Electronic short messaging and advertising method and means

• US 20040063445A1
• Filed: 10/20/2003
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Original Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Inventors: Vaananen, Mikko Kalervo
• Granted Patent: US 7,369,864 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/407 Cancellation of a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic short messaging and advertising method and means. In particular the invention relates to an electronic advertising method, where minimal initiative is required from the consumer. Some embodiments of the invention may also be applied to an electronic sales method. The invention may be applied for normal short messaging also. The electronic short messaging and advertising method comprises at least one subscriber terminal and uses the Internet and/or the telephony network. With the method in accordance with the invention the recipient can receive advertisements or other short messages with the shortest manipulation time possible. No navigation, browsing of inboxes, copying and/or pasting of telephone numbers needs to be done. The user is shown the message automatically, and he may delete it or receive further information on it with one single press of a dedicated key.

Claims

1. An electronic short messaging method for sending transmissions to at least one subscriber terminal via the Internet and/or the telephony network, characterised in that it comprises the step of,

sending a first transmission to a recipient subscriber terminal (210) for display, said first transmission defining two active alternatives:

a first alternative for further action and a second alternative for deleting the transmission.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterised in that said first transmission defines automatic deletion after a predefined time period after reception unless the first alternative is selected.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterised in that after a predefined period, a second transmission is sent to the recipient subscriber terminal unless the first alternative is selected, said second transmission removing the first transmission from display.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterised in that a second transmission is sent and associated with the first transmission, depicting attributes related to user input, further actions and/or state of the first transmission.

9. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that further action includes connecting to a telephone number, IP-address, URL-, or the like directory, sending a further subscriber originated message, requesting a call and/or registering for further information.

10. The method according to any of preceding claims, characterised in that at least one subscriber terminal is a PC computer, Apple Macintosh computer, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and/or a UMTS-, GSM-, WAP-, Teldesic-, Inmarsat-, Iridium-, GPRS-, CDMA-, and/or WCDMA mobile station, and/or a device using either the Microsoft Windows, Windows NT, Windows CE, Windows Pocket PC, GEOS, Palm OS and/or the Epoc operating system.

11. A method according to any of preceding claims, characterised in that the bits transmitted and/or received and/or connected minutes are calculated, and the calculation is done by a software at the subscriber terminal or in the network or both.

12. A method as claimed in any of preceding claims, characterised in that money is charged or refunded to the recipient on the basis of bits transmitted and/or received, connected minutes and/or price or promise in the original message.

13. A method as claimed in any of preceding claims, characterised in that the said transmission is an MMS-, SMS-, SMS CB-, USSD-, PDS-, WAPPush message and/or an email, and is embedded with at least one phone number, IP-address, URL-addresses and/or other electronic directories to which the user is arranged to be connected.

14. A method as claimed in any of preceding claims, characterised in that, the said transmission is an MMS-, SMS transmission and/or an email, DTMF-tone or a FTP, TCP/IP, H323, HTTP, UDP data transfer or some other direct data transfer and is embedded with at least one phone number, IP-address, URL-address, ISDN-, FTP-, email-, SIP (Session Initiation Protocol)- address(es) and/or other electronic directories to which the user is arranged to be connected.

15. A method as claimed in any of preceding claims, characterised in that the selection of an active alternative is indicated by pressing a dedicated key on the subscriber terminal.

16. A method as claimed in any of preceding claims, characterised in that the transmission or some parts of the transmission are displayed in place of the telephony network operator logo, and/or the network cell logo.

17. A method as claimed in any of preceding claims, characterised in that the transmission or some parts of the transmission are popped up on at least one display of the subscriber terminal instantly or within a defined period upon arrival to the subscriber terminal.

5. A method for receiving electronic transmissions by at least one subscriber terminal using the Internet and/or the telephony network, characterised in that it comprises the step of,

receiving a first transmission to a recipient subscriber terminal (210) for display, said first transmission defining two active alternatives:

a first alternative for further action and a second alternative for deleting the transmission.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterised in that said first transmission defines automatic deletion after a predefined time period after reception unless the first alternative is selected.

7. The method according to claim 5, characterised in that after a predefined period, a second transmission is received to the recipient subscriber terminal unless the first alternative is selected, said second transmission removing the first transmission from display.

8. The method according to claim 5, characterised in that a second transmission is received and associated with the first transmission, depicting attributes related to user input, further actions and/or state of the first transmission.

18. An electronic short messaging device, comprising

means for communicating using at least one packet switched connection (510) and/or telephony network connection (520),

at least one display (550), and

associated software (530),

characterised in that the associated software is arranged to identify incoming transmissions and display the content or some parts of the content to the display (550) directly and/or at predetermined intervals defining two alternatives:

a first alternative for further action and second alternatives for deleting the transmission.

19. The device according to claim 18, characterised in that, the associated software is arranged to display directly and/or at predetermined intervals the content or parts of the content of an incoming transmission defining two alternatives, a first alternative for further action and a second alternative for deleting the transmission, and the transmission is deleted or postponed after a predefined time period unless one of the active alternatives is selected.

20. The device according to claim 18 or 19, characterised in that the associated software is realised as SIM Application Toolkit software on the SIM card of the mobile terminal.

21. The device according to claim 18 or 19, characterised in that the messaging means is a PC computer, Apple Macintosh computer, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and/or a UMTS-, GSM-, WAP-, Teldesic-, Inmarsat-, Iridium-, GPRS-, CDMA-, and/or WCDMA mobile station, and/or a device using either the Microsoft Windows, Windows NT, Windows CE, Windows Pocket PC, GEOS, Palm OS and/or the Epoc operating system.

22. The device according to claim 18 or 19, characterised in that the transmission is an MMS-, SMS message and/or an email, and is embedded with at least one phone number, IP-address, URL-address, ISDN-, FTP-, email-, SIP- address(es) and/or other electronic directories to which the user is arranged to be connected by a dedicated action.

23. Software program product, characterised in that it comprises

program code means for recognising a transmission,

program code means for displaying an bioptional message on the terminal display,

program code means for initiating proceedings in response to recognised first user input and

program code means for removing the received transmission from display or postponing the display of the received transmission in response to recognised second user input or in absence of user input or on an external command.

24. A software program product according to claim 23, characterised in that, the associated software is realised as SIM Application Toolkit software on the SIM card of the mobile terminal, and/or as an USSD application on the network.