Incentive System for Mobile Device

• US 20080172292A1
• Filed: 01/11/2007
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David A. Hurowitz, Gregory F. Welteroth
• Original Assignee: David A. Hurowitz, Gregory F. Welteroth
• Inventors: Hurowitz, David A., Welteroth, Gregory F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,204,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An incentive system is delivered via a mobile device. A database module registers a customer in the system. The registered customer is provided the mobile device for free or reduced cost. A streaming module is connected to the database module for serving content to the customer. A priority module is connected to the streaming module for implementing a content delivery schedule. The streaming module serves a content notification to the registered customer. The database module records a registered customer acceptance of content and calculates a corresponding content-based incentive. Finally, the streaming module serves the content-based incentive to the registered customer.

Claims

1. An incentive system delivered via a mobile device, comprising:

a database module for registering a customer in the system, the registered customer provided the mobile device for free or reduced cost;

a streaming module connected to the database module for serving content to the customer; and

a priority module connected to the streaming module for implementing a content delivery schedule, wherein;

the streaming module serves a content notification to the registered customer,

the database module records a registered customer acceptance of content and calculates a corresponding content-based incentive, and

the streaming module serves the content-based incentive to the registered customer.

2. The incentive system of claim 1, further including subsequent to the step of serving the content-based incentive to the registered customer, serving a matched content notification to the registered customer, whereupon if the registered customer accepts the matched content notification, serving matched content to the customer.

3. The incentive system of claim 1, wherein the content further includes video, audio, sounds, vibrations, or a combination thereof.

4. The incentive system of claim 1, wherein the content-based incentive is calculated based on an amount or type of content viewed by a registered customer.

5. The incentive system of claim 4, wherein the content-based incentive further includes free or reduced airtime charges offered in exchange for the viewing of content.

6. The incentive system of claim 4, wherein the content-based incentive further includes coupons, tickets, or rebates.

7. The incentive system of claim 1, wherein the calculation of the content-based incentive is structured to increase non-linearly as an amount or type of content is viewed by the customer.

8. A method for implementing an incentive system using a mobile device, comprising:

providing the mobile device to a customer at free or reduced cost in exchange for registration on a data network;

notifying the customer of available content;

recording a customer acceptance of content;

serving the content to the customer;

calculating a content-based incentive to offer the customer; and

serving the content-based incentive to the customer.

9. The method of claim 8, further including subsequent to the step of serving the content-based incentive to the customer, serving a matched content notification to the customer, whereupon if the customer accepts the matched content notification, serving matched content to the customer.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the content further includes video, audio, sounds, vibrations, or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim of claim 8, wherein the content-based incentive is calculated based on an amount or type of content viewed by a registered customer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the content-based incentive further includes free or reduced airtime charges offered in exchange for the viewing of content.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the content-based incentive further includes coupons, tickets, or rebates.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the calculation of the content-based incentive is structured to increase non-linearly as an amount or type of content is viewed by the customer.

15. A computer program product usable with a programmable computer processor having a computer readable program code embodied therein, comprising:

computer readable program code which provides the mobile device to a customer at free or reduced cost in exchange for registration on a data network;

computer readable program code which notifies the customer of available content;

computer readable program code which records a customer acceptance of content;

computer readable program code which serves the content to the customer;

computer readable program code which calculates a content-based incentive to offer the customer; and

computer readable program code which serves the content-based incentive to the customer.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further including computer readable program code which, subsequent to the step of serving the content-based incentive to the customer, serves a matched content notification to the customer, whereupon if the customer accepts the matched content notification, serving matched content to the customer.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the content further includes video, audio, sounds, vibrations, or a combination thereof.

18. The computer program product of claim of claim 15, wherein the content-based incentive is calculated based on an amount or type of content viewed by a registered customer.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the content-based incentive further includes free or reduced airtime charges offered in exchange for the viewing of content.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the content-based incentive further includes coupons, tickets, or rebates.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the calculation of the content-based incentive is structured to increase non-linearly as an amount or type of content is viewed by the customer.

22. A method of manufacturing a incentive system delivered via a mobile device, comprising:

providing a database module for registering a customer in the system, the registered customer provided the mobile device for free or reduced cost;

providing a streaming module connected to the database module for serving content to the customer; and

providing a priority module connected to the streaming module for implementing a content delivery schedule, wherein;

the streaming module serves a content notification to the registered customer,

the database module records a registered customer acceptance of content and calculates a corresponding content-based incentive, and

the streaming module serves the content-based incentive to the registered customer.

23. The method of manufacture of claim 22, further including subsequent to the step of the streaming module serving the content-based incentive to the registered customer, the streaming module serves a matched content notification to the registered customer, whereupon if the registered customer accepts the matched content notification, the streaming module serves matched content to the customer.

24. The method of manufacture of claim 22, wherein the content further includes video, audio, sounds, vibrations, or a combination thereof.

25. The method of manufacture of claim 22, wherein the content-based incentive is calculated based on an amount or type of content viewed by a registered customer.

26. The method of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the content-based incentive further includes free or reduced airtime charges offered in exchange for the viewing of content.

27. The method of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the content-based incentive further includes coupons, tickets, or rebates.

28. The method of manufacture of claim 22, wherein the calculation of the content-based incentive is structured to increase non-linearly as an amount or type of content is viewed by the customer.