Method of Providing Content to a Wireless Computing Device

• US 20080109528A1
• Filed: 12/06/2005
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Omnifone Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Omnifone Ltd.
• Inventors: Lewis, Robert John, Lamb, Michael Ian, Sullivan, Mark Peter, Sant, Philip Anthony, Pocock, Stephen William, Knight, Mark Stephen
• Application Number:
  US11/720,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20080109528A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

A customised Network Application suitable for a specific type of Wireless Computing Device is automatically generated and sent to that Device. The Application is able to download a preview of content on demand by an end-user from a Server that stores the content and to play the preview of the content. It can also display an option or function that enables the end-user to download and buy that content from the Server. Attributes for that type of Wireless Computing Device are defined as Metadata; attributes for various different kinds of mobile content are also defined as Metadata; the Server then determines what content is compatible with the Wireless Computing Device by comparing the Metadata of the content and the Wireless Computing Device. The kind of content that can be provided includes ringtones, wallpapers/pictures, screensavers, realtones/truetones, full music downloads, video, SMS & MMS alerts, and mobile games.

Claims

1. A method of providing content to a Wireless Computing Device, comprising the steps of:

(a) automatically generating a customised Network Application suitable for that type of Wireless Computing Device;

(b) deploying that Network Application on that Wireless Computing Device;

(c) the Network Application downloading a preview of content on demand by an end-user from a Server, the Server storing the content;

(d) the Network Application playing the preview of the content;

(e) the Network Application displaying an option or function that enables the end-user to download and buy that content from the Server.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the mobile content is selected from the following list:

ringtones, wallpapers/pictures, screensavers, realtones/truetones, full music downloads, video, SMS &

MMS alerts, and mobile games.

3. The method of claim 1 in which attributes for that type of Wireless Computing Device are defined as meta-data;

attributes for various different kinds of mobile content are also defined as meta-data; and

the Server determines what content is compatible with the Wireless Computing Device by comparing the meta-data of the content and the Wireless Computing Device.

4. The method of claim 3 in which the Server downloads to the Wireless Computing Device only content, or previews of content, that is compatible with the Wireless Computing Device.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the step of automatically generating the customised Network Application involves the following steps:

(a) automatically determining attributes of that type of Wireless Computing Device;

(b) automatically determining which Software Components from a library of Software Components are compatible with that type of Wireless Computing Device based on values of the attributes determined in (a);

(c) automatically combining the compatible Software Components together to generate a customised build of the Network Application, compatible for that type of Wireless Computing Device.

6. The method of claim 5 in which the attributes of the Software Components are also determined and the step of determining which Software Components are compatible includes the step of comparing the values of the attributes of that type of Wireless Computing Device to the values of the attributes of the Software Components.

7. The method of claim 5 in which attributes for that type of Wireless Computing Device are defined as Metadata.

8. The method of claim 5 in which the attributes for different types of Wireless Computing Device are also defined as Metadata.

9. The method of claim 8 in which the method includes the further step of determining attributes of a Wireless Network, to which the Wireless Computing Device is connected, as Metadata.

10. The method of claim 9 in which the method includes the further step of determining attributes of combinations of different Wireless Networks and different types of Wireless Computing Devices as Metadata.

11. The method of claim 7 in which the Metadata attributes for different types of Wireless Computing Device define one or more of:

Wireless Computing Device identification;

market information;

network configuration;

physical characteristics;

network configuration;

media/content capabilities;

HTTP connection;

SMS communications;

Java APIs and libraries;

Java application security;

user interface capabilities;

user assistance properties.

12. The method of claim 9 in which the Metadata attributes for the Wireless Network include one or more of the following:

identification;

openness;

SMS system reliability;

parent operator ID;

contract types offered;

data connectivity offered;

customer contact details;

typical network names.

13. The method of claim 5 in which the Software Components in the library are restricted in functionality so that appropriate components can be matched to any variant of any attribute of that type of Wireless Computing Device or Wireless Network to which that type of Wireless Computing Device can be connected or combination of the two.

14. The method of claim 1 in which the downloaded Network Application includes data defining the user interface and user interaction processes for that Network application, the data being updatable over the wireless network.

15. The method of claim 1 in which the downloaded Network Application downloads from the Server updatable menu lists defining available content.

16. The method of claim 15 in which the lists include lists of best selling items or charts.

17. The method of claim 16 in which these lists have an expiration date and, should a user enter such a list and the menu list is found to have expired, the Network Application will connect to the Server over the network and request an update of the latest menu list from the Server.

18. The method of claim 1 in which the downloaded Network Application displays an option or function that enables the end user to buy a CD corresponding to the content.

19. The method of claim 1 in which the Network Application is provided with the mobile MSISDN telephone number of the Wireless Computing Device by the Server, enabling the application to undertake mobile terminated billing.

20. The method of claim 1 in which the Server records the MSISDN of the user'"'"'s Wireless Computing Device in the Server'"'"'s database and undertakes mobile terminated billing using that MSISDN.

21. The method of claim 20 in which the Server builds into the Network Application a unique reference number which is related at the Server to the actual MSISDN, such that, when the Network Application requests the purchase of an item of content by the user, the Network Application forwards the unique reference to the Server, the Server receives the reference and uses it to look up the MSISDN and then uses the MSISDN for mobile terminated SMS billing.

22. The method of claim 1 in which automated engines, responsible for taking libraries of content from a content provider, confirm the quality and consistency of the incoming content data and automatically map the incoming content to the Wireless Computing Devices with which it is compatible.

23. The method of claim 1 in which the Server understands the best quality preview that can be delivered to the Wireless Computing Device due to a mapping between the content types which can be previewed on the Wireless Computing Device and a ranking of which types have the best quality.

24. The method of claim 1 in which, when the Network Application is connected to the network for the purposes of downloading a preview or getting a menu (chart) update, then any element of the Network Application can also be updated by the Server.

25. The method of claim 1 in which, when a Network Application connects to the Server it presents a unique instance ID that was embedded at time of dynamic build and download to this particular Wireless Computing Device and the Server looks-up the version of this Network Application.

28. Mobile content when provided to a Wireless Computing Device using the method of claim 1.

26. A Network Application that is customised for a specific type of Wireless Computing Device, the Network Application being downloaded from a Server to that Wireless Computing Device and, when running on the Wireless Computing Device, is operable to:

(a) download a preview of content on demand by an end-user from the Server;

(b) play the downloaded preview of the content;

(c) display an option or function that enables the end-user to download and buy that content from the Server.

27. A content portal programmed to be able to download the Network Application of claim 26 to a Wireless Computing Device and to provide content on demand to the Wireless Computing Device.