Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Auxiliary data signaling
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-08
2003-08-19
Trost, William (Department: 2683)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Auxiliary data signaling
C455S412100, C455S414200, C455S566000, C370S338000, C370S349000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06609006
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a mobile communication system, a mobile terminal, and a method of making communication between mobile terminals, and more particularly to a mobile communication system a mobile terminal, and such a method for making communication between a pair of mobile terminals both having e-mail addresses identical to telephone numbers thereof for text communication.
2. Description of the Related Art
For instance, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-136091 has suggested a telephone connection service apparatus for transferring a telephone call to a called party by another route, for example, by e-mail, when a phone call could not be made because the called party is out of a service area, is turned off, or is already during communication.
In this apparatus, the means for receiving a transferred call receives a call that could not be made, transferred from a telephone network, receives both a destination telephone number and a telephone number of a caller from the transferred-call or the caller, converts the destination telephone number by means of a personal data Manager into a log-in ID to be used in an information service center of a mobile terminal to be connected to a telephone line of a called party, makes an e-mail addressed to a mobile terminal corresponding to the log-in ID, listing a telephone number of the caller in the e-mail, and transmits the e-mail to the information service center through e-mail service provided by the information service center.
By employing the above-mentioned apparatus, it is possible for a mobile terminal user to automatically transfer a call that failed because a called party is out of a service area, is turned off, or is busy, to the called party by another route, for example, by e-mail. However, a mobile terminal user could transmit an e-mail without employing the above-mentioned apparatus, when a called party is out of a service area, is turned off, or is busy.
In recent years, there has been known a mobile terminal having an email address that is identical to a phone number thereof for text communication.
For instance, such an e-mail address is obtained by converting a telephone number into an e-mail address by means of a browser. When the mobile terminal has an aforementioned function of an e-mail, it is possible to arbitrarily select text communication or e-mail communication for making communication with an opponent.
However, when a user of a mobile terminal having both the above-mentioned functions of text and e-mail communication uses the mobile terminal to make a call for making text communication, it would not be possible to make text communication, if a called party refuses receipt of a call or if a called party is out of a service area or turned off. When an-attempt to transmit an e-mail in place of making text communication, a user has to operate the mobile terminal to cancel a text communication mode and start an e-mail mode. That is, a user has to carry out troublesome handling.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-99508 has suggested an e-mail system in which when a telephone call is received, e-mails associated with the received telephone call are automatically displayed in a display unit.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-135298 has suggested a telephone service system in which a message is stored when a user cannot respond to a call, and the thus stored message is transferred to a predetermined address as an e-mail.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-247293 has suggested a network terminal in which a message is stored in the terminal when a user is not able to respond to a call. The thus stored message is converted into an e-mail, and the e-mail is transmitted to a predetermined mail address.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above-mentioned conventional apparatuses, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mobile terminal system, a mobile terminal, and a method of making communication between mobile terminals, all of which are capable of automatically inactivating a function of text communication and activating a function of e-mail communication to thereby transmit an e-mail, when text communication cannot be made with an opponent.
In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile communication system for communication over a network between a first mobile terminal as a transmitter and a second mobile terminal as a receiver both having a function of packet communication and an e-mail address associated with a telephone number for text communication, the first mobile terminal including (a) a calling unit which transmits a request to the network for registration of packet communication, in order to start text communication with the second mobile terminal, (b) a judgment unit which either selects text communication with the second mobile terminal when an allowance for starting text communication is received from the network, after a packet communication channel has been established with the network, or selects an e-mail communication with the second mobile terminal when a rejection for starting text communication is received from the network, after a packet communication channel has been established with the network, and (c) a transmission unit which either transmits text communication data when text communication was selected by the judgment unit, or transmits an e-mail when e-mail communication was selected by the judgment unit. The mobile communication system automatically makes e-mail communication, even if text communication cannot be made.
In accordance with the present invention, if the first mobile terminal receives a response indicative of rejection to make text communication, the judgment unit of the first mobile terminal automatically switches a function of text communication to a function of e-mail communication without disconnecting a communication packet channel having been established between the first mobile terminal and the network. Then, the judgment unit transmits an e-mail by means of the transmission unit to a mail address of the second mobile terminal through the network.
It is preferable that the network (a) establishes a packet communication channel with the first mobile terminal and makes a response to the first mobile terminal in response to the request, (b) pages the second mobile terminal, (c) establishes a packet communication with the second mobile terminal and makes a response to the second mobile terminal in response to a request made by the second mobile terminal to register packet communication, (d) transmits a signal to the second mobile terminal after the response was made to the second mobile terminal, to confirm whether the second mobile terminal starts or rejects text communication with the first mobile terminal, (e) receives a response from the second mobile terminal and transfers the response to the first mobile terminal, (f) receives text communication data from the first mobile terminal and transmits the thus received text communication data to the second mobile terminal, and (g) disconnects the packet communication channel after transmitting the text communication data to the second mobile terminal.
It is preferable that the second mobile terminal (a) transmits a request to register packet communication, when pages by the network, (b) makes a response to a signal transmitted from the network which signal asks the second mobile terminal whether the second mobile terminal starts or rejects text communication with the first mobile terminal, (c) receives and transmits text communication data, and (d) receives an e-mail from the first mobile terminal.
It is preferable that the e-main addresses of the first and second mobile terminals are obtained by converting telephone numbers of the first and second mobile terminals through a browser.
It is preferable that the network (a) receives and temporarily stores text communication data transmitted from the first mobile terminal after the request has been received from the first mobile terminal, and (b)
NEC Corporation
Rampuria Sharad
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
Trost William
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