Systems and methods for populating a ticker using multiple data transmission modes

• US 20050154996A1
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Core Mobility (Smith Micro Software Incorporated)
• Inventors: Othmer, Konstantin
• Granted Patent: US 7,370,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/774
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

Content to be presented on a ticker of a communication device is conveyed by being transmitted using one or more transmission modes that are intelligently selected according to various criteria. The mode is chosen from among a plurality of transmission modes available, such as Bluetooth, WiFi, WiMAX or other 802.11 wireless networks; AM or FM radio waves; paging networks; paging channels on cellular or PCS networks; SMS transmissions; and vertical blanking interrupts on TV transmissions. Selection of the transmission mode is based in part upon at least one consideration, such as: content size, type or subject matter; user preferences; location of the communication device; available bandwidth; current network loads; time of day; the number of other users receiving the same content, and; transmission cost. Once the mode is selected, content is transmitted to the communication device and presented in a ticker of the device.

Claims

1. In a communications environment including a communication device, a method for processing content to be presented on a ticker of the communication device, comprising:

selecting content to send to the communication device;

selecting a transmission mode to transmit the content, from among a plurality of available transmission modes, based on an evaluation of the content;

transmitting the content to the communication device via the selected transmission mode, such that the content is;

received at the communication device via the at least one transmission mode; and

presented using a ticker of the communication device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the content is aggregated at a ticker server prior to transmission to the communication device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmission mode is one or more of:

a paging network;

a paging channel on cellular or PCS network;

an SMS transmission;

AM or FM radio waves;

a traffic channel on cellular or PCS network;

vertical Blanking Interrupts on TV transmission;

satellite transmission;

Bluetooth protocol;

WiFi, WiMAX, or another 802.11 protocol.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein selection of the transmission mode is based in part on a location of the communication device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a choice is made between a point-to-point and a broadcast transmission.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the content comprises location-based content that is selected to correspond to a geographic location of the communication device.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the content comprises a notification of an email message sent to an email address associated with the communication device.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the content comprises at least one of audio, video, graphics, and text.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein selection of the transmission mode is based, at least in part, upon at least one of:

available bandwidth;

content size;

content type;

user preferences;

number of other users receiving the same content;

characteristics of the networks used to transmit,

time of day; and

content subject matter.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication device is a mobile communication device and the content is transmitted to the mobile communication device at a time when the mobile communication device is not otherwise engaging in communication.

11. In a communications environment including a communication device, a method for transmitting content to be presented on a ticker of the communication device, comprising:

locating the communication device within the communications environment;

obtaining content to send to the communication device;

selecting a transmission mode to transmit the content from among a plurality of available transmission modes, based on an evaluation of the content; and

transmitting the content to the communication device via the at least one transmission mode.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein selection of the transmission mode is based in part on a location of the communication device.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the content is aggregated prior to transmission to the communication device.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the content comprises a notification of an email message sent to an email address associated with the communication device.

15. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the content comprises at least one of audio, video, graphics, and text.

16. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein selection of the transmission mode is based, at least in part, upon at least one of:

available bandwidth;

content size;

content type;

user preferences;

number of other users receiving the same content;

time of day; and

content subject matter.

17. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the content that is obtained for transmission is consistent with a set of one or more predefined user preferences.

18. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein multiple transmission modes are available to transmit the content, and the selected transmission mode is selected from among the multiple available transmission modes.

19. In a communication device that is capable of communicating with information sources in a communications environment, a method for receiving content comprising:

receiving the content from an information source over a transmission mode, wherein;

the content has been identified as being of interest to the communication device; and

the transmission mode over which the content is received has been selected from among a plurality of available transmission modes based on an evaluation of the content; and

presenting the content using a ticker of the communication device.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising:

receiving content from multiple information sources, including said information source;

locally storing the content received from the multiple information sources; and

selecting, at the communication device, a portion of the locally stored content to be displayed on the ticker.

21. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein selecting the portion of the locally stored content is performed based on user preferences.

22. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein selecting the portion of the locally stored content is performed using a scheduling system associated with the ticker of the communication device.

23. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the content is aggregated prior to being received by the communication device.

24. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein selection of the transmission mode is based in part on a location of the communication device.

25. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the content comprises location-based content that is selected to correspond to a geographic location of the communication device.

26. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

storing the content in a local data store at the communication device; and

based on the geographic location of the communication device, selecting the location-based content from the content stored in the local data store in preparation for displaying the location-based content on the ticker.

27. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein presenting the content comprises a notification on the ticker of an email message sent to an email address associated with the communication device.

28. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein presenting the content at the communication device comprises displaying the content at the communication device.

29. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the content comprises at least one of audio, video, graphics, and text.

30. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein selection of the transmission mode is based, at least in part, upon at least one of:

available bandwidth;

content size;

content type;

user preferences;

number of other users receiving the same content;

time of day; and

content subject matter.

31. The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising, at the communication device, selecting the content to be displayed on the ticker based on scores assigned to the content and scores assigned to other content available to the communication device, wherein the scores specify at least one of the timing, order and frequency of display of the content.