# US 2014/0194151 A1 · Electronic device with message handling functions > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0194151 A1 - Document ID: US20140194151A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/519,053 - Filed: 2012-01-26 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-11-22 - Assignees: Sony Mobile Communications Inc. - Inventors: Henrik Bengtsson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140194151A1 ## CPC - H04W 4/14: Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD] - H04L 51/04: Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] - H04L 51/066: Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression - H04L 51/56: Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM] - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract An electronic device (12) is capable of sending chat-style messages by instant message (IM) messaging and short message service (SMS) messaging. IM messaging is preferred, but a message will be sent by SMS messaging upon user authorization when IM messaging for the electronic device is not available. When IM messaging is not available for a message destination electronic device (14), the user of the electronic device will be notified that the transmission mechanism is SMS messaging and an attempt to wake-up IM messaging in the message destination electronic device will be made. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device, comprising: a radio circuit that establishes wireless communications over a connection that supports short message service (SMS) messaging and a connection that supports instant message (IM) messaging; and a control circuit that executes a messaging client such that the electronic device is configured to: (a) receive user entry of a message and a command to send the message; (b) determine that IM messaging is not available at the time that the command to send the message is received; (c) query the user to determine whether the message should be sent immediately by SMS messaging or wait for IM messaging to become available; and (d) transmit the message by SMS messaging when the user selects sending the message by SMS messaging in (c). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein if IM messaging is available in (b), the electronic device is configured to transmit the message by IM messaging. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein if the user selects waiting in (c), the electronic device is configured to determine that IM messaging has been restored and transmit the message by IM messaging. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the connection that supports SMS messaging is a cellular circuit-switched network connection with a subscriber network. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the connection that supports IM messaging is one of a cellular packet-switched network connection with a subscriber network or a packet switched data connection to the Internet apart from the subscriber network. ### Claim 6 A method of handling messages in an electronic device that has a radio circuit that establishes wireless communications over a connection that supports short message service (SMS) messaging and a connection that supports instant message (IM) messaging, comprising: (a) receiving user entry of a message and a command to send the message; (b) determining that IM messaging is not available at the time that the command to send the message is received; (c) querying the user to determine whether the message should be sent immediately by SMS messaging or wait for IM messaging to become available; and (d) transmitting the message by SMS messaging when the user selects sending the message by SMS messaging in (c). ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein if IM messaging is available in (b), transmitting the message by IM messaging. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein if the user selects waiting in (c), determining that IM messaging has been restored and transmitting the message by IM messaging. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the connection that supports SMS messaging is a cellular circuit-switched network connection with a subscriber network. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the connection that supports IM messaging is one of a cellular packet-switched network connection with a subscriber network or a packet switched data connection to the Internet apart from the subscriber network. ### Claim 11 An electronic device, comprising: a radio circuit over which messages for a message destination electronic device are transmitted by one of short message service (SMS) messaging or instant message (IM) messaging; and a control circuit that executes a messaging client such that the electronic device is configured to: (a) determine that a chat associated with the message destination electronic device has been opened; (b) determine whether the message destination electronic device currently has message receipt capability over IM messaging; (c) when the message destination electronic device currently has message receipt capability over IM messaging, indicate to a user of the electronic device that messages will be sent to the message destination electronic device by IM messaging; and (d) when the message destination electronic device does not currently have message receipt capability over IM messaging, indicate to the user of the electronic device that messages will be sent to the message destination electronic device by SMS messaging. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The electronic device of claim 11, wherein (b) includes communicating with a message service server to determine the availability of the message destination electronic device to receive messages over IM messaging. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the message destination electronic device has message receipt capability over IM messaging if the message destination electronic device has an active session with an IM messaging service of the message service server. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The electronic device of claim 12, wherein if the message destination electronic device does not currently have message receipt capability over IM messaging, the communication from the electronic device triggers the message service server to send a wake-up message to the message destination electronic device to wake-up an IM messaging component of a messaging client of the message destination electronic device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The electronic device of claim 11, wherein if the message destination electronic device does not currently have message receipt capability over IM messaging, the electronic device further configured to provoke a message service server to send a wake-up message to the message destination electronic device to wake-up an IM messaging component of a messaging client of the message destination electronic device. ### Claim 16 A method of handling messages in an electronic device that has a radio circuit over which messages for a message destination electronic device are transmitted by one of short message service (SMS) messaging or instant message (IM) messaging, comprising: (a) determining that a chat associated with the message destination electronic device has been opened; (b) determining whether the message destination electronic device currently has message receipt capability over IM messaging; (c) when the message destination electronic device currently has message receipt capability over IM messaging, indicating to a user of the electronic device that messages will be sent to the message destination electronic device by IM messaging; and (d) when the message destination electronic device does not currently have message receipt capability over IM messaging, indicating to the user of the electronic device that messages will be sent to the message destination electronic device by SMS messaging. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein (b) includes communicating with a message service server to determine the availability of the message destination electronic device to receive messages over IM messaging. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the message destination electronic device has message receipt capability over IM messaging if the message destination electronic device has an active session with an IM messaging service of the message service server. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein if the message destination electronic device does not currently have message receipt capability over IM messaging, the communication from the electronic device triggers the message service server to send a wake-up message to the message destination electronic device to wake-up an IM messaging component of a messaging client of the message destination electronic device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein if the message destination electronic device does not currently have message receipt capability over IM messaging, the electronic device provoking a message service server to send a wake-up message to the message destination electronic device to wake-up an IM messaging component of a messaging client of the message destination electronic device.