companies, commercial dis¬ tributors, delivery companies, medical institutions, leisure-related companies, sports- related companies, information service providers, home shopping malls, Internet electronic commerce sites, email notification service providers, traffic information service providers, call centers, election/political campaign offices, cultural/ artistic-related companies, melody/image download service providers, etc.) to the mobile terminals of clients. Accordingly, there are many problems such that the management and maintenance thereof are difficult, and a risk of leaking personal in¬ formation about users and information about clients of the service agency may occur. [3] Further, the construction of a wireless data communication system by the agency itself is problematic in that it not only requires a lot of time, but it is also difficult to supply the investment and professional manpower required to construct and manage the wireless data communication system. [4] In order to solve the above-described problems, devices for transmitting/receiving data over the mobile communication network of a mobile communication company
without utilizing an information transfer service agency have been produced. However, these devices are problematic in that, since they are designed to transmit only text messages, it is impossible to transmit or receive information, such as voice in¬ formation, ringtones, characters, pictures or moving images, according to the users'preferences. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem [5] Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)-dedicated transmission/reception relay system and transmission/reception method, which smoothly perform a series of procedures of transmitting or receiving information (text information, voice in¬ formation, ringtones, characters, pictures, moving images, etc.) in a wireless manner using a computer through the MMS-dedicated transmission/reception relay system over a wireless communication network, without utilizing a separate information transfer service agency, thus allowing a user to solve the problem of supplying the time, cost and professional manpower required to construct and manage a system for wireless data transmission. [6] Another object of the present invention is to provide an MMS-dedicated transmission/reception relay system and transmission/reception method, which fun¬ damentally remove a risk of leaking client information, and greatly decrease local re¬ strictions in the transmission/reception of data using a computer, thus improving com¬ petitiveness over other enterprises through efficient client management. Technical Solution [7] In order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention has the following construction. That is, the MMS-dedicated transmission/reception relay system using a wireless communication network according to the present invention comprises a user computer (100) implemented by any one of a normal enterprise, card company, bank, stock trading company, insurance company, financial service provider, department store, discount store, school, government office, religious organization, press agent, security company, commercial distributor, delivery company, medical service provider, leisure -related company, sports -related company, information service provider, home shopping mall, Internet electronic commerce site, email notification service provider, traffic information service, call center, election/political campaign office, cultural/artistic-related company, and melody /image download service provider, the user computer (100) having a predetermined program installed therein to transmit or receive any one type of data among text, voice, ringtone, character, picture and
moving image data; a relay system (200) for transmitting or receiving any one type of data among text, voice, ringtone, character, picture and moving image data, provided by the predetermined program installed in the user computer (100), in any one of a Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) mode, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) mode and Digital Cellular System (DCS) mode when the data are provided over one of the Internet, Intranet and an independent network and are analyzed, stored, transmitted or received; a mobile communication network for causing the data provided through the relay system (200) to be transmitted in any one of a GSM mode, CDMA mode and DCS mode; and a client terminal (400) capable of receiving provided data or transmitting received data through the mobile com¬ munication network. [8] In addition, the present invention provides a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)-dedicated transmission/reception method using a wireless communication network in an information transfer method of transferring information including adver¬ tisements or normal information to a mobile terminal, such as a mobile phone or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), comprising a first step of a user constructing a list of clients to transmit any one type of data among text, voice, ringtone, character, picture and moving image data to clients using a user computer (100); a second step of selecting destination clients with reference to the list constructed at the first step; a third step of generating information to allow one type of data among text, voice, ringtone, character, picture and moving image data to be transmitted to the destination clients if the destination clients have been selected at the second step; a fifth step of providing the generated information among the text, voice, ringtone, character, picture and moving image data to a server (210); a sixth step of transmitting any one type of data among text, voice, ringtone, character, picture and moving image data to a cor¬ responding client to comply with a transmission/reception mode of a mobile terminal used by the client, based on the information provided at the fifth step; a seventh step of analyzing results of transmission when the data provided to the server (210) are provided to a transmission/reception unit (220) and then transmitted to the client; an eighth step of checking status of data transmitted to the client at the seventh step and storing the checked status of data; a ninth step of transmitting data provided to the transmission/reception unit at the eighth step to comply with a mode of a cor¬ responding mobile communication company; and a tenth step of transmitting the data to the client through a network of the mobile communication company to allow the client to receive any one type of data among text, voice, ringtone, character, picture and moving image data at the ninth step. Brief Description of the Drawings
[9] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the construction of an MMS-dedicated transmission/reception relay system according to the present invention; [10] FIG. 2 is block diagram showing the construction of a server of the MMS-dedicated transmission/reception relay system according to the present invention; [11] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a wireless data transmission/reception unit of the MMS-dedicated transmission/reception relay system according to the present invention; and [12] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an MMS-dedicated transmission/reception method using a wireless communication network according to the present invention. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention [13] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Reference now should be made to the drawings, in which the same reference numerals are used throughout the different drawings to designate the same or similar components. [14] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the construction of an MMS-dedicated transmission/reception relay system according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is block diagram showing the construction of a server of the MMS-dedicated transmission/ reception relay system according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a wireless data transmission/reception unit of the MMS-dedicated transmission/reception relay system according to the present invention. [15] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the system of the present invention includes a user computer 100 in which a predetermined program is installed to transmit or receive any one of text information, voice information, ringtones, characters, pictures and moving images, a relay system 200 for transmitting or receiving any one type of data among text, voice, ringtone, character, picture and moving image data, provided by the pre¬ determined program installed in the user computer 100, in any one of a Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) mode, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) mode and Digital Cellular System (DCS) mode, when the data are provided through one of the Internet, Intranet and independent network and the provided data are analyzed, stored, transmitted or received, each mobile communication network 300 for causing the data received from the relay system 200 to be transmitted in any one of a GSM mode, CDMA mode and DCS mode, and each client terminal 400 capable of receiving data or transmitting received data through the mobile communication network 300. [16] A user is any one of a normal enterprise, card company, bank, stock trading company, insurance corporation, financial service company, department store, discount store, school, government office, religious organization, press agent, security company,
commercial distributor, delivery company, medical institution, leisure -related company, sports -related company, information service provider, home shopping mall, Internet electronic commerce site, email notification service provider, traffic in¬ formation service provider, call center, election/political campaign office, cultural / artistic-related company, and melody/picture download service provider. [17] The relay system 200 includes a server 210 for transmitting or receiving data to or from the user computer 100 and the client terminal, storing transmitted or received data and analyzing the results of transmitted information, and a transmission/reception unit 220 for transmitting or receiving data provided through the server 210 or each client terminal 400 with respect to each mobile communication company. [18] Meanwhile, the server 210 in the above-described relay system 200 includes a control unit 212 for determining whether data provided through the user computer 100 and each client terminal correspond to the second generation system, such as a CDMA mode, GSM mode or DCS mode, or the third generation system, such as the In¬ ternational Mobile Telecommunications (IMT)-2000 system or General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) system, determining whether provided data correspond to text, image + text, voice, or voice + image data and controlling the determined data, a database 213 for storing data transmitted or received to or from the control unit 212 and the status of data transmitted through the transmission/reception unit 220, and an ad¬ vertisement analysis unit 214 for analyzing financial effects of advertisements based on the analysis of results of transferred information. [19] Further, the server 210 further includes an internal input buffer 211 used as a temporary data storage area when information such as transmission data are transmitted, and used to compensate for differences in time or data flow rate occurring when data are transmitted to another device, a log analyzer for analyzing logs based on transmission/reception, a scheduler 216 for controlling data requiring periodic handling and periodically handling the data, a monitoring listener 217 for monitoring transmitted/received data and monitoring data to determine whether errors occur in the transmitted/received data, an external input buffer 218 used as a temporary data storage area when information such as reception data is transmitted, and used to compensate for differences in time or data flow rate, occurring when data are transmitted to the user computer 100 through an interface with the user computer 100, and a warning system 219 operating in conjunction with the monitoring listener 217 and indicating error status through an alarm when errors occur in transmitted data. [20] In the relay system 200 of the present invention, the transmission/reception unit 220 includes a baseband unit 221 for processing respective tasks related to other functional units depending on CDMA, GSM or DCS mode used by respective mobile com¬ munication companies, performing interfacing for the processed data, and modulating
the processed data at a specific frequency band so as to transmit or receive the processed data in a wireless manner, and a Radio Frequency (RF) processing unit 222 for transmitting or receiving the data in a wireless manner depending on the specific frequency band of the data received from the baseband unit 221. [21] Further, the baseband unit 221 includes a Dispatcher_GSM 221a for allowing data to be transmitted or received in a predetermined frequency band, processing tasks related to other functional units and performing time-division communication in a pre¬ determined bandwidth, a Dispatcher_CDMA 221b for allowing data to be transmitted or received in a predetermined frequency band, processing tasks related to other functional units and performing code-division communication, and a Dispatcher_DCS 221c for processing tasks related to other functional units, an Analog Front- End (AFE) interface unit 22 Id for processing data so that the data can be transmitted based on a scheme corresponding to individual frequency band and division mode, thus enabling the data to be easily processed in a subsequent stage, and an RF interface unit 221e for allowing data from the AFE interface unit 22 Id to be transmitted or received in any one of GSM, CDMA and DCS modes. [22] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an MMS-dedicated transmission/reception method using a wireless communication network according to the present invention. [23] As shown in FIG. 4, the MMS-dedicated transmission/reception method performs the first step SlO of a user constructing a list of clients so as to transmit any one of text information, voice information, ringtones, characters, pictures and moving images to clients using the user computer 100, the second step S20 of selecting destination clients on the basis of the list constructed at the first step SlO, the third step S30 of generating information so as to transmit one of text information, voice information, ringtones, characters, pictures and moving images to the selected designation clients if the destination clients have been selected, the fifth step S50 of providing the generated in¬ formation among text information, voice information, ringtones, characters, pictures and moving images to the server 210, the sixth step S60 of transmitting any one type of data among text, voice, ringtone, character, picture and moving image data to a client to comply with the transmission/reception mode of a mobile terminal, used by the client, based on the information provided at the fifth step S50, the seventh step S70 of analyzing results of data transmission when the data provided to the server 210 are provided to the transmission/reception unit 220 and then transmitted to the client, the eighth step S80 of checking the status of data transmitted to the client at the seventh ste p S70 and storing the checked status of data, the ninth step S90 of transmitting data provided to the transmission/reception unit at the eighth step S 80 to comply with the mode of a corresponding mobile communication company, and the tenth step SlOO of transmitting the data to the client through the network of a corresponding mobile com-
munication company to allow the client to receive any one type of data among text, voice, ringtone, character, picture and moving image data through the ninth step S90. [24] Meanwhile, the above-described user is any one of a normal enterprise, card company, bank, Internet electronic commerce site, email notification company, stock trading company, government office, information service provider, melody/image download service provider, department store, school, election and political campaign office, financial service provider, leisure and sports-related company, religious or¬ ganization, medical service provider, press agent, delivery and commercial distributor, security company, traffic service provider, cultural and artistic -related company. The method further includes the step of the client presetting information which the client desires to receive, and the time at which the client desires to receive the information. [25] The operation of the MMS-dedicated transmission/reception relay system 200 and transmission/reception method using a wireless mobile communication network according to the present invention constructed as above is described below. [26] First, the field of the user, to which the MMS-dedicated transmission/reception relay system 200 using a wireless communication network according to the present invention is applied, is described below. [27] ® normal enterprises: communication means between internal employees, order/ delivery information, salesman-related information, client management information, After- sales Service (A/S) employee-related information, or information required for event notification is transmitted to the mobile terminals of employees and clients. [28] © card companies: information about card payment details notification, credit limit notification or following month payment amount notification is transmitted to the mobile terminals of clients. [29] © banks: information about the deposit and withdrawal of money, changes in account balance, arrears, payment dates, contract agreement guidance, agreement no¬ tification, or the introduction of new financial commodities is transmitted to the mobile terminals of clients. [30] © Internet electronic commerce sites: real-time order/delivery information or in¬ formation about the notification of various events is transmitted to the mobile terminals of clients. [31] © email notification service providers: information required to notify a client of the receipt of an email when the email is received at a previously registered address, is transmitted to the mobile terminals of clients. In this case, an email having a high importance level can be promptly confirmed. [32] © stock trading company: stock trading agreement information, information about details of deposit and withdrawal of money, information about the balance of a stock account, variation information, arrears information, contract agreement guidance in-
formation, agreement notification information, or information about the introduction of new stock commodities, is transmitted to the mobile terminals of clients. [33] ® government offices: information about the payment of public charges or guide in¬ formation about various events is transmitted to the mobile terminals of clients. [34] ® information service providers: guide information about fields selected by clients, such as news, weather, stock reports, horoscopes, employment information, horse racing, cycling racing or motor boat racing, is transmitted to the mobile terminals of the clients. [35] ® melody, image download service providers: information about melodies selected by clients is transmitted to the mobile terminals of the clients. [36] In order for a user, that can be configured as described above to transmit one of text information, voice information, ringtones, characters, pictures and moving images to the terminals of clients, a list of clients is constructed by the user computer 100. [37] After the list of clients has been constructed as described above, a destination client is selected from the list of selected clients so as to transmit one type of data among text, voice, ringtone, character, picture and moving image data to the selected client through a predetermined program supported by the user computer 100. [38] In this case, the destination client can be selected based on analysis in such a way that data, mainly received by the corresponding client during a previous period, are examined at the time of constructing the list of clients and the type of data the client desires is selected. [39] After the target client is selected based on the list of clients constructed through the above procedure, information is generated. At this time, content to be transmitted is differentiated depending on the type of client terminal. For example, if a client terminal is the latest model, any one type of data among text, voice, ringtone, character, picture and moving image data can be selected and transmitted. [40] However, if a client terminal is an old terminal, and pictures or moving images are not supported, one type of data among text, voice, ringtone and character data can be transmitted, so that the client can receive the data. [41] Meanwhile, if information generated by the client's computer is provided to the server 210, the information is input to the server 210 through the internal input buffer 211. When data are input through the internal input buffer 211, the internal input buffer 211 temporarily stores the data, compensates for differences in time and data flow rate when the data are provided to the database 213 of the server 210, and allows the compensated data to be stored in the database 213 of the server 210. [42] Further, in the case of the data being stored in the database 213, financial effects of advertisement are analyzed based on the analysis of the results of transferred in¬ formation, logs about transmission/reception are analyzed, data requiring periodic
handling are controlled and periodically handled, data are monitored, and whether errors occur in transmitted/received data is checked through the advertisement analysis unit 214, the log analyzer 215, the scheduler 216 and the monitoring listener 217. Then, resulting data are provided to the control unit 212. [43] As described above, the control unit 212 determines whether the data provided to the control unit 212 correspond to a CDMA mode, GSM mode or DCS mode, whether the provided data correspond to text, image+text, voice or voice+image data, controls the data, and provides the data to the RF transmission/reception unit 220 through the external input buffer 218 to allow the data to be smoothly transmitted to the client terminal. As described above, the data provided through the external input buffer 218 are provided to the transmission/reception unit 220. The baseband unit 221 determines which one of the Dispatcher_GSM 221a, Dispatcher_CDMA 221b and Dispatcher_DCS 221c corresponds to the data provided to the transmission/reception unit 220. At this time, the basis for determination is the data contained in the frame header of the data, by which the data are divided. [44] As described above, the data provided to respective Dispatcher_GSM 221a, Dispatcher_CDMA 221b and Dispatcher_DCS 221c are provided again to the AFE interface unit 22 Id. The data provided to the AFE interface unit 22 Id are processed to allow the data to be transmitted in a scheme corresponding to an individual frequency band and division method, thus enabling the data to be easily processed in the subsequent stage. [45] As described above, the data provided to the AFE interface unit 221d are input to the RF interface unit 22 Ie. The data input to the RF interface unit 22 Ie are provided to the RF processing unit 222 to be transmitted in a wireless manner. [46] Data are transmitted so that the data are provided to the client terminal through the mobile communication network 300 of a mobile communication company to comply with a GSM, CDMA or DCS mode based on the data provided to the RF processing unit 222. In this way, if the data are transmitted through the mobile communication network 300 and then received by the client terminal, the client can view the received information through the terminal. [47] Further, if the client inputs other information to the user again based on the data received through the terminal, the information is provided to the client terminal through the RF processing unit 222 and the baseband unit 221 of the transmission/ reception unit 220 and the server 210 in the reverse order of that of the data provided through the user computer 100. The data transmitted by the client can be read through a predetermined program supporting transmission to the client. [48] As described above, the present invention can transmit or receive any one type of data among text, voice, ringtone, character, picture and moving image data through the
server 210, connected to the user computer 100, and the mobile communication network without utilizing a separate SMS transfer agency, so that there are advantages in that a user does not need to pay the SMS transfer agency a separate charge, and in¬ convenience caused by the delay of transmission/reception can be eliminated. [49] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but can be variously modified and implemented without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Industrial Applicability [50] Hereinafter, the advantages of the MMS-dedicated transmission/reception relay system 200 and transmission/reception method using a wireless communication network according to the present invention are described below. That is, the present invention transfers various types of information, such as advertisements, to clients through an information transfer service agency in which an information gateway connected to a personal communication service provider through a leased line is constructed, so that information holding enterprises, desiring to transfer information, can efficiently transmit information while reducing communication costs (thereby saving communication resources), and can reduce a task load caused by the transfer of information. [51] Further, the present invention is advantageous in that information having high priority may be transferred to each client, so that the client can rapidly react to the in¬ formation, thus promptly taking corresponding action, and predicting potential client purchases through the analysis of a database for clients. [52] Further, the present invention is advantageous in that it provides various discount benefits, etc. to a client having a high probability of making a purchase, thus attracting the client as an actual client, and that it may be used to construct an efficient client management system, thus improving competitiveness over other companies. [53] Furthermore, in addition to the above-described advantages, the present invention has an advantage in that, from the standpoint of a client, the client can be provided with required information through the analysis of personal information, and can be provided with continuous client management.