1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for transmitting a message to a plurality of receiving mobile communication terminals, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for transmitting a message containing both common content to be transmitted to all of the plurality of receiving mobile communication terminals and specific content to be transmitted to a specific receiving mobile communication terminal.
2. Discussion of the Background
Short message service (SMS) and multimedia message service (MMS) are well-known data communication services provided for mobile communication terminals, and many mobile communication terminal users exchange information using these message services.
In conventional message transmission methods, a message prepared at a transmitting mobile communication terminal is sent to a receiving mobile communication terminal. With developments in the technology of wireless communication and mobile communication terminals, it has become possible to transmit a message from a mobile communication terminal to a plurality of receiving mobile communication terminals, wherein each receiving mobile communication terminal receives an identical message having the same content.
When transmitting a message to a plurality of mobile communication terminals, the message may require slightly different content for each receiving mobile communication terminal. In conventional methods, a message is prepared at the transmitting mobile communication terminal, which transmits the message to a first receiving mobile communication terminal and then stores the message. Subsequently, the transmitting mobile communication terminal retrieves the stored message, amends the content of the message, and then transmits the amended message to a second receiving mobile communication terminal. The transmitting mobile communication terminal may individually transmit messages containing slightly different content to a plurality of receiving mobile communication terminals by repeating the above steps.
However, in the above method, the message transmitted to the first mobile communication terminal must be stored and retrieved to amend the message for transmission to the second mobile communication terminal.