Message handling
View Patent ↗The invention relates to handling a message addressed to a client terminal, which client terminal comprises a messaging client for handling said messages. The method comprises the steps of receiving ( 300 ) a message addressed to the client terminal, said message comprising content destined to an “upper level” application, the “upper level” application being an application, which is separate from the messaging client, obtaining ( 301, 204 ) capability information relating to said client terminal, checking ( 302, 303, 205 )whether said capability information comprises information about “upper level” applications the client terminal supports, and conducting ( 304, 305 ) an action responsive to said checking phase.
1. A method comprising:
receiving a multimedia message addressed to a client terminal, said multi-media message comprising content destined to an upper level application, the upper level application being an application, which is separate from a multimedia messaging client configured to handle said multimedia message and which uses multimedia messages of the multimedia messaging client as a carrier for communicating application data,
obtaining capability information relating to said client terminal,
checking whether said capability information comprises information about upper level applications the multimedia messaging client of the client terminal supports, and
conducting one or more actions responsive to said checking phase.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein obtaining capability information comprises:
receiving, from the client terminal, a pointer to a profile information storage, and
retrieving said capability information from said profile information storage.
3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein obtaining capability information comprises:
receiving capability information from the client terminal.
4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said action comprises at least one of the following: modifying the message, discarding the message, redirecting the message, sending an error report and forwarding the message as such or with modifications to the client terminal.
5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said action comprises at least one of the following, if said multimedia messaging client of the client terminal does not support any upper level applications: forwarding the message to the client terminal with modifications, redirecting the message, sending an error report and discarding the message.
6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said action comprises at least one of the following, if said multimedia messaging client of the client terminal does not support the specific upper level application to which said message content is destined: forwarding the message to the client terminal with modifications, redirecting the message, sending an error report and discarding the message.
7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said action comprises one of the following, if said multimedia messaging client of the client terminal does support some upper level application: forwarding the message as such to the client terminal and forwarding the message to the client terminal with modifications.
8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said action is forwarding the message as such to the client terminal, if said multimedia messaging client of the client terminal does support the specific upper level application to which said message content is destined.
9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said message originates from another upper level application.
10. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said message originates from a content/service provider system.
11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said upper level application is one of the following: a Java® application, a native Symbian® OS application, a native Microsoft ® Smartphone application and an application on a smart card.
12. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said message is a multimedia messaging service message.
13. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said capability information is user agent profile information.
14. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said information about upper level applications comprises a Literal bag type attribute comprising application identifiers of the upper level applications the multimedia messaging client of the client terminal supports.
15. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said information about upper level applications comprises a Boolean type attribute indicating, whether the messaging client of the client terminal supports upper level applications or not.
16. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said information about upper level applications comprises a Boolean type attribute indicating, whether the messaging client of the client terminal supports upper level applications or not, and conditionally a Literal bag type attribute comprising application identifiers of the upper level applications the client terminal supports.
17. An apparatus comprising:
an input configured to receive a multimedia message addressed to a client terminal, said multimedia message comprising content destined to an upper level application, the upper level application being an application, which is separate from a multimedia messaging client configured to handle said multimedia message and which uses messages of the multimedia messaging client as a carrier for communicating application data,
a processing unit configured to control the apparatus to obtain capability information relating to said client terminal, check whether said capability information comprises information about upper level applications the multimedia messaging client of the client terminal supports, and
conduct one or more actions responsive to said check.
18. An apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein said apparatus is a multimedia messaging service relay/server or a multimedia messaging service center.
19. An apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the input is configured to receive a pointer to a profile information storage, and said processing unit is configured to control the network element to retrieve said capability information from said profile information storage.
20. An apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein said action comprises at least one of the following: modifying the message, discarding the message, redirecting the message, sending an error report and forwarding the message as such or with modifications to the client terminal.
21. A client terminal comprising:
a multimedia messaging client configured to handle messages,
a processing unit configured to control the client terminal to provide information about capabilities of the multimedia messaging client, the information about capabilities of the multimedia messaging client comprising information about upper level applications the multimedia messaging client of the client terminal supports, said upper level applications being applications, which are separate from the multimedia messaging client and which use multimedia messages of the multi-media messaging client as a carrier for communicating application data.
22. A client terminal according to claim 21 , wherein said processing unit is configured to control the client terminal to give said information about capabilities of the messaging client as a pointer to a profile information storage.
23. A client terminal according to claim 21 , wherein said processing unit is configured to control the client terminal to give said information about capabilities of the messaging client as readily usable capability information.
24. A system comprising a destination client terminal, which comprises a multimedia messaging client configured to handle multimedia messages, and a network element configured to handle multimedia messages addressed to client terminals, said destination client terminal and network element being adapted to communicate with each other through a communication link, wherein the network element comprises:
means for receiving a multimedia message addressed to the destination client terminal, said multimedia message comprising content destined to an upper level application, the upper level application being an application, which is separate from the multimedia messaging client of the destination client terminal and which uses multimedia messages of the multimedia messaging client as a carrier for communicating application data,
means for obtaining capability information relating to said multimedia messaging client of the destination client terminal,
means for checking whether said capability information comprises information about upper level applications the multimedia messaging client of the destination client terminal supports, and
means for conducting one or more actions responsive to said checking means.
25. A system according to claim 24 , wherein the destination client terminal comprises means for providing information about capabilities of the messaging client, the information about capabilities of the messaging client comprising information about upper level applications the multimedia messaging client of the destination client terminal supports.
26. A system according to claim 25 , wherein the system further comprises
a profile information storage element, and wherein
said means for providing information in the destination client terminal are configured to give said information about capabilities of the messaging client as a pointer to said profile information storage element, said profile information storage element comprising
a memory for storing capability information relating to messaging clients of different client terminals, and
means for providing capability information of a multimedia messaging client of a certain client terminal upon request,
said means for obtaining capability information in the network element being configured
to receive said pointer to said profile information storage element from said destination client terminal and
to request capability information relating to the destination client terminal from said profile information storage element.
27. A system according to claim 24 , wherein the system further comprises a source client terminal comprising:
a messaging client, and
at least one upper level application,
said messaging client being configured to send a message comprising content, which originates from said at least one upper level application and is destined to an upper level application in the destination client terminal.
28. A system according to claim 24 , wherein the system further comprises a content/service provider comprising
means for sending message comprising content, which is destined to an upper level application in the destination client terminal.
29. A computer program executable in a network element, the computer program providing a routine for handling a multimedia message addressed to a client terminal, wherein the computer program controls the network element to:
receive a multimedia message addressed to the client terminal, said multimedia message comprising content destined to an upper level application, the upper level application being an application, which is separate from the multimedia messaging client configured to handle said multimedia message and which uses multimedia messages of the multimedia messaging client as a carrier for communicating application data,
obtain capability information relating to said client terminal,
check whether said capability information comprises information about upper level applications the multimedia messaging client of the client terminal supports, and
conduct an action responsive to said checking.
30. A computer program executable in a client terminal, which comprises a multimedia messaging client configured to handle messages, wherein the computer program is configured to control the client terminal to provide information about capabilities of the messaging client, the information about capabilities of the multimedia messaging client comprising information about upper level applications the multimedia messaging client of the client terminal supports, said upper level applications being applications, which are separate from the multimedia messaging client and which use multimedia messages of the multimedia messaging client as a carrier for communicating application data.