Mobile Virtual Communication Invitations

• US 20080261577A1
• Filed: 04/18/2008
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xenogenic Development Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lupine Investments LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Celik, Feyzi, Yanik, Andrea, DeGrace, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,761,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

In general, in an aspect, the invention provides a method including prompting a first user of a first mobile communication device to invite a second user of a second mobile communication device to become associated with a virtual community associated with the first user, sending a first notification from the first mobile communication device to a gateway in response to the first user inviting the second user to become associated with the virtual community, sending a second notification from the gateway to the second mobile communication device indicating that the first user is inviting the second user to become associated with the virtual community, and prompting the second user, upon receiving the second notification at the second mobile communication device, to become associated with the virtual community.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

prompting a first user of a first mobile communication device to invite a second user of a second mobile communication device to become associated with a virtual community associated with the first user;

sending a first notification from the first mobile communication device to a gateway in response to the first user inviting the second user to become associated with the virtual community;

sending a second notification from the gateway to the second mobile communication device indicating that the first user is inviting the second user to become associated with the virtual community; and

prompting the second user, upon receiving the second notification at the second mobile communication device, to become associated with the virtual community.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining if the second mobile communication device is capable of enhanced service.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein sending the second notification includes sending a short message service (SMS) message of a first type if the second mobile communication device is capable of enhanced service, and sending an SMS message of a second type if the second mobile communication device is not capable of enhanced service.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second mobile communication device is configured to receive the second notification from the gateway and to prompt a second user to become associated with the virtual community of the first user.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a third notification to a server indicating that the second user accepted the invitation.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising associating the second user with the virtual community.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the prompting of the first user occurs automatically in response to the completion of a communication event.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the prompting of the first user occurs automatically in response to the completion of at least one of an e-mail, an instant message, a short message service (SMS) message, and a telephone call.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a confirmation e-mail to the second user, wherein the e-mail includes an activation link.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising accessing the virtual community using at least one of the first and second communication devices.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein accessing the virtual community includes accessing the virtual community using a wireless application protocol session.

12. A computer readable medium encoded with computer readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, are configured to cause the processor to:

detect the completion of a communication event between first and second mobile communication devices;

prompt a first user of the first mobile communication device to invite a second user of the second mobile communication device to become associated with a virtual community associated with the first user; and

send a first notification from the first mobile communication device to a gateway in response to the first user inviting the second user to become associated with the virtual community.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the computer readable instructions are further configured to cause the processor to prompt the first user automatically in response to the completion of the communication event.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the computer readable instructions are configured such that the first notification is a short message service (SMS) message.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein the computer readable instructions are configured such that the SMS message has a predetermined format that is recognizable by the gateway.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the computer readable instructions are further configured to cause the processor to receive an incoming notification and to recognize the incoming notification as a invitation from the second user inviting the first user to become associated with a virtual community associated with the second user.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the computer readable instructions are further configured to cause the processor to display a prompt to the first user in response to receiving the incoming notification.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the computer readable instructions are further configured such that the detection of the completion of the communication event includes detection of the completion of at least one of an e-mail, an instant message, a short message service (SMS) message, and a telephone call.

19. A computer readable medium encoded with computer readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, are configured to cause the processor to:

receive a first incoming notification from a first user of a first mobile communication device;

detect that the first incoming notification is a invitation from a first user to a second user of a second mobile communication device, wherein the invitation is a request that the second user become associated with a virtual community associated with the first user;

determine if the second mobile communication device is capable of enhanced service;

send a first outgoing notification to the second mobile communication device including information indicative of the invitation; and

receiving a response from the second mobile communication device.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein the computer readable instructions are configured such that the first outgoing notification is a short message service (SMS) message.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20 wherein the computer readable instructions are configured such that the SMS message is of a first type if the second mobile communication device is capable of enhanced service, and the SMS message is of a second type if the second mobile communication device is not capable of enhanced service.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein the computer readable instructions are further configured to cause the processor to send a second outgoing notification to a server associated with the virtual community indicating that the second user accepted the invitation.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein the computer readable instructions are further configured to cause the processor to send a third outgoing notification to the first mobile communication device indicating that the second user accepted the invitation.

24. A computer readable medium encoded with computer readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, are configured to cause the processor to:

receive an incoming notification from a first communication device to a second communication device, the incoming notification being received at the second communication device, wherein the incoming notification is an invitation by a first user of the first communication device inviting a second user of the second communication device to become associated with a virtual community associated with the first user;

recognize the incoming notification as an invitation by the first user inviting the second user to become associated with the virtual community associated with the first user;

prompt the second user to accept the invitation; and

receive a response to the prompt.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 24 wherein the computer readable instructions are further configured to cause the processor to provide an outgoing notification including information indicative of whether the second user accepted the invitation.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 24 wherein the computer readable instructions are further configured to cause the processor to recognize the incoming notification by recognizing at least one of a format of the incoming notification and information contained in the incoming notification.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 24 wherein the computer readable instructions are further configured to cause the processor to prompt the second user to invite the first user to become associated with a virtual community associated with the second user.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 24 wherein the computer readable instructions are further configured to cause the processor to connect to the virtual community associated with the first user using a wireless application protocol session.