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Mobile Phone Patent Abstract
A method of sending a short message to a receiver at a predetermined
time in a digital mobile phone, which includes the steps of changing
the operational mode of the mobile phone from a short message preparation
mode to a multiply addressed sending mode, sequentially registering
a series of phone numbers designating the receivers to receive the
short message, sequentially sending the short message to the receivers
according to the order of the registered phone numbers when a send
signal is inputted, and setting the mobile phone to a standby mode
when the short message has been sent to each of the receivers.
Mobile Phone Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of sending a short message to a plurality of receivers
at a predetermined time utilizing a single send command in a digital
mobile phone, comprising the steps of:
changing the operational mode of said mobile phone from a short
message preparation mode to a scheduled sending mode;
registering said predetermined time while in said scheduled sending
mode;
registering said short message including a user's identifying information
while in said scheduled sending mode;
setting a scheduled sending function; and
transmitting the registered short message when the present time
is equal to or exceeds said predetermined time.
2. A method as defined in claim 1, further including the steps
of terminating the scheduled sending function after completing the
sending of said registered short message, and deleting the user's
identifying information.
3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of registering
said predetermined time further includes the step of returning to
said scheduled sending mode after generating an error message when
said predetermined time represents a past time.
4. A method of sending a short message to two or more receivers
at a predetermined time in a digital mobile phone, comprising the
steps of:
changing the operational mode of said mobile phone from a short
message preparation mode to a multiple address sending mode;
sequentially registering a series of phone numbers corresponding
to the two or more receivers;
sequentially sending said short message to the two or more receivers
associated with the registered phone numbers by reading said phone
numbers when a send signal is inputted; and
setting said mobile phone to a standby mode when the short message
has been sent to each of the two or more receivers.
5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the step of sequentially
registering said series of phone numbers includes the steps of:
sequentially registering the phone numbers retrieved from a subscriber
phone number storage;
setting a scheduled sending mode;
registering a predetermined time in said scheduled sending mode;
setting a scheduled sending function after registering said short
message including a users identifying information; and
sending the registered message when the present time is equal to
or more current than said predetermined time.
Mobile Phone Patent Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a digital mobile phone
and in particular, to a method of sending a short message in a digital
mobile phone.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital mobile phones are commonly provided with a short message
service (SMS), which enables the user to send a short message constructed
as a sequence of characters to another subscriber. The short message
is displayed by the receiver as visual information composed of alphanumeric
characters representing the sender's message and telephone number.
The conventional SMS mobile phone may only send a short character
message to a single subscriber. That is, it cannot simultaneously
send the prepared message to several receivers, i.e., by a single
key input at a predetermined time. Sending a prepared short message
to multiple addressed receivers at a predetermined time may be additionally
provided only by employing the system of the service provider.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a
method of sending a prepared short message to several receivers
via a single key input at a predetermined time in a digital mobile
phone.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a method of sending
a short message to a plurality of receivers at a predetermined time
in a digital mobile phone, includes the steps of: changing the operational
mode of the mobile phone from a short message preparation mode to
a scheduled sending mode, registering the predetermined time while
in the scheduled sending mode, setting a scheduled sending function
after registering the short message including the user's identifying
information, and sending the registered message when the present
time detected is equal to or exceeds the predetermined time.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method
of sending a short message to a plurality of receivers at a predetermined
time in a digital mobile phone, includes the steps of: changing
the operational mode of the mobile phone from a short message preparation
mode to a multiply addressed sending mode, sequentially registering
a series of phone numbers corresponding to the plurality of receivers,
sequentially sending the short message to the plurality of receivers
associated with the registered phone numbers by reading the series
of phone numbers when a send signal is inputted, and setting the
mobile phone to a standby state when the short message has been
sent to each of said plurality of receivers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a digital mobile phone with a character
recognition means, which may provide a short message service (SMS)
according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2A is a flowchart illustrating a method for preparing a message
upon entering a short message preparation mode according to an embodiment
of the present invention:
FIG. 2B is a flowchart illustrating how a multiply addressed short
message is transmitted according to an embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 2C is a flowchart illustrating a method for registering scheduled
times to send the short message according to an embodiment of the
present invention; and
FIG. 2D is a flowchart illustrating a method for sending the short
message at the scheduled times according to an embodiment of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 generally depicts, in block diagram form, the construction
of a digital mobile phone in accordance with the invention. Referring
to FIG. 1, the digital mobile phone is generally controlled by a
one-chip microprocessor 10 according to a control program. A memory
device 20 is operatively coupled to the microprocessor 10, and includes
ROM for storing the operational program required to control the
phone, and RAM for temporarily storing the data generated during
execution of the operational program. The RAM typically serves as
a buffer. Also included in the memory device 20 is an electrically
erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM) to store optional data for
the operational program. In the present embodiment, the EEPROM includes
a subscriber phone number storage area for storing the phone numbers
of the subscribers, and a scheduled time storage area for storing
scheduled times.
Key input part 30 includes a plurality of alphanumeric keys, functional
keys, and a message key for entering the short message service (SMS)
mode. The key input part 30 generates key data applied to the microprocessor
10, which controls a display 40 to display the key data in addition
to information concerning the operational state of the digital mobile
phone in icons and characters. A signal processor 60 converts the
sounds inputted through a microphone MIC into digital signals and
also converts digital signals into corresponding analog signals
to be outputted through a speaker SPK. A radio frequency part (hereinafter
referred to as RF part) 50 includes a duplexer 55 for separating
the radio signals transmitted and received through an antenna ANT,
a receiver 51 for demodulating the radio signals received through
the antenna ANT into the base band signals applied to the signal
processor 60, and a transmitter 53 for modulating the signals from
the signal processor 60 into the radio signals. The short message
is modulated by the transmitter into the radio signal.
FIG. 2A is a flow diagram illustrating a method for preparing a
short message upon entering the short message preparation mode.
FIG. 2B is a flow diagram illustrating how a multiply addressed
short message is transmitted. FIG. 2C is a flowchart illustrating
the scheduled times to send the short message. FIG. 2D is a flowchart
illustrating sending the short message at the scheduled times. Each
figure will be described in greater detail below.
Referring initially to FIG. 2A, when the digital mobile phone is
in a standby state in step 210, upon depressing the message key
of the key input part 30, in step 211, the short message service
(SMS) menu is displayed in step 212. The SMS menu displays the functional
modes which include, for example, a message preparation mode and
a message confirmation mode. Upon determining that the message preparation
mode has been selected from the SMS menu in step 213, a submenu
of the message preparation mode is displayed in step 214. Otherwise,
if a mode other than the message preparation mode is selected at
decision step 213, a branch is taken to step 218 for performing
one of the other modes displayed in the SMS menu, for example, the
message confirmation mode. The submenu of the message preparation
mode contains choices for editing, retrieving and composing a sentence.
Step 215 is a decision step for determining if a method of editing
has been selected by the user. If not, the process returns to step
214, the display step. Otherwise, the process continues at step
216 describing methods for composing and editing a sentence. Then,
it is determined whether a key input has been received to enter
the multiply addressed sending mode, described below with reference
to FIG. 2D.
The method for transmitting a short message in a multiply addressed
sending mode will now be described in connection with FIG. 2B. The
microprocessor 10 initializes the index of the subscriber phone
number storage in step 221 (i.e., the index counter is initialized
to zero). This step is performed in preparation for making a new
index of the subscribers' phone numbers newly inputted after deleting
a previously set index of the subscribers' phone numbers. Messages
are sent in accordance with the order of the current index. For
each message sent, a previously set phone number to which the message
has been sent is deleted from the new sending index of the subscriber
phone number storage, so that a new phone number may be stored for
a next sending operation. In step 222, it is determined whether
a previously stored phone number is to be used for the sending of
the message. If so, a search mode is started to search the stored
phone numbers in step 224. The retrieved phone number is stored
in step 225 in a sending buffer "Temp" in step 226. However,
if it is determined in step 222 that the phone number previously
stored is not to be used, the user may input the receiver's phone
number in step 223. Likewise, the receiver's phone number inputted
by the user is stored into the sending buffer "Temp" in
step 226. If the user requires the input of an additional phone
number in step 227, in step 229, the index of the subscriber phone
number storage is increased by one (presently initialized to NULL)
after storing the receiver's phone number into the sending index
of the subscriber phone number storage. Then, the process returns
to step 222 to store the additional phone number. However, if there
is no demand for an additional phone number in step 227, the process
proceeds to step 228 to input the sender's phone number who is to
receive the SMS response message in step 228.
In step 230, the message transmission rate is determined according
to whether the message should be sent as speed mail, urgent mail
or ordinary mail. The message is then sent in step 231. The receiver's
phone number is retrieved from the buffer "Temp" and stored
into a given region of the EEPROM in step 232, so that it may be
reused later, for example, sending another message to the same receiver.
In step 233, it is determined whether the index of the subscriber
phone number storage is zero. A zero index means that the message
has been sent to all of the phone numbers stored. In step 233, if
it is determined that the index is zero, the sending of the message
is terminated in step 234. However, if the index of the subscriber
phone number storage is not zero, the index is decreased by one
in step 235 to return to step 231 to continue the sending of the
message to the phone number associated with the decreased index.
Namely, the buffer "Temp" is written with the phone number
of the decreased index.
FIG. 2C is a flowchart illustrating the method for sending the
SMS message. Referring to FIG. 2C, if the key input represents the
ordinary sending mode instead of the multiply addressed sending
mode as described in step 217 of FIG. 2A, the receiver's phone number
is entered in step 240. Thereafter, the message transmission rate
is specified in step 241. If the scheduled sending mode is not selected
in step 242, the message is sent in accordance with the conventional
sending method, in step 244. However, if the scheduled sending mode
is selected in step 242, the time scheduled to send the message
is entered in step 243. If the scheduled time entered is determined
to be a past time in step 245, the process returns to step 243.
Otherwise, if the scheduled time entered is determined to be a future
time in step 245, there are stored in step 246 the prepared message,
receiver's phone number, sender's phone number and the scheduled
time. In step 247, the scheduled sending function is set to be further
described with reference to FIG. 2D.
With reference to FIG. 2D, the reference time is first set to the
present time in step 250. In step 251, the microprocessor 10 enters
the standby mode. If, in decision step 253, it is determined that
the scheduled sending function has been set, a reference time Time1
is set to the scheduled sending time in step 254. If it is determined
in step 255 that the present time is equal to or greater than the
reference time, the message is sent in step 256. Otherwise, the
method remains in loop 255 until the present time is equal to or
greater than the reference time. Then, the scheduled sending function
is released in step 257, deleting all the stored data in step 258.
Though not described in FIG. 2D, step 256 may be repeated when the
sending of the message fails.
While the invention has been shown and described with reference
to a certain preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood
by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details
may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope
of the invention as defined by the appended claims. |