Title
Method and system for exchanging information with mobile user equipment. Technical Field
The present invention relates to telecommunications and, in particular, to the exchange of information with mobile User Equipment, UE, arranged for receiving and processing data transmitted by a Short Messaging Service, SMS.
Background
SMS as used on modern mobile UE, such as mobile telephone handsets, is originally defined as part of the Global System for Mobile Communications, GSM, as a means of sending messages to and from GSM mobile handsets. Although originally not foreseen, SMS has become very popular as a mobile-to-mobile subscriber text messaging system, though broadcast messaging is used as well. In particular for providing warning or alerting messages to a plurality of subscribers. SMS is nowadays available on a wide range of telecommunication networks, including the so-called Third Generation, 3G, networks.
One of the developments of SMS is comprised in a concatenation of SMS messages to forward larger content using multiple SMS messages of standard length. The receiving handset is then responsible for reassembling the message and presenting it to the user as one long message.
In addition to text, however, SMS still provides the possibility of exchanging data with mobile UE not to be displayed as text. Modern mobile telecommunication networks, such as 3G networks, provide
Multimedia Messaging Service, or MMS. This is a standard for sending messages that include multimedia content to and from mobile phones. The most popular use is to send photographs from camera-equipped handsets, although it is also popular as a method of delivering news and entertainment content including videos, pictures, text pages and ring tones. However, MMS messaging is cost prone. Although a significant portion of mobile phones supports display of graphics, a vast portion of mobile phone users does not want to send and/or receive MMS, for cost reasons. US Patent Application US2007/0197236 A1 discloses a system and method for controlling home appliances from a mobile terminal using a short message service. On request of a user, the current status of the home appliances is displayed as an image selected from an image file stored at the mobile terminal. Each different status of the appliances corresponds with a particular image stored in the image file.
Multiple home appliances and multiple status modes of the appliances require a huge amount of images and hence storage capacity at the mobile terminal. Accordingly, the storage capacity of the mobile terminal severely limits the amount of status information that can be displayed. Or the other way around, for displaying the status of multiple appliances a huge amount of storage capacity of the mobile terminal will be occupied.
Further, this manner of presentation is static and inflexible.
Summary
It is an object of the present invention to provide a versatile method for exchanging and displaying information with a mobile UE, such as a mobile telephone or other type of handset, using SMS data, other than just exchanging text information. In a first aspect there is provided a method for exchanging information with mobile
User Equipment, UE, the UE being arranged for receiving and processing data transmitted by a Short Messaging Service, SMS, the method comprising:
- receiving, by the UE, SMS data;
- displaying automatically, by the UE, a predefined graphical presentation and a plurality of invocable information fields as a combined image, and
- invoking, by the UE, at least one of the information fields based on the received SMS data.
In this method, the UE is arranged for automatically displaying, in response to the receipt of SMS data, of a digital graphical presentation such as, for example, a floor-plan of a house or other building, a ground plan or map of a park or forest, a street map or town-map of a city and the like. The graphical presentation may be provided in binary form with the SMS data, for example as a concatenation of SMS messages, and converted and displayed by the UE as a graphical presentation. However, in an example, the graphical presentation is pre-stored at the UE.
In the latter case, before receiving the SMS data, a software application is installed on the UE. This installation can be effected either by a data cable, Bluetooth, memory card, Internet or any other suitable means for data transfer. When the software application is installed, it is arranged to be activated by the receipt of the SMS data.
The graphical presentation comprises invocable information fields. That is, the image displayed at the display of the UE is composed of the graphical presentation and digital invocable information fields, which together make up an image at the UE. The digital graphical presentation and the digital information fields may be combined at the UE in a manner known to the person skilled in the art, such as by superimposing digital image elements, by using digital image overlay techniques, and the like. Based on the content of the SMS data received, one or more of the information fields is automatically invoked or activated which results in a notice or alert to the user of the UE.
In this manner a huge number of different images can be composed for representing, for example, the status of a huge plurality of appliances or the like, without having to store a separate image for each possible status. Status alterations of one or a multiple individual appliances, sensors or the like can be displayed, in its most simple form, using a single image as the pre-defined graphical presentation combined with information fields and making use of binary SMS data containing or representing the status of an individual appliance, sensor or the like or a change in status, for example.
Examples of types of information and invocable information fields comprise, but are not limited to, displaying graphical type information, including text messages, symbols, icons, object of different shapes and the like; audio type information, such as tones of different frequency and duration, voice messages, music and the like; tactile type information, such as a vibration provided by a vibrator included with the UE; and visual type information, for example displaying items each time in different colours, in different combinations of colours, in a blinking manner or other form of highlighting. Compared to SMS text messaging and images with fixed content stored in an image file, with the present invention, information is exchanged in a more versatile and enriched manner. More versatile because of the plural types of information exchange, and enriched in the sense that beyond the factual information provided by an invoked information field, the content of the graphical presentation and the position of an invoked field in the graphical presentation or the mutual position of several invoked information fields provides additional information.
For example, suppose the graphical presentation is the floor plan of a house, where the positions of the information fields correspond to the positions of alarm sensors that can change status. When an alarm is triggered, in the method disclosed, appropriate SMS data is automatically initiated and transferred to a UE. Based on the content of the SMS data received, the UE displays the floor plan as a graphical presentation and the invoked information field or fields disclose the alarm sensor or sensors that are activated, i.e. its status mode. When an alarm sensor associated with the back door of the house is activated, this will most likely hint to an intruder, for example. Activation of an alarm sensor inside the house, not associated with a window or entrance, may indicate that a pet has activated the alarm. From this information, the user can better judge what action to be taken compared to, for example, the information that is typically provided by a central monitoring service centre, like: "Alert in zone 5", either in spoken or text message form.
It will be appreciated that a pre-stored graphical presentation can be unique per object and may comprise several modes or sub-presentations, such as the floor-plan of the ground floor, the first floor, etc. of an object such as a house or office building or the like, and the SMS data received may point to, and automatically display, an appropriate one of the sub-presentations. The digital invocable information fields likewise may be completely or partly pre- stored at the UE. It will be appreciated that each selection of pre-stored information field and each pre-stored graphical presentation may be combined in prescribed manner to form a particular image. The invention may combine content of an SMS with pre-stored static graphics to generate dynamic graphics to inform the user visually, rather then just by text. Moreover, SMS is a push mechanism, and as such the invention also targets applications that require instant notification rather then collecting (polling) information on a pre-defined time interval, but require graphical representation to inform users. Because UE, such as mobile phones, are automatically configured to receive SMS messages, the present invention does not require any other connection (data, internet, voice) for operation thereof.
The type of information provided by an invoked information field, as well as the content of this information, may vary dependent on a particular application or use.
In an example, an information field is configured for invoking different of the above- mentioned information types. Thus, for example, displaying a particular icon in a particular colour and providing a text string.
In another example, an information field is configured for invoking different modes of a particular information type, such as blinking a field in a particular colour or different colours and providing a text message or the like. In a particular example, the graphical type information comprises displaying graphical information associated with an information field, in particular text information in the form of a tool tip. The content of this tool tip may be provided by the SMS data received and/or may be stored on the UE such that the stored content is invoked by the SMS data received. Displaying content actually received provides a more flexible manner of information exchange, however this takes more resources from the already limited amount of bits available in an SMS message compared to selecting one of a number of pre-stored messages.
Pointing at the tool tip by a cursor or the like or by any other event may control the actual display of the tool tip information. Invoking in accordance with the invention than includes making the content of the tool tip available for display. The manner of displaying or otherwise bringing an invoked information field to the notice of a user may, in any case, depend on a further action, either an action by the user and/or an action triggered by an other event. In another example, the information fields comprise at least one of information fields having a fixed position relative to the graphical presentation and information fields having a dynamic position relative to the graphical presentation. Dynamically positioned information fields indicate, in the graphical presentation, the actual position in time of an information field. Such a dynamic information field may be linked to the actual geographical position of the UE or another UE. Position information may be received, via the SMS data, from suitable geographic positioning equipment, such as the Global Positioning System, GPS, or another positioning system, either operating globally and/or locally. A dynamic information field may be emulated by a plurality of closely spaced fixed information fields that are invoked one after the other, for example.
It will be appreciated that in such case several information fields may be invoked simultaneously and in different modes. An example application can be two people wanting to meet each other on the grounds of a festival, wherein higher frequency sound signals are provided the closer they get together, combined with positioning points that are closer to each other on a map.
One or more of the information fields, in another example, may be arranged for retrieving further information from at least one source of further information. This source of further information may be remote of the UE and transmitting the further information form the remote source to the UE may retrieve the further information. That is, for example, the information fields can be hyper-linked to alternate information sources, to acquire more insight in the alert, e.g. display of captured video clips / live streams of cameras, but also triggering event timing, as well as information about which authorized user has resolved an alert and when. Communication with the remote source may be performed using the communication channels available for speech or data communication in accordance with the applicable communication standards. However, also SMS messages may be used for retrieving the further information.
Instead of or in addition to retrieval of the further information from a remote source, in an example, the source of further information may be stored on and is available at the UE. In a further example, at least one of the information fields is arranged for activating at least one further application, including an application stored on the UE and a remote application. An example of a further application is sending warning messages to users on a warning list, which may depend on the type of information field that is invoked. Another example is an application for operating or controlling a remote device, such as a coffee- machine, washing machine, lighting, etc. as can be found in demotic systems and the like.
In an example, the SMS data is transmitted for receipt at a specific SMS port of the UE. This port is different from the standard ports for text-messages, ring tones, and logos etc. that can be received by UE. The formatting and content of the SMS messages is application-specific and known by both the sending server and the receiving UE, i.e. the software application loaded at the UE. Receiving SMS data at such specific, predefined port will automatically wake up the software application. The software application at the UE interprets the messages that are received on this specific SMS port. It then uses that interpretation to show and/or to update a graphical user interface on the mobile UE and to invoke one or more of the information fields, as disclosed above. For the purpose of the present invention, the SMS binary data protocol may be used, which protocol is known to the skilled person.
In an example, wherein the SMS data is comprised of a string of data bits or data bytes, to each information field a respective byte or part of a respective byte or group of bits of the string is allocated, for invoking the information field. In an other example, to each information field a unique identity is allocated for addressing the information field by the SMS data.
In a second aspect, mobile User Equipment, UE, is provided arranged for receiving and processing data transmitted by a Short Messaging Service, SMS, in accordance with the method according to the invention as disclosed above.
In a third aspect, there is provided a system for exchanging information with mobile User Equipment, UE. The system comprises transmitter equipment for transmitting Short Messaging Service, SMS, data to the UE; input interface equipment, for receiving input data from a plurality of remote devices; subscriber data storage equipment, for storing subscriber data and the information to be exchanged, and digital processing means. The digital processing means comprise a server arranged for generating SMS data for automatically displaying, by the UE, based on the input data and the subscriber data, of a predefined graphical presentation and a plurality of invocable information fields as a combined image and for invoking at least one information field of the graphical presentation, in accordance with the method according to the invention as disclosed above. In a further example, the system comprises transceiver equipment for receiving and transmitting data from and to UE, and output interface equipment, wherein the processing means are arranged for exchanging data with the plurality of remote devices based on the received data. The transceiver equipment may be arranged for exchanging information with mobile UE in accordance with any of the available wireless communication technologies.
In a fourth aspect, interface equipment is provided, for exchanging data with a plurality of remote devices, for use with the system for exchanging information with mobile UE disclosed above. This interface equipment, among others, may comprise a universal connection box arranged for bi-directional data communication between the device for exchanging information and
In a fifth aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising any of a group of data carrying devices including a floppy disc, CD ROM, DVD, tape, memory stick device, zip drive, flash memory card, remote access device, hard disk, semi-conductor memory device, programmable semi-conductor memory device, optical disk, magneto- optical data storage device, Ferro-electric data storage device and data signal carrying a computer program arranged for exchanging information with mobile User Equipment, UE, in accordance with the method according to the invention as disclosed above.
The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of the invention will be best understood from the following description referring to the attached drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals denote identical parts or parts performing an identical or comparable function or operation. Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 shows, in a schematic and illustrative manner, the architecture of a typical prior art cellular wireless mobile telecommunications system, such as the Global System for Mobile communications, GSM.
Figure 2 shows, in a schematic and illustrative manner, mobile User Equipment, UE, in the form of radio telephone for operating in accordance with the present invention. Figure 3 shows, in a schematic and illustrative manner, an embodiment of a security or alarm system having a graphical presentation comprising a plurality of invocable information fields in accordance with an example of the invention.
Figure 4 shows, in a schematic and illustrative manner, the graphical presentation of figure 3, comprising an invoked information field and further information thereof.
Figure 5 shows, in a schematic and illustrative manner, an example implementation of a system in accordance with the invention. Figure 6 shows an overview of the main steps to be performed in User Equipment,
UE, in accordance with the invention.
Detailed description The present invention will now be illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in a cellular wireless mobile communications system, such as the Global System for Mobile communications, GSM. The invention is likewise applicable with other wireless mobile communications systems such as the General Packet Radio Service, GPRS, the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, UMTS, and many others. For the purpose of the present invention, the type of wireless communications system or technology is not a criterion; rather the communications system must be able to exchange data with mobile User Equipment, UE, in accordance with the well know Short Messaging Service, SMS.
In the context of the present invention, SMS data is to be construed as any type of data exchanged with mobile UE using a short messaging service implemented in the particular wireless communication system or technology used. SMS data of a single SMS message are limited by the constraints of the signalling protocol to a data string of precisely 140 octets or bytes, i.e. 140 octets or bytes = 140* 8 bits = 1 120 bits. The cellular mobile telecommunications system 1 as shown in figure 1 supports communication with mobile User Equipment, UE, 3 which connect via a wireless radio link 4 to radio access units or Radio Base Stations, RBSs, 5. The RBSs 5, in turn, connect by wired links 6 to a Radio Network Controller, RNC, 7. The RNC 7 connects 8 to a Mobile Switching Centre, MSC, 9. The MSC 8 supports communication 10 with a fixed or landline communications system 2, such as a Public Switched Telephone Network, PSTN, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, UMTS, and an Internet Protocol IP Multimedia Subsystem, IMS.
The RBSs 5 provide service to UE 3 in a restricted geographical area, called a cell 1 1 , for exchanging calls and data between the different UE 3 and other subscribers and users of the mobile telecommunications system 1 and the fixed or landline communications system 2, including SMS data. The MSC 9 encompasses several nodes, including a Home Location Register, HLR, storing subscriber data of subscribers to the mobile telecommunications system 1 and a Visitor Location Register, VLR, storing subscriber data of roaming UE from other mobile communications systems, for example. In practice, the mobile communications system 1 may comprise a plurality of UE, RBS, RNC and MSC and a plurality of mobile communications system may connect to the fixed or landline communications system 2 or any other overlay network for interconnecting the communications systems.
For a proper understanding of the present invention, the manner of call handling and data exchange in the mobile communications system 1 is not required, such that this will not be further detailed herein. Also because this knowledge is within the reach of the person skilled in the art.
Figure 2 shows, in a schematic and illustrative manner, mobile User Equipment, UE, 20 in the form of a radio telephone, for operating in accordance with the present invention. The invention is not limited to the operation with a mobile radio telephone. Other mobile communication equipment, such as termed Personal Digital Assistant, PDA, can be used as well. UE 20 comprises a radio transceiver, TRX, unit 21 coupled to a radio antenna 22 for receiving and transmitting data in accordance with a mobile communications protocol, including the receipt of SMS data; a graphical display unit 23, an audio unit 24 depicted as a loudspeaker for providing audio information, a microphone 25, a keyboard or keypad 26, a data input/output port 27, a vibrator unit 28 for providing tactile information to a user and optional a lighting unit 29 depicted as a Light Emitting Device, LED. A digital processing unit, DPU, controls the units 21 -29 30 such as digital data processor, as illustratively shown in figure 1 . For storage of subscriber data and applications data, a storage unit 31 connects to the DPU 30.
In accordance with the present invention, UE 20 is equipped with a software application 32, stored in the storage unit 31 . Upon receipt of SMS data by TRX 21 , DPU 30, based on the software application 32, interprets that the SMS data received is to be processed in accordance with the invention. That is, a predefined graphical presentation, such as the graphical presentation 41 and information fields 42-47 shown in figure 3, are automatically displayed at the display 23 of the UE 20 as a combined image 40.
This graphical presentation 41 , which outlines a building contour, comprises several information fields 42-47 of a security or alarm system, wherein each information field represents a particular detector location in the building, for example, in relation to a street side 48. The presentation 41 and/or any of the information fields 42-47 may be separately pre-stored in the storage unit 31 of the UE 20, for example by uploading same once via the data input/output, I/O, port 27 or via the air interface of the antenna 22 and the TRX 21. However, the graphical presentation and the information fields may also be comprised in the SMS data received, for example in a concatenated SMS, comprising a plurality of concatenated single SMS messages. In this security or alarm system, the SMS data are automatically initiated and transferred by the system equipment to the UE 20. The SMS data may be suitably encoded and formatted, such that the DPU 30 detects and interprets the SMS data received as being data for operating the software application 32. For example in that the first bytes of the SMS data point to the particular software application 32 to be executed in the UE 20. The software application 32 may also be processed in that the SMS data is transmitted for receipt at a specific SMS port of the UE, such as indicated by reference numeral 33. When receiving SMS data at this port, which is different from the standard ports for text-messages, ring tones, and logos etc. that can be received by the UE, the UE 20 automatically executes the software application 32 for displaying the graphical presentation and information fields etc. as disclosed above.
In the combined image 40 of figure 3, the information fields 42-47 are provided as invocable information fields, the particular information state or mode of which can be invoked by the SMS data received. For example, with each information field a particular byte or bytes or group of bits of a string of SMS data may be associated. Instead of associating a particular information field with a particular byte or bytes or group of bits in a data string, a unique identity may be allocated to each information field 42-47. Data bits or bytes in the SMS data for invoking a particular information field may be preceded by data bits or a data byte or bytes addressing an information by indicating the identity allocated to the particular information field. For the purpose of the present invention, SMS data formatted in accordance with the binary SMS protocol may be used.
Examples of types of information that can be invoked with an information field comprise, but are not limited to, displaying graphical type information by the display 23, including text messages, symbols, icons, different object shapes and the like; audio type information by the audio unit 24, such as tones of different frequency and duration, voice messages, music and the like; tactile type information by the vibrator unit 28; and visual type information, for example displaying items in different colours, in a blinking manner or other form of highlighting at the display 23, whether or not supported by the lighting unit 29, if applicable.
Thus, one or more of the information fields 42-47 are invoked based on the specific content of the SMS data, which will vary dependent on the particular case. That is, the content of the SMS data is application and case specific and invokes particular ones of the information fields 42-47 or combinations thereof.
Note that the SMS data may comprise information for more then one map or layout. In a layout of a building, for example, separate floor plans for each floor may be presented separately. In figure 3, two floor levels are indicated, i.e. 0 and 1 . The SMS data received point to floor 0, indicated by the rectangle 51.
Also note that the information fields may have different meanings and implementations, i.e. alarm status, detector type such as Infra Red, IR, camera, heating, valve, etc. Information field 48 points to the overall status of the floor and information field 49 relates to the status of the alarm system such as, for example, activated or not. In figure 3 information field 49 indicates that the alarm system is not activated, for example. Each implementation may have different states: e.g. IR detector type: no detection
(e.g. green display of a detector at the display 23); detection of movement when alarm is not activated (e.g. orange display of a detector at the display 23), detection of movement when alarm is activated (e.g. red display of a detector at the display 23), IR is malfunctioning (e.g. grey display of a detector at the display 23) or I R is sabotaged (e.g. blue display of a detector at the display 23). Instead of or in addition to the use of different colours, the shape of an information field 42-49 may be varied. For example, a cross may be displayed in case of a malfunctioning and question mark (?) if the status of an information field is unknown. Other shapes may be used. The information fields 42-49 can be linked to alternate information sources, for example by the mechanism known as hyperlink, to acquire more insight in the alert, for example for the display of captured video clips/live streams of cameras, but also trigger event timing, as well as information about which authorized user has resolved an alert and when. Such information sources may be remote from the UE 20 and/or stored in the storage unit 31 of the UE 20. The information of the remote source is retrieved via the TRX 21 and the antenna 22 using the communication channels available for speech, data, video or any other type of multi media data exchange in the wireless mobile communications system 1 . See figure 1. To enhance the information provided, one or all of the information fields 42-49 can be identified via a mechanism called tool tip (see figure 3). As soon as one points to an information field, for example by a cursor or otherwise, dependent on the graphical interface used for controlling the display 23, a tool tip 52 is displayed, providing the user additional information of the setting, such as shown in figure 4. In figure 4, the alarm system is activated, indicated with✓ by information field 49. The sensor associated with information field 43 has been triggered, indicated by a full black invoked information field 43. A tool tip 52 indicates that the IR sensor of the kitchen has been triggered, which possibly may indicate a too high temperature in the kitchen.
The tool tip can also be used for displaying information as to what type of sensor an information field is associated with, for example. Tool tip 53 indicates that information field 47 is associated with a camera in the backyard of the building. The information to be displayed by a tool tip 52, 53 may be stored in the UE 20, for example with the software application 32, or transferred with the SMS data received.
In figures 3 and 4 information fields 42-47 have a fixed position with respect to the building contour 41. However, the invention also provides for dynamically positioned information fields. In the graphical presentation, the actual position in time of such a dynamic information field varies. Such a dynamic information field may be linked to the actual geographical position of the UE 20 or another UE. Position information may be received, via the SMS data or via the TRX 21 , from suitable geographic positioning equipment, such as the Global Positioning System, GPS, not shown, or another positioning system, either operating globally and/or locally. A dynamic information field may be emulated by a plurality of closely spaced fixed information fields that are invoked one after the other, for example.
Via the software application 32, for example, the information fields 42-47, in an embodiment, are arranged for activating at least one further application, including an application stored on a UE 20 and/or a remote application or remote device, such as a lighting device, a camera, machinery or an alarm message to an authority or the like.
Fig. 5 shows an example of a system 60 for exchanging information with mobile User Equipment, UE, in accordance with the invention. The system comprises transmitter equipment 61 for transmitting Short Messaging Service, SMS, data 62 to UE. Data to be exchanged with a plurality of remote devices, such as a plurality of Infra Red, IR, detectors 64, connected to a detector connection box 63, cameras 65, connected to a camera connection box 66, digital web cameras 67 and a domotics system 71 comprising a time switching clock 68, lighting devices 69, an IR detector 70, for example, are transmitted and received by input/output, I/O, interface equipment 72. The interface equipment 72 connects by a modem 73 and an intermediate data network, such as a data network 74 operating under the Internet protocol, IP, to digital processing means 75, in the form of one or a plurality of digital data servers. Data storage equipment 76 is provided for storing subscriber data and information to be exchanged with UE, among which the graphical presentation data and information field data as disclosed above.
The server 75 comprises digital processing means arranged for automatically generating SMS data for a UE, through the SMS transmitter equipment 61 , based on the input data received from the interface equipment 72 and stored subscriber data, for displaying at a particular UE an image composed of a predefined graphical presentation and a plurality of invocable information fields and for invoking at least one information field of the graphical presentation.
Figure 6 shows the main steps performed by a UE 20, when receiving the SMS data. Block 80 refers to the receipt, by the UE, of SMS data. Block 81 shows the automatic display, by the UE 20, of a predefined graphical presentation upon receipt of the SMS data, including a plurality of invocable information fields. Block 82 refers to invoking, by the UE 20, of at least one of the information fields based on the received SMS data.
The system 60, in the embodiment shown in figure 5, further comprises transceiver equipment 77 for receiving and transmitting data from and to UE, in accordance with any of the available wireless communication technologies.
From the above, it will be clear that compared to prior art SMS text messaging, the information exchange in accordance with the present invention is more versatile and enriched, without the need to use the more expensive Multi Media Messaging, MMS, and without a permanent connection to the Internet, for example.
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed above, and can be used for a plurality of applications and be modified and enhanced by those skilled in the art beyond the scope of the present invention as disclosed in the appended claims, without having to apply inventive skills.