The present document defines the stage 2 and stage 3 description of the non-realtime Multimedia Messaging Service, MMS. Stage 2 identifies the functional capabilities and information flows needed to support the service described in stage 1.
The present document includes information applicable to network operators, service providers and terminal, switch and database manufacturers.
The present document contains the core functions for a non realtime Multimedia Messaging Service, MMS, which are sufficient to provide a basic service.
MMS uses a number of technologies to realise the requirements of the stage 1 description (3G TS 22.140). The present document describes how the service requirements are realised with the selected technologies. As far as possible existing protocols (e.g. WAP, SMTP, ESMTP as transfer protocols; lower layers to provide push, pull, notification) and existing message formats (e.g. SMIL, MIME) shall be used for the realisation of the Multimedia Messaging Service.
The present document serves as a foundation for the development of MMS. It describes a new service which has no direct equivalent in the previous ETSI/GSM world or in the fixed network world. In consequence readers may find that certain aspects are not clearly defined or open to misinterpretation. Where any such case is encountered it is essential that the issue is brought to the 3GPP TSG T2 standards body (see page 2 for contact information) for discussion and resolution in order to provide interoperable implementations.
The following documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of the present document.
References are either specific (identified by date of publication, edition number, version number, etc.) or non-specific.
For a specific reference, subsequent revisions do not apply.
For a non-specific reference, the latest version applies. In the case of a reference to a 3GPP document (including a GSM document), a non-specific reference implicitly refers to the latest version of that document in the same Release as the present document.
For the purposes of the present document, the terms and definitions defined in TR 21.905 and TS 22.140 and the following apply:
Abstract message:
information which is transferred between two MMS entities used to convey an MM and/or associated control information between these two entities
Application Data:
Information / data specific to an application other than the MMS User Agent / VASP which is intended to be transported without alteration by using MMS. Application Data may be of any content type and format.
Delivery Report:
feedback information provided to an originator of MM (MMS User Agent or VASP) by an MMS Relay/Server about the status of the delivery of an MM
External Server:
network entity/application of an external system such as Internet email, unified messaging system or facsimile to which MMs may be sent to and/or from which MMs may be received by an MMS User Agent via an MMS service provider
Forwarding MMS User Agent:
MMS User Agent that is the intended recipient of an MM, that requests forwarding of the MM for delivery to other recipient(s) without having to first download the MM
Forwarded MM:
MM originally sent from a sender to an intended recipient which is then forwarded to other recipient(s) and to which a delivery report and/or read-reply report may refer and which may be subject to further forwarding
Message ID:
a unique identifier for an MM
Message Reference:
a unique identifier for an MM indicating the location of the MM
MMBox:
network storage associated with a user into which MMs, along with MM State and MM Flags, may be stored, retrieved, and deleted
Messaging Service Control Function:
an external entity used for number translation purposes
MM State:
the state of an MM within the MMBox, as one of several, mutually-exclusive enumerated values
MM Flags:
a list of zero, one, or more keyword flags, defined by the MMS User Agent, associated with the MM
MM Cancellation:
act of the originating MMS VAS Application to cancel an already submitted MM on the originator MMS Relay/Server
MM Delivery:
act of a recipient MMS Relay/Server delivering an MM to a recipient MMS User Agent
MM Submission:
act of an originator MMS User Agent / VAS Application submitting an MM to the originator MMS Relay/Server
MM Notification:
a notification to the MMS User Agent with specific, Message related information;
MM Replacement:
Act of the originating VAS Application to replace an already submitted MM on the originator MMS Relay/Server
MMSNA:
Multimedia Messaging Service Network Architecture encompasses all the various elements that provide a complete MMS to a user
MMSE:
collection of MMS-specific network elements under the control of a single administration
MMS Relay/Server:
MMS-specific network entity/application that is under the control of an MMS service provider
MMS Retrieval Mode:
the mode in which the Multimedia Message is retrieved from the Network
MMS User Agent:
application residing on a UE, an MS or an external device that performs MMS-specific operations on a user's behalf and/or on another application's behalf.
MMS VAS Applications:
Applications providing Value Added Services (e.g. news service or weather forecasts) to MMS users.
Original MM:
(initial) MM sent from a sender to a recipient and to which a delivery report and/or a read-reply report and/or a reply-MM may refer and/or which may be subject to being forwarded
Originator MMSE:
MMSE associated with the sender of an MM
Originator MMS Relay/Server:
MMS Relay/Server associated with the sender of an MM
Originator MMS User Agent:
MMS User Agent associated with the sender of an MM
Originator VASP:
VASP which is sending an MM
Read-Reply Report:
feedback information to an originator MMS User Agent by a recipient MMS User Agent about the status of handling/rendering of an original MM in a recipient MMS User Agent
Recipient MMSE:
MMSE associated with the recipient of an MM
Recipient MMS Relay/Server:
MMS Relay/Server associated with the recipient of an MM
Recipient MMS User Agent:
MMS User Agent associated with the recipient of an MM
Recipient VASP:
VASP which is receiving an MM
Reply-MM:
the first reply accepted by the recipient MMS Relay/Server (after checking the reply charging limitations, such as the latest time of submission) in case of reply-charging
Service provider identification:
an identification for a service provider, e.g. a domain name, MCC+MNC, or a subset of the IMSI identifying the service provider. It is possible for the MMS Relay/Server to host several service providers. Mechanisms for this are implementation- and operator-specific.
Short code:
Service provider specific address which is a string of alphanumeric characters
SOAP Attachment:
Multimedia content, e.g. audio, image, text, presentation or a combination of different media types and/or formats, transferred from an MMS VASP to an MMS Relay/Server or vice versa.
Time stamp:
The date, time and the additional information, e.g. UTC, GMT or time zone, which allows the unambiguous identification of time.
Transaction:
message pair sent between an MMS User Agent and MMS Relay/Server, or between MMS Relay/Servers