An Operator-Independent MMS System

Abstract

多媒體簡訊服務(multimedia messaging service, MMS)，使得行動設備(mobile device)間及應用(application)到行動設備的簡訊傳輸，具有全面多樣性的內容，包括文字、圖片、聲音、影像。多媒體簡訊服務是被設計來開發利用全範圍(full area coverage)行動寬頻網路的潛能。目前上市提供服務的全範圍行動網路，例如：Global System for Mobile communications (GSM)/General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)/Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS)，實際上只能提供大約9.6/50/300 kbps的資料傳輸速率，因此不能有效的支援內容豐富的多媒體簡訊服務。相對於全範圍的GSM/GPRS/UMTS行動網路，在無線寬頻網路方面，Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)能在小移動範圍的環境中，提供將近30 Mbps的高速資料傳輸速率。藉由整合WLAN提供的寬頻傳輸服務與GSM/GPRS/UMTS提供的精密行動管理(mobility management)機制，我們設計並發展一個與GSM/GPRS/UMTS業者獨立的多媒體簡訊服務系統。

Multimedia messaging service (MMS) enables the transmission of messages with full content versatility, including text, image, audio, and video, between mobile devices and from applications to these devices. MMS is designed to exploit the potential of mobile broadband networks with full area coverage. The existing full-coverage mobile networks, such as Global System for Mobile communications (GSM)/General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)/Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), are not able to effectively support content-rich MMS since the practical data rates offered are limited to 9.6/50/300 kbps. In parallel with the full-coverage GSM/GPRS/UMTS networks, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) provides high-speed transmission services with actual data rates around 30 Mbps in a short-range local mobility environment. By integrating the broadband transmission service provided by WLAN and the sophisticated mobility management mechanism provided by GSM/GPRS/UMTS, we design and develop a GSM/GPRS/UMTS operator-independent MMS system.