System and method for providing subscribed applications on wireless devices over a wireless network

• US 20030033209A1
• Filed: 08/13/2001
• Published: 02/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bryan Minear, Eric J. Lekven, Mitchell B. Oliver, Phil Tien Nguyen, Richard Wayne Gardner, III, Stephen A. Sprigg
• Original Assignee: Bryan Minear, Eric J. Lekven, Mitchell B. Oliver, Phil Tien Nguyen, Richard Wayne Gardner, III, Stephen A. Sprigg
• Inventors: Gardner, Richard Wayne III, Sprigg, Stephen A., Minear, Brian, Nguyen, Phil Tien, Oliver, Mitchell B., Lekven, Eric J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,996,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A system and method for the provision of downloadable subscription-based software applications to one or more wireless devices where the applications are downloadable from one or more application download servers across a wireless network. An accounting module receives subscription-based application download data from the one or more application download servers for each subscription-based application downloaded by a wireless device, and subscription-based application deletion data from each wireless device that has deleted a subscription-based application. The accounting module accounts for the use of the subscribed software applications based upon the subscription-based software application download data and subscription-based application deletion data.

Claims

1. A system for providing downloadable subscription-based software to one or more wireless devices, comprising:

one or more wireless devices, each wireless device in selective communication with a wireless network and selectively downloading one or more subscription-based software applications to be executable on the wireless device, and each wireless device selectively transmitting subscription-based application deletion data for any downloaded subscription-based application that has been deleted by the wireless device;

one or more application download servers, each application download server selectively communicating with the one or more wireless devices across the wireless network and downloading to the wireless devices at least one subscription-based software application, each application download server generating subscription-based application download data for each subscription-based software application downloaded by a wireless device therefrom; and

an accounting module to account for the use of subscription-based software applications by each wireless device, the accounting module receiving subscription-based application download data from the one or more application download servers and subscription-based application deletion data from each wireless device, and wherein the accounting is based upon the subscription-based software application download data and subscription-based application deletion data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the accounting module is resident on the application download server from which a subscription-based software application was downloaded.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the accounting module is resident on an application download server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein upon deletion of a subscription-based software application, the wireless device bridges a communication link with the one or more application download servers and transmits subscription-based application deletion data to the one or more application download servers.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more application download servers receive subscription-based application deletion data from a wireless device and send the subscription-based application deletion data to the accounting module.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the accounting module selectively receives subscription-based application deletion data transmitted from the one or more download servers.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the accounting module receives subscription-based application deletion data directly from a wireless device that has deleted a subscription-based application.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is a cellular telephone.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is a personal digital assistant.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is a pager.

11. A system for providing downloadable subscription-based software across a wireless network, comprising:

wireless communication means for selectively communicating with the wireless network and selectively downloading one or more subscription-based software applications to be executable on the wireless communication means, the wireless communication means selectively transmitting subscription-based application deletion data for any downloaded subscription-based application that has been deleted by the wireless communication means;

application download means for selectively communicating with the wireless communication means across the wireless network and downloading at least one subscription-based software application thereto, each application download means generating software application download data for each subscription-based software application downloaded to a wireless communication means therefrom; and

an accounting means for accounting for the use of the subscription-based software application by the wireless communication means, the accounting means receiving subscription-based software application download data from the application download means and subscription-based application deletion data from the wireless communication means, and wherein the accounting is based upon the subscription-based application download data and subscription-based application deletion data.

12. A method for providing downloadable subscription-based software on one or more wireless devices in selective communication with one or more application download servers across a wireless network, the method comprising the steps of:

selectively downloading one or more subscription-based software applications from an application download server to a wireless device, the downloaded subscription-based software applications executable on the wireless device;

generating at the application download server subscription-based application download data for each subscription-based software application downloaded by a wireless device therefrom;

selectively transmitting subscription-based application deletion data from each wireless device that has deleted a subscription-based software application to an accounting module; and

accounting for the use of subscription-based software applications by each wireless device on the accounting module, the accounting based upon the subscription-based software application download data and subscription-based application deletion data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of accounting for the use of subscription-based software applications by each wireless device occurs on an accounting module resident on the application download server from which a subscription-based software application was downloaded.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of accounting for the use of subscription-based software applications by each wireless device occurs on an accounting module resident on an application download server.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of, prior to the step of selectively transmitting subscription-based application deletion data from each wireless device, the wireless device bridging a communication link to the one or more application download servers after the wireless device has deleted a subscription-based software application.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of accounting for the use of subscription-based software applications by each wireless device occurs on an accounting module located remotely from the one or more application download servers.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of receiving the transmitted subscription-based application deletion data at an application download server and sending the subscription-based application deletion data to the accounting module.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of selectively transmitting subscription-based application deletion data from each wireless device to an accounting module is selectively transmitting subscription-based application deletion data from each wireless device directly to the accounting module located remotely from the one or more application download servers.

19. A method for providing downloadable subscription-based software on one or more wireless devices in selective communication with one or more application download servers across a wireless network, the method comprising the steps of:

a download step for selectively downloading one or more subscription-based software applications from an application download server to a wireless device, the subscription-based software applications executable on the wireless device;

a subscription-based application download data generation step for generating at the application download server subscription-based application download data for each subscription-based software application downloaded by a wireless device therefrom;

a subscription-based application deletion data transmission step for selectively transmitting subscription-based application deletion data from each wireless device that has deleted a subscription-based software application to an accounting module; and

an accounting step for accounting for the use of subscription-based software applications by each wireless device on the accounting module, the accounting based upon the subscription-based software application download data and subscription-based application deletion data.

20. An accounting module for accounting for the use of subscription-based software applications by one or more wireless devices in selective communication with one or more application download servers across a wireless network, wherein each wireless device selectively downloads from an application download server one or more subscription-based software applications to be executable on the wireless device and each wireless device that has deleted a subscription-based software application selectively transmits subscription-based application deletion data to the accounting module, and each application download server generates application download data for each subscription-based software application downloaded by a wireless device therefrom, and wherein the accounting module receives subscription-based application download data from the one or more application download servers and subscription-based application deletion data from the one or more wireless devices, and accounts based upon the subscription-based application download data and the subscription-based application deletion data.

21. The accounting module of claim 20, wherein the accounting module is resident on an application download server.

22. The accounting module of claim 20, wherein the accounting module is located remotely to the one or more application download servers.

23. The accounting module of claim 22, wherein the accounting module receives the subscription-based application deletion data from the one or more application download servers.

24. The accounting module of claim 20, wherein the accounting module receives the subscription-based application deletion data directly from the one or more wireless devices.

25. In a computer readable medium, a program that directs a computer to account for the use of subscription-based software applications by one or more wireless devices in selective communication with one or more application download servers across a wireless network through performing the steps of:

receiving subscription-based application download data from the one or more application download servers, the subscription-based application download data for each subscription-based software application downloaded by a wireless device from the one or more application download servers;

receiving subscription-based application deletion data from each wireless device that has deleted a subscription-based software application; and

accounting for the use of subscription-based software applications by each wireless device based upon the subscription-based software application download data and subscription-based application deletion data.