(12) United States Patent
`DeJ aco et al.
`
`I lllll llllllll Ill lllll lllll lllll lllll lllll 111111111111111111111111111111111
`US006745024Bl
`
`(10) Patent No.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 6,745,024 Bl
`Jun.1,2004
`
`(54) SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREPARING
`AND SENDING AN ELECTRONIC MAIL
`COMMUNICATION USING A WIRELESS
`COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE
`
`(75)
`
`Inventors: Andrew P. DeJaco, San Diego, CA
`(US); Charles S. Han, San Diego, CA
`(US)
`
`WO
`WO
`
`00/59196
`WO 00/59196
`
`10/2000
`* 10/2000
`
`.......... H04M/3/533
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`Shung-Foo Yu et al. "A multimedia gateway for phone/fax
`and MIME mail," Computer Communications, NL, Elsevier
`Science Publishers BV, Amsterdam, vol. 20, No. 8, Aug. 25,
`1997, pp. 615-627.
`
`(73) Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated, San Diego,
`CA(US)
`
`* cited by examiner
`
`( *) Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
`
`(21) Appl. No.: 09/480,835
`
`(22) Filed:
`
`Jan. 10, 2000
`
`(51)
`
`Int. Cl.7 ......................... H04M 3/533; H04Q 7/22;
`G06F 13/38
`(52) U.S. Cl. ....................... 455/414; 709/206; 709/207;
`709/217
`(58) Field of Search .......................... 455/414; 709/206,
`709/217, 207
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`5/1995 Jacobs et al. ................ 395/2.3
`5,414,796 A
`2/1997 Gardner et al. .............. 395/2.3
`5,600,754 A
`5,974,449 A * 10/1999 Chang et al.
`............... 709/206
`6,185,288 Bl * 2/2001 Wong ......................... 370/352
`6,256,666 Bl * 7/2001 Singhal ...................... 709/203
`
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`Primary Examiner-William Cumming
`Assistant Examiner-Alan T. Gantt
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Philip Wadsworth; Kent D.
`Baker; Donald C. Kordich
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`A system and method for preparing and sending e-mail
`communications using a wireless communications device
`are disclosed. In one embodiment, input data comprising
`audio, image, and/or video data is encoded and transmitted
`to a cellular network. An integrated e-mail processor con(cid:173)
`nected to the cellular network processes the coded data into
`a composite e-mail message and forwards the message to a
`server. The server then forwards the composite e-mail mes(cid:173)
`sage to the indicated recipient(s). In another embodiment,
`the wireless communications device processes the coded
`data into a composite e-mail message and forwards it to a
`server via a cellular network. In either embodiment, the
`server may be dedicated to the cellular network. The inven(cid:173)
`tion thus enables users of handheld wireless communica(cid:173)
`tions devices, users of other devices lacking typing
`keyboards, or users presently unable to use a typing key(cid:173)
`board to prepare and send e-mail messages.
`
`WO
`
`94/23394
`
`10/1994
`
`32 Claims, 12 Drawing Sheets
`
`P14
`
`receive input and stream to
`integrated e-mail processor
`
`LGE-1006 / Page 1 of 20
`LGE v. Fundamental
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Jun.1,2004
`
`Sheet 1 of 12
`
`US 6,745,024 Bl
`
`FIG. 1
`
`User A
`
`UserD
`
`UserE
`
`Computer
`
`Data
`
`10a
`
`UserB
`
`Computer
`
`10b
`
`Data
`modem
`15b
`
`UserC
`
`Computer
`
`10c
`
`Server
`
`20a
`
`Internet
`
`Server
`
`UserF
`
`Computer
`10d
`
`LGE-1006 / Page 2 of 20
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Jun.1,2004
`
`Sheet 2of12
`
`US 6,745,024 Bl
`
`FIG. 2A
`
`Transmitter-SMTP
`establishes
`transmission channel
`to receiver-SMTP
`
`POOS
`
`Transmitter-SMTP
`sends
`MAIL command to
`to receiver-SMTP
`
`P010
`
`Yes
`
`P015
`
`Receiver-SMTP
`responds with
`OK command
`to Transmitter-SMTP
`
`P025
`
`Receiver-SMTP
`responds by
`rejecting mail
`
`Transmitter-SMTP
`sends RCPT command
`identifying addressee
`
`P020
`
`P030
`
`Yes
`
`Receiver-SMTP
`responds with
`OK command
`to Transmitter-SMTP
`
`No
`
`P045
`
`END
`
`Receiver-SMTP
`responds by rejecting
`addressee, but not the 1--------11~
`whole mail transaction
`
`P040
`
`LGE-1006 / Page 3 of 20
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Jun.1,2004
`
`Sheet 3of12
`
`US 6,745,024 Bl
`
`FIG. 28
`
`Yes
`
`Transmitter-SMTP
`sends RCPT command
`identifying addressee
`
`P050
`
`P070
`
`Receiver-SMTP
`Yes
`--+ responds with
`OK command
`to Transmitter-SMTP
`
`-1 ~ P005
`----.•&
`
`Receiver-SMTP
`responds by rejecting
`addressee, but not the
`
`whole mail transaction -
`
`POBO
`
`Transmitter-SMTP
`sends
`MAIL data to
`to receiver-SMTP
`
`Transmitter-SMTP
`terminates transmission
`with special sequence
`
`Receiver-SMTP
`responds with
`OK command
`to Transmitter-SMTP
`
`END
`
`POSS
`
`P060
`
`P06S
`
`LGE-1006 / Page 4 of 20
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Jun.1,2004
`
`Sheet 4of12
`
`US 6,745,024 Bl
`
`FIG. 3
`
`r--------------------------------------------------
`
`110
`
`audio
`input unit
`
`120
`
`audio
`coder
`
`/""" 150
`
`130
`
`processing
`unit
`
`140
`
`keypad
`
`display
`
`160
`
`180
`
`-------------------------------------~----------
`100
`
`LGE-1006 / Page 5 of 20
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Jun.1,2004
`
`Sheet 5of12
`
`US 6,745,024 Bl
`
`IEP
`220
`
`cellular
`network
`210
`
`230
`
`remote
`server
`240
`
`recipient
`server
`260
`
`FIG. 4
`
`LGE-1006 / Page 6 of 20
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Jun.1,2004
`
`Sheet 6of12
`
`US 6,745,024 Bl
`
`250
`
`recipient
`server
`260
`
`IEP
`220
`
`dedicated
`server
`340
`
`cellular
`network
`210
`
`l 1--> 270
`~
`
`FIG. 5
`
`LGE-1006 / Page 7 of 20
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Jun.1,2004
`
`Sheet 7of12
`
`US 6,745,024 Bl
`
`FIG. 6
`r--------------------------------------------------
`
`110
`
`audio
`input unit
`
`120
`
`audio
`coder
`
`/
`
`150
`
`190
`
`image/
`video
`input
`unit
`
`200
`
`130
`
`image/
`video
`
`coder ·---- processing
`
`unit
`
`140
`
`keypad
`
`display
`
`160
`
`180
`
`-------------------------------------~----------
`
`105
`
`LGE-1006 / Page 8 of 20
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Jun.1,2004
`
`Sheet 8of12
`
`US 6,745,024 Bl
`
`FIG. 7
`
`START
`
`telephone
`
`receive
`
`identify
`addressee
`
`no
`
`P140
`
`receive input and stream to
`integrated e-mail processor
`
`no
`
`yes
`
`format file as
`attachment to e-mail
`message
`
`P160
`
`send e-mail
`message
`
`P170
`
`END
`
`LGE-1006 / Page 9 of 20
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Jun.1,2004
`
`Sheet 9of12
`
`US 6,745,024 Bl
`
`FIG. 8
`
`.--------------------------------------------------
`
`110
`
`audio
`input unit
`
`120
`
`audio
`coder
`
`/""' 150
`
`130
`
`processing
`unit
`
`140
`
`keypad
`
`touchscreen
`
`160
`
`280
`
`-------------------------------------~---------~
`107
`
`LGE-1006 / Page 10 of 20
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Jun.1,2004
`
`Sheet 10 of 12
`
`US 6,745,024 Bl
`
`FIG. 9
`
`r--------------------------------------------------
`
`110
`
`audio
`input unit
`
`120
`
`audio
`coder
`
`310
`
`/
`
`150
`
`processing
`unit
`
`140
`
`keypad
`
`display
`
`160
`
`180
`
`-------------------------------------~----------
`300
`
`LGE-1006 / Page 11 of 20
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Jun.1,2004
`
`Sheet 11 of 12
`
`US 6,745,024 Bl
`
`cellular
`network
`210
`
`230
`
`PSTN
`
`remote
`server
`240
`
`recipient
`server
`260
`
`FIG. 10
`
`LGE-1006 / Page 12 of 20
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Jun.1,2004
`
`Sheet 12 of 12
`
`US 6,745,024 Bl
`
`dedicated
`server
`340
`
`cellular
`network
`210
`
`250
`
`recipient
`server
`260
`
`FIG. 11
`
`LGE-1006 / Page 13 of 20
`
`

`

`US 6,745,024 Bl
`
`1
`SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREPARING
`AND SENDING AN ELECTRONIC MAIL
`COMMUNICATION USING A WIRELESS
`COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`1. Field of the Invention
`This invention relates to wireless communications. More 10
`specifically, this invention relates to electronic mail com(cid:173)
`munications using a handheld wireless communications
`device.
`2. Description of Related Art and General Background
`A Electronic Mail
`Communication using electronic mail (hereinafter
`"e-mail") has several advantages which have helped to fuel
`the recent exponential growth in e-mail usage. An e-mail
`message may be sent around the world substantially
`instantly, without incurring any long-distance telephone tolls
`or postage charges or delays. An e-mail message is also more
`tangible than a telephone call, as an exact copy of the
`transmission remains available for future reference by both
`the sender and the recipient. An e-mail transmission may
`easily be encrypted for security and can also be authenti(cid:173)
`cated to ensure the integrity of the received message and the
`identity of the sender. It is also much easier to send an e-mail
`transmission to multiple recipients simultaneously than to
`send multiple letters or conduct a conference call or a series
`of calls. Additionally, e-mail messages may be preferable 30
`over telephone calls in situations where only one-way com(cid:173)
`munication is desired. With the advent of easy-to-use soft(cid:173)
`ware applications, e-mail has become a convenient and
`inexpensive way to communicate.
`Initially, e-mail communication was limited to users con(cid:173)
`nected within a particular network. Today, the Internet
`provides a communications pathway between users in sepa(cid:173)
`rate and unrelated networks. As a result, e-mail transmis(cid:173)
`sions may be exchanged between any two users who each
`have an established e-mail account on a server connected to
`the Internet. As shown in FIG. 1, each of the users D-G
`using computers lOc and lOd may correspond with any of
`the other users via servers 20a and 20b (which service the
`users' e-mail accounts) and the Internet 2SO. Additionally,
`data modems lSa and lSb coupled to computers lOa and 45
`lOb, respectively, allow the connection between users to
`extend beyond the Internet 2SO to include data links over the
`public switched telephone network (PSTN) 230, such that
`users A-C using computers lOa and lOb and their accounts
`on server 20a may correspond with any of the other users as so
`well.
`Common standards and protocols exist that enable e-mail
`and other forms of communications to be conducted over the
`Internet across a wide variety of software applications,
`computing platforms, and transmission channels. One such
`protocol, the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), is the
`standard method for transferring electronic mail over a
`network and is defined in "Simple Mail Transfer Protocol"
`by J. Postel, RFC 821, University of Southern California/
`Information Sciences Institute, August 1982. Because SMTP 60
`can be used to communicate across different platforms, it
`enables users of disparate systems to exchange e-mail mes(cid:173)
`sages transparently. For example, a researcher using a super(cid:173)
`computer running under a UNIX operating system can send
`the same e-mail message to a colleague on the same 65
`supercomputer, a co-worker in a different building using a
`different server and operating system, and a friend using a
`
`2
`personal computer from home. A software routine or "layer"
`running on each of the latter two systems receives an SMTP
`transmission containing the message and handles it
`appropriately, allowing the researcher to transmit her mes-
`s sage without regard to the nature or configuration of any
`recipient's system.
`In FIG. 1, a message sent by user B to user G might
`typically be delivered in three SMTP transmissions. In the
`first transmission, the message is transmitted by computer
`lOa to server 20a over the PSTN 230. In the second
`transmission, the message is transmitted by server 20a to
`server 20b over the Internet 2SO. In the third transmission,
`the message is transmitted by server 20b to computer lOd
`over a local-area network connection such as an Ethernet
`15 link. In each case, the SMTP transmission is carried across
`a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection, which is
`sustained only during the length of the transmission.
`A message passes from a transmitting system to a receiv(cid:173)
`ing system via SMTP as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. The
`20 mail transaction is initiated when the SMTP layer executing
`on the transmitting system (hereinafter "Transmitter(cid:173)
`SMTP") establishes communication with the SMTP layer
`executing on the receiving system (hereinafter "Receiver(cid:173)
`SMTP") as shown in block POOS. In block POlO, the
`25 Transmitter-SMTP sends a MAIL command to the Receiver(cid:173)
`SMTP. This MAIL command instructs the Receiver-SMTP
`to reset all of its state tables and buffers and also identifies
`the sender, whose mailbox address appears in a reverse-path
`argument. If the Receiver-SMTP can accept mail, shown in
`the decision block POIS, the Receiver-SMTP responds by
`transmitting an OK command as in block P02S. Otherwise,
`the Receiver-SMTP rejects the mail as in block P020.
`Once the Receiver-SMTP acknowledges that it can accept
`mail, the Transmitter-SMTP issues the RCPT command,
`35 which contains a forward-path argument that identifies the
`mailbox of one recipient, as shown in block P030. This
`process may be repeated several times, as SMTP provides
`the user with the ability to send the same message to
`multiple recipients. If the Receiver-SMTP can recognize the
`40 mail addressee as in decision block P03S, the Receiver(cid:173)
`SMTP transmits an OK command as in block P04S.
`Otherwise, the Receiver-SMTP rejects the, unrecognized
`addressee as in block P040. The Receiver-SMTP processes
`any remaining addressees in a similar manner, shown in
`decision block POSO and blocks P070--P08S (corresponding
`to blocks P030-P04S).
`When the last addressee is processed, the Transmitter-
`SMTP sends the body of the message to the Receiver-SMTP,
`as shown in block POSS. A DATA command defines the body
`of the mail message. The Receiver-SMTP treats the incom(cid:173)
`ing data as message text until it detects an end-of-text signal,
`which comprises a line containing only a period. In block
`P060, the Transmitter-SMTP supplies the end-of-text signal.
`The Receiver-SMTP acknowledges this signal with an OK
`ss command as in block P06S.
`In addition to mail transmission, SMTP also supports
`features for address verification and correction, including
`supplying an address for e-mail forwarding and verifying
`and expanding a user's name or mailing list. Moreover,
`SMTP also supports delivering messages to a user's terminal
`instead of the user's mailbox.
`B. Attachments to E-Mail Transmissions
`In traditional paper mail, a sender may enclose other
`documents, and even non-textual materials such as
`photographs, into the same envelope as a letter. E-mail
`transm1ss10ns, however, were originally limited to text.
`While SMTP is effective in bridging the gap between
`
`LGE-1006 / Page 14 of 20
`
`

`

`US 6,745,024 Bl
`
`10
`
`3
`different computer platforms, control and data sequences
`within the SMTP layer must be composed entirely of the 128
`characters of the ASCII character set.
`Eventually, standardized methods for converting non(cid:173)
`textual information into ASCII were developed, allowing the
`creation of software packages that provide users with the
`ability to attach non-textual material to an e-mail commu(cid:173)
`nication. One such method that has become a universal
`standard is uuencode (originally for
`'UNIX-to-UNIX
`encode'). Another standard used primarily on Apple Macin(cid:173)
`tosh computers is BinHex (for 'binary hexadecimal'). The
`ability to use attachments has expanded the power and utility
`of e-mail, as a user may now send audio data, image or video
`files, or any other file created with any computer application
`as e-mail.
`Recently, the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions
`(MIME) protocol has become an Internet standard for
`attaching materials to e-mail transmissions. This protocol is
`defined in the following documents entitled "Multipurpose
`Internet Mail Extensions": RFC 2045 (Part One), RFC 2046
`(Part Two), and RFC 2049 (Part: Five) by N. Freed and N.
`Borenstein; RFC 2047 (Part Three) by K. Moore; and RFC
`2048 (Part Four) by N. Freed, J. Klensin, and J. Postel,
`University of Southern California/Information Sciences
`Institute, November 1996. A variation of MIME called
`S/MIME also includes encryption for security against eaves(cid:173)
`droppers and imposters.
`MIME uses header fields to identify the type of content
`and the method of encoding. Content type arguments that
`may appear in the header include 'image,' 'audio,' 'text,'
`'video,' and 'application,' a catch-all category that includes
`other content types. Several kinds of encoding may be used,
`including seven-bit, quoted-printable and Base64. Seven-bit
`encoding is used for files containing all ASCII data. Quoted(cid:173)
`printable encoding is used for mostly ASCII text with few
`binary characters, as found in enhanced text documents such
`as those formatted in Microsoft's Rich Text Format (RTF).
`Base64 encoding is used for files that contain a significant
`amount of binary data, such as audio data, image files, and
`videos. Additional descriptions of the data in the message
`body may be provided in the Content-ID and Content(cid:173)
`Description header fields. A single message may contain
`several parts of different data types, in which case a bound(cid:173)
`ary marker is used to separate the different parts of the
`message. The MIME protocol thus provides a standardized 45
`method for transmitting files by e-mail in such a way that
`each file may be automatically associated with its proper
`application at the receiver.
`In Base64 encoding, the first step is to format the binary
`data into groups of three bytes (i.e. 24 bits). Each 24-bit 50
`group is then divided into four subgroups of six bits. Next,
`leading zeros are prefixed to each sub-group of six bits to
`create a group of four new bytes, each representing an ASCII
`character. As a result, the file is converted to a form that can
`be transported via SMTP regardless of the application that 55
`was used to produce the file.
`C. Digital Audio Formats
`One way to store and transmit sound in digital form is
`simply as a sequence of samples, where a predetermined
`period of time passes between each sampled point and the 60
`value of each sample is stored at a predetermined resolution.
`The WAY (for 'waveform audio') file format, for example,
`defines sound sampled (or digitally created) at either 8-bit or
`16-bit resolution and at a rate of either 11.025, 22.050, or
`44.100 kHz. Commercial audio compact disc (CD) record- 65
`ings contain sound sampled at resolution of 16 bits/sample
`and a rate of 44.100 kHz.
`
`4
`Direct transmission or storage of sound can be very
`expensive. For example, sampling an analog sound at 16-bit
`resolution at a rate of 44.100 kHz produces 706 kilobits of
`data per second. Even sampling at 8-bit resolution at a rate
`5 of only 11.025 kHz (i.e. limited to a maximum frequency of
`approximately 5500 Hz) produces 88 kilobits of data per
`second. In wireless communications applications, the avail(cid:173)
`able bandwidth is too limited and expensive to permit such
`data rates, and it is necessary to significantly reduce the
`amount of data that must be transferred. Linear predictive
`coding (LPC), a technique which anticipates the future form
`of a signal from its past form, is commonly used for
`compressing voice data in digital wireless communications.
`An LPC voice coder (or 'vocoder') analyzes speech accord(cid:173)
`ing to a model of the human vocal tract, identifying the code
`15 parameters that are shipped to the receiver and used to
`reconstruct the spoken sounds.
`Use of LPC is more efficient in transmitting voice data
`than direct sampling formats such as WAY. The difference
`between the two techniques can be demonstrated most
`20 dramatically by considering how each one handles a period
`of silence (which one might expect to comprise about
`one-half of a typical two-way telephone conversation). In
`LPC, a period of silence produces few parameters to trans(cid:173)
`mit or store. In direct sampling formats, on the other hand,
`25 a period of silence is sampled like any other period, and the
`data rate remains the same.
`One variant of LPC known as code-excited linear predic(cid:173)
`tion (CELP) produces a higher ratio of voice signal quality
`to bit rate by tracking the errors between the original speech
`30 and the computer-generated model. CELP utilizes a code
`book that is used to decode the errors at the receiver's end,
`resulting in much higher quality of prediction. Even better
`results (data rates of 1 to 8 kilobits per second) can be
`achieved by using variable-rate variants as, for example,
`35 described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,796, entitled "VARIABLE
`RATE VOCODER," issued May 9, 1995 and assigned to the
`assignee of the present application, and/or techniques for
`error correction and control as, for example, described in
`U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,754, entitled "METHOD AND SYS-
`40 TEM FOR THE ARRANGEMENT OF VOCODER DATA
`FOR THE MASKING OF TRANSMISSION CHANNEL
`INDUCED ERRORS," issued Feb. 4, 1997 and assigned to
`the assignee of the present invention.
`D. Wireless Data Communications
`Voice and data may be transmitted over a wireless link in
`either analog or digital form. Although analog systems are
`currently more ubiquitous, digital techniques enable wire(cid:173)
`less service providers to increase the capacity of their
`systems by using time-division and code-division multiple
`access techniques.
`A single wireless network may support voice and data
`services over the same frequency band or over separate
`frequency bands. Wireless networks also exist that are
`dedicated primarily or entirely to either voice or data ser(cid:173)
`vices. Generally, wireless networks comprise a number of
`fixed and geographically distributed transceivers that com(cid:173)
`municate with the mobile units currently within their cov(cid:173)
`erage areas. The mobile units may be cellular telephones, or
`they may be wireless modems connected to laptop comput(cid:173)
`ers or PDAs. The fixed transceivers typically communicate
`with a central control unit through a wired or wireless
`backhaul. While certain small-scale wireless systems may
`be self-contained, wireless networks are typically connected
`to the PSTN and may also have a direct connection to the
`Internet.
`In a typical wireless data connection, a wireless modem
`may be attached to a serial or PCMCIA port of a laptop
`
`LGE-1006 / Page 15 of 20
`
`

`

`US 6,745,024 Bl
`
`6
`image, or video file and forward it to a rec1p1ent as an
`attachment to an e-mail message. In one embodiment, a
`software (or firmware) application running on the handheld
`device forwards the data to a server integrated into the
`wireless network, and the server formats the e-mail message
`and forwards it to the recipient over a data communications
`network such as the Internet. In another embodiment, the
`handheld device formats the e-mail message and transmits it
`to a server integrated into or external to the wireless
`10 network, which server forwards the message to the recipient.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a structure supporting
`e-mail communications.
`FIGS. 2A and 2B depict the flow of information using the
`Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP).
`FIG. 3 shows a functional block diagram of a handheld
`wireless communications device (HHD) suitable for use in
`a system according to first or second embodiments of the
`invention.
`FIG. 4 shows a structure supporting e-mail communica(cid:173)
`tions which includes a system according to the first embodi(cid:173)
`ment of the invention.
`FIG. 5 shows a structure supporting e-mail communica(cid:173)
`tions which includes a system according to the second
`embodiment of the invention.
`FIG. 6 shows a functional block diagram of a HHD
`capable of receiving images and suitable for use in a system
`according to the first or second embodiments of the inven(cid:173)
`tion.
`FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method according to the first or
`second embodiments of the invention.
`FIG. 8 shows a functional block diagram of a HHD
`having a touchscreen and suitable for use in a system
`according to the first or second embodiments of the inven(cid:173)
`tion.
`FIG. 9 shows a functional block diagram of a HHD
`40 suitable for use in a system according to third or fourth
`embodiments of the invention.
`FIG. 10 shows a structure supporting e-mail communi(cid:173)
`cations which includes a system according to the third
`embodiment of the invention.
`FIG. 11 shows a structure supporting e-mail communica(cid:173)
`tions which includes a system according to the fourth
`embodiment of the invention.
`
`25
`
`5
`computer. A cellular telephone system that serves both voice
`users and data users receives the data signals from the
`wireless modem and carries them to access points connected
`to wire systems. Alternatively, a cellular system that is
`dedicated to data communications may carry the data signals 5
`received from the wireless modem.
`E. E-Mail in a Wireless Communications Environment
`Wireless data networks offer the possibility to combine
`the mobility of a portable device with the efficiency of
`e-mail communications. To achieve wireless e-mail
`connectivity, a user might execute a software application
`(i.e. a sequence of instructions executable by an array of
`logic elements such as a processor) which supports e-mail
`services on a laptop computer equipped with a wireless
`modem. The wireless modem is then used in the same
`fashion as a wireline modem, i.e. to provide a connection 15
`through the PSTN to the server servicing the user's e-mail
`account.
`More recently, it has become possible to receive and view
`e-mail using (1) a handheld cellular telephone unit with a
`display or (2) a handheld personal digital assistant (PDA) 20
`connected to a wireless modem. By using the phone keypad,
`for example, the user may select an option that allows an
`incoming e-mail message to be retrieved and displayed.
`After viewing the message, the user may select an option to
`erase the message or store it in the phone's memory.
`However, such handheld products offer very limited func(cid:173)
`tionality to the user who wants to send an e-mail message.
`Initiating or replying to an e-mail message, presents signifi(cid:173)
`cant problems to the user of a handheld device, as the device
`lacks a convenient text input tool such as a typing keyboard. 30
`Instead, only limited text input is possible with the use of the
`phone's numeric keypad. Consider a user who wishes to
`input the word "ACE." The '2' key on the phone keypad is
`associated with three letters in the alphabet, namely, A, B,
`and C, while the '3' key is associated with the letters D, E, 35
`and F. To input the word ACE using the phone keypad, the
`user first presses the '2' key once. The letter A appears on the
`display. After a brief pause, the user presses the '2' key one
`more time. The display now reads "AA." To get the letter C,
`the user presses the '2' key twice more in rapid succession.
`The letter C appears on the display, which now reads "AC."
`Finally, to enter the letter E, the user presses the '3' key
`twice in rapid succession. The display now reads "ACE."
`As this example demonstrates, the task of entering text
`using a numeric keypad is very cumbersome. The small size 45
`of the wireless phone, while advantageous in many respects,
`does not provide a practical way to send e-mail communi(cid:173)
`cation. This limitation is shared by other handheld devices,
`which are necessarily too small for features such as typing
`keyboards. Even if such a keyboard were to be included with 50
`a handheld device, its small size would make it difficult to
`use. Thus, sending e-mail communications with a handheld
`device has not been a practical option, especially for long
`messages or for users who are in transit or driving.
`In contrast, the present invention allows the users of 55
`handheld wireless communications devices to send e-mail
`communications in a convenient manner, even while driving
`or walking down the street. Additionally, users may now
`send voice messages without incurring the toll charges of a
`long-distance telephone call or possibly initiating a two-way 60
`communication. The invention also provides a way to send
`image and other non-textual information without any need
`for cumbersome equipment such as a laptop computer.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`INVENTION
`
`In a system according to the first embodiment of the
`invention as shown in FIG. 4, a sender uses a handheld
`wireless communications device (HHD) 100 to transmit
`coded data to a cellular network 210 having an integrated
`e-mail processor (IEP) 220. IEP 220 formats the coded data
`into an attachment to an e-mail message and forwards the
`composite message to the remote server 240 on which the
`sender's e-mail account resides. Server 240 then forwards
`the e-mail message to the server 260 on which the intended
`recipient's e-mail account resides (e.g .. by using SMTP over
`the Internet 250).
`In a system according to the second embodiment of the
`invention, as shown in FIG. 5, the server 340 on which the
`65 sender's e-mail account resides is dedicated to the cellular
`network 210. For example, server 340 may have a direct
`network connection to cellular network 210 rather than only
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`A novel method and apparatus are disclosed for using a
`handheld wireless communications device to create a voice,
`
`LGE-1006 / Page 16 of 20
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`US 6,745,024 Bl
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`7
`a connection through the PSTN 230. Alternatively, server
`340 may process accounts or messages corresponding to
`users of the cellular network 210 exclusively or in a different
`manner from accounts or messages corresponding to other
`users.
`F. Preparation of E-Mail Message
`FIG. 3 shows a functional block diagram of a handheld
`wireless communications device (HHD) 100 that may be
`used in carrying out a method of communicating by e-mail
`according to a first embodiment of the invention. As shown 10
`in the flowchart of FIG. 7, the first task PlOO in this method
`is to select the operating mode for the HHD 100. In order to
`select an operating mode, the sender enters a predetermined
`keystroke or sequence of keystrokes via keypad 160.
`According to these keystrokes (or the lack of such 15
`keystrokes), processing unit 130 causes HHD 100 to enter
`the selected mode of operation or a default mode. For
`example, if HHD 100 has cellular telephone capability and
`normal telephone operation has been selected (e.g. by
`default), HHD 100 establishes a telephone service connec- 20
`tion with cellular network 210 of FIG. 5 over a wireless link
`270. Voice or audio input received by HHD 100 through
`audio input device 110 (e.g. a microphone) is then encoded
`by audio coder 120 (e.g. a vocoder) under the control of
`processing unit 130. The coded data is formatted by pro(cid:173)
`cessing unit 130 for transmission as a telephone call, upcon(cid:173)
`verted and amplified in RF stage 140, and transmitted over
`antenna 150.
`When an e-mail operation mode is selected or otherwise
`indicated, the next task PHO is to establish whether the user
`wishes to send or to receive e-mail. As with task PlOO,
`processing unit 130 causes HHD 100 to enter the selected
`mode of operation or a default mode, in response to the
`presence or absence of a predetermined keystroke or
`sequence of keystrokes on keypad 160.
`If a 'send e-mail' mode is indicated, the next task P120 is
`to identify the addressee(s) or recipient(s) of the e-mail
`message. If an incoming e-mail message has just been
`reviewed, the sender may choose to send a reply to the
`sender of that message and/or to any of the other recipients
`of the message. Otherwise, as e-mail addresses are typically
`fairly short, one viable option is for the sender to enter the
`entire address using keypad 160. In a further option, a
`speech-to-text conversion engine is provided (i.e. as a part of
`processing unit 130) so that the sender may speak the e-mail 45
`address letter-by-letter; each spoken letter is then converted
`into the appropriate character.
`Alternatively, the sender may choose one or more e-mail
`addresses from a list stored in HHD 100 (i.e. an 'address
`book'). It is preferable to store such information in a so
`nonvolatile medium such as flash memory, EEPROM
`(electrically erasable programmable read-only memory), or
`another form of NVRAM (nonvolatile random-access
`memory); a low-power semiconductor memory unit with
`battery backup; or a magnetic medium. The addresses in this ss
`list may be displayed on a display 180 of HHD 100 in a
`numerical order or in an alphabetic order. In the latter case,
`the list displayed may be narrowed automatically as each
`letter of the address is entered until only one possible choice
`remains, thereby relieving the user from having to enter the 60
`entire address.
`As the coded data will be attached to or otherwise
`incorporated into an e-mail message, it will be necessary
`either to supply a precomposed base e-mail message or to
`generate a base e-mail message. The same default message
`may be used as a base for all such messages, or a particular
`ba