System and Method for Sending Mobile Media Content to Another Mobile Device User

• US 20080051071A1
• Filed: 08/23/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Resource Consortium Limited, LLC
• Original Assignee: Envio Networks Incorporated (SKYWEAVER, INC)
• Inventors: Goldstein, James A., Sundar, Rangamani, Iyer, Prakash R., Vishwanathan, Kumar K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,233,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42051 where the notification is included in the ringing tone

Abstract

Techniques are provided that extend the capabilities of mobile phone devices to automatically assign media content items to “contacts” list entries. Thus, if a mobile device user indicates the desire to purchase a media content item to be assigned to or associated with another mobile device user (e.g., an entry in a contacts list), the experience of acquiring that media content item and making the assignment can be seamless reducing the number of tedious manual steps to accomplish that task.

Claims

1. A method for delivering media content to a mobile communication device, comprising:

a. at a first mobile device, selecting a media content item for use on a second mobile device upon the second mobile device receiving a communication contact from the first mobile device; and

b. at the second mobile device, receiving the communication contact from the first mobile device together with information identifying the selected media content item and associating the selected media content item with an identifier of said first mobile device so as to activate the selected media content item upon receiving a communication contact from the first mobile device thereafter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said associating comprises associating the selected media content item at the second mobile device without user action at the second mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, and further comprising at the first mobile device, initiating the communication contact to the second mobile device upon said selecting so as to cause the selected media content item to be transmitted to said second mobile device in the course of establishing the communication contact to the second mobile device.

4. The method of claim 3, and further comprising at the second mobile device, installing the selected media content item if it is not already installed on the second mobile device.

5. The method of claim 4, and further comprising, at the first mobile device, engaging in a transaction to purchase rights to the selected media content item for installation and use on the second mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein engaging comprises selecting usage parameters associated with the selected media content item, wherein a purchase price for the rights to use the selected media content item is dependent on the selected usage parameters.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein selecting usage parameters comprises selecting one or more of:

the number of activations of the selected media content item on the second mobile device, extent to which the selected media content item may be activated on the second mobile device apart from receiving a communication contact from the first mobile device, a time duration for which activation of the media content item is permitted, a combination of the number of activations and time duration for which activation may occur, and extent to which the selected media content item may be transferred from the second mobile device to another mobile device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein at the second mobile device, engaging in a transaction to purchase the rights to expand the usage parameters of the selected media content item.

9. The method of claim 1, and further comprising receiving at the first mobile device a list of available media content items, and wherein said selecting is performed from said list.

10. The method of claim 9, and further comprising a user of said second mobile device creating a wish list of media content items that the user of said second mobile device wishes to acquire but has not already acquired and installed on the second mobile device, wherein said receiving at the first mobile device comprises receiving said wish list, and wherein said selecting is performed from said wish list.

11. The method of claim 9, and further comprising creating the list of available media content items based on user preference information derived from other media content items that have been installed on the second mobile device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving comprises receiving at the first mobile device the list of available media content items from a service provider either as a promotion or part of the services provided by the service provider to first and second mobile devices.

13. The method of claim 1, and further comprising at the first mobile device, receiving a list of media content items already installed on the second mobile device, and wherein said selecting comprises selecting a media content item from the list.

14. The method of claim 1, and further comprising at the second mobile device, activating the selected media content item upon receiving the communication contact from the first mobile device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein upon the user of the second mobile device accepting the communicate contact from the first mobile device, further comprising establishing a voice call between the first mobile device and the second mobile device through a voice network apparatus.

16. The method of claim 1, and further comprising a user of the first mobile device purchasing rights to the selected media content item for use by a user of the second mobile device as a gift made to the user of the second mobile device.

17. The method of claim 1, and further comprising, at a computing device, storing data pertaining to one or more events associated with a user of the second mobile device, and sending a notification to the first mobile device to provide a user of the first mobile device with an opportunity to select a media content item and purchase rights to the selected media content item for use by the user of the second mobile device as a gift to the user of the second mobile device in connection with said one or more events.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the computing device transmits to said first mobile device a list of media content items that the user of the second mobile device wishes to acquire but has not already acquired, and wherein the computing device receives the indication of the selected media content from the wish list.

18. A system that coordinates delivery of media content to mobile communication devices, comprising:

a. first and second mobile devices each configured to activate media content in response to receiving a communication contact from another mobile device; and

b. a computing device that is in communication with said first and second devices, wherein the computing device transmits to the first mobile device a list of media content items that can be activated on the second mobile device when the second mobile device receives a communication contact from the first mobile device, and the computing device receives from the first mobile device an indication of a selected media content item from the list and transmits to the second mobile device in the course of the communication contact to the second mobile device for association in the second mobile device with an identifier of the first mobile device for activation of said selected media content item on said second mobile device upon receiving the communication contact from the first mobile device thereafter.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the computing device generates the list of media content items based on user preference information derived from other media content items that have been installed on the second mobile device.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the computing device generates the list of media content items based on media content items already installed on the second mobile device.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the computing device stores data pertaining to one or more events associated with a user of the second mobile device and sends a notification to the first mobile device to provide a user of the first mobile device with an opportunity to select a media content item and purchase rights to the selected media content item for use by the user of the second mobile device as a gift to the user of the second mobile device in connection with said one or more events.

23. A method for enabling delivery of media content between mobile device users, comprising:

a. at a first mobile device, a first user selecting a media content item for use on a second mobile device; and

b. at a second mobile device, receiving a communication contact from the first mobile device together with information identifying the selected media content item for use on the second mobile device by a second user.

24. The method of claim 23, and further comprising the first user purchasing rights to the selected media content item for use by the second user as a gift made to the second user of the second mobile device.

25. The method of claim 23, and further comprising, at a computing device, storing data pertaining to one or more events associated with the second user, and sending a notification to the first mobile device to provide the first user to purchase rights to the selected media content item for use by the second user of the second mobile device as a gift to the second user in connection with said one or more events.