KR20010016442A - System for transmitting a character message as image data - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a message transmission apparatus which enables a caller to transmit a text message sent by using a mobile communication terminal to image data. The data storage section includes data relating to a plurality of characters and a plurality of pictures corresponding to these characters, respectively. The data conversion unit converts the data about the characters in the text message sent from the sender's mobile communication terminal into the data about the corresponding picture according to the contents stored in the data storage unit. The image generator converts the output of the data converter into image data, or converts the text message into image data of a character having a font and / or size designated by the sender. The message processing unit transmits the image data to the receiver's mobile communication terminal. Accordingly, the user can easily convert the text in the text message into a picture and send it to the receiver, or convert the text in the text message into a text having a font and size designated by the user.

Description

System for transmitting a character message as image data}

The present invention relates to a message transmission device for converting a text message into image data and transmitting the message. More particularly, the text message transmitted by a caller through a mobile communication terminal is an image data of a character having a specified font and / or size. The present invention relates to an apparatus for transmitting converted image data or image data in which text in a text message is converted into a picture corresponding thereto.

With the development of mobile communication technology, mobile phones can perform various additional functions as well as simple calling functions. One of the most common functions among these additional functions is a method of transmitting a text message. Text messages have the advantages of being able to send messages at low cost, easily delivering the same content to many people, and leaving messages in an easy-to-check form even when it is difficult to make an instant call. People use it universally.

1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional text message transmission system using a mobile communication terminal. When the sender sends a text message through the mobile communication terminal 11, the transmitted signal is transmitted to the switch 17 of the mobile communication service provider through the base station 13, and the message sent to the switch 17 is a text message processing system. (SMS) 20 is sent. The exchanger 17 locates the receiver's mobile communication terminal 12 using the subscriber location management system 19, and sends a text message to the base station 14 corresponding to the receiver's mobile communication terminal 12. The text message will be sent to. The text message processing system 20 receives information from various additional service providers such as news and weather information, in addition to the function of transmitting the text message received from the exchange 17 to the receiver, and receives the text message as a text message. It functions to transmit to (12).

On the other hand, the text message processing system 20 as described above, in addition to the message consisting of simple characters, such as Korean or English, it is possible to transmit a variety of special characters and pictograms to achieve a visual effect in delivering the necessary content To increase it.

By the way, according to the conventional message transmission apparatus and method as described above, when the user wants to transmit special characters or pictograms, the user inputs the special characters or pictograms previously inputted in the memo of his mobile communication terminal 11. Since it is necessary to find and input one by one, there is a disadvantage in that it is difficult to easily transmit pictograms due to the difficulty of operation and the trouble of finding a necessary picture. In addition, since the usable glyphs are limited to those previously inputted in the memory of the mobile phone, it is difficult to send various contents as a picture and it is difficult to update to a new picture. Moreover, in the case of transmitting only pictures pre-input in the mobile phone, complicated pictures cannot be stored due to the limitation of the memory capacity of the mobile phone. Therefore, only a simple picture can be transmitted and a complicated picture with a large memory capacity cannot be transmitted. There is this.

In addition, according to the conventional text message transmission apparatus and method as described above, the typeface and size of the characters used in the mobile phone is fixed, so that the user selects the desired font and size of the character The disadvantage is that you cannot send messages. For example, if a user wants to send a text message to a specific typeface or to send a text of a larger size in order to give an image suitable for the purpose of sending a text message, there is no way to select it. In order to implement this, a large capacity memory is required to store text information for all kinds of fonts and various sizes of more than a dozen kinds in a mobile phone, and thus it is very difficult to realize. In addition, even if the caller's mobile phone supports texts of various fonts and sizes, if the mobile phone of the receiver does not support texts of various fonts and sizes, it is impossible to send a text message having a specified font and size.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to send a text message by converting a specific text in the text message according to the user's selection, if the user inputs only the text message It is possible to provide a message transmission device that can easily send a message containing a desired picture.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a message transmission apparatus capable of selecting and transmitting a font and / or size of a character that a user desires when transmitting a text message.

1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional text message transmission system using a mobile communication terminal;

2 is a diagram illustrating a message transmission path by a text message processing system according to the present invention;

3 is a view showing the configuration of a database used in FIG.

4 is a diagram showing a correlation between a text message and image data;

5 is an exemplary diagram when a text message is converted into image data, and

6 is a view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

51, 52: mobile communication terminal 53, 54: base station

57: exchanger 60: text message processing system (SMS)

61: message processing unit 62: image generation unit

63: data conversion unit 65: data storage unit

90: text message processing system (SMS) 100: the Internet

110: wireless internet gateway server (gate way server)

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a message transmission apparatus comprising: a data storage unit including a plurality of characters and data regarding a plurality of pictures corresponding to the characters; A data conversion unit for converting data about characters in a text message into data about a corresponding picture according to contents stored in the data storage unit; An image generator converting the text message output from the data converter into image data; And a message processing unit which receives the text message transmitted from the sender's mobile communication terminal and provides the data conversion unit, and receives the image data from the image generation unit and transmits the image data to the receiver's mobile communication terminal. It is done.

In addition, the message transmission apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above another object, the image generating unit for converting the data about the character to the image data including the image of the character having a specified font and / or size; Receiving the text message transmitted from the sender's mobile communication terminal and information on the font and / or size designated by the sender, providing the image to the image generating unit, receiving the image data from the image generating unit, and receiving the image data. Characterized in that it comprises a message processing unit for transmitting to the mobile communication terminal.

According to the present invention, it is possible to transmit a picture message in which specific characters in the text message are converted into pictures, and the text message can be transmitted in various fonts and / or sizes according to the user's selection.

Here, the message processing unit is connected to the exchange receiving the text message from the sender's mobile communication terminal, or the wireless Internet gateway server for receiving the text message of the sender's mobile communication terminal from the exchange to convert to the Internet protocol And can be interconnected via the Internet.

The data storage unit may store data relating to the plurality of pictures for each character, and the image generation unit may generate a plurality of the image data. The data regarding the plurality of pictures and the plurality of image data are sequentially transmitted to implement a video, and thus the user may transmit a text or a picture as a video.

Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings will be described the present invention in more detail.

2 is a diagram illustrating a message transmission path by the text message processing system according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the base station 53 receives a signal from the subscriber's mobile communication terminal 51, the switch 57 receives the signal from the base station 53, and provides the switch 57 with information about the location of the subscriber. The configuration of the base station 54 which receives the signal from the subscriber location management system 59 and the switch 57 and transmits it to the mobile communication terminal 52 of the receiver is the same as in the related art, and a detailed description thereof is omitted. .

The text message processing system 60 includes a data storage section 65 that stores a database of a plurality of characters and a plurality of pictures corresponding to the characters, and the data storage unit 65 stores data about characters in the text message. From the data converting section 63 for converting the data relating to the corresponding picture into the image data, the image generating unit 62 for converting the data relating to the character and / or the data relating to the picture into the image data, and the exchanger 57 And a message processing unit 61 which receives the text message and provides it to the data conversion unit 61 or the image generation unit 62, and receives the image data from the image generation unit 62 and provides it to the exchange 57 again.

3 shows a configuration of a database stored in the data storage unit 65. The database stores data about characters and corresponding pictures, and they correspond to each other. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the letter 'love' corresponds to the picture '♥' drawn with the heart, and the letter 'telephone' corresponds to the picture '☎' drawn with the phone.

When the sender sends a text message through the mobile communication terminal 51, the transmitted signal is transmitted to the exchange 57 of the mobile communication service provider through the base station 53, and the message transmitted to the exchange 57 is a text message processing system. (SMS) 60 is sent. The text message to be transmitted is, as shown in Fig. 4, a user address 71 having data for identification of the sender's mobile communication terminal 51, message data 73 having data on the transmitted text, and a receiver. 'Convert to user-specified picture' command or 'character and font of user-specified font and / or size' for recipient address 75 and data message 73 having data for identification of mobile communication terminal 52 And additional data 77 or the like having information on the " convert to "

The message processing unit 61 receives the text message 70 from the exchange 57 and provides it to the data conversion unit 63 or the image generating unit 62. At this time, if the additional data 77 includes a 'convert to picture' command, the message processing unit 61 transmits a text message to the data conversion unit 63, and only a command regarding 'font / size' exists. In this case, the text message is transmitted to the image generator 62.

The data conversion unit 63 extracts the message data 73 from the text message 70 and compares the characters in the message data 73 with the database stored in the data storage unit 65. If the same character is found as a result of the comparison, the data conversion unit 63 replaces the character with a corresponding picture.

As the specific characters are replaced with the picture as described above, the output of the data conversion unit 63 has only data about the converted picture or data about the picture and data about the unconverted letter together. The image generator 62 receives the output of the data converter 63 and converts it into image data. That is, both the picture data and the text data are converted into one image data. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the message data 73 is replaced with the image data 83 to generate the picture message 80.

For example, the message data 73 in the text message 70 says 'I love you.' Is composed of a letter, the data conversion unit 62 converts it to data in which the text 'I'm you ♥' and the picture are mixed, and the image generating unit 62 converts it into image data 83 having the same contents. Convert In this case, when the additional data 77 includes a command related to the font / size, the image data 83 converts the data about the character into image data having a specified font / size, so that the specific character is a picture. At the same time, characters that are not converted to pictures are converted to images of letters with the specified font and size. Similarly, the text message 70, 'I'll call' is converted into image data 83, '☎ I'.

The image data 83 is transmitted to the message processing unit 61 to the image generating unit 62, and the message processing unit 61 transmits the picture message 80 including the image data 83 to the exchange 57. The subscriber location management system 59 receives the information about the recipient address 75 in the picture message 80 and finds the base station 54 currently connected to the mobile communication terminal 52 of the recipient corresponding to the address. This information is provided to the exchange 57. The exchange 57 transmits the image data 83 to the receiver's mobile communication terminal 52 through the base station 54 by using this.

On the other hand, if there is only a command regarding 'typeface / size' in the additional data 77, the message processing unit 61 transmits the text message to the image generating unit 62. As described above, the image generator 62 converts the input character into image data 83 represented as an image of a character having a specified font / size, and transmits the same to the message processor 61. The message processing unit 61 transmits the picture message 80 including the image data 83 to the switch 57, whereby the image data 83 is transferred to the receiver's mobile communication terminal 52 through the same process as described above. Will be sent to).

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the sender sends a text message 70 including the message data 73 of 'quickly' 73a and designates a font thereof as 'bow' and sets the size to 'maximum'. (Or the maximum value that can be input), each letter of the message data 73 of " quick " 73a is converted into image data 83 corresponding to one screen size. Therefore, the receiver's mobile communication terminal 52 receives three pictures 83a, 83b, and 83c each character having one screen size. The receiver can query the three pictures 83a, 83b, and 83c sequentially by manipulating the mobile communication terminal 52.

As such, the text message processing system 60 converts various texts into pictures corresponding to the contents stored in the database or text images having a specified font and / or size. Further, the command to convert to the image data 83 by the sender and the designation of the font and / or size can be easily input by the caller by operating the mobile communication terminal 52. That is, the text message 70 including a signal to be sent by the sender to the image data through a predetermined key operation on the mobile communication terminal 51 and / or a signal to be converted and sent to a character of a specific typeface or size. In this case, the command is displayed in the additional data 70 column of the text message 70, and the data conversion unit 63 and the image generating unit 62 change the text into a picture only when the command is displayed. To do this.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the text message 70 is described as an example of simple image data 83. However, in addition to the image data containing the static image, it is possible to transmit image data about the video.

For example, the word 'quickly' can be converted into image data of a moving video, and if the word 'bus' is converted, the picture of the bus moves on the screen or emits smoke. It can also be converted to image data represented by. In such a case, a plurality of pictures constituting a moving picture may be stored in the database 65, and the image generating unit 92 may also generate a plurality of image data constituting the moving picture. The image generator 92 generates a plurality of image data constituting the video when a command to convert the video data into the additional data 77 is input. These image data may be image data each having a plurality of pictures in the database 65, or may be slightly different image data so that the shape of a character changes. These image data are sequentially transmitted to the receiver's mobile communication terminal 52 so that the receiver can receive a video. In this case, the receiver's mobile communication terminal 52 should have a function to sequentially perform image data transmitted as a video as well as simple image data.

In addition, as an application of the present invention, the converted image data 83 may be first provided to the sender's mobile communication terminal 51 before being sent to the receiver's mobile communication terminal 52. That is, by transmitting the image data 83 generated through the text message processing system 60 to the sender's mobile communication terminal 51 through the base station 53, the sender checks whether the sender is represented as a picture as he intended. If the confirmation intention is retransmitted, the image data 83 may be transmitted to the mobile communication terminal 52 of the receiver. According to this, the sender can select and transmit the desired image more accurately.

According to the present invention as described above, there is no inconvenience that the user has to find and input the picture one by one, there is an advantage that can easily send the image data having a desired picture or font / size. In addition, by constructing and updating a database, more characters can be converted into a picture, and an update to a new picture becomes easy. In addition, even in the case of a complicated picture that is difficult to input into the memory of the user's mobile communication terminal because the data capacity is large, it is advantageous to be able to transmit a variety of complex pictures only because it is stored in the database.

5 is a view showing another embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the configurations of the base stations 53 and 54, the exchange 57, and the subscriber location management system 59 that transmit and receive signals from the mobile communication terminals 51 and 52 are the same as those of the embodiment shown in FIG. same. In the present embodiment, the text message processing system 90 is shown an example connected to the exchange 57 via the Internet (100). That is, the exchange 57 is connected to the Internet 100 through a wireless Internet gateway server 110 (gateway server, integrated wireless internet repeater), and the text message processing system 90 is connected to the wireless Internet through the Internet 100. It is connected to the gateway server 110. The swap gateway server 110 receives the text message of the sender's mobile communication terminal 51 from the switch 57 and converts it into an Internet protocol.

The text message processing system 90 is composed of a message processing unit 91, a data conversion unit 93, an image generation unit 92, and a data storage unit 95 as in the embodiment shown in FIG. Their function is also the same as in the embodiment of FIG. However, in the present embodiment, the text message 70 is transmitted to the text message processing system 90 through the Internet 100, and the generated image data 83 is also transmitted to the exchanger 57 through the Internet 100. The point is different.

According to the present embodiment, since the text message processing system 90 can be remotely connected through the Internet without having to be directly provided to the mobile communication service provider, it is easier for the administrator of the database to manage and update it. In addition, since the existing wireless Internet gateway server 110, which is used for the wireless Internet, only needs to be connected through the Internet 100, a method of providing a service for changing a text message into a picture message becomes simpler.

As described above, according to the present invention, if the user desires, the text message can be easily converted into image data including a specific picture, or converted into image data having a desired typeface and / or size. . In addition, by constructing and updating a database, a large number of characters can be converted into a picture, an update to a new picture is easy, and even a picture with a large amount of data can be easily transferred.

Claims (6)

In the message transmission device for processing a text message sent from the sender's mobile communication terminal to send to the receiver's mobile communication terminal, A data storage unit having a plurality of characters and data relating to a plurality of pictures corresponding to the characters; A data conversion unit for converting data about characters in the text message into data about a corresponding picture according to contents stored in the data storage unit; An image generator converting the text message output from the data converter into image data; And Receiving a text message transmitted from the sender's mobile communication terminal and providing the text message to the data conversion unit, and receiving the image data from the image generation unit and transmitting the received image data to the receiver's mobile communication terminal. Message transmission device. In the message transmission device for processing a text message sent from the sender's mobile communication terminal to send to the receiver's mobile communication terminal, An image generation unit for converting data about a character into image data including an image of a character having a specified font and / or size; And Receives the text message transmitted from the sender's mobile communication terminal and information on the font and / or size designated by the sender and provides the image to the image generating unit, and receives the image data from the image generating unit and receives the image data. Message transmission device comprising a message processing unit for transmitting to the mobile communication terminal. The method according to claim 1 or 2, And the message processing unit is connected to a switch receiving the text message from the sender's mobile communication terminal, and transmits and receives the text message and the image data. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The message processing unit receives a text message of the sender's mobile communication terminal from an exchange and is connected to a wireless Internet gateway server for converting the Internet protocol into an Internet protocol, and transmits and receives the text message and the image data to each other. Message transmission device. The method of claim 1, The data storage unit stores data about a plurality of the pictures for each of the characters, and the image generator generates a plurality of the image data, each of which includes data about the plurality of pictures so as to implement a video. Message transmission apparatus characterized in that. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The image generating unit generates a plurality of the image data to enable the implementation of the video message transmitting apparatus.