1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to transmission and reception of a message using a mobile communication terminal.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Short Message Service (SMS) is a text messaging service that allows mobile phone users to exchange short messages (about 40 words). As mobile terminals have become more and more common, text messaging has also become more common. Further, contrary to emails, SMS messages reach their destinations almost at the same time as when they are sent.
In more detail, SMS provides a service to exchange messages and callback numbers between terminals. Also, through SMS, users can receive weather forecasts, news, stock information, etc., and can also search a variety of information.
Further, SMS provides information in an interactive manner. Thus, not only teenagers but also middle-aged and elderly people, who may not be familiar with searching for and using information, are increasingly using the service. The SMS has also been extended to electronic payments and transactions. For example, in Korea, credit card companies introduced a service to send an SMS message carrying transaction approval information to prevent unauthorized credit card use.
On the other hand, Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) has been introduced to overcome some disadvantages of SMS. In more detail, MMS is a third-generation mobile communication service that allows users to exchange data in various formats such as still image, music, audio, and moving image formats. Thus, MMS provides not only messages in the conventional format but also messages in multimedia format. MMS systems also allow users to exchange messages without any real-time transmission request.
That is, when the sender sends a message using the conventional messaging service, the recipient receives the message in almost real time. Thus, the recipient can immediately check the message. Meanwhile, a programmed messaging service has been introduced. In this service, a sender creates a message to be sent using the programmed messaging service, and the message is first stored in a network server and thereafter sent to the recipient at a preset time.
However, the “programmed messaging service” simply sends a message at the preset time and thus does not allow a user to send and receive interesting messages together with image data having a special visual effect on a specific anniversary or at a time set by the user.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds