Method and apparatus for telecommunications advertising

• US 20010051517A1
• Filed: 01/02/2001
• Published: 12/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pika Media Co., PIK MEDIA
• Original Assignee: Pika Media Co.
• Inventors: Strietzel, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US09/753,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20010051517A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A telecommunications advertising means is desclosed. The telecommunication advertising means includes an advertisement database coupled to a processing means. The advertisement database stores subscriber specific or third party advertisements that are selectively associated with communications in a telecommunications network. The selective association is carried out by the processing means. In one embodiment, a router is coupled to the advertisement database. The router routes communications from source to destination within the telecommunications network. The router also routes advertisements that have been associated with the communications to the sources and destinations of the communications. A telecommunications system is also disclosed. The telecommunications system comprises a network subsystem, which includes a telecommunications advertising means. The telecommunications advertising means comprises an advertisement database and a processing means.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a radio interface;

a plurality of terminals configured to play advertisements and to communicate voice and data over the radio interface;

at least one network node configured to communicate with the plurality of terminals over the radio interface, the network node including;

a fixed network interface;

a telecommunications advertising means comprising an advertisement database and a processing means coupled with the advertisement database, the processing means configured to selectively associate at least one advertisement in the advertisement database with an incoming communication; and

a switching center coupled to the telecommunications advertising means, the switching center configured to route communications between the terminals, to route communications from the terminals to fixed network users via the fixed network interface, to route advertisements associated with a source of the incoming communication by the telecommunications advertising means to a terminal associated with the source, and to route advertisements associated with a destination of the incoming communication by the telecommunications advertising means to a terminal associated with the destination.

2. The wireless communication system of

claim 1

, wherein the advertisements associated with the source and/or destination of the incoming communication are used to replace a busy signal that would otherwise be sent to the source and/or destination.

3. The wireless communication system of

claim 1

, wherein some or all of the terminals are configured to forward advertisements received by the terminals to other terminals within the wireless communication system.

4. The wireless communication system of

claim 1

, wherein some or all of the terminals are configured to optionally connect, through the switching center to the source of any advertisement routed to the terminal by the switching center.

5. The wireless communication system of

claim 4

, wherein some or all of the terminals are configured to navigate through information provided by the source of the advertisement once the terminal is connected to the source of the advertisement.

6. The wireless communication system of

claim 4

, wherein some or all of the terminals are configured to facilitate purchasing of products or services once the terminal is connected to the source of the advertisement.

7. The wireless communication system of

claim 6

, wherein some or all of the terminals are configured to allow charge account information to be input into the terminal, and wherein the terminal provides the charge account information to the source of the advertisement to facilitate the purchasing of products or services.

8. The wireless communication system of

claim 6

, wherein the telecommunication advertising means stores charge account information associated with each terminal, and wherein the telecommunications advertising means automatically supplies the charge account information to the source of the advertisement to facilitate purchasing of products or services.

9. The wireless communication system of

claim 4

, further configured to allow the source and/or destination of the incoming communication to be connected to the source of an advertisement prior to completion of the incoming communication.

10. The wireless communication system of

claim 4

, wherein some or all of the terminals are configured to store a list of advertisements played during the completion of the incoming communication.

11. The wireless communication system of

claim 10

, wherein some or all of the terminals are configured to connect to the source of an advertisement selected from the list of advertisements after the completion of the incoming communication.

12. The wireless communication system of

claim 4

, further comprising a packet data server configured to interface the plurality of terminals to the Internet, and wherein some or all of the terminals are configured to optionally connect, through the packet data server, to the source of any advertisement routed to the terminal.

13. The wireless communication system of

claim 1

, wherein the advertisements routed to the source of the incoming communication are played during at least one of the following points:

prior to a ring back signal being applied to the source of the incoming communication;

in place of ring tones associated with the ring back signal;

in place of the ring back signal, and

after the ring back signal, but before the source of the incoming communication is connected with the destination of the incoming communication.

14. The wireless communication system of

claim 13

, wherein the advertisements routed to the destination of the incoming communication are played prior to the source of the incoming communication being connected with the destination of the incoming communication.

15. The wireless communication system of

claim 1

, wherein at least a portion of the advertisement database is stored in each terminal in the plurality of terminals, and wherein the switching center routes a command provided by the telecommunications advertising means to the terminals indicating which advertisement to play.

16. The telecommunications advertising means of

claim 15

, wherein the portion of the advertisement database stored in the terminals is updated by the telecommunications advertising means over the radio interface.

17. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a packet data carrier;

a plurality of terminals configured to communicate packet data over the packet data carrier;

a telecommunications advertising means comprising an advertisement database and a processing means coupled with the advertisement database, the processing means configured to selectively associate at least one advertisement in said advertisement database with an incoming packet data communication;

a packet data server configured to interface the terminals with the Internet, to route communications between the terminals and the Internet over the packet data carrier, and to route advertisements associated with a source of the incoming packet data communication to the source, and to route advertisements associated with a destination of the incoming packet data communication to the destination.

18. The wireless communication system of

claim 17

, wherein some or all of the terminals are configured to optionally connect through the packet data server to the source of any advertisement routed to the terminal by the packet data server.

19. The wireless communication system of

claim 18

, wherein some or all of the terminals are configured to navigate through information provided by the source of the advertisement once the terminal is connected to the source of the advertisement.

20. The wireless communication system of

claim 19

, wherein some or all of the terminals are configured to facilitate purchasing of goods and services once the terminal is connected to the source of the advertisement.

21. The wireless communication system of

claim 20

, wherein some or all of the terminals are configured to allow charge account information to be input into the terminal, and wherein the terminal provides the charge account information to the source of the advertisement to facilitate the purchasing of goods and services.

22. The wireless communication system of

claim 20

, wherein the telecommunication advertising means stores charge account information associated with each terminal, and wherein the telecommunications advertising means automatically supplies the charge account information to the source of the advertisement to facilitate purchasing of goods and services.

23. A method of telecommunications advertising in a wireless communication system configured for voice and/or data communication between a source and a destination, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of advertisements;

selectively associating one or more of said plurality of advertisements with a communication in the wireless communication system;

playing or otherwise displaying the one or more advertisements through a terminal associated with the source or destination of the communication prior to connecting the source to the destination for purposes of completing the communication; and

connecting the terminal with a company associated with one of the one or more advertisements.

24. The method of

claim 23

, further comprising permitting the terminal to browse information and/or products or services offered by the company.

25. The method of

claim 24

, further comprising permitting the terminal to purchase one or more products or services offered by the company.