WO2010052370A1

WO2010052370A1 - Method and terminal for presenting an enhanced message received from a cellular network

Info

Publication number: WO2010052370A1
Application number: PCT/FI2009/050886
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tapio Koivuniemi; Jarkko Koivikko
Original assignee: Ncore Oy
Priority date: 2008-11-07
Filing date: 2009-11-04
Publication date: 2010-05-14
Also published as: FI121987B; FI20086056A; FI20086056A0

Abstract

The invention can be illustrated in the following way: Let us assume that a terminal device is in accordance with the invention. When the terminal device has received a message from a mobile communication network, the terminal device determines whether or not the message is animated message. If the message is an animated message, the terminal device represents an animated message. Otherwise, the terminal device represents the message in accordance with the EMS (Enhanced Messaging Service) standard, i.e., without any animation. Generally, the message comes from a sender device that is another terminal device or a server. The sender device forms the title section of the message in a specific way. In addition, or alternatively, the sender device inserts one or several predefined characters into the data section of the message. The invention comprises a method and a terminal device for representing an animated message received from a mobile communication network.

Description

METHOD AND TERMINAL FOR PRESENTING AN ENHANCED MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM A CELLULAR NETWORK

Field of the Invention

[001] The invention relates to messages transmitted in a mobile communication network and to new methods of representing the messages on a terminal device. The invention relates specifically to new visual ways of representing a message on the screen of a terminal device.

Technical background

[002] In the world there are millions of mobile stations and terminal devices of other types transmitting and receiving messages. In this application, a message received by a terminal device is a message in accordance with the

SMS (Short Message Service) standard, and it includes a data section and a title section in accordance with the EMS (Enhanced Messaging Service) formatting specification. In connection with the EMS standard, the title section is called TP-UDH.

[003] The title section (TP-UDH) includes at least one Information Element (IE) consisting of octets, i.e., sections of 8 bits.

[004] There are several different types of Information Elements. Information Elements are characterized by that their first octet indicates their type and the second octet the length of their data. The data section of an Information Element starts from the third octet and is of the determined length.

[005] In relation to this invention, the most important Information Element types are the elements (IE) related to text, audio, picture and animation. These four aforesaid Information Element types have the common feature that the first octet of the element's data section indicates a position in the text section that the element in question affects.

[006] For example, in the EMS version "3GPP TS 23.040 V5.5.1" there is described a title section (TP-UDH) and Information Elements (IE). [007] When referring to text animation, it is meant that the terminal device, which received the message, represents the message in a way that differs from the manner of representation in accordance with the EMS standard. Generally, message animation refers to a new manner of representing text, audio, picture, animation, or a combination of the above. In this application, the term "message animation" refers specifically to a new manner of representing a basic picture, an animation or a text.

[008] The following conditions must be fulfilled in message animation: 1) the sending unit is able to animate the message;

2) the telecommunications network is able to transmit the animated message; and

3) recipient's terminal device is able to receive and represent the animated message. [009] The message may come from a server or another terminal device.

[010] A new terminal device may be manufactured in such a way that it supports message animation, but the population of existing terminal devices is slowly being replaced.

[011] One of the problems suffered by a message sender is that he/she may not be able to know whether or not the recipient's terminal device fulfills the condition 3). When the message sender sends an animated message, he/she wishes that the terminal device of the recipient is able to represent it correctly.

[012] If the recipient's terminal device is unable to correctly represent the animated message, it should, however, be able to correctly represent the factual content of the message, even if the animation of the message was excluded. When referring to the factual content of a message, it is meant that the represented text includes all the original characters.

[013] Generally, the message sender does not know whether or not the recipient's terminal device fulfills the condition 3).

[014] A technical problem related to the invention is that the animated text is to be formatted in such a way that the recipient's terminal device is able to represent the factual content of the message, when the only fact known about the recipient's terminal device is that it supports the SMS standard.

Summary of the Invention

[015] An object of the invention is to solve the aforementioned technical problem. [016] Another object of the invention is to animate the text, i.e., that the manner of representing the message is novel when compared to the EMS formatting specification.

[017] The invention is directed to representing on a terminal device a message which is in accordance with the SMS standard and was received from a mobile communication network, the message itself containing a data section and a title section in accordance with the EMS formatting specification.

[018] The first embodiment of the invention relates to a method. [019] The method comprises steps performed on a terminal device, including storing the message received from a mobile communication network to the available memory of the terminal device, and reading from the title section an Information Element which includes a first formatting instruction referring to the text. This text is allocated at least one character position in the data section.

[020] In addition to the aforementioned steps known per se, the method comprises the following steps.

[021] The terminal device is used to determine whether the text includes a predefined character, and when the text in fact includes the predefined character, it is deduced on the basis of a dominant formatting specification and a first formatting instruction which dominant formatting instruction contained in a dominant formatting specification is to be performed.

[022] Consequently, the message is represented on the terminal device in such a way that the manner of its representation is in accordance with the dominant formatting instruction. This manner of representation differs from the one in accordance with the EMS formatting specification.

[023] The second embodiment of the invention relates to a terminal device.

[024] A dominant formatting specification has been stored in the memory of the terminal device. The terminal device contains, in addition to the memory, an Element Scanner, a Formatting Reader and an Instruction Performer which function in the following way.

[025] The Element Scanner reads the title section and searches for concurrent formatting instructions from among the Information Elements in the title section. Concurrent formatting instructions are instructions which are directed to the same object in a message. This object is a text in the data section or the representation data in the title section. If concurrent formatting instructions are found, the Element Scanner returns a search key related to the concurrent formatting instructions.

[026] The Formatting Reader uses the search key returned by the Element Scanner when retrieving the dominant formatting instruction in accordance with the dominant formatting specification.

[027] Consequently, the Instruction Performer represents the message on the terminal device in such a way that the manner of its representation is in accordance with the dominant formatting instruction. [028] The invention is defined in the accompanying claims.

Drawings

[029] In the following, the invention is described in more detail referring to the accompanying schematic figures, in which:

Figure 1 shows the principle of operation of the invention; Figure 2 describes examples of text animation;

Figure 3 shows concurrent text formatting instructions in accordance with the class 1 that are contained in the same Information Element;

Figure 4A shows concurrent formatting instructions in accordance with the class 2;

Figure 4B shows concurrent formatting instructions in accordance with the class 3; Figure 4C shows concurrent formatting instructions in accordance with the class 4; Figure 5 shows a method; and

Figure 6 shows a terminal device.

Detailed Description of the Invention

[030] The invention has several embodiments and it relates to both new, terminal devices being manufactured and existing terminal devices. [031] As is known, an existing terminal device can be supplemented with new applications. These new applications are usually downloadable from a mobile network communication network. The invention may be carried out using a certain application. More specifically, the recipient's terminal device is complemented with an application using which the terminal device is able to represent the animated message.

[032] The new terminal device may be accomplished according to the invention, whereby the terminal device is not complemented with an aforementioned application.

[033] In the best embodiment of the invention, the terminal device creates an animated message in such a way that the terminal device passes the EMS approval tests, i.e., the terminal device is in all aspects in accordance with the EMS standard. New terminal devices must pass the EMS approval tests, and therefore they are to be in accordance with the best embodiment of the invention. In addition to new terminal devices, the best embodiment of the invention is suitable for existing terminal devices.

[034] In other, non-best embodiments of the invention, passing of EMS approval tests is optional. In other embodiments of the invention, it is sufficient if the recipient's terminal device is able to correctly represent the factual content of an animated message.

[035] Other embodiments of the invention relate to the coloring of basic pictures in accordance with the EMS standard. The size of the basic pictures is 16x16 pixels, or 32x32 pixels, or their size varies. Basic pictures are black- and-white pictures. According to the EMS standard, text color and text background color are encoded using four bits; therefore there are 16 different colors. In certain embodiments of the invention, text color and text background color are used to colorize basic pictures.

[036] As mentioned above, in the EMS version "3GPP TS 23.040 V5.5.1" there is described a title section (TP-UDH) and Information Elements (IE) of a message. However, it should be noted that the invention is in no way limited by a single specific EMS version.

[037] When an Information Element (IE) is a text-related element, then it includes, in addition to the starting position, also the length of the text. The length of the text in the element indicates the text length of a data section at which the formatting instruction included in the element is directed. Text length can be one, i.e., the text may contain only a single character.

[038] The octets of an Information Element related to the text itself have been created in the following way. A first octet (octet 1 ) indicates the starting position from which the effect of the element takes place, a second octet (octet 2) indicates the length of the text, and a third and a fourth octet of an Information Element (octets 3 and 4) indicate one or more formatting instructions.

[039] Text bolding may be mentioned as an example of a formatting instruction, and the usage of a certain font size (such as font size 14) may be mentioned as another example of a formatting instruction. Let us assume that a message begins with the greeting "Hey!", in which case in the beginning of the message data section the memory locations 0 to 3 each contain the text

"Hey!". Let us further assume that the default font size of the text is 12. When the aforementioned formatting instructions are directed to the text "Hey!", the manner of representation of the message is such that the text "Hey!" is bolded and, additionally, its font size is greater than the default size of 12.

[040] As is known, an SMS message may contain more than just one Information Element (IE). If there are several Information Elements, they can be of the same or different type.

[041] As an example it is mentioned a 60-character message which includes a bolded word and an italic word, wherein the bolded and italic words are different words. In this case, two Information Elements of the same type have been placed in the title section of the message, one of which is related to the bolded word and the other to the italic word.

[042] As another example it is mentioned a message, which includes a message text in the font size of 14, and a single picture. In this case, two Information Elements of different types have been placed in the title section of the message, one of which is related to the text and the other to the picture. The second octet of the Information Element related to the text contains the value zero (0), wherein the text formatting instruction "font size 14" of the Information Element is directed to the whole message text.

[043] In this application, the term "formatting instruction", or more briefly, "instruction", relates to audio and picture, in addition to text. [044] If a formatting instruction is related to text formatting, it can be designated as a "text formatting instruction", because this instruction determines the manner of presentation of a certain text on a terminal device. [045] If a formatting instruction is related to audio or a picture, it defines which audio stream or picture is to be presented using a terminal device. [046] As mentioned above, Information Element types related to text, audio, or picture have the common feature that the first octet of the element's data section indicates a starting position in the data section of the message affected by the element in question. [047] Two Information Elements of different kinds may refer to the same position in the data section of a message. In other words, the first octet of the data section of two separate Information Elements may contain an identical value.

[048] In terms of this invention, the most important Information Element types are related to text, picture, animation, or audio; however, the invention is not limited to these four Information Element types.

[049] In this application, at least two formatting instructions which are directed to the same object in a message, are said to be concurrent formatting instructions, whereby an object refers to, e.g., a text or a basic picture. The text contains at least one character and is located in the data section of the message. The basic picture is located in the title section of the message, more particularly, in its Information Element.

[050] Concurrent formatting instructions are classified as follows.

[051] Class 1 : concurrent formatting instructions are text-formatting instructions included in the same Information Element.

[052] Class 2: concurrent formatting instructions refer to the data section in such a way that the referred positions are one character position apart from each other, one of these concurrent formatting instructions being a text formatting instruction and the other being a formatting instruction related to picture, animation, or audio.

[053] Class 3: concurrent formatting instructions, of which no more than one is a text formatting instruction, refer to a data section such that the formatting instructions are interpreted as being concurrent formatting instructions. [054] Class 4: formatting instructions are interpreted, on the basis of a logical deduction rule, as being concurrent formatting instructions.

[055] The figures 3, 4A, 4B, and 4C show examples of concurrent formatting instructions. [056] The second embodiment of the invention is based on detecting concurrent formatting instructions.

[057] Concurrent formatting instructions may also be used in the first embodiment of the invention. The first embodiment of the invention is, however, based on detecting a predefined character in the data section of a message, and also on a text formatting instruction appended to it. The device which sent the message and the receiving terminal device have a common conception of which character to use as the predefined character.

[058] Preferably, a predefined character is a character which is in no way displayed on the receiving terminal device. At least one of the characters U+000D, U+000A, U+0020, U+2000, U+2001 ... U+200B, and U+200C is such a character.

[059] In the first embodiment of the invention, several different, predefined characters may be used, but even a single predefined character is sufficient in the implementation of the method according to the present invention.

[060] Figure 1 shows the operating principle of the invention. It is assumed that a terminal device is according to the invention. When the terminal device has received a message from a mobile communication network, the terminal device determines (101) whether or not the message is animated message (102). If the message is an animated text, the terminal device represents (103) an animated message. Otherwise, the terminal device represents (104) the message in accordance with the EMS standard, i.e., without any animation.

[061] Generally, the message comes from another terminal device or server. The server is serving some service, such as a weather information service. The sender device, i.e., a terminal device or a server, forms the title section of the message in a specific way. In addition, or alternatively, the sender device inserts one or several predefined characters into the data section of the message. [062] The sender device must include a suitable application for creating an animated message. The representation of the animated message requires that the terminal device receiving the message includes some other suitable application and a so-called dominant formatting specification. [063] The sender device creates the message in such a way that the terminal device receiving the message represents the message in an animated manner, if the terminal device is in accordance with the invention. If the terminal device is not a terminal device in accordance with the invention, but it supports the EMS functionality, the terminal device is able to represent the message without animation. [064] The various embodiments of the invention examine the message. All these embodiments have in common the characteristic that a dominant formatting specification has been stored in the available memory of the terminal device. The dominant formatting specification includes at least one dominant formatting instruction the performance of which by the terminal device yields the animation of the message.

[065] In the first embodiment, the data section of the message is examined. If the data section includes a predefined character, then the manner of representation of the message is changed to match the dominant formatting instruction. A certain dominant formatting instruction may be appended to each formatting instruction in accordance with the EMS standard. The dominant formatting instruction is different from the formatting instruction in question. Let it be noted that a dominant formatting instruction is only to be performed when a formatting instruction included in the title section is directed to a predefined character. In any other case, a formatting instruction included in the title section is performed, i.e., a formatting instruction in accordance with the EMS standard.

[066] The first embodiment is illustrated in the Figure 5.

[067] In the second embodiment, the title section of a message is examined. If the title section includes concurrent formatting instructions, then the manner of representation of the message is changed to match the dominant formatting instruction.

[068] The message may contain several concurrent formatting instruction pairs such that a certain dominant formatting instruction is related to each pair. Let it be noted that a certain dominant formatting instruction is only to be performed when the title section contains a certain formatting instruction pair. In any other case, a formatting instruction pair included in the title section is performed, i.e., a formatting instruction pair in accordance with the EMS standard.

[069] The second embodiment is illustrated in the Figure 6. [070] A feature of the invention is that the manner of representation of a message varies by time-slots. This time-slot specific manner of representation provides a mean to animate the message. Message animation refers to such a manner of representation of a message that is not included in the manners of representation enabled by the EMS standard.

[071] This invention enables, for example, changing the color of a text at certain intervals from the default color, black, to red, and vice versa. Color changing can also be applied to basic pictures, for example, such that a black-and-white picture changes to a picture which periodically contains yellow and red.

[072] Figure 2 shows examples of text animation. The pulsating text "Hey!" is displayed on the display of a terminal device first as a large text (201), then as a small text (202), then again as a large text (201 ) etc. The pulsating text can be accomplished using different font sizes of which at least two are needed. The pulsating text can also be accomplished using several font sizes, for example, three different font sizes.

[073] Alternatively, the pulsating text can be accomplished by periodically representing the text using a normal font (203) and, periodically, using a bolded font (204). [074] The wavy text "HEY!" is displayed on the display first in its first outlook (205), then in its second outlook (206), then again in its first outlook (205) etc.

[075] An alternative implementation is such that text is made wavy by elevating one or several characters at a time. By periodically elevating one character, the text is displayed in the outlooks (207), (208), (209), (210), and then again in the outlook (207). Contrary to the pulsating text (201-204), wavy text cannot be accomplished using the formatting instructions presently included in the EMS standard.

[076] Figure 3 shows text formatting instructions included in the same Information Element. Thus, concurrency of these instructions is in accordance with the aforementioned class 1.

[077] The text formatting instructions (302) and (303) included in the Information Element (301 ) are directed to the same text (305) in the data section (304) of the message. The text (305) is marked with slashes in the figure and it contains at least one character. [078] Let us assume that the text (305) contains the greeting "Hey!". Because the text is in the beginning of the data section 304, the text fulfills the character positions 0-3 of the data section. Thus, the first octet of the Information Element (301 ) data section contains an index 0 and the second octet length 4.

[079] The third octet of the Information Element (301 ) may specify one or more formatting instructions. Let us assume that in the third octet of the Information Element (301) the contents of the formatting instruction (302) is "underlining" and the contents of the formatting instruction (303) is "holding". Since both of these formatting instructions (302) and (303) are directed to the same text, which is in the character positions 0-3, then, according to the EMS standard, the text "Hey!" would be represented first in underlining and then in bold.

[080] If the terminal device that received the message containing the text (305) is not in accordance with the invention, then the text "Hey!" is represented as an underlined and bolded text.

[081] If, however, the terminal device that received the message is in accordance with the invention, this terminal device interprets the formatting instructions (302) and (303) in such a way that it must perform the dominant formatting instruction included in the dominant formatting specification.

[082] In a first example, the dominant formatting instruction is assumed to be a "pulsating text".

[083] In a first example, the terminal device according to the invention does not display the text "Hey!" either in underlining or in bold, but as a pulsating text. In other words, the terminal device according to the invention interprets the EMS formatting instructions "underlining" and "bolding" such that the final result is a pulsating text.

[084] In another example, the dominant formatting instruction is assumed to be a "pulsating text". In this case, the terminal device according to the invention interprets the EMS formatting instructions "underlining" and "italic" such that the final result is a wavy text. More specifically, the interpretation used by the terminal device derives from the dominant formatting specification and the terminal device uses the same dominant formatting specification as the device that sent the message. [085] Figure 4A shows concurrent formatting instructions in accordance with the class 2. Concurrent formatting instructions (401 ) and (402) refer to the data section (403) in such a way that the referred positions are no more than one character position apart from each other, one of these concurrent formatting instructions being a text formatting instruction and the other being a formatting instruction related to a picture.

[086] The formatting instructions (401 ) and (402) are included in the separate Information Elements (404) and (405). In the Figure 4A, the formatting instructions refer to exactly the same position in the data section (403). To be precise, the first octets (octet 1) of the Information Elements (404) and (405) related to the formatting instructions (401 ) and (402) have the same values.

[087] The data section position, in other words the character position (406), referred to by the formatting instructions (401 ) and (402) may contain a predefined character. In the first embodiment of the invention, the character position (406) includes a predefined character.

[088] The concurrent instructions (401 ) and (402) of class 2 are used to colorize the basic picture.

[089] Let us assume that the instruction (401 ) is a text formatting instruction and that in the fourth octet of the data section of the Information Element (404) related to it the text color is determined to be yellow and the text background color is determined to be red.

[090] In this case, the dominant formatting instruction included in the dominant formatting specification defines how the color specifications of the aforementioned fourth octet are applied to the basic picture included in the Information Element (405). For example, the color specifications are applied in such a way that the black color in the basic picture is replaced with yellow and the white color with red.

[091] Figure 4B shows concurrent formatting instructions in accordance with the class 3. The formatting instructions (407) and (408) of class 3, of which no more than one is a text formatting instruction, refer to the data section (409) in such a way that the formatting instructions (407), (408) are interpreted as concurrent formatting instructions.

[092] The formatting instructions (407) and (408) are included in the separate Information Elements (410) and (411 ). In the Figure 4B, the formatting instructions refer to different positions in the data section (409). Thus, the first octets (octet 1 ) of the Information Elements (410) and (411 ) related to the formatting instructions (407) and (408) have different values.

[093] The concurrent instructions (407) and (408) of class 3 are used to colorize the basic picture and to animate the text.

[094] In the first example, it is assumed that the instructions (407) and (408) are used to colorize the basic picture.

[095] In the first example, the instruction (407) is a text formatting instruction, and in the fourth octet of the data section of the Information Element (410), text color is determined to red and text background color to white. The dominant formatting instruction included in the dominant formatting specification determines how the mentioned color specifications are applied to the basic picture which is included in the Information Element (411 ), and to the Information Element (410) area of influence. [096] Let us assume that the instruction (407) is directed to the data section (409) text which includes the character string "Hey!" (412). In other words, the last character of the character string (412) is a blank character. The index of the character position allocated for the blank character in the data section (409) has been placed in the first octet of the Information Element (411 ) data section.

[097] In the first example, the Information Element (411 ) includes a basic picture which represents a black heart on white background.

[098] If the terminal device having received the message is not in accordance with the invention, it displays the character string "Hey!" in red and the heart in black.

[099] If the terminal device having received the message is in accordance with the invention, it displays both the character string "Hey!" and the heart in red.

[0100] In the second example, it is assumed that the instructions (407) and (408) are used to animate the text.

[0101] In the second example, the instruction (407) is a text formatting instruction and the third octet of the Information Element (410) data section defines that the text, i.e., the character string (412), is underlined. The dominant formatting instruction included in the dominant formatting specification defines how text is animated. [0102] The character string (412) is allocated in total five character positions in the data section (409). Any of the indices of these five character positions, including the end of the string, is placed in the first octet of the Information Element (411 ). [0103] In the second example, the Information Element (411 ) includes a predefined sound. Thus, the second octet of the Information Element (411 ) data section indicates the predefined sound.

[0104] If the terminal device that received the message is not in accordance with the invention, it provides the predefined sound and the character string "Hey!" with underlining.

[0105] If the terminal device that received the message is in accordance with the invention, it provides the predefined sound and the character string "Hey!" animated according to the dominant formatting instruction. Animation may refer to, for example, text waviness. [0106] Figure 4C shows concurrent formatting instructions in accordance with the class 4. In the class 4, the formatting instructions are interpreted, on the basis of a logical deduction rule, as being concurrent formatting instructions. In the figure 4C, the instructions (413) and (414) are concurrent formatting instructions and the instructions (415) and (416) concurrent formatting instructions, too. Thus, the figure 4C shows two formatting instruction pairs.

[0107] The concurrent instructions (413) and (414) and the concurrent instructions (415) and (416) are suitable, for example, for colorizing two basic pictures. [0108] The instructions (413) and (416) are included in the Information Elements (417) to (420) such that each of the Information Elements includes one instruction.

[0109] The instructions (413) and (415) are text formatting instructions including color specifications. Both of the instructions refer to a position in the data section that contains a predefined character. More specifically, the first octet of the Information Element (417) data section includes the value 0 and the second octet includes the value 1 ; additionally, the first octet of the Information Element (419) data section includes the value 1 and the second octet the value 1. The data section (421 ) includes two predefined characters (422) and (423) to which the text formatting instructions (413) and (415) refer. [0110] The Information Elements (417) to (420) have been placed in certain order in the message title section. More specifically, the Information Element (417) including the text formatting instruction (413) precedes the title section Information Element (419) which includes the instruction (415). In addition, the Information Element (418) including the instruction (414) precedes the title section Information Element (420) which includes the instruction (416).

[0111] The logical deduction rule of class 4 in the figure 4C is such that the relative order of the text formatting instructions (413) and (415) in the title section defines the order in which the text formatting instructions are applied to basic pictures, one of which is included in the Information Element (418) and the other in the Information Element (420).

[0112] Using this logical deduction rule, the picture included in the Information Element (418) is colorized according to the color specifications of the text formatting instruction (413), and the picture in the Information Element (420) is colorized according to the color specifications of the text formatting instruction (415). In a simplified case, the title section only contains a single basic picture, whereby the figure 4C doesn't contain the Information Elements (417) and (418), or the Information Elements (419) and (420). [0113] Above in the figures 3, 4A, 4B, and 4C, some examples of the Information Elements possibly contained in the message and the message data section are given. In addition, in the figure there are given some examples of concurrent formatting instructions.

[0114] Let it be noted that the device that sent the message modifies one or more of the Information elements of the message. Additionally, or alternatively, the sender device adds one or more Information Elements to the message. When the recipient's terminal device is in accordance with the invention, it is able to represent the message in an animated form.

[0115] To be able to represent the factual content of the message on a terminal device, the sender creates the message in such a way that when concurrent formatting instructions are included in the separate Information

Elements, no more than one of the concurrent formatting instructions is an instruction for text formatting.

[0116] In the first embodiment of the invention, the sender device places a predefined character into the message. If the character placed in the message by the sender device is an extra character, then, after the interpretation of the character, the device which receives the message can delete the extra character from the message.

[0117] The Figure 5 shows a method for representing an SMS standard complying message from a radio communication network on a terminal device, the message itself containing a data section and a title section in accordance with the EMS formatting specification. The method comprises the following steps performed on the terminal device.

[0118] The message received from a mobile communication network is stored in the available memory of the terminal device and an Information Element is read (502) from the title section containing a first formatting instruction referring to the text, the text being allocated at least one character position in the data section.

[0119] In addition to the aforementioned steps known per se, the method comprises the following steps performed on a terminal device.

[0120] First, it is examined (503) whether the text includes a predefined character, and when the text in fact includes the predefined character, it is deduced (504) on the basis of a dominant formatting specification and a first formatting instruction which dominant formatting instruction contained in the dominant formatting specification is to be performed.

[0121] Finally, the message is represented (505) on the terminal device in such a way that the manner of representation of the message is in accordance with the dominant formatting instruction, the manner of representation of the message differing from the one in accordance with the EMS formatting specification. In other words, it differs from the manner of representation which is accomplished by performing only the first formatting instruction.

[0122] The first formatting instruction refers to a text included in the data section, thus making it a text formatting instruction. If the text is to be animated, a predefined character is preferably included in the text. In other words, the predefined character may be read from a character position allocated for the text.

[0123] Alternatively, the predefined character is placed somewhere else in the data section than in the memory locations allocated for the text. Thus, on the basis of the mentioned class 4 logical deduction rule, it can be deduced which text the predefined character is related to.

[0124] A logical deduction rule is, for example, as follows. The relative order of the character strings, i.e., texts, in the data section defines the order in which the text formatting instructions related to predefined characters are applied in the texts, when the predefined characters have been placed in the end of the data section.

[0125] The method includes an optional step of interpreting (506), in case the predefined character is missing from the text, using a terminal device whether or not the data section includes the predefined character.

[0126] In the positive instance, the methods (504) and (505) according to the invention are performed. In other words, when the data section includes the predefined character, the manner of representation of the message is in accordance with the dominant formatting instruction. [0127] As mentioned above, a dominant formatting specification has been stored in the available memory of the terminal device. This memory includes terminal device's own memory and a memory of a smart card possibly placed in the terminal device.

[0128] It is assumed that the dominant formatting specification is formed by records the structure of which is as follows:

< dominant formatting instruction > < EMS formatting instruction > where < EMS formatting instruction > is the identification of a formatting instruction in accordance with the EMS standard. An identification is, generally, an unambiguous character string. [0129] Let us assume, for example, that < dominant formatting instruction > is the character string "pulsating text". Let us assume, in addition, that < EMS formatting instruction > is the character string "bolding". If a certain bit (bit 4) of the third octet of the Information Element data section is On, then the text bolding is performed according to the EMS. The character string "bolding" is preferably a search key using which a certain record is found among the records included in the dominant formatting specification.

[0130] If the first formatting instruction, such as text bolding, is directed to a predefined character, then a record containing the identification "bolding" is retrieved from among the records forming the dominant formatting specification Thus, a file is found the contents of which is: < pulsating text > < bolding >

[0131] In other words, the final result of the deduction performed in the step (504) is that the message is animated by representing a pulsating text.

[0132] Respectively, if the first formatting instruction, such as text bolding, is not directed to a predefined character, then the first formatting instruction, i.e., text holding, is performed.

[0133] The contents of the second record of the dominant formatting specification may be, for example:

< wavy text > < italic > [0134] The contents of the third record of the dominant formatting specification may be, for example:

< coloring of basic picture > < IE related to the text >

[0135] where < IE related to the text > is the identification of the first formatting instruction. [0136] If the first formatting instruction is directed to a predefined character and, additionally, if the Information Element related to the basic picture, i.e., the second formatting instruction, is directed to the same predefined character, then the final result of the deduction performed in the step (504) is that the basic picture included in the message is to be colorized. [0137] In that case, the colors used in coloring are derived from the first formatting instruction which includes a text color and text background color specification. These colors are used in a certain way, for example so that the white color of the basic picture is replaced by the text color and the black color of the basic picture is replaced by the text background color. [0138] The dominant formatting specification may be performed as a logical list which includes at least one record. The logical list includes, for example, the following records:

< pulsating text > < bolding >

< wavy text > < italic > < coloring of basic picture > < IE related to the text >

[0139] Referring to the step (503) of the method, the predefined character is, for example, a blank character (space) because the blank character is a character invisible on the display. In the ASCII standard, the blank character is 0x20. Contrary to the ASCII standard, the 16-bit Unicode standard includes several blank characters, such as 0x200B. [0140] Preferably, a predefined character is 0x200B because it is in no way displayed on the receiving terminal device. Thus, 0x200B is completely invisible on the display of a terminal device.

[0141] A predefined character may be some other character than one of the aforementioned characters. In relation to the method, however, it is important that the data section and the title section of a message are formed in such a way that a terminal device can represent the factual content of the message. Thus, a predefined character should not cause any problems in the terminal device which received the message. [0142] A dominant formatting instruction is directed to the text which is included in the referred position of the data section. For example, it is directed to a position in the data section that begins with a predefined character.

[0143] Alternatively, a dominant formatting instruction is directed to the representation data included in the message title section Information Element. In the EMS standard, this representation data is sound, picture, or animation.

[0144] Let us assume that a dominant formatting instruction is directed to text. Thus, the dominant formatting instruction preferably relates to at least one of the following text features: font, text placement on the display of a terminal device, pulsating text, text waviness, or text color variation. These text features are missing in the EMS standard.

[0145] Using the method, text placement on a display is not limited, i.e., a text can be positioned also in the vertical direction on the display. In this case, one or more text rows included in a message are made wavy. The EMS standard only supports horizontal positioning of text, either to the left, to the right, or to the center.

[0146] The structure of a record included in a dominant formatting specification is preferably as follows: < dominant formatting instruction > < identification of a first formatting instruction > where identification of a first formatting instruction is an instruction read from the title section Information Element. A record may additionally contain one or more parameters. [0147] An example of a parameter is a font. When a dominant formatting instruction relates to a font used when representing text, the font may be stored in the memory in the same record as the dominant formatting instruction. [0148] This method enables the variation of the manner of representation of a text time-slot specifically. Text pulsating and text waviness are examples of the time-slot specific variation of the manner of representation of a text.

[0149] Also, text color and text background color may be varied. Default text color is black and default text background color is white. Using a text formatting instruction another text color or another text background color may be shown. Let us assume that the other color of a text is red and that the background color of a text is yellow. Additionally, let us assume that the time- slot related to text color variation is three seconds. Thus, the text color is changed from black to red and back to black every three seconds. Respectively, the text background color is changed from white to yellow and back to white every three seconds.

[0150] One or more time-slot specifications, i.e., the length of a time-slot, may be stored as a parameter of the aforementioned record. A significant feature of the method is that the manner of representation of a text is varied time-slot specifically, a dominant formatting instruction defining the time-slots.

[0151] The method preferably comprises an optional step preceding message representation where a second Information Element is read from the title section using a terminal device.

[0152] The second Information Element contains a second formatting instruction. This second formatting instruction is preferably directed to the same position in the data section as the first formatting instruction. In other words, the first octets of the Information Elements related to the formatting instructions have the same values.

[0153] Alternatively, the concurrency of the formatting instructions is deducted in another way. To be able to find concurrent formatting instructions in the method, the terminal device in use recognizes at least one of the aforementioned classes 1-4.

[0154] The optional method step for reading a second Information Element is useful especially in colorizing of basic pictures. In this case, the first formatting instruction includes a color specification which defines the colors of the basic picture included in the second Information Element, when the message is represented using a terminal device.

[0155] The Figure 6 shows a terminal device (601 ) for representing an SMS standard complying message (603) received from a mobile communication network (602), the terminal device (601) including a display (604) and a memory (605) for storing the received message (603), and the message containing a data section and a title section in accordance with an EMS formatting specification.

[0156] A dominant formatting specification (606) has been stored in the memory (605) of the terminal device (601 ).

[0157] The terminal device (601 ) also includes an Element Scanner (607), a Formatting Reader (608), and an Instruction Performer (609).

[0158] The Element scanner reads the title section and looks for concurrent formatting instructions from the Information Elements included in the title section, the concurrent formatting instructions being directed to the same object in the message, which object is one of the objects: text in the data section, or manner of representation in the title section.

[0159] When concurrent formatting instructions are found, the Element Scanner (607) returns a search key related to the concurrent formatting instructions.

[0160] The Formatting Reader (608) uses the search key returned by the Element Scanner when retrieving from the memory (605) a dominant formatting instruction in accordance with the dominant formatting specification (606). [0161] The Instruction Performer (609) represents the message (603) on the terminal device (601 in such a way that the manner of representation of the message is in accordance with the dominant formatting instructions, the manner of representation of the message differing from the one in accordance with the EMS formatting specification. [0162] The dominant formatting specification (606) is preferably a logical list of formatting instruction pairs stored in the memory (605), one of the pairs containing a dominant formatting instruction and at least one concurrent formatting instruction identification. [0163] It is assumed that the dominant formatting specification (606) is formed by records the structure of which is as follows: < dominant formatting instruction > < EMS formatting instruction pair > where the EMS formatting instruction pair includes two identifications of a formatting instruction in accordance with the EMS standard.

[0164] The contents of the record may be, for example: < pulsating text > < underlining and bolding >

[0165] The contents of the second record may be, for example:

< wavy text > < underlining and italic >

[0166] When the dominant formatting specification (606) includes the records according to these examples and the terminal device (601 ) has received the message (603) and, additionally, the message (603) includes concurrent formatting instructions, the first of which is the "underlining" instruction and the second "bolding" instruction, then the aforementioned search key is formed from the instructions "underlining" and "bolding". More specifically, the search key is formed from the character strings "underlining" and "bolding".

[0167] When using the aforementioned search key, the terminal device (601 ) finds the following record from the dominant formatting specification:

< pulsating text > < underlining and bolding >

[0168] The found record defines that the dominant formatting instruction is a "pulsating text", so the terminal device represents the message (603) with a pulsating text.

[0169] Let it be noted that EMS formatting instructions (their identifications) may be paired with each other in several different ways to form formatting instruction pairs and these formatting instruction pairs may be paired in several different ways with dominant formatting instructions.

[0170] As presented above, concurrent formatting instructions may be subdivided in classes 1-4.

[0171] To be able to find concurrent formatting instructions, the terminal device (601 ) recognizes at least one of the aforementioned classes 1-4. [0172] The terminal device (601 ) reads the message (603) title section, searches it for concurrent formatting instructions (classes 1 , 2, 3, or 4), and when they are found, it retrieves from the dominant formatting specification (606) a dominant formatting instruction which is to be used when representing the message (603). [0173] When time-slots are related to the manner of representation of the message (603), the following operating principles are possible. A dominant formatting instruction defines the time-slots according to which the manner of representation of the message varies, when the message is represented using the terminal device (601). In addition, or alternatively, the Instruction Performer (609) performs time-slot specifically at least one of the concurrent formatting instructions.

[0174] The dominant formatting instruction is directed to the text of the data section. When the dominant formatting instruction is directed to the text, the instruction in question relates to at least one of the following text features: font, text placement on the display of a terminal device, pulsating text, text waving, and text color variation.

[0175] Alternatively, the dominant formatting instruction is directed to the representation data which is included in the read Information Element. When the representation data is a basic picture, one of the concurrent formatting instructions includes a color specification which defines the colors of the basic picture, when the message (603) is represented on the terminal device (601 ).

[0176] Several alternatives have been represented above for forming message using a sender device in such a way that at least the factual content of the message may be represented on the terminal device which received the message.

[0177] It is recommended that in relation to these alternatives only one method of implementation is chosen for each dominant formatting instruction. In other words, the dominant formatting specification would include only one record per each dominant formatting instruction:

< dominant formatting instruction > < EMS formatting instruction > or in another embodiment the record

< dominant formatting instruction > < formatting instruction pair > [0178] In this case, it is likely that the terminal device which receives the message is able to interpret the message in such a way that the result is an animated message. If the terminal device is not able to interpret the message in an intended way, the result is a manner of representation in accordance with the EMS formatting specification. [0179] In addition to the above represented inventive embodiments and descriptions and examples, the method and the terminal device according to the invention may be accomplished in other ways, which are, however, apparent to the person skilled in the art on account of his/her proficiency and the advice given in this application.

Claims

1. A method for representing on a terminal device a message which is in accordance with the SMS (Short Message Service) standard and was received from a mobile communication network, the message including a data section and a title section in accordance with the EMS (Enhanced Messaging Service) formatting specification, and the method comprising steps performed on the terminal device, wherein: the message received from the mobile communication network is stored in the available memory of the terminal device; and from the title section is read an Information Element which includes a first formatting instruction referring to a text, the text being allocated at least one character position in the data section; characterized in that a dominant formatting specification has been stored in the memory and that the method contains the following steps performed on the terminal device: the text is examined to determine whether or not it includes a predefined character, and when the text includes this predefined character, on the basis of the dominant formatting specification and the first formatting instruction, it is deduced which dominant formatting instruction included in the dominant formatting specification is to be performed; and the message is represented on the terminal device in such a way that the manner of representation of the message is in accordance with the dominant formatting instruction, the manner of representation of the message differing from the one in accordance with the EMS formatting specification.

2. A device according to claim 1 , characterized in that when the data section includes a predefined character, the manner of representation of the message is in accordance with the dominant formatting instruction.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that when the data section includes a predefined character, the manner of representation of the message is in accordance with the dominant formatting instruction.

4. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the dominant formatting instruction is a memory-stored logical list which consists of formatting instruction pairs, one of the pairs including a dominant formatting instruction and at least one formatting instruction identification.

5. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the predefined character is a blank character.

6. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that when representing the message on the terminal device its manner of representation varies time-slot specifically, the dominant formatting instruction defining these time-slots.

7. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the dominant formatting instruction is directed to the text.

8. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the dominant formatting instruction relates to at least one of the following text features: font, text placement on the display of the terminal device, text pulsating, text waviness, text color variation.

9. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the method further contains a step preceding the representation of the message, wherein a second Information Element is read from the title section.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the dominant formatting instruction is directed to the representation data included in the second Information Element.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the representation data includes a basic picture, the first formatting instruction includes a color specification, and that the color specification defines the colors of the basic picture, when the message is represented on the terminal device.

12. A terminal device for representing a message which is in accordance with the SMS (Short Message Service) standard and was received from a mobile communication network, the terminal device including a display and a memory for storing the received message, the message containing a data section and a title section in accordance with the EMS (Enhanced Messaging Service) formatting specification, characterized in that a dominant formatting specification has been stored in the memory of the terminal device and that the terminal device further contains an Element Scanner, a Formatting Reader and an Instruction Performer, which Element scanner reads the title section and looks for concurrent formatting instructions from the Information Elements in the title section, the concurrent formatting instructions being directed to the same object in the message, which object is one of the objects: text in the data section or representation data in the title section, and when concurrent formatting instructions are found, the Element Scanner returns a search key related to these concurrent formatting instructions, the Formatting Reader uses the search key returned by the Element

Scanner when retrieving a dominant formatting instruction in accordance with the dominant formatting specification, and the Instruction Performer represents the message on the terminal device in such a way that the manner of representation of the message is in accordance with the dominant formatting instruction, the manner of representation of the message differing from the one in accordance with the

EMS formatting specification.

13. The terminal device according to claim 12, characterized in that the dominant formatting specification is a memory-stored list formed by formatting instruction pairs, one of the pairs containing a dominant formatting instruction and an identification.

14. The terminal device according to claim 12, characterized in that the dominant formatting instruction defines the time-slots according to which the manner of representation of the message varies, when the message is represented on the terminal device.

15. The terminal device according to claim 12, characterized in that the dominant formatting instruction is directed to the text.

16. The terminal device according to claim 15, characterized in that the dominant formatting instruction relates to at least one of the following text features: font, text placement on the display of the terminal device, text pulsating, text waviness, text color variation.

17. The terminal device according to claim 12, characterized in that the dominant formatting instruction is directed to the representation data.

18. The terminal device according to claim 17, characterized in that when the representation data is a basic picture, one of the concurrent formatting instructions contains a color specification which defines the colors of the basic picture, when the message is represented on the terminal device.